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Sharing the Good News

This activity helps students prepare to share the Good News of Jesus with different individuals or groups, and then act out how they would do so, given the individual's or group's particular needs and characteristics.

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Your Relationship with Jesus

This worksheet leads students to reflect on one of three Gospel passages in which Jesus interacts with the people around him and how he shows them compassion and mercy. Students will also reflect on their own relationship with Jesus and …

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Script for a Special Passover Meal with Jesus

The script for the skit in which children reenact the Last Supper, acting as Jesus, the Apostles, and narrators.

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A Special Passover Meal with Jesus

The instructions for the skit in which children reenact the Last Supper, acting as Jesus, the Apostles, and narrators.

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Guided Meditation before the Blessed Sacrament

An outline and script for a guided meditation before the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Have you explored Go Seek Find: Discover God’s Treasures yet? This one-of-a-kind sacrament prep program will help children discover how preparing for the sacraments is …

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Family Prayer before First Eucharist

These prayers will help your family focus more deeply on the celebration of First Eucharist that will take place soon. Through these prayers, you, your child, and your family will ask for guidance as you continue to grow as disciples …

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A Modern Parable of the Prodigal Son

This skit presents the Parable of the Prodigal Son in four scenes, with parts for the Father, Younger son, Narrator, and Chorus.

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First Reconciliation Meal Prayer

Make this simple prayer card for your family table. The prayer is especially appropriate as preparation for First Reconciliation.

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Family Prayer before First Reconciliation

These prayers are intended to help your family focus more deeply on the celebration of First Reconciliation that will take place soon. You and your child will pray for guidance as you continue to grow as disciples and continue your …

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Joy and Hope for the Modern World

This handout provides questions for students to reflect on and answer as they read quotations from this Constitution.

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On Your Marks

This worksheet guides group members to work together as they identify the importance of the church being “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic”.

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God Loves a Cheerful Giver

This worksheet guides students to read and answer questions about a specific Hebrew festival from the book of Leviticus.

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Be Careful What You Ask For

This is a list of Scripture passages to be acted out from 1 Samuel

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Biblical Heroes

This handout assigns groups to read Scripture passages to learn about a specific biblical hero.

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The Stations of the Cross

Students read a Scripture passage for an assigned station before creating an enactment and discussing questions.

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Exploring the Lectionary

In this activity, partners read the readings for a specific feast day and identify key symbols, similarities, and differences that help make Mass more meaningful.

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Non-Pauline Letters and Revelation

This small-group activity asks students to read and reflect on a Scripture passage from a Non-Pauline Letter in the New Testament. Students must then answer reflection questions about the passage.

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Paul’s Response to the Early Christian Communities

This small-group activity asks students to read and reflect on a Scripture passage about Paul and the early Christian communities.

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Paul’s Missionary Journeys

This small-group activity asks students to read a Scripture passage about one of Paul’s missionary journeys. Students must then create several blog posts describing the story.

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Mind Mapping: "I Am" Statements from the Gospel of John

This small-group activity asks students to reflect on a specific “I am” statement from the Gospel of John.

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Miracles

This small-group activity asks students to read several versions of a miracle of Jesus. Groups must then answer questions and create a storyboard to accompany the Scripture passage.

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Four Images of Jesus

This small-group activity asks students to read a section of the Gospel and answer questions focused on the image of Jesus.

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The Prophets

This small-group activity provides questions for students to answer about the different prophetic books of the bible.

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King David

This small-group project asks students to read a section from the bible about King David. Students must then create and act out a television show based on their scripture passage.

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The Book of Exodus

This small-group project asks students to read a section from the Book of Exodus before acting out the passage and responding to discussion questions.

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Jigsaw Activity: Categories of Books in the New Testament

This activity asks small groups to answer questions about a specific section of the New Testament.

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Jigsaw Activity: Categories of Books in the Old Testament

This activity asks small groups to focus on a small portion of the Old Testament as they read and answer questions.

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Literal and Spiritual Senses of Scripture: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)

This small-group, discussion guide challenges students to read a familiar story using a different lense and perspective.

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Empathizing (Religion in the Modern World)

This article provides several suggestions of ways to help students reflect on their experiences with people from different forms of religion in the modern world.

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Empathizing (Islam)

This handout provides several suggestions to help students draw connections between Islam and Christianity.

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Empathizing (Shinto)

This article provides several possible ideas of ways to help students see, experience, and better understand the Shinto religion.

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Empathizing (Zen Buddhism)

This short article provides questions, reflections, and suggestions to help students empathize with Zen Buddhism.

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Empathizing (Taoism)

This short article provides questions, reflections, and suggestions to help students empathize with Taoism.

