Fourth Grade Curriculum

 

 

     Jesus Our Guide

 

 

Through studying the development of salvation history, students come to a better understanding of God, his plan for man, and our relationship with God. Students develop a better understanding of their purpose and goal in life and a deeper appreciation for the Church as the very means that God has given us on our pilgrimage to heaven.

 

 

     Creed/Scripture

 

 

Students develop an understanding of the mystery of Christ through age appropriate teachings on Church doctrine and scriptural references as listed below and in the teacher’s manual.

 

     Sacraments

 

 

All of the sacraments are presented in the fourth grade. The sacraments emphasized in fourth grade are the sacraments of initiation and the Sacrament of Penance.

 

     Christian Life

 

 

Throughout the fourth grade, students develop their understanding of the dignity of the human person. Students learn to live out their faith and respond to what they learn by forming a moral conscience and by living out their call to justice and service by imitating the life of Jesus. Special emphasis is given to the Ten Commandments.

 

 

     Prayer

 

 

Throughout the fourth grade, students develop a prayer life that includes participation in the Mass, which is the greatest prayer, and praying traditional Catholic prayers. In the fourth grade, special emphasis is given to spontaneous prayer.

 

 

Ch

 

 

Topic

 

Proclamation

 

Supporting Topics

 

Related Topics

 

Aims

 

Other

 

1

 

Creation

The Fall

Original Sin

 

God created man in his image and

likeness to love him, but man sinned

and separated himself from God. God

did not abandon man; he promised to

send a Redeemer who would open the

gates of heaven.

 

 

·     God created us in his image to love him.

·     Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.

·     By sinning, Adam separated himself from God’s love and lost grace. As Adam’s descendants, we are born without sanctifying grace.

·     God does not abandon us because of our sin; he promised to send us a Redeemer.

 

 

·     God the Creator

·     Free will

·     Fall of the angels

·     Preternatural gifts

·     Temptation

·     Original sin

·     Garden of Eden

·     Before and after the Fall

·     Grace

·     Eternal life

·     New Adam and new Eve

 

·     Students will learn that God created them so that they may be with him in heaven.

·     Through the study of Creation, the Fall, and the promise of a Savior, students will learn that they are dependent upon the life of grace in their souls in order to have eternal life.

·     Students will learn that God is loving and merciful.

 

·     Saint Augustine

·     Prayer: Our Father, Act of Contrition, prayers of thanksgiving

·     Scripture: Creation; Jesus, the Savior and Redeemer (Acts 5:30; 10:39; Jn 6:53), Mary (Gen 3:15-16)

·     Chalk Talk: Hierarchy of Creation

 

2

 

Cain and Abel

 

God has great love for his people, and while he is just and punishes sinners, his mercy is yet very great.

 

·     Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, but Cain became jealous and murdered Abel.

·     Capital sins cause other types of sin.

·     The effects of sin are many.

·     God gives us hope because we see that he does not abandon the repentant and those who love him.

 

·     Sacrifice

·     Baptismal seal

·     Sacrament of Penance

·     Sacrament of Holy Communion

·     Mortal sin

·     Hope

·     Prefigurement of Christ

 

·     Students will learn that God’s mercy is for all.

·     Students will learn that they are to offer sacrifices to God to recognize his gifts and blessings.

·     Students will learn that sacrifices should be made in a spirit of love, trust, faith, hope, humility, and joy.

·     Students will learn that life is sacred and that murder is wrong.

 

 

·     Saint Paul

·     Prayer: Our Father, Act of Contrition, prayers of thanksgiving and for students’ intentions

·     Scripture: Cain and Abel, conversion of St. Paul

 

3

 

Noah and the Flood

The Tower of Babel

 

God worked many wonders and gave the rainbow as a sign of hope for eternal life.

 

·     The world was filled with very sinful men and God decided to flood the world.

·     Noah, his family, and the animals inside the Ark were saved from the flood.

