god keeps his promises · promises. b) write also about a promise that you have kept. c) write...

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

This week’s goal : When we read the Old Testament in light of the New, we see clearly God’s plan in Christ.

Sunday, Dec 13 th, 2015 Begin wi th prayer and this teach ing:

The story of God’s family begins in the Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve. Although they had been given everything, they gave into temptation and believed the lies of the devil. They stopped trusting God. But God loved them so much that, even though they had broken his trust and rejected his love, he promised to send someone who could forgive their sins, a Savior – Jesus Christ.

This broken trust is present in God’s people throughout the Old Testament; but, just as the story of broken trust begins in a Garden, so does the story of salvation – the forgiveness of our sins – and of Jesus’ unending love for us. The night before he died, after the Last Supper with his Apostles, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane where he – like Adam and Eve – was tempted to break trust with his heavenly Father. But, instead, Jesus prayed with all his heart to the Father and told him that he would trust him, no matter what: “Not my will, Father, but yours be done” (Matthew 26:39).

(THE STORY OF) JESUS “HIDDEN” IN THE OLD TESTAMENTGod the Father never abandons his children. Throughout the stories of the Old Testament, God made promises that pointed to his Son, Jesus. Everything that happened to the Israelites was preparing them for the great gift we have in Jesus.

Throughout the Old Testament, we read stories that remind us that God never gives up on us, and that he will always give us the strength and inspiration to keep trying. The prophets and their teachings continuously remind us about God’s promises. He made amazing promises to King David, to Moses, and to Abraham; all those promises were fulfilled in Jesus. He even made a promise to Noah. Do you remember the rainbow in the story of Noah? That was a sign of God’s promise, and rainbows continue to be a reminder of God’s promise, even today.

The stories in the Old Testament show us that God had a plan the whole time, a plan to be fulfilled in Jesus. And they remind us that God has a plan for our lives, too! When we read the Old Testament in light of Jesus, we realize God is speaking to us with those words. He’s saying, “No matter what happens, you can always trust me.”

“Lord…live in me so that your grace be mine.”

Gianna Beretta Molla lived life to the fullest; she saw it as a marvelous gift. And she knew how important and powerful it is to pray. After earning degrees in Medicine and Surgery, she specialized in Pediatrics. In her

practice as a doctor, she gave special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and the poor. Like most saints, hers is a tale of tragedy and heroic sacrifice. Against the advice of doctors, Gianna gave her life to save her baby girl (also named Gianna), fully aware that she could die if she gave birth. A few days before the due date she said, “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child – I insist on it. Save the baby.”

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Act ivi t ies to Enr ich Your Fai th : (Choose at least one or two to use directly following your Sunday teaching, but try to complete all the activities sometime throughout this week.)

1. What’s Your Favorite Old Testament Bible Story? “What is your favorite story in the Old Testament? Let’s read it!”

2. God Journal In your journal: a) Write or draw one of your favorite stories from the Bible – choose one that reminds you of God’s

promises. b) Write also about a promise that you have kept. c) Write about a promise you have made to God, and then write a prayer to God asking him to help you keep all the promises you make.

3. Promises Mobile Make a mobile of God’s promises. Take a sheet of heavy cardstock or poster paper and cut it in half. With one half, draw a rainbow, color it, and cut it out. With the other half, cut out two cloud shapes. On one, write “God Keeps His Promises…” On the other, write “And So Do I.” Hang these (with yarn or string) from the rainbow. (Also, add other shapes or words that remind you of your trust in God and his faithfulness.) Hang the rainbow with a thumbtack from the ceiling in your child’s room.

Quest ions fo r Discuss ion : (Ask these questions at the end of your Sunday teaching session, then again sometime later in the middle of the week to reinforce the lesson.)

1. What is a promise? 2. Why do we make them? 3. Why did God make promises? 4. Are there any visible signs of his promises? (Rainbow, Cross, Sacraments, Bible, etc. – talk about why these are signs) 5. Read the story of St. Gianna on the front of this sheet. Ask: St. Gianna loved her baby more than herself. How is her

love like Jesus’ love for you?