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Worldviews: Religions and Their Relatives

This article explores two examples of modern worldviews and how they different from traditional religions.

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Miriam's Shabbat

A Sabbath Blessing.

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The Fasting Siddhartha

This handout is meant to be used as part of a station activity in which students observe different pieces of artwork from various religions.

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Buddhist and Judeo-Christian Understandings of God

This article compares and contrasts the Buddhist and Judeo-Christian understanding of God.

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What Harm Is in Our Sun Dance?

This short article provides the point of view of a Blackfoot Indian about the illegalization of the Sun Dance.

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Searching the Scriptures for the World of Jesus

Small-group activity that guides students to discover the culture of Jesus’ world by searching the Gospels

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Handout: Love Is...

A small group activity to foster discussion about what love is

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Handout: Psalm 23

An adaptation of Psalm 23 to be used in prayer or reflection

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From Fasting to Feasting

A short prayer that calls us to feast on kindness and compassion towards others.

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Isaiah: The Peaceable Kingdom Is Coming!

This handout offers a brief look at the use of Isaiah’s visions of the kingdom during Advent.

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Eucharist

This prayer reflects on the true meaning of receiving and living the Eucharist.

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I Pray

This prayer for a large group asks for our eyes to be opened to the injustices in the world and our souls to be strengthened by Christ’s presence.

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For Love Is Stronger than Death

A reading of the Resurrection story from Luke's Gospel.

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Prayer Service: Reflections on Relationships

This prayer service reflects on some of the aspects of relationships.

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Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS

This article gives information about common STDs and AIDS.

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In Praise of the Creator

This prayer uses Psalm 95 to praise God our creator.

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What Can a Person Do?

This article gives several suggestions of how an individual can bring about distributive justice.

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Grandpa and Tim

Read the following story and be prepared to discuss it in class.

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Prayer Service: For Christian Unity

A short prayer service for Christian unity.

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Prayer Service: Forgiveness

A prayer service centered on forgiveness.

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Saint Joan of Arc: A Brief Biography

A biography of Saint Joan of Arc.

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Prayer Service: The Children of God

A prayer service.

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The Eucharist in Mathari Valley

In 1986, Fr. Jim Notebaart flew to Nairobi, Kenya, to live and work as a missioner. Years later, he told an audience in the United States about an experience of Eucharist as transformation. Read this story and, on a separate …

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Lazarus and the Rich Man: A Sequel

Characters: Reader, Narrator, Servant, Levi, Hannah, Isaiah, Simeon.

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1948, sets the international standard for human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has thirty articles. The following list paraphrases and summarizes the articles from …

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The Scriptures and Concern for Justice

A list of justice-centered biblical passages that can be used for preparing class prayers and liturgies, as a resource for assignments, and for your own reflection and prayer.

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Prayer Is...

Read the following descriptions of prayer by various authors. Choose one description that best fits how you see prayer. Or formulate your own description using a couple of these.

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Seeing with Faith, Acting in Faith

Read the two pieces of writing below thoughtfully and carefully.

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Exile and Redemption

Discuss the following questions in your group. Have one person take notes in order to report your responses to the class later.

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"In the Beginning Was the Word"

The Incarnation, a core doctrine of Christianity, states that in Jesus Christ, God became fully human while remaining fully divine. In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 1 through 18, we see one of the earliest expressions of that …

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The Riddler

Working alone or with classmates, identify what is being described in each of the following riddles.

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"The Dance of Love"

The story of the Dance of Love.

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Three Renewal Movements

Work with your group to complete the section of this handout that corresponds to your assigned topic.

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School History Scavenger Hunt

Write your name and the names of your group members at the top of this handout. As a group, research the history of our school and complete the following questions. For each answer, note the source of your information. This …

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Brochure on Vatican I

Work with your group to create a six-panel (folded) brochure describing the history and work of Vatican Council I.

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Around the World in More Than Eighty Days

Let’s take a glance around the globe to see some of the missionary efforts that began during the Fifteenth through Seventeenth centuries.

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Creating a Promotional Brochure

Your group has been assigned to create a brochure about one of the two major religious orders to emerge during the Catholic Reformation: the Jesuits or the Carmelites. Imagine that you are members of this new religious order during the …

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Web Quest on Renaissance Culture

Write your group member’s names at the top of this handout, and circle the topic assigned to your group. Use the Internet to locate three reliable sources about your group’s assigned topic in Renaissance culture. Use this handout to organize …

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Dialogue with Others

Excerpts from the address of Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at the John Paul II center in Washington D.C.

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The Council of Trent

An article about The Council of Trent, excerpted from The Catholic Church: A Brief Popular History, by Cynthia Stewart.