·     God made a covenant with Noah and gave him a sign of hope: the rainbow.

·     The descendants of Noah built a great city and grew proud. When they decided to build a tower to reach the heavens, God confused their language in order to remind them from whom their talents truly came.

 

 

·     Flood prefigures Baptism

·     Ark prefigures the Church

·     Dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit

·     Baptismal promises

·     Salvation history

·     Covenant

·     Babel and Pentecost

·     Genealogy of Christ

 

 

·     Students will learn that God has a plan and will always take care of those who are faithful to him.

·     Students will learn that their works should always be pleasing to God.

·     Students will learn the need for humility in order to be faithful to God.

 

·     Saint John the Baptist

·     Prayer: prayers of thanksgiving, renewal of baptismal promises

·     Scripture: Noah, the Tower of Babel, Baptism with the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:7-8)

 

4

 

Abraham and Isaac

 

God shows his faithfulness by always taking care of his people according to his promises. God tests us so that we can show our love for him.

 

·     God called Abram to leave his homeland in faith.

·     God made a covenant with Abraham, promising him land and descendants.

·     Abraham, in faith, took Isaac to sacrifice him at God’s command.

 

·     Faith, hope, and love

·     Pilgrimages

·     Canaan

·     Isaac prefigures Jesus

·     Covenant: promise, conditions, sacrifice, and sign

·     Test of faith

 

·     Students will learn that in Baptism they enter into a personal covenant with God, and they are called to continue to deepen their relationship with God through prayer and learning to trust him at all times.

·     Students will learn that the virtues of faith, hope, and love are gifts given to us at Baptism.

·     Students will learn that Abraham is their father in faith and a model of trusting God.

 

 

·     Nine choirs of angels

·     Prayer: Our Father, Glory Be, Act of Faith, Act of Hope, Act of Love, renewal of baptismal promises, prayers of thanksgiving and for students’ intentions

·     Scripture: promises to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Melchizedek, Jesus the Lamb of God, Mary’s faith, faith (Heb 11:6)

 

 

5

 

Jacob (Israel) and Esau

 

God is sovereign over everything. He even brings good out of evil.  He began to form a people for himself through Jacob.

 

·     Jacob tricked Esau for his birthright and Isaac for his blessing.

·     Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah.

·     God changed Jacob’s name to symbolize the new life he would begin.

 

 

·     Will of God

·     Birthright

·     God’s blessings

·     Eighth Commandment

·     Sacrament of Penance

·     Providence of God

·     Inheritance of eternal life

 

·     Students will learn that God is sovereign and they are called to do his will.

·     Students will learn that God blesses his children with the inheritance of eternal life through the gift of grace given in the sacraments.

 

·     Patron saints

·     Prayers: thanksgiving for the blessings of God (from the Book of Daniel)

·     Scripture: God forms his people, Israel (Gen 24-28, 32-33); blessings of eternal life (Ps 133:3)

·     Chalk Talk: Grace

 

 

6

 

Joseph

 

God works providentially in the lives of his people and continues to fulfill his plan even through sin and suffering.

 

·     Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery.

·     God brought good out of Joseph’s suffering.

·     Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was made the governor of Egypt.

 

 

·     Ninth and Tenth Commandments

·     Envy, jealousy, hatred

·     Mortal and venial sin

·     Providence of God

·     Value of suffering

·     Stewardship

·     Social justice

·     Church documents

 

 

·     Students will learn that they must recognize the dignity of every person.

·     Students will learn that God can bring good out of suffering.

·     Students will learn that prayer is lifting their hearts and minds to God.

 

·     Joseph and Jesus

·     Prayer: Morning Offering, prayers of thanksgiving, intercessory prayers

·     Scripture: Joseph and his brothers, Joseph in Egypt

 

7

 

Israelites in Egypt

 

God provides for all the needs of his loved ones.  He asks us to trust him in difficulties and to rejoice in reconciliation.

