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30713 _ Heritage 2 SE CH1 _ r5 . indd 36 8 / 1 / 12 2:32 PM

Ten doctrinal chapters explore with young people the core teachings of the Catholic Church .

A Explore Students reflect on their own experiences in light of the chapter theme .

B Discover Students experience a simple presentation of a teaching of Catholic doctrine .

C Decide Students respond in faith and choose a way to follow Jesus .

A

We Believe in . . .

God the Father

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Shooting stars , dolphins leaping in the ocean , rainbows , and people are just a few of God ’ s many gifts to us . On the lines below , list two of God ’ s gifts that you most enjoy .

In this hymn of praise the Bible writer celebrates God who brings all things that are good .

This is the day the LORD has made ; let us rejoice in it and be glad .

Psalm 118:24

I FOLLOW JESUS

What is one way you rejoice in God ’ s gifts ?

I FOLLOW JESUS

Activity

Chapter 1

Looking Ahead

In this chapter , the Holy Spirit invites you to

8 Explore the wonders of creation .

8 Discover how God reveals himself to us .

8 Decide how you will show your love for God .

God reveals himself as Father , Son and Holy Spirit . God is your loving Father . Jesus , the Son , teaches you to know , love and serve the Father . The Holy Spirit guides you with grace . God invites you to believe in him , so you can live as a child of God .

31 On the lines below , write a K next to the statement that shows how to know more about God . Write an L next to the statement that demonstrates love for God . Write an S next to the statement that shows one way to serve God . Then circle the statement that describes something you have done or would like to do .

I praise God for the gift of creation . I collect canned food for the parish pantry . I read the Bible .

32

Catholics Believe

Every Sunday at Mass , Catholics profess faith in God the Father , Almighty . When we say that God is Almighty we mean that he has the power to do everything and anything good .

Activity Look at the pictures on

this page . Then talk with a partner . How is faith expressed in the pictures ?

B

Our Father ’ s Loving Plan

God loves us so much that he has revealed himself to us . God is the Holy Trinity : God the Father , God the Son , and God the Holy Spirit . We call God ’ s making himself known to us Divine Revelation . God the Father reveals himself and his loving plan of Creation and Salvation in the Bible . God the Father most fully reveals himself to us in his only Son , Jesus Christ .

We can never exhaust the mystery of God , and of how we come to know him and his love for us . However , God gives us the wonderful gifts and powers of faith and reason to help us know him and believe in all that he has revealed . When we look at the world , we can know there is a creator by the use of our reason . And through the gift of faith , God invites us to believe in him and to live as Jesus taught . We learn about Jesus ’ teachings from the Church , especially in the Bible . God helps us to grow in friendship with him . Because God created us in his image and likeness , we can think , love , and care for others . This is how we share God ’ s goodness in the world . We can be loving , gentle , merciful , patient , and understanding because God is always with us . We call the gift of God ’ s life and loving presence grace . God ’ s loving plan is that all people will live with him forever . We can cooperate with God to carry out his plan by knowing , loving , and serving him .

D With My Family Engage the whole family in the catechetical process through the With My Family page at the end of each chapter .

We Celebrate ...

Easter

Easter is the most important season for Christians . Many families decorate their homes with baskets of flowers , particularly lilies , as signs ( or reminders ) of new life . Christians around the world celebrate Easter in a variety of ways to honor the Lord ’ s Resurrection as the most important event of the year .

The Church invites us to celebrate joyfully the seven Sundays of the Easter season . At the Easter Vigil Mass , the newly lighted Easter candle stands tall and shines in the darkness . This reminds us that the Lord has risen and that he is the Light of the world . The Church celebrates for fifty days , recalling the new life

We Celebrate ...

Christ has won for us .

Throughout the Easter season the Church sings and proclaims aloud for Confirmation

all to hear , “ Alleluia , Alleluia , Alleluia !” This means “ Praise the Lord !” We are invited to fill our Ella homes and her and classmates had spent more than lives with signs of praise , joy a , and year new preparing life . for Confirmation . They learned Easter is truly about what the that Lord to has be confirmed done so they must profess the we can rejoice and be glad . faith , be in the state of grace , desire to receive

the Sacrament , and prepare to be a disciple of Which signs of new life

Jesus remind within you the to

Church and in the world . They

? rejoice in the Lord ’ s Resurrection attended classes

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, performed service hours , and participated in an overnight retreat . Today the bishop would confirm them at a special Mass .

Ella chose her older cousin , Carley , as her sponsor . The cousins had never talked about Jesus before this year , but during these months of preparation Ella learned how important the Catholic faith was to Carley . Just last night , after Confirmation practice , Carley told Ella that she was saving up to go to World Youth Day with the teen group from her parish .

The Mass Begins

Ella and Carley processed into church with the other candidates and sponsors . Bishop Martin and Father Boland , Ella ’ s pastor , took their places near the altar . The bishop welcomed everyone . He led the assembly in prayer . Then God ’ s Word was proclaimed in the Liturgy of the Word .

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C

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My Faith Choice

This week I can show my love for God . I will :

Sit quietly and pray in the silence of your heart : Dear God , help me to know , love , and serve you each day . Amen .

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In this third and final section , children learn how the Church celebrates the Sacraments and the major seasons of the Church year .

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D

For information on Our Catholic Heritage Level I

See pages 48 – 49

Our Catholic Heritage

ITEM # ISBN DESCRIPTION PRICE

73