Church Teach ing : YOUCAT: 7-10, 16-19, 170-171, 474 CCC: 50-67, 101-104, 115-119, 1093-1098, 1150-1152, 2599

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This week’s goal : Jesus doesn’t just make sense of the Old Testament; He also reveals the true meaning of my own life.

Sunday, Dec 20 th, 2015 Begin wi th p rayer and th is teach ing: God has written a truly amazing story. And the Bible tells it. When Jesus comes in the New Testament, we see that everything God had been doing in the Old Testament was for a special purpose. God was walking with his people the whole time, slowly preparing them for the great gift of salvation in Jesus. They didn’t always realize he was there with them, but he was. And it’s the same with our lives, too! The story doesn’t end with the Bible. We are his children now, and so our lives have been made part of his great story.

THE BIBLE REMINDS US GOD IS WITH USWhat does this mean? It means we need to listen for God’s voice in our hearts, and to remember his words from the Bible. We need to listen to him because he’s with us; and we should love him back. Remember when we talked about God’s family? And some of the things that families do? (Give some concrete examples.) That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to act a certain way, because that’s how families show their love – they do kind things for one another. They try never to be selfish and instead to think of the other first. That’s what God wants – for us to be his family! And the stories of our lives will be wonderful – because God is here, among us.

The Old Testament is filled with stories about people who were not perfect and who made mistakes, sometimes even ignoring God – just like we sometimes do. And yet, God was there for them. He never forgot about them. He never left them. And this helped their faith to grow and grow. When you feel like something is too hard, or when you feel alone, or when you make a bad decision, always remember that God will never leave you – no matter what.

This year, we’re learning how important the Bible is if we want to know God. He had a plan for his people, Israel, and through their stories he speaks to us about his plan for our own lives. Reading the Bible is a powerful way to pray and to hear God’s voice. When we pray, we open our heart to God’s love, and in the Bible he proves that love. He was there for his people, at every moment in their lives. That’s the story of the Old Testament, and it’s our story, too! (End this teaching by telling the story of your child’s birth… of your marriage… family immigrating to the U.S…. the story of our Church… our Pastor… the Church family at the parish…)




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1. Quiet Time at Church Pick a quiet time during the day and go into the Church. Look at the stained-glass windows together and talk about the stories they tell. Talk about the Stations of the Cross along the walls. Take a few minutes just to sit and look around. Before you leave, kneel as a family and pray for all those you love, for all of God’s family, and thank him together for the gift of your life.

2. God Journal In his/her journal, have your child draw a timeline of Jesus. Start with the Old Testament and use either the Paper Doll Covenant Chain or the Covenant Cards from Session 2 to guide this activity (Covenant Cards can be downloaded from the Parish Website). Have your child draw the story of God’s people leading up to Jesus, then the life of Jesus. Then, have him/her draw the timeline of his/her own life so far – heading to Heaven.

3. Write a Family Member Choose a family member (someone who does not live with you). Have your child write that person a letter, and share with that person a favorite memory of a time they spent together.

4. Jesus, I Trust in You Find an image of Divine Mercy and have your child draw it. Decorate it and hang it up. If you have an image of Divine Mercy in your home, think about adding it to your prayer space. Then, have your child memorize this simple but powerful prayer: “Jesus, I Trust in You” To see or purchase Divine Mercy images, visit: www.divinemercyart.com

Quest ions fo r Discussion : (Ask these questions at the end of your Sunday teaching session, then again sometime later in the middle of the week to reinforce the lesson.)

1. Think of a story you know (or any story, for that matter). What are some parts to that story? (beginning, end, etc.) 2. Why do we start at the beginning when we tell a story? 3. Where do we find God in our lives? 4. Why is it so important to know the story of God’s family in the Bible in order to understand our own story? 5. Do you see God in the world around you? How? Where? When? 6. Is God in the faces of your friends? Teachers? Mom? Siblings? In you? 7. Is God in your actions? 8. Read the story of St. Gianna again. Who did she give special attention to as a doctor? Why do you think she picked

those people?

