CLASS 7

LESSONS 7-10

PERIOD OF FORMATION

CONFIRMATION CLASS 8

HOLY SPIRIT PRAYER

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PRAYER OF THE WEEK

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Brief Explanation

• The term most commonly refers to Christian traditions. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing which sanctifies the meal.

• A GRACE is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating.

• Reciting such a prayer is sometimes referred to as "saying grace which means "act of thanks."

• The act of saying grace is derived from the Bible (Luke 24:30, Acts

27:35); where Jesus and St. Paul prayed before meals.

• The practice reflects the belief that humans should thank God who is

the origin of everything.

JESUS’ BAPTISM

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The Gospel of Mark begins with the Proclamation of John the Baptist.

He says “I have baptized you with water; but he (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8)

Why Jesus, the Messiah and sinless Son of God, accept a baptism that John proclaimed was one ofrepentance for the forgiveness of sin?In the Gospel of Matthew, John is aware that Jesus wasn’t just another person coming to repent and confesshis sins, and so he hesitates and tells Jesus: “I need to be baptized by you, but you are coming to me?”(Matt. 3:14). To this Jesus answers John: “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

Acc. To the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus accepts his baptism because, Jesus sees the act as part of God’s plan,and he accepts it willingly, thereby fulfilling his role as the obedient Son of God.Secondly, His baptism is not an admission of sin on His part but, rather, a sign of his willingness to live lifein the world wholeheartedly devoted to God.

When Jesus comes out of the water, the Spirit of God appears in the form of a Dove. What does theDove Symbolise?Dove - For the Israelites, the dove is a symbol, as a whole and, less often, referred to the spirit of God.In the Hebrew Scriptures, God is often depicted as speaking to the people as a voice from the heavens,concealed by a cloud.

Thus, Jesus experienced two insights through his Baptism:(1) that he was chosen in a special way to proclaim and begin a new Kingdom; and(2) He recognized that through the Spirit of God, He would be given the power to fulfill His role for the

salvation of mankind.

What was John’s message to the people?Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. (Matt. 3:2)

Where was Jesus baptized?Jesus was baptized on the banks of the Jordan river (Matt 3:13)

JESUS’ TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS

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Satan will surely tempt us and he will try his best to get us to chooseour will over God’s will.

Jesus showed us that prayers help us to resist temptations which leadto sinful thoughts, words or actions. Jesus also showed us that God’sword from the Bible gives us strength to remain faithful to God.

Where did Jesus find the strength to survive the desert’s harshconditions and the tempter’s seduction?He fed on God’s word and found strength in doing his Father’s will.

How can we overcome sin and moral weakness in our personallives?The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness(Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and consoler in temptation andtesting (1 Corinthians 10:13)

According to scriptures, after being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Andafter He had fasted forty days and forty nights in the Judaean Desert, he began to feel hungry. During this time, Satan appeared to Jesus andattempted 3 times to tempt him towards sin. Each of the temptations reflects a different value or source of power, and in each temptation, Jesusresponded with words from Scripture.

First Temptation (turning stones to bread to relieve his hunger):Jesus replied: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’Rejected the notion that He would base His kingdom on materialisticthings (economic power) to sustain physical life. Rather, He came to fulfillthe spiritual hunger of the people by proclaiming the word of God, whichoffers true life.

Second Temptation (throwing himself off the top of the Temple):Jesus replied: ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’Rejected the notion that His kingdom would be based on the power ofmagic and works of wonder (personal power) for the Lord is not revealedthrough trickery and magic but through faith in the sight of God.

Third Temptation (to control all the kingdoms of the world):Jesus replied: ‘Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’Rejected the notion that His Kingdom be based on politicalpower and fame (love for popularity and public recognition)cause God alone is to be worshiped.

Reflection:

STORY OF ADAM AND EVE – NATURE AND EFFECTS OF SIN

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In the story of Adam and Eve, we not only see the origin of evil, but it also conveys the nature and effects of sin. Adam and Evewere tempted by the evil (the serpent), to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which God had forbidden them to do so.