 

·     The famine spread to Canaan and Joseph’s brothers were forced to go to Egypt for grain. Joseph tested his brothers and saw their sorrow over what they had done to him.

·     Joseph revealed who he was and all of Israel moved to Egypt.

 

 

·     Tests

·     Providence of God

·     Israel

·     Blessings

·     Line of Judah

 

·     Students will learn to trust in God’s love for them.

·     Students will learn that they will be tested to show their love for God.

·     Students will learn that when God calls them to trust him and walk in faith, he provides for all of their needs.

 

 

·     Joseph and Saint Joseph

·     Prayer: Act of Contrition, Act of Faith, Act of Hope, Act of Charity, prayers of thanksgiving and petition

·     Scripture: Joseph and his brothers, blessing from Israel (Gen 49), the Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep

 

8

 

Moses

 

God is always with us, especially when we are persecuted or suffer.

 

·     The Israelites became slaves in Egypt. Moses was adopted and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter.

·     Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian, but eventually God revealed himself to Moses and called him to free his people.

 

 

·     Moses parallels Jesus

·     Covenant

·     Prophet

·     Yahweh

·     Pharaoh and the Hebrews

·     Second and Fourth Commandments

 

·     Students will learn that God always provides and he will protect them.

·     Students will learn that God has a plan for each of them.

·     Students will learn that God personally reveals himself to the world through his people.

 

 

·     Prayer: prayers for students’ intentions, social justice issues, and petition to know God more

·     Scripture: Israel in Egypt, the story of Moses, Fourth Commandment

 

9

 

Moses and Exodus

 

God always blesses and provides for his people, but he also asks us to respond in self-giving love.

 

·     Moses asked Pharaoh to let God’s people go and when Pharaoh refused, God sent signs and plagues to show that he alone is the true God.

·     The Israelites were saved from the tenth plague when they celebrated the Passover.

·     God led them on a path through the Red Sea, which he parted so that they could walk through it. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the water closed in on them and they drowned.

 

 

·     Wilderness and worship

·     First and Third Commandments

·     Passover/Sacrifice of Christ/ Sacrifice of the Mass

·     Seder meal

·     Covenant

·     Baptism

 

 

·     Students will learn that God reveals his plan of love so that they can come to know, love, and serve him.

·     Students will learn that they are called and will know that they should respond to God’s love through their own sacrifices of self-giving love.

 

·     Prayer: Act of Faith, prayers of intercession and for students’ intentions

·     Scripture: Moses, plagues and Exodus, song of Israel and Miriam, Jesus and Passover (Lk 22:7-8, 15)

·     Chalk Talk: The Passover Meal vs. the Sacrifice of Jesus, The Crossing of the Red Sea and Baptism

 

10

 

Wandering in the Desert

 

God cares for all of our needs. We should always rely on him.

 

·     During their wandering, God gave the Israelites manna from heaven and the Ten Commandments.

·      The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years because they were afraid and did not trust God.

 

·     Manna and the Eucharist

·     Ten Commandments

·     Examination of conscience

·     Steps to a good confession

·     Mount Sinai

·     Idolatry

·     Ark of the Covenant

·     Instructions for worship

·     Vestments, vessels, linens at Mass

·     Promised Land

 

·     Students will learn that God wants them to be grateful, particularly through worship and thanksgiving, for all that he does. 

·     Students will learn that they are called to grow deeper into their personal covenant with God by trusting all that he does and worshipping him.

 

·     Moses and Jesus

·     Prayer: Prayer Before Communion, Prayer of Spiritual Communion, Act of Contrition, prayers of thanksgiving and petition

·     Scripture: the Israelites in the wilderness, manna and quail, Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments, Ark of the Covenant, Moses and the Promised Land

 

 

11

 

Joshua

Samson

Ruth

 

God’s people responded in trust and self-giving love. We are called to love God through the sacrifices we make.

 

·     Joshua trusted God and led the Israelites through great battles into the Promised Land

·     Samson sacrificed himself so that he could save the Israelites.