Church Teach ing :

YOUCAT: 21, 49, 58-60, 122, 170, 280, 515-517

CCC: 154-155, 302-305, 356-361, 759, 1109, 1701, 2779-2793

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This week’s goal : God is present and at work in everyone’s life; as his people, it’s our mission to help point him out.

Sunday, Dec 27 th, 2015 Begin wi th prayer and th is teach ing:

When Jesus died on the cross, he proved his love for us. Through his sacrifice, our hearts are opened up and we realize we can trust God. When the first Christians began to reread the Old Testament and think about everything God did in the history of Israel, they were amazed at how all of it was pointing to Jesus. In different ways, Jesus was present all along, and God was slowly preparing his people to realize this. Once he died on the cross and sent us his Holy Spirit, the great plan of Salvation was revealed.

Jesus is Present Even When We Don’ t See Him Once we know God and open our hearts to his Holy Spirit, we are able to see him everywhere. We realize that Jesus is present in our lives, just as he was present in the Old Testament – hidden in all of our experiences. We begin to see him in smiles, in the kindness of teachers, the laughter of a friend, watching two friends holding hands as they cross the street, the first spring flower, the music filling the church, the people sitting all around us in the pews. God created all of this! And all of these wonderful things are here to remind us that he’s here, too!

And, in the most special way of all, Jesus is really present in the Eucharist that the priest holds up high on the altar at Mass. It looks like bread, but it’s really Jesus! God gives us the Holy Spirit so that we can know this mystery. In the Eucharist, Jesus gives us his whole life – his Body and Blood – and remains physically present even when we don’t see him. Remember, it looks like bread, but it’s really Jesus!

You Can Help Others See God And he’s not just present to us; God is with everyone, right next to us. Sometimes God puts us in people’s lives so that he can work through us in our words and actions. Sometimes, he wants us to help them recognize that he’s here with them, too. We do this by praying for people, by encouraging them when they’re sad, and by our own actions when we do what is right. We also do it by sharing God’s story of salvation in the Bible, and by inviting them to Church with us. People will recognize we are God’s children and, when they do, it will help them recognize that God is with them. Are you willing to help others see God in their lives?




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1. Invite Someone to Mass Bring a friend to Mass. Sing joyfully and speak/pray the responses out loud. Smile at those around you.

2. Pray with a Friend a) Invite a friend over to play. Say a prayer to Jesus first, asking him to bless your time together. b) The next time you have a friend in need, pray for them (ask if it’s ok first) and ask God to strengthen/comfort them.

3. God Journal In your journal: a) Write about the Holy Family and draw a picture.

b) Write about your own family and how it is like the Holy Family.

4. Celebrate Life Go for a walk and celebrate the beauty of God in the world. Point out to your child the season, the sights, sounds, and smells you encounter, the people who cross your path – they are all signs of God’s love. (Have some hot cocoa when you get home, and thank God for the gift of sweet memories together)

Quest ions fo r Discussion : (Ask these questions at the end of your Sunday teaching session, then again sometime later in the middle of the week to reinforce the lesson)

1. When do you feel closest to God? (Is there a special time or a place?) 2. How does the music in Church make you feel? Is there something special about the words? 3. Outside of Church, how is God present to your life? 4. Is there anyone in your life that needs you to remind him or her God is always there? 5. What could you say to a friend who is sad or confused that might help them to pray and trust in God? 6. Because St. Gianna is a saint, she is alive with Jesus in heaven, and she prays for you. (Take a moment now to say a

prayer to St. Gianna and ask for her intercession in your life…)

Church Teach ing : YOUCAT: 125, 200, 205, 347 CCC: 783-785, 897-907, 1267-1270, 1302-1304, 2044-2046

god keeps his promises · promises. b) write also about a promise that you have kept. c) write...

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