Epiphany and tour the church

Happy Epiphany! The Three kings visit Baby Jesus. Visit the Manger scene in the church.wisemenWe said a special prayer for our loved ones, and lit a candle for them.  We saw the Stations of the Cross, the Tabernacle,the Sanctuary Lamp, the Baptismal Font and the Holy Oils: (Oil of Catechumens which is used to bless and strengthen those preparing for baptism; the Oil of the Sick with which the priest brings Jesus’ strength and healing to those who are joined with the suffering Christ in serious illness; and the Sacred Chrism which is used in celebrating the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders)  We looked behind the sanctuary at the vesting room, at the altar stone under the altar cloth and inside the confessionals.

Craft:

Inside the Church

Inside Church instructions

If we have time we will reenact a baptism in the church

Baptism-of-Jordan-Carol

Jesus is presented in the temple and Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt. We follow Mary and Joseph’s path from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Egypt on our map. 12- year-old Jesus is lost, He is teaching in the temple. Jesus grows up and is baptized.

Annunciation: Christmas

Advent Wreath

Christmas pp. 215-216
1. Time to remember: Jesus is the promised Savior, He is the Light of the World!
We remember Jesus in the Christmas candles and Christmas lights.
2. Time to believe: Jesus is the third person in the Trinity and he is God’s Son!
3. Time to celebrate: Holy Birthday Party!

Annunciation
We watched part of the movie “The Nativity.” I think it gave a visual idea of what it really was like for Joseph and Mary. I narrated the movie as it progressed so that the students could put the events from the bible into context.
Joseph was searching for a place to stay in Bethlehem…
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST!

We will make managers for the Christ Child.

Away in the Manger – Christmas carol (You Tube)

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – Christmas carol (You Tube) 

Advent

  1. What special celebration do we prepare for during the Advent season?
  2. What does the word Advent mean?
  3. Whose coming do we await during Advent?
  4. When does the Advent season begin?
  5. What is the liturgical color for the season of Advent?
  6. What did the Hebrew people wait for throughout their history?
  7. When will Jesus come again in majesty?
  8. What are some ways in which we experience the mystery of Jesus present today?
  9. What does the name Emmanuel mean?
  10. When does the Advent season end?

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Advent CCD Penance Service Advent wreath & prayer,

**Sunday, December 7, 2014 Children giving to Children: 9 am and 11am Masses Bring a wrapped gift (with a tag indicating what it is) to give to another child that is in need.

Advent-Prayers1 Advent-prayers2

Advent-Prayers1

Advent-prayers2

Online_Advent_Tree idea for home.

http://www.hickorytown.com/ccd4/PDF/Order-of-Confession.pdf

Advent pp. 213-214
Advent—a celebration of the three comings of Christ:
1. History – Birth of Jesus 2007 years ago.
2. Present – Mystery-
a. In our families, in our church, in our teachers, etc.
b. In Sacraments through the Holy Spirit: Eucharist, Reconciliation, Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony and Holy Orders
3. Future—Majesty- The second coming at the end of time as a King
(referenced in the Book of Revelations)
Jesus’ comings in history, mystery, and majesty!

 

Reconciliation and Conversion

Next week Nov. 26, we do not have class.  Dec. 3 is the Penance service. We will go over the procedure for the confessions and Act of Contrition.

Reconciliation

“Blest are We” grade 4 chapter 14 pp.163-166, 168- 169

Because there is sin in the world, we live on earth and someday we will die. But God provides us a way to save ourselves/our souls. In the Old Testament, they sacrificed an animal or food on an altar for a person’s sins. In the New Testament, Jesus is our sacrifice on the cross. We also offer the ”sacrifice of the Mass” for the forgiveness of sins.

An Examination of Conscience for Children

by Fr. Edward Filardi, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Examination-of-Conscience-CatholicParentOnLine

Order of Confession and Act of Contrition: “Blest are We” grade 4 chapter 14 p. 269

Order-of-Confession

Below is a quiz.  If you highlight “click with the mouse” the space after the “-” the answers will be revealed.

1. What is Sin?

offense against or failure to love God and our neighbor

2. What is the meaning of word CONVERSION?

Turning one’s life around, away from sin and back to Christ

3. Which sacrament celebrates our renewed conversion?
The sacrament of penance or reconciliation
4. What is penance?

An action to help us make up for the harm done by our sin

5. What are the three traditional practices of Lent?

Prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; since Vatican II, study of our faith and of the word of God is also stressed

6. What is prayer?

Raising one’s mind and heart to God

7. In whose name should we offer our prayers?

Jesus

8. What can we abstain from other than meat?

Sinful thoughts, words, and actions

9. What are alms?

Money given to the poor

10. What do we call the charitable actions by which we help others?

Works of mercy

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Quiz on Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick:  http://www.bemydisciples.com/grades/3/chapters/12

10 Commandments

wall-plaque-of-commandments

ark_480

The Ten Commandments

 

Deuteronomy 5:6-21
  1. I am the Lord your God, You shall not have other gods besides me.
  2. You shall not take the God’s Name in Vain
  3. Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath Day
  4. Honor your father and mother
  5. You shall not kill
  6. You shall not commit adultery
  7. You shall not Steal
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
  10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Work Sheets:

Other Gods

One-God-only

Ten-Commandments List

10Commandments-with-explanations

10commandment-crossword

TenCommandments-Knowing the Rules

 

10commandmentslg

Saints, Moses’ Life

All Saints day The Communion of Saints

  • Saints are those people whose love for God is stronger than their love for anyone or anything else.
  • The Church is the Communion of Saints.
  • The Church is the Body of Christ.