·     Ruth trusted God and through her descendants came King David.

 

·     Other religions

·     Baptism

·     Map of the Holy Land

·     Jericho

·     Philistines

·     Grace

·     Martyr

·     Samson parallels Jesus

·     Convert

·     Baptism

·     Confirmation

 

 

·     Students will learn that in using their gifts they should give glory to God.

·     Students will learn that they should unite their suffering with Jesus and pray for God’s strength and help.

·     Students will learn about God’s faithfulness through studying the line of Judah.

 

 

·     Martyrs and converts

·     Prayer: Saint Michael Prayer, renewal of baptismal promises, intercessory prayer, prayers of petition and for students’ intentions

·     Scripture: the battle of Jericho, Ruth and Samson

 

 

12

 

Hannah

Samuel

Saul

 

God calls each one of us and desires that we follow his will in all things.

 

·     Samuel was called by God and followed his will.

·     The Israelites used the Ark of the Covenant like a good luck charm and lost a great battle.

·     The Israelites asked God for a king and by doing so rejected God as their king.

·     God chose Saul to be king.  Later he stopped following God’s will. God rejected him as king and gave the kingdom to David.

 

 

·     Prophet

·     Vocation

·     Superstitions

·     Feast of Christ the King

·     Kingdom of God

·     False gods

·     Pride

·     Baptism

 

·     Students will learn that God is their King and they are called to do his will.

·     Students will learn that God has a mission for each of them, and that they must listen carefully when he calls them.

·     Students will learn that prayer should include praying for God’s will in true faith.

 

·     Prayer: Act of Consecration, Our Father, intercessory prayers, prayers of petitions and for students’ intentions

 

13

 

David

 

God is the King of Kings whom we should love above all and trust in all that we do. 

 

·     David loved God, followed his will, and defeated Goliath.

·     David became king and established Jerusalem as his capital city.

·     David sinned greatly, but repented of his sin and God forgave him.

·     God took care of David because David loved him.

 

 

·     God is omniscient

·     Psalms

·     Virtues and vices

·     Sacrament of Penance

·     Forgiveness

 

·     Students will learn of God’s Providence and that with God all things are possible.

·     Students will learn that God is always merciful when a sinner is  repentant.

 

·     Saint Cuthbert

·     Prayer: Psalm 23, Act of Contrition, Act of Surrender to God’s Divine Providence, prayers of petition

·     Scripture: David and Goliath, King David

 

14

 

Solomon

Isaiah

 

 

God is the giver of all gifts. We should always strive to use our gifts for the glory of God.

 

·     Solomon was granted great wisdom by God, and with it he was able to judge rightly.

·     Solomon built a great temple to God, but as he grew older he let his many wives draw him into idolatry.

·     Isaiah used his gift of prophecy to warn God’s people to repent and to tell them about the Messiah.

 

·     Son of David

·     Wisdom

·     Ark of the Covenant

·     Temple and church

·     Temple prefigures Jesus

·     Endangerment to sin

·     Prophecy

·     Suffering servant

 

·     Students will learn that God has given them gifts to build his Kingdom, and that they should not only use these gifts but seek to use them wisely and give the glory to God.

·     Students will learn the importance of keeping God at the center of their lives and depending on him for the strength to do so.

·     Students will learn that in this life they will prepare to meet God in heaven and that the Church gives them the means to do so.

 

 

·     Prayer: Our Father, Consecration to Christ the King, intercessory prayers, prayers of thanksgiving

·     Scripture: Solomon, Christ and the temple, Deuteronomy 17:14-17, prophecies of Christ (Is, Psalms, Jeremiah, Malachi), suffering servant (Is 52-53)

 

15

 

Babylonian Captivity

John the Baptist

Jesus 

 

God lovingly allows his people to be purified through suffering.  Jesus is the King of Kings. He proclaimed the Kingdom of God, which will last forever and is for all who love God.

