Queen of Apostles Catholic Parish

Building on 100 years of sharing and caring.

Confirmation Prep – Word Made Flesh

by

Session Overview for Catechists
Slides * Catechist Guide

  • Track A: Monday 10/7/2024, 6:45-8:30 p.m.
  • Track B: Wednesday 10/9 to Thursday 10/10 in Religion class

Warm-up Activity (10 min.)

Look at the new Bibles and make sure everyone has received one (especially those who missed Rite of Enrollment over the weekend or could only watch the streamed version due to travel or illness).  Do not double-issue a Bible to anyone who just forgot theirs at home.

Volunteers may share homework responses to journal questions, especially from page 24

Opening Prayer: Reading, Reflecting, Responding to the Word of God! (10 min)

Reading of Luke 5:1-11 (Bible p. 1347-1348)

(option for short reflection on how this passage spoke to Ms. Hohner, or for a reflective pause before the sung response)

Lord, When You Came to the Seashore verses 1 & 3

  • Track A: a capella bilingual version (English v. 1, Spanish v. 3) using lyrics from slides, led by Ms. Hohner
  • Track B: video version with both verses and the chorus in English (fade out after 2nd chorus):

    Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VrQX3juFHQ

Intro to Scripture & Lector Ministry (10 min)

Option for short witness on impactful Scripture and/or being a lector (Ms. Hohner or Mrs. Medio/Mr. Rosales)

Sacred Scripture is the inspired Word of God, written down by many faithful people and edited together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is divided into the Old Testament (before Jesus) and New Testament (Jesus and the early Church).  The Bible is like a library, made up of 73 books (46 OT, 27 NT).  Finding passages is easy once you know how to read a citation with the name of the book, the number of the chapter, and the number(s) of the verse(s).

Scripture is always present when we pray as a Church — in the words of common prayers (like Our Father & Hail Mary) or the source of the text in songs and psalms, or the Scriptures proclaimed aloud at Mass.

Option to use 2 videos that go with our Bible:

Breakout Session on Jesus (35-45 min – Track B split over 2 days)

Trivia Game: What do we know about Jesus?

MATERIALS: toss-and-tell beach ball with trivia questions * answer key in an envelope

Alternate materials: 2 envelopes of Question & Answer cards for “Go Jesus Fish” matching card game

  • Within your group, toss around the beach balls with questions to test our knowledge of Jesus.  The person catching the ball reads the question that their right thumb (or another finger the group chooses) lands on.  The ball goes to the person with the best answer, or perhaps the person who has not had a turn.  Each group has an answer key in an envelope for the catechist/facilitator.
  • This activity should replace the “Go Jesus Fish!” matching card trivia game.  Cards will be available if desired, and the online version on Sporcle.com still works for students doing home-study on their own (Emilia).

2nd half of session begins for Track B

Scripture Exploration: Who Is Jesus?

Each table/group receives a set of 3 passages relating to Jesus’  life and ministry.  Reflection questions accompany the passages. Each table selects a scribe to take notes about their answers on the question sheets.  At the end of the breakout session, each table/group reports on their conclusions in answer to the question “Who Is Jesus?” based on what is revealed about him in the three passages.

MATERIALS:  question sheets specific to each group

Report Back on Final Question Response (5-10 min)

Call to Discipleship and Prayer Ritual (15 min)

Definition of Discipleship

God calls us together as a group, to be his children. Jesus calls each of us to follow him.

To be a disciple means to hear and study the ways of the master, within a community of disciples, and to live out those ways for the good of the world.  We do this by learning, participating and serving in the life of Christ’s holy Church, which we enter at Baptism.

God first called us to faith through Baptism. God continues to work in our lives through other people; in the stories we hear and the way we hear them; when we take time during prayer to listen for God’s voice speaking from the silence of our hearts.

But we also hear God’s call through the Scriptures and in the decisions we make every day.  Look at the sticker placed on the inside front cover of your Bible.  Asking these questions when you read Scripture on your own will help you to figure out how God is calling you and what God is choosing you to do as part of your mission as a disciple.

Our actions are signs that we choose him back.  Jesus once told this story:

Reading: Parable of the Two Sons, Matthew 21:28-32 (Bible p. 1277-1278)

“Open My Eyes, Lord” (Jesse Manibusan)

During the song, candidates bless their own senses (eyes to see, ears to hear, heart to love).

Discipleship Prayer (from prayer card and also in slides):

Be with me, Lord Jesus.  Guide me on my journey and nourish me as I continue to walk in your Light. ​

      Open my eyes, that I may see your presence.​
      Open my ears, that I may hear your Word.​
      Open my heart, that I may reflect your love.​

Empower me and my whole parish to echo the Truth that is found in you alone.  ​
  I ask this through the power of the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Look at the image on the front of the prayer card.  Jesus is walking with us toward Confirmation!  Jesus is revealed to us when we read or listen to the Scriptures, when we talk to Jesus in prayer, and when we serve Jesus by sharing his love with others.  If we stay with Jesus on this path and give him our attention, we will be transformed as disciples as we become fully initiated (Confirmed) Catholic Christians.

Turn in Discipleship Commitment forms at prayer space during the song Aquí Estoy (Here I Am) by Fr. Rob Galea and Ivan Diaz

Source: https://youtu.be/3HKIgiNrVDo?t=9s 

Closing & Dismissal

HOMEWORK & REMINDERS

  • NO CLASS next week (holiday for all schools on Monday, October 14)
  • read/do pages 13-18 in your textbook
  • Bring your Bibles and other materials to our next class session, which is for both Tracks A & B on Monday, October 21, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Mission Hall at the Parish Center, 4412 N. Western.  We will be doing a special activity that involves the whole group!

Note for later on:

  • Service Hours can be done now and documents can be turned in at any Confirmation Prep class
  • Let Ms. Hohner know about conflicts with your attendance at our retreat “Rise Up” which will be on Tuesday, November 5.  See your track’s schedule for details.
  • Plan for you, your Sponsor(s) and Parent(s) to all attend class at Queen of Angels Church on Monday, November 11, 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • Confirmation Name essay due in early December, details & help coming in late October during the Saintapalooza lesson
  • Letter to the Pastor due in early January, to be assigned as classwork in December during the Anointed lesson
Translate »