Characteristics of life before the fall:

Between the people and God: Harmony: opennessand friendship.

Between the man and the woman: Total opennessand friendship, they were naked but felt no shame; theman should not be alone.

Between the people and nature: Tranquility; theman names the animals as a sign of dominion; treesfilled with fruits.

Characteristics of life after the fall (the effect of sin):

Between the people and God: Fear andembarrassment replace openness and warmth. Adamand Eve hide behind the bushes, ashamed of their ownnakedness.

Between the man and the woman: They failed toassume personal responsibility, and blamed each other- they no longer trusted each other.

Between the people and nature: Disorder; peoplehave to till the soil by the sweat… the woman will bringforth children in great pain.

In reality, this story sheds light on the nature of the evil inclination we each possess, which strives to persuade us to disobey the Divine Will. Although trying to tempt us in many ways, it places the greatest efforts in those areas that are most important for that particular person, time, and place.

However, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can make a choice of good over evil and ultimately rectify ours sin, bringing upon all of humanity (us) an era of perfection.

WORKS OF FLESH VS. FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

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Justin Bieber breaks down in tears as he tells people to "fight evil with good"

WORLDLY PLEASURES

“I am set free from bondageand shame, I am a child ofthe most high God and heloves me exactly where I am,how I am, for who I am,”

The resurrection of Jesus, is areminder that my Jesus diedon the cross for my sins andthen rose from the deaddefeating death! I believe thishappened and it changeseverything!”

JUSTIN BEIBER: Coming from Canada's small-town Ontario, Bieber rose to fame at the age of 13 with his much-loved track Baby. "I didn't have material things and was never motivated by money or fame I just loved music," he wrote."But as I became a teenager I let my insecurities and frustrations dictate what I put my value in," he added.Throwing light on how his preferences and behaviorism changed over time, he said that his "relationships suffered because of it.""My values slowly started to change. I let ego and power takeover and my relationships suffered because of it”.He went on to share, "I truly desire healthy relationships. I want to be motivated by truth and love. I want to be aware of my blind spots and learn from them," he wrote.He ended the candid note "I want to walk in the plans God has for me and not try and do it on my own! I want to give up my selfish desires daily so I can be a good husband and future dad," the singer said.

Perhaps the most unanticipated, encouraging, and even heartbreaking discovery was the deep longing for life in the Spirit.

Christians are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

Discipleship begins with the encounter with Christ, when one decides to follow Jesus.

We know that prayer is a gift of the Holy Spirit. All Christian spirituality flows from responding to the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 2: “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong”.

Reflection:

Justin Beiber, Canadian pop star

WORKS OF FLESH VS. FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

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In Romans 7:14-25 and Galatians 5:17 St. Paul’s describes of an inward struggle which each one of us experiences:

OBSTACLES TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD - EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL SIN

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Excessive Consumerism:To acquire more goods which are not necessary.While we eat lots of junk food, millions of people go hungry;while we buy the latest designed cloths and quickly keep themaside, many people go without clothing. We spend hours withtelevisions and computers, while half of the world does nothave electricity in their homes.

Extreme Individualism:We lose all sense ofresponsibility to others whenwe believe that we must takecare of ourselves first. So, welose the sense of commongood.

Immediate Gratification:immediate satisfaction, instant pleasure, reward all at once. We wantand expect all our needs and desires to be met right now, not tomorrow,and certainly not in a few years.

Getting caught up with excessive consumerism,extreme individualism and immediategratification can make you very susceptibleto addictions, jealousy, anger and impulsivebehavior. It also often leads toincreased stress, anxiety and overwhelm.

Reflection:

SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD

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What is the Kingdom of God?For Jesus, the Kingdom of God is the Reign of God’s love over thehearts of the people, and as a consequence, a new social orderbased on unconditional love for one another.

Where is the Kingdom of God? So, when Jesus said that “The Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke17:21) or “close at hand” (Mark 1:15) he was saying that because ofHis unique relationship with God and his profound love of allpeople – even his own enemies – He was himself establishing theKingdom among people.