 

·     Israel became divided because of sin and was invaded by foreigners. They were taken into captivity but eventually were released and returned to Jerusalem, awaiting their Savior.

·     God sent John the Baptist to preach repentance and to announce the coming of Jesus.

·     Jesus was baptized.

·     Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God.

 

 

·     Exile

·     Schism

·     Messiah

·     Temporal and spiritual goods

·     Beatitudes

·     Destruction of the temple

·     Incarnation

·     Baptismal promises

·     Grace

·     Four marks of the Church

 

 

·     Students will learn, through studying the Babylonian captivity and return to Jerusalem, that God remains faithful to his promises.

·     Students will learn that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises and that he is the King of Kings.

·     Students will learn that Jesus is their Redeemer.

 

·     Prayer: Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, prayers of thanksgiving and petition

·     Scripture: kingdom divided, blessings and woes (Lk 6: 20-31), exile to Babylon, John the Baptist, Baptism of Jesus, 1 Pet 2:24, temptation in the desert, preaching of the Kingdom, Kingdom parables

·     Chalk Talk: Christ, the Bridge Between God and Man

 

16

 

Baptism

Free Will

Commandments

 

God desires that everyone go to heaven. He sent his only Son so that we can choose to follow him to heaven.

 

·     Jesus invites us to heaven by being baptized into his Church.

·     God gives us the gift of free will to choose to love him and follow his commandments.

 

·     Kingdom of Heaven

·     Baptism

·     Grace

·     Faith, hope, and love

·     Body and soul

·     Free will

·     Faith of Mary and Abraham

·     Ten Commandments

·     Two great commandments

·     Moral teachings

·     Gifts of the Holy Spirit

·     Examination of Conscience

 

 

·     Students will learn that God invites all people to be with him forever in heaven.

·     Students will learn that God has given them his law and grace to help them to respond to his love and love as God loves.   

·     Students will learn that through Baptism the life of grace is restored so that they may go to heaven.

 

·     Prayer: Act of Contrition, prayers of thanksgiving and petition

·     Scripture: instructions for entering the Kingdom, obedience and love

·     Chalk Talk: Staircase of Creation

 

17

 

1st–3rd  Commandments

 

God desires that we love him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and that we speak to him in prayer.

 

·     There is one true God and we are to worship him alone.

·     We should use God’s name with reverence.

·     We should keep holy the Lord’s Day.

 

·     Idolatry

·     Trinity

·     Revelation

·     Saint Thomas Aquinas’ five ways

·     Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition

·     Forms and sources of prayer

·     Worship and honor

·     Sign of the Cross

·     Behavior in church

·     Holy days of obligation

·     Worthy reception of Eucharist

·     Participation in Mass

 

 

·     Students will learn that God made them to know, love, and serve him, and that the first ways of doing this are taught in the first three commandments.

·     Students will learn that prayer is talking with God. They should pray to know God better, love him, and adore him.

 

·     Our Lady of Fatima

·     Saint Thomas More

·     Prayer: Our Father, Prayer of Reparation, prayers of petition

·     Scripture: who God is (Mt 28:19, Ex 3, 20:1-6), parables on prayer, Commandments, cleansing of the temple

 

18

 

4th–5th Commandments

 

God loves us all, so we are to love ourselves and our neighbors as ourselves.

 

·     We should love ourselves and others, because of God’s love for us.

·     We should honor our parents and other authorities.

·     We should take care of our bodies and souls.

 

 

·     False love

·     Corporal works of mercy

·     Resurrection of the body

·     Grace

·     Sacraments

·     Spiritual works of mercy

 

·     Students will learn of God’s great love for them and to respond to his love by loving themselves and others.

·     Students will learn that they must care for their bodies and souls.

 

 

·     Prayer: prayers of thanksgiving, intercessory prayers for students’ families, prayers for the dead

·     Scripture: Commandments

 

 

 

19

 

6th–10th Commandments

 

God is faithful, generous, and truthful. We should strive to be holy as God is holy, especially by being faithful, generous, and truthful.

