L5 Lesson Plans Mar. 30, 31 & Apr. 1

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This catechist lesson plan was developed using the Alive in Christ online publisher’s resources. It can be adapted for home school use in completing Chapter 20, the last chapter assignment on our spring calendar.

Lesson Plan – Level 5

Chapter 20- The Last Things

Lesson Overview- Faith in the Resurrection is the source of hope in eternal life and happiness with God in Heaven. The Church cares for the dying though prayer and celebration of last Eucharist, known as viaticum.

Lesson Objectives- The children will:

·         Discuss Jesus’ teaching on the Last Judgment, using Matthew 25.

·         Understand that at the time of death, each person will be judged and God will decide where he or she will spend eternity.

·         
   Identify how Christians prepare for eternal life by serving God and one another right now.

·         Relate the symbols used at Mass of Christian Burial with our Baptism and Jesus’ Resurrection.

Catechist Tip- This lesson may bring up difficult or confusing emotions in children who have experienced a recent death in the family. Be sensitive to individual needs. Some children may wish to share their experiences of mourning while others might prefer to keep the subject private or ignore it completely. Remind the children to be respectful of the other children’s emotions. Part of human life is learning to let go. Remind the children that in any overwhelming situation in which they feel out of control, they can let go and let God sustain them. Assure those who are grieving that there is no “right” way to mourn; they can take all the time they need to let go of their sadness while holding on to their memories.

Table Time-

·         Begin with the prayer on page 267, (Psalm 116:8-9, and Luke 20:37-38). Discuss “What do you wonder?” questions:

1.       How is everyone alive for God?

2.       How does the Church help her members at the time of death?

·         As a conversation starter ask the following questions:

• How does the Church help us live good lives? (List responses on the board or on chart paper)
• What would it be like if there was no Church? How would your life be different?

Then tell the students: One of the things that the Church does for us is she gets us ready to die and go to Heaven.

·         Have young people turn to the Catholic Faith Words feature on page 270. Write the word viaticum VIA TI CUM on the board or chart paper. Invite a volunteer to read the text for viaticum. Point out that the definition uses the word journey. We believe that death is a part of our spiritual journey to life forever. We even call the Eucharist by a different name. If you break the word down to three syllables (point them out on the board), in Latin it means the way with you. Jesus in the Eucharist accompanies us on our journey to eternal life.

Tell the children that Saint Joseph is the patron saint of a happy death. Many people pray every day to him that they will have a happy death.

·         Read pages 268-269. Proclaim, or have a student proclaim, “The Judgment of the Nations,” on page 268. List the actions that the blessed will do as Jesus describes them in Matthew 25:31-40. Ask the students to share stories of someone who took care of other people, perhaps even in the exact ways Jesus described. It can be a Saint, someone on the news, a friend or relative, or someone they heard about. When finished, give them a brief quiet time to think of some way they want to imitate one of these people and silently ask God to help them carry this out.

·         On page 269- Discuss: What does Jesus teach us about Heaven and Hell? Discuss the faith terms: Heaven, Hell, eternal life, Purgatory, and Particular Judgment.

·         After completing the Catechist Edition instruction for page 269, play this video of Pope Francis explaining how the love of God leads us to Heaven. Say: Pope Francis tells us we need an increase in love and sharing in our time. How do we make that happen, and work with God as he builds his Kingdom? Then have the children complete the Share Your Faith activity. YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/0B1vJnpBEG4

·          Move on to page 270.  Ask the children to listen as you read the page. Listen for an explanation of why humans experience death. Why is death of the body not the end of life?

·         Go to “People of Faith” on page 263 and read about Saint Stephen, martyred c. 36 A.D.  Discuss: Why shouldn’t Christians be afraid to die?

Optional Activities-

• Heaven Activity- Organize the class in pairs. Assign each pair one or two of the Beatitudes to illustrate. Ask the children to draw rewards in Heaven for those who are blessed in the assigned Beatitudes. (The Beatitudes are listed on page 317 of the student workbook.)
• Play “Lamb of God” by Matt Maher, with lyrics, at this link: https://youtu.be/_UZRFE7WXQ0