THE BEATITUDES – GUIDELINES FOR LIFE

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The word ‘Beatitude’ means ‘Blessed’. This means thatif we follow the Beatitudes, we will be Blessed or inother words, experience true happiness and love.

At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ Beatitudes areguidelines for life that will lead us to the happiness oftrue and lasting friendship with God and others.

Through the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches His followersessential Christian traits, such as kindness, forgiveness,and love.They present the qualities, actions, and attitudes ofChrist’s disciple.

QUIZ – ACTS OF THE APOSTLES – CHAPTER 1

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1. To whom was the Acts of the Apostles written?a. The Holy Apostle Paul.b. Theophilusc. Theophan.

2. According to Acts chapter one, the Gospel according to St. Luke presented Jesus’ life through what event?a. The day Christ was taken up into heaven. b. The day Christ was resurrected.c. The day of Pentecost.

3. According to Acts chapter one, Christ gave His commandments to the Apostles through Whom ?a. The Holy Apostle Peter.b. Holy Scripture.c. The Holy Spirit.

4. How long was Jesus seen with the Apostles following His Resurrection?a. One year.b. Forty days. c. Forty weeks.

5. According to Acts chapter one, where did Jesus tell the Apostles to wait for “the Promise of the Father?”a. Jerusalem. b. Antioch.c. Rome.

QUIZ – ACTS OF THE APOSTLES – CHAPTER 1

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6. According to Acts chapter one, how would the first Christians be baptized following Christ’s Ascension?a. They would be baptized with water.b. They would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. c. They would be baptized with fire.

7. From what mount did Christ ascend in Acts chapter one?a. Sinai.b. The Temple mount.c. Olive.

8. Which woman is listed as being in the upper room following Christ’s Ascension?a. Mary Magdalene.b. Mary, the mother of Jesus. c. Mary, the sister of Martha.

9. According to Acts chapter one, the prophecy regarding Judas Iscariot’s death can be found in what biblical book?a. Jeremiah.b. Isaiah.c. Psalms.

10. Name the person who was chosen to be the twelfth apostle.a. Stephen.b. Matthias. c. Luke.

CATHOLIC SNIPPETS

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• Read Acts of the Apostles –

Chapter 02

• Prayers to Learn - Grace Before Meals

Grace After Meals

Homework

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September 14 – Feast

A torture device is transformed into a universal

symbol of hope and peace

Jesus Christ, Your three hours onthe Cross gave that wicked devicea new meaning. Throughcontemplation of Your sufferings,may we transform all thewickedness and sin in our livesinto something valuable. May weconvert evil, transform sin, and,like You, go from death to life.

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CLOSING PRAYER

GUIDELINES FOR ONLINE CLASSES

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• Online Catechism classes will be conducted from 9 to 10:15 am every Friday beginning from Friday, 4 Sept, 2020.

• Zoom Meeting IDs and passwords will be mailed on the whatsapp group latest by Thursday each week.

• All Children should login at least 5 minutes before the class begins. Please avoid entering the classroom late.

• Login should be with Student Name and Surname. No logging in from Multiple devices (Just one ID per student).

• All videos should be open and audios could be muted and unmuted as advised by the Teachers during the class.

• Attendance is mandatory. However, we appreciate if the parent/student informs us in advance his/her child’s inability to attend the class only for valid and emergent reasons.

• Class sessions will include prayer, presentation, discussions, audio-visuals and question-answer session towards the end of class. Kindly make it a practice to discuss the lessons /activities/prayers with your child.

• All children should revise the prayers at home and make it a practice to recite the weekly prayers during the daily rosary.

• Due to limited online class duration, parents may read the Acts of the Apostles chapters/verses after the holy rosary as this is an integral part of our faith formation.

• All completed Lessons’ notes will be uploaded in the STCJ Website, Catechism Section for Class 8 after the completion of the class. Parents are requested to help their children in downloading the material and saving it in a folder for their future reading and reference.