 

·     We should keep our minds and bodies pure.

·     We should be content with and thankful for what we have and not desire other people’s property.

·     We should always be truthful.

·     We should make reparations when we have sinned.

 

·     Virtue of purity

·     Marriage covenant

·     Families

·     Stewardship

·     Truth

·     Pride and lying

·     Exaggeration, flattery, gossip

 

 

·     Students will learn that families are the domestic church.

·     Students will learn to follow the commandments as a response of love for God.

·     Students will learn that following the commandments gives joy and peace in this life and eternal happiness in heaven.

 

·     Saint Philip Neri

·     Saint Maria Goretti

·     Prayer: Act of Contrition, prayers of thanksgiving and petition, intercessory prayers

·     Scripture: image of God (Gen 1:26), Commandments, Lazarus and Dives, Jesus and the rich young man, love your enemies, purity of thought and deed, Jn 14:6

 

 

20

 

Jesus Christ

 

Jesus, who is fully divine and fully human, came to earth to teach us and guide us to eternal life. 

 

·     Jesus is true God and true man with power and authority.

·     Jesus is the only way to heaven.  We should keep a close relationship with him.

 

 

·     Incarnation

·     Personhood

·     Mysteries

·     Miracles of Jesus

·     Son of God

·     Trinity

·     Prophecy

·     Friendship and union with Jesus

 

 

·     Students will learn that Jesus is fully divine and fully human.

·     Students will learn that Jesus is the way to heaven.

·     Students will learn that they should come to love Jesus more deeply through prayer and the Eucharist.

 

·     Prayer: Act of Faith, Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, prayers of thanksgiving

·     Scripture: Annunciation, the Son of God, prophecies of Christ, miracles of Jesus

·     Chalk Talk: Jesus Christ, True God and True Man

 

 

21

 

Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension

 

Jesus became man, suffered, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven so that we too can go to heaven.

 

·     God is ever merciful and he sent Jesus to suffer for us.

·     Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

 

·     Free will

·     Good and evil

·     Mystical Body of Christ

·     Honor of the Incarnation

·     Lamb of God

·     Suffering

·     New temple

·     Resurrection of the body

·     Second Coming

 

 

·     Students will learn that they are called to follow God’s will.

·     Students will learn that God’s loving mercy is for them personally.

·     Students will learn that Jesus’ death and Resurrection opened the gates of heaven for all of mankind.

 

·     Jesus, Lamb of God

·     Prayer: Prayer from Saint Patrick’s Breastplate, Litany of the Sacred Heart, prayers of thanksgiving

·     Scripture: John’s witness to Jesus, Gospel accounts of the Risen Jesus, promise to send the Holy Spirit, sheep and goats (final judgment), Lamb of God, temple raised, the road to
Emmaus, Ascension

 

 

22

 

Sacrifices and the Mass

 

Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice is made present at every Mass.

 

·     Jesus sacrificed himself; he is the perfect victim.

·     Jesus offered himself; he is the perfect priest.

·     At Mass this perfect sacrifice is made present to us.

 

·     Nature of sacrifice

·     Lent

·     Atonement for sins

·     Grace

·     Sacrifice of the Mass

·     Liturgy of the Word

·     Liturgy of the Eucharist

·     Mass obligation

 

·     Students will understand Jesus’ mission from the Father and will learn that in response to God’s love they are called to sacrifice, that is, to give of themselves.

·     Students will learn that they should unite their sacrifices, prayers, works, joys, and sufferings with Jesus.

·     Students will learn that through their participation in the Mass they participate in the sufferings of Christ. 

 

 

·     Prayer: Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Morning Offering, intercessory prayers

·     Scripture: finding in the temple

·     Chalk Talk: The One Sacrifice of Christ

 

23

 

Manna

Communion

True Presence

 

Just as God gave the Israelites manna, he gives us Bread from heaven. This Bread is Jesus Christ: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

 

·     The Israelites received manna in the desert; Jesus multiplied the loaves to feed the multitudes; and Jesus is the Bread that comes down from heaven and gives eternal life.

