Author: D. Sader

Ecology of the Heart

Throughout Laudato Si, Pope Francis returns to the contrast between dominion and domination, of stewardship andownership. He tells us that our concern for the planet is an empty one if it does not take into account ourr responsibility and obligation to our poorest and least acknowledged neighbor. Our call is not to make things better for us, but for everyone. Since God is creator of all, God loves all. So must we.

Ponder
How can I become selfless enough to call everyone I meet a brother or sister?

Pray
God of creation, it is not always easy to see you in others. When people are downright nasty and hard to help, give me a heart to see through their anger and fear to your grace shining in them.

We are all one

All living species are tied together in one greaat, interdependent network.

The smallest subatomic particles are joined together in a cosmic dance, and evey living thing has evolved together on this world. There is no aspect of this amazing creation – chemical, biological, or material – thatis not interconnected. Pope Francis says that our failure to note this in times past has ledto today’s problems. Our embrace now of how crucial every part is to every other part is will lead to a positive change.

Ponder
Where do I need to deepen my faith so that I may start to recognize our interconnectedness?

Pray
God of creation, help me to see your glory in every part of creation, even where I’d least expect to find it.And if I see it being harmedorclouded, help me to reveal it all.

Catch People

Read Luke 5:1-11

http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=322900027

The lake of Gennesaret was also known as the Sea of Galilee or the Sea of Tiberias. It was the scene of many of Jesus’ actions (such as preaching from a boat to the people on shore, the miracle of calming the stormy seas, and the miracle of the loaves and fish). Jesus was also seen there after his resurrection.

When Jesus told Simon Peter, a fisherman, that he would now catch people, Jesus did not explain what this meant. But Simon Peter came to know that he was invited to dedicate his life so that others might know the Good News about the kingdom of God.

New Testament Study Guides

Yes, these files are free to download and use for your Bible study. These are provided as a supplement to the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament.

Religious Studies 25: Pay it Forward Assignment

Picture 1Directions: Answer the six part question below. The page titled, Movie Study Assignment Rubric, will be used to access this assignment. It can be found on the left side (sixth from bottom) under pages. When finished, print off your response and hand in or email it to Mr. S.

Introduction: To be Christian means to be a follower of Jesus Christ; to be “Christ-like”; to act as Jesus Christ would act.  Jesus is referred to as God’s “holy servant” (Acts 4:27).  If we define holy as described in Colossians 3:12-14, then it is easy to see that Jesus was a holy person.  He was compassionate (Luke 15:30; Matt 9:36).  Jesus was kind, patient and forgiving (story of adulterous woman in John 8:3-11).  He was humble (Matt 11:29) and meek (2 Cor 10:1).  But mostly, Jesus always chose love (Eph 5:2; Mark 10:21).  In fact, all the world’s religious traditions celebrate the supreme importance of six spiritual practices, which are,  compassion, forgiveness, hope, kindness, love (as in agape), and conversion (transformation).  All of these spiritual practices were illustrated in this movie.

Assignment: For each of the six spiritual practices listed above, describe one scene from the movie that demonstrates that practice.  Be as specific as you can.

Faith Shared at School, Home, and Parish

Judith Dunlap, When You Teach in a Catholic School(2004) states that yes, religion is taught but faith is caught by being around people who are confident and willing to share their faith. We can touch the heart through rituals, by creating an influential environment and again, by being a personal witness. Rituals bring people together; they teach us there are certain ways to do things, they make us feel good as well as give vitality to the people involved. We can grow as faith community by starting (and maintaining) a ritual; it can include words, actions, symbols and/or music. The environment in any room, not just the religion class, can also influence faith by creating a feeling of peace and welcome through the use of lights, pictures, music, rugs, and/or plants by tapping into our senses. Last, personal witness isn’t just limited to staff in the school. We must remember to include and invite other witnesses like parents, community members, elders, priests, etc. to help our youth grow by sharing their story.

John 15:15

I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.

Think of events that will happen in your school this month. Are there people that can be invited in to help celebrate these events and share their story?

Faith is Relational

Faith is relational; people influence us all the time. It is our baptismal duty to pass on the faith in how we car for one another.

Judith Dunlap, When You Teach in a Catholic School(2004) writes, that we need to affirm our youth that they are loved no matter what; God’s love is always steady. All people in a child’s life have the responsibility to help them grow in their faith and become anchored in God’s steadfast love. Students also need to be taught that they, in turn, have a responsibility to share love with others by living a life of peace, justice and respect.

Archbishop Miller for The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools(2006) emphasizes that the purpose of a Catholic school is to be a vital witness that reveals the love of Christ by word, gesture, and behaviour.

God Reveal’s His Plan:

Matthew 25:40
And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

In Evangel Gaudium, the Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis wrote that a catechist must be strong and clear with the most important proclamation of: “Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen, and free you.” How do these words resonate with you? What are your feelings or reactions after watching the video?

Challenge yourself that when you encourage or console someone this week, you verbally, out loud, ask God to bless then so they can hear holy words of affirmation.

But I Don’t Teach Religion

Judith Dunlap, When You Teach in a Catholic School(2004) writes,

“Whether you teach science or math, music or gym, you are responsible for supporting the religion teacher by helping shape the faith and value system of the young people in your classes. Religion isn’t just about learning the facts of history and how to read a bible, it’s about growing in relationship with Jesus and that job belongs to everyone.”

1 Cor 12:12-14

One Body with Many Members

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.

Reflection:
Think of someone in your past that has passed on the faith to you. Ask God to bless them for the goodness they have done by being a witness to the love of Christ and bringing you closer in relationship with him.

God’s Not Dead Assignment

God's Not DeadDirections: Answer ALL of the questions below.  The page titled, Movie Study Assignment Rubric,  will be used to assess this reflection.  It can be found on the left side under pages (5th from the bottom). When finished, print off your response and hand in or email it to Mr. S.

INTRODUCTION:  There are no shortage of self proclaimed theists (e.g. Christians), atheists, or agnostics.  For example, British actor Daniel Radcliffe, known for his role as Harry Potter, declared he was an atheist in a 2009 interview. “I’m an atheist, but I’m very relaxed about it” he was quoted as saying. Angus T. Jones, child actor who played Jake Harper on the American sitcom, Two and half Men, proclaimed, “Even though it’s my job to be an actor, I have given my life to God”.  Jones is a self-proclaimed Christian theist.  Antonio Banderas, a a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer,  once said, “I have to recognize that I am agnostic”.

QUESTIONS: 1) Clearly explain the difference between an atheist, theist and an agnostic?  2) If you were challenged to defend your beliefs, like Josh was, what would you do?  Would you have integrity?  Would you be a follower?  Would you be a coward?  Explain what you think you would do.  3) Every person fits into one of the three categories (atheist, theist or agnostic). Which of the three categories would you be in? Decide where you belong and clearly DEFEND why you claim to be either atheist, theist or agnostic.  When you declare yourself to be one of these then you MUST be able to fully explain why you believe what you believe.   Otherwise you are NOT what you claim to be. This is what  you are being asked to do so in this assignment.

NOTE:  You are NOT being graded on your beliefs.  Your beliefs are between you and God (whether you believe in God or not).  What you are being graded on is how much thought you have given to the topic and to think about why you believe what you believe.  See the rubric to understand how this assignment will be evaluated.  Also understand that your beliefs will continue to evolve and change as you gain more life experience and learn more about the topic.

I believe