Ascension Parish Grade 8 Religious Education: Each of Us Is a Gift: March 16-23 Update

Greetings Everyone!

Recap of Last Class

Our opening prayer was the 2nd reading for the 4th Sunday of Lent, Ephesians 2:4-10.

Our closing prayer was the Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Lent, John 3:14-21.

You can find both of them here.

Both speak to the Good News that, though we disobeyed God and turned away from Him into Sin, He delivered us from sin and restored us to our purpose in life, because we are worth fixing, kind of like Sally states emphatically in the courtroom of Radiator Springs in Cars.

That purpose is a major part of the Theology of the Body teachings of Pope St. John Paul II, which we spent time unpacking in class.

Theology of the Body teaches that our bodies are sacramental because they are a visible sign revealing the invisible reality of God. God is love because, in Christ, He gave Himself totally to us as a gift, and each of us is called to be a gift by sharing God's love with others.

Hopefully, you enjoyed the chance to be a gift to others by sending an encouraging message to a friend at the end of class.

If you would like to see the presentation referred to during our class time, here's the link. It is about 50 minutes long.

Also, here's the video we watched with the interview featuring Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who is Roman Catholic.

Activity for this Week

Pick one of these options and submit a short reflection of at least 1-2 sentences here.

1. One of the ways we can be a gift to others is to practice one of the Corporal or Spiritual Works of Mercy. Pick one to practice this week, and then reflect on it. Please note that the monthly food collection for St. Martin de Porres Parish is this weekend, and is a great way to feed the hungry. You're welcome to shop for food donations and then drop them off at church, even if you aren't staying for Mass.

2. Watch this short, 4-minute video in which Chris Stefanick talks about St. Patrick.

3. Friday, March 19, is the Feast of St. Joseph, and this is the Year of St. Joseph. Spend some time with the Litany of St. Joseph.

4. Watch this reflection video on St. Joseph by Matthew Kelly of Dynamic Catholic.

5. Watch one of the videos for Best Lent Ever and write a short reflection on what stood out to you in any of the videos. All videos, for the current day and past days, are available for viewing at this link.

6. Read a daily passage from the Words for the Weary Lenten booklet.

In-depth option:

7. Lenten Vespers at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception occurs every Sunday of Lent live at 3 PM CT. You can watch it on the basilica's website, where there is also a leaflet so you can follow along. Or you can watch it on the YouTube channel, live, or archived later. It lasts about 30 minutes.

Please note, you can pick more than one of the above options and that counts the same as an in-depth option.

Looking Ahead

In our next class, we'll spend some time unpacking the symbolism of the Paschal Triduum, the three sacred days of the Church year in the latter half of Holy Week, commemorating the Death and Resurrection of Christ, the central events of our faith.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, for any clarifications, etc.

Here again is the video Paul shared in class in celebration of his milestone birthday, the song "Glorious" performed by the One Voice Children's Choir.

Below is a photo of Paul, courtesy of his dad, holding a birthday card he received from his grandma, which reads, "You are a gift." That statement is a great truth that applies to all of us. Indeed, each one of you is a gift with the purpose of revealing God to others. Furthermore, you each have a melody within you that becomes a glorious symphony when we join our melodies together, living in praise of God.