·     Jesus gave the apostles this Bread at the Last Supper and gives it to us at every Mass.

·     Jesus is truly and wholly present in the Eucharist.

 

 

·     Worthy reception of the Eucharist

·     Symbols for the Eucharist

·     Priesthood

·     Holy Communion, matter and form

·     Sacrifice and sacred meal

·     Fruits of the Mass and Holy Communion

·     Food for our souls

·     Tabernacle

 

·     Students will learn that Jesus gives them the very nourishment they need for their souls in the gift of the Eucharist.

·     Students will learn that those who receive Holy Communion have eternal life.

 

·     Prayer: Act of Spiritual Communion

·     Scripture: manna in the desert, multiplication of loaves and fish, Bread of Life discourse, Last Supper accounts

·     Chalk Talk: Transubstantiation, Jesus in the Eucharist

 

24

 

Conscience

Sin

 

In Baptism, God restores grace to our souls, but the effects of original sin remain.

 

·     The effects of original sin are still with us and we must form our conscience to judge correctly what is right and wrong.

·     There are two types of actual sin: mortal and venial.

 

 

·     Preternatural gifts

·     Concupiscence

·     Life of grace

·     Baptism: matter and form

·     Immaculate Conception

·     Conscience

·     Sin: the devil, the flesh, and the world

 

 

·     Students will learn that sin can affect the life of grace in their souls.

·     Students will learn that their consciences give them the ability to judge how they are to act and that their consciences must be properly formed. 

 

·     Prayer: Our Father, Act of Contrition, prayers of petition

·     Scripture: Creation, the Fall,

·     Chalk Talk: Mortal and Venial Sin

 

25

 

Confession

 

God desires that we repent when we sin. He can forgive any wrong we have done and he wants us to be reconciled with him.

 

·     God desires our repentance and that we confess our sins so that we can be forgiven.

·     The normal means of forgiveness is the Sacrament of Penance, in which we also receive grace to overcome our sins.

 

 

·     Mercy

·     Sacrament of Penance

·     Ten Commandments

·     Steps to a good confession

·     How to go to confession

·     Occasions of sin

·     Absolution

 

·     Students will learn that God is loving and merciful and desires to forgive them.

·     Students will learn that through grace God helps them to overcome temptation and love more fully.

 

·     Saint Faustina

·     Prayer: Act of Contrition, prayer before confession

·     Scripture: Jesus heals and forgives sin, Prodigal Son

 

26

 

Trinity

Holy Spirit

Pentecost

 

God is three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are temples of the one true God.

 

·     Jesus revealed that God is three Divine Persons who are equal in all things.

·     We receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation.

·     The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost and continues to guide and sanctify the Church today.

 

·     Revelation

·     Theological virtues

·     Gifts of the Holy Spirit

·     Works of the Holy Spirit

·     Holy Spirit and love

·     Fruits of the Holy Spirit

·     Symbols and titles of the Holy Spirit

 

 

·     Students will learn that the Blessed Trinity is a relationship of love and that the family is an image of the Blessed Trinity.

·     Students will learn that the Holy Spirit is the teacher and guide of the Church.  Through this action of the Holy Spirit, the students are also sanctified.”

·     Students will learn that their response to the love of God is seen in the fruits of the Holy Spirit. 

 

 

·     Prayer: prayers invoking the Persons of the Trinity, prayers invoking the Holy Spirit, prayers honoring the Trinity, prayer of petition

·     Scripture: revelation of the Trinity, distinct Persons of the Trinity, unity of the Trinity, works of the Holy Spirit, Ascension, Pentecost

·     Chalk Talk: The Holy Spirit is the Love Between the Father and the Son

 

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Catholic Church

 

The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Jesus gave us the Church so that we can receive the grace he earned for us by his life, death, and Resurrection.