The Communion of Saints Quiz: http://www.bemydisciples.com/grades/3/chapters/8

Moses’s Life

We are beginning Moses’s Life and the ten Commandments.

“Four hundred years ago, the first American colony was settled at Jamestown. Think of how much has changed since then! Four hundred years is a long time, and that’s how long the Hebrew people remained in Egypt after Joseph. Over time a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph. He made the Hebrew (Jewish people) into slaves. Because the Hebrew population have increased so much, Pharaoh decided every male Hebrew infant should be killed, so slaves would stay weak and afraid. The God began to reveal a plan to deliver his people.” -My Big Book of Catholic Bible stories.

Simple version of Moses’s Life: http://www.topmarks.co.uk/judaism/story-of-moses

Exodus 2:1:-10

Moses fled from Pharaoh’s court because he had killed a Egyptian for mistreating a Hebrew slave. He lived in the wilderness of Sinai as a shepherd of sheep.

Exodus 3:1-17

What is God’s name?eburningbush

burning_bush_gods_name

Moses was instructed by God to go to Pharaoh to free the Jewish(Hebrew) people. Moses had to convince Pharaoh to “Let His People Go!”

We will read about how Moses warned the Egyptians of God’s will to free the Hebrew Slaves. There were 10 Plagues that tormented the Egyptians.
Ten-Plaguestenplagues
We will learn about the Passover. The Lamb is the sacrifice for the Passover meal. The passover meal allows the Jewish Hebrews to be free.

Jesus celebrated the last supper during the Feast of the Passover. We call Jesus the “Lamb of God.” Is Jesus the sacrifice for our sins? Does Jesus allow us to be free? Free from what?

passover-jesus1600During Mass we celebrate the Eucharist. The unleavened bread that is offered up. In the Mass there are many prayers and ceremonies that are from the Jewish Passover meal .

DSC06480“Blest are We” grade 4 page 263 bottom of page: “Eucharist”

More about the Passover (parents): New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia “Pasch or Passover”Passover-matzah-kiddush-cupsederIn class we will look at some Jewish Passover customs, games, Seder plate and Kiddush Cup-platepassover1
Contrast the first “Passover Covenant” and the “Renewed Covenant” we celebrate at Mass.

Very Good Resource: Passover Seder for Catholics

Life of Moses and Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead (Mexico)

day-of-dead dayofdeadaltar

We talked about the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) a Mexican Celebration of all the souls that died. We set up an “altar” with a statue of Mary, flowers, and pictures of loved ones that have passed. We did the prayer service below and each student remembered someone from his or her family that has died.

Day-of-dead-prayersevice-1
Handout for Halloween, All Saints and All Souls Days:

Halloween-allsaints-allsouls

Joseph’s Life

We will finish up watching the movie of Joseph’s life.  Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and Potiphar’s wife.  He is left in prison thinking– what kind of just God do I have? But God had a plan, he would save his brothers and father by bringing them to Egypt. How can this happen??? Genesis chapters: 37, 39-50.

Living Rosary and Prayers

We will do a living Rosary with third grade and fifth graders. Each child begins a “Hail Mary” or an “Our Father” (Over  60 students/ prayers!) We said the Glorious Mysteries. We explained what each of the Glorious Mysteries meant.  The explanation of the Rosary is on page 15 of the “Blest are We” grade 4.  This month (October) is the month of the Rosary.

We cut out the prayers on the handouts “Our Prayers”(below) and pasted them to the inside covers of our books and folders.  We will refer to them often.

our-catholic-prayers

CatholicPrayers1

Old Testament and the Story of Joseph

Old Testament and the story of Joseph. His father was Jacob (also known as “Israel”). Jacob had 12 sons. They would be the 12 tribes of the nation Israel. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and did a horrible thing to Joseph.  But, God used this misfortune to save the nation of Israel from starvation many years later.

Here is a version of Joseph’s story for children:

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/judaism/joseph/joseph.htm

If you have access to the “Joseph King of Dreams” by Dreamworks (DVD), we will be playing parts of the movie this week. Finish “Be like Joseph” puzzle the “Law of Love” and “The New Commandment” Worksheets (below).

“Be like Joseph” puzzle

the-law-of-love-s the-new-commandment-s

Did Joseph and his brothers learn the law of love?

Bible and the Covenant

The Word of God the Bible and the Covenant between God and His People

Reading the Bible: “Blest are We” grade 4 pp.18-19 ( please use a bible book) God’s Covanent p45-47

Try this quiz: http://www.bemydisciples.com/grades/3/chapters/1

Story of Noah/God’s Covanent

Student Reads : Bible: Genesis 6:5-19, Genesis 7, Genesis 8, Genesis 9:9-17-. http://www.usccb.org/bible/genesis/6

We told the story of Abraham and Issac.

Abraham and Isaac Puzzle