 

·     The Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, includes us on earth, those in purgatory, and those in heaven.

·     As members of Christ’s Body, we share in his ministry as priest, prophet, and king.

·     Jesus gives his Church the fullness of truth and the authority to teach the truth.

·     We should encourage others who are not Catholic to seek the fullness of truth found in the Catholic Church.

 

 

·     One true Church

·     Old Covenant/New Covenant

·     Good Shepherd

·     Magisterium

·     Apostolic succession

·     Infallibility

·     Hierarchy of the Church

·     Ecumenism

·     Treasury of graces dispensed by the Church

 

·     Students will learn that the Church is God’s gift to them to help them become holy.

·     Students will learn that as baptized Christians they share in the three-fold ministry of Christ as priest, prophet, and king.

·     Students will learn that the Catholic Church is the only Church that has the fullness of truth.

 

·     Prayer: intercessory prayer, litany of the saints, prayers for the deceased

·     Scripture: Mystical Body of Christ, Good Shepherd, Peter becomes Pope

·     Chalk Talk: We Share in Christ’s Ministry as Priest, Prophet, and King.

 

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Grace and the Sacraments

 

God gives us his grace as a gift. The sacraments are the normal means by which we receive God’s grace.

 

·     Grace is a share in God’s own life, won for us by the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.

·     Grace is a gift from God to help us love him and our neighbors and get to heaven.

·     The normal way we receive grace is through the sacraments.

·     There are seven sacraments.

·     The sacraments are effective signs of grace instituted by Christ.

 

 

·     Increasing grace in our souls

·     Sacraments of initiation

·     Sacraments of healing

·     Sacraments of service

·     Sanctifying grace

·     Actual grace

·     Habitual grace

·     Symbolism and effects of the sacraments

·     Matter and form of the sacraments

 

·     Students will learn that they become children of God through Baptism.

·     Students will learn that the seven sacraments are the channels of grace given to them to help them love more fully.

 

·     Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

·     Prayer: prayers of thanksgiving, for students’ intentions, for grace, and for a happy death

·     Chalk Talk: The Sacraments and the Natural Life

 

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The Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Mary wants to bring us to her Son and counsels us to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.

 

·     Mary is the New Eve.

·     Mary was conceived without original sin, did not sin during her life, and was taken, body and soul, into heaven.

·     Mary is our mother and intercedes with her Son for us so that we will follow Jesus.

 

 

·     The Immaculate Conception

·     Mysteries of the Rosary

·     Worship vs. honor

 

·     Students will learn that Mary is their mother who guides them, intercedes for them, and leads them to her son.

·     Students will be inspired to follow Mary as a role model.

 

·     Mary, our mother

·     Our Lady of Lourdes

·     Our Lady of Guadalupe

·     Our Lady of Fatima

·     Prayer: Hail Mary, the Rosary, Act of Consecration

·     Scripture: Jesus gives us Mary as our mother, the wedding at Cana

 

 

30

 

The Last Things

 

At the end of our lives God will judge us and we will finally end up in either heaven or hell for all eternity.

 

·     We will be individually judged at the end of our lives. This is called the Particular Judgment.

·     At the end of time there will be the resurrection of the body and the General Judgment.

·     Our goal is to be in heaven with God forever.

 

·     Definition of death

·     Divine Mercy

·     Purgatory

·     Funeral etiquette

·     Burying the dead

·     Indulgences

·     Communion of Saints

 

·     Students will learn that their goal in life is to know, love, and serve God so that they can be one with God in heaven forever.

·     Students will be familiar with the last things and will recognize that their life of faith, their actions, and their trust in God’s mercy determine how they will be judged.

 

 

·     Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

·     Prayer: prayers for the souls in purgatory and a happy death

·     Scripture: the general judgment (Mt 25:31-46), accounts of the Resurrected Jesus, road to Emmaus