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Scholastics and Medieval Universities

Complete this handout with your partner as you review article 24, “Scholastics and Medieval Universities,” in the student book.

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Challenges to the Papacy

Complete this handout with your group as you review article 21, “Challenges to the Papacy,” in the student book.

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Belief and Violence: The Crusades

A reading about the Crusades.

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 2

The final performance task options for Unit 2 of Church History: Apostolic Times to Today. The options include creating a children’s picture book, or making a PowerPoint presentation for a parish community.

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Islam: Historical Orgins

Islam began almost two thousand years after the start of Judaism and more than six hundred years after Christianity. In fact, Islam, which goes back to the seventh century, began in support of the monotheism of these two religions, and …

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The East-West Split

Looking back over the first 1500 years of Church history, the picture is not one of perfect harmony. Political conflicts, religious controversies, invasions, and condemnations created sometimes occasional, sometimes lasting rifts. For the Eastern Church and the Latin Church, the …

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The Divinity of Jesus: An Early Christian Debate

A reading about the early Christian debate over the divinity of Jesus.

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Handout: Called to Pray Together

A prayer based off of the Lord’s Prayer with a leader, a reader, and various responses.

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Handout: A Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours

A Liturgy of the Hours morning prayer with a leader, a reader, and various responses.

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Handout: Sharing with God

A guided meditation and opportunity for prayer.

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Handout: Liturgical Year Match

Column 1 lists the holy days of obligation and several other feast days of the Liturgical Year. Column 2 lists the dates on which those feasts are celebrated. The task of each group is to match the holy day or …

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Handout: A Prayer for Forgiveness

A prayer about forgiveness.

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Handout: The Old Testament and the Gospel of Matthew

In each of the Scripture citations below, Jesus or the Gospel writer refers to a Scripture passage from the Old Testament that sheds light on the identity or mission of Jesus. Read the passages assigned to your group, and then …

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Handout: Being Catholic

Being Catholic: Beliefs, Practices, and Attitudes.

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Called to Pray Together

A reflection/prayer based on the Lord’s Prayer.

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Saying Yes to God

A prayer/reflection on saying yes to God’s will for our lives.

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Loving God and One Another

A prayer/reflection on the questions Jesus asks in Scripture.

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Prayer from Morning to Night

Use the following prompts to think about how you pray.

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Sent Forth by Gods Blessing

A prayer with two readers and a leader.

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Blessed Are You

This prayer is quoted from Seasons of Your Heart: Prayers and Reflections by Marcina Wiederkehr.

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Prayer for My Family

A prayer for family.

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Key Concepts Underlying Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic social justice teachings are based on some key concepts. By applying these concepts to different social issues, the Church makes judgments about the correct direction to follow. In this lesson we look briefly at the following four key concepts, …

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Building the Table of the Lord

Descriptions of the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life, thanksgiving, memorial sacrifice, and the presence of Christ.

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Fourteen Effects of Baptism

A list of the fourteen effects of Baptism.

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The Holy Trinity

Descriptions of each person of the trinity.

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Phillip's Story

The story of Phillip, an eight-year-old boy with down syndrome.

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The Canticle of Brother Sun

The canticle of the brother sun by Saint Francis of Assisi.

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Creedal Statements

A list of the statements of belief made in the creed.

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Prayer of Saint Anselm

The prayer of St. Anselm.

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Prayer Card

A prayer card with promises from the book of Isaiah.

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Beliefs Practices and Attitudes

The beliefs, practices, and attitudes of the Catholic faith.

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Prayer Service

An in class prayer service.

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Aquinas’s Five Proofs for the Existence of God

The Summa Theologica is a famous work written by Saint Thomas Aquinas between AD 1265 and 1274. It is divided into three main parts and presents reasoning for almost all core Christian beliefs. The Summa Theologica is well known for …

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Inside and Outside

Everyone knows what it feels like to be on the inside and the outside of a group of people. Fill in the statements below, and then write a prayer to Jesus asking for his help when you are an outsider …

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Letters in Paul's Day

An article that discusses the format of Paul’s letters and how they are different from letters today.

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Planning a Marian Prayer Service

This resource, taken from the New Testament Leader Guide for Breakthrough! can be used to help you plan a Marian prayer service for Advent, The Annunciation, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and other celebrations of …

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In Mary's Voice

A reading that tells the story of Mary’s relationship with Jesus through her perspective.

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Human Rights

Several articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Footprints

Footprints in the sand poem.

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Ignatian Discernment of Spirits

An article that breaks down the differences between good and evil spirits.

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Exploring Religious Orders and Congregations

A research assignment worksheet done in pairs to find important information about different religious orders.

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What Do Sisters Do?

An article that discusses the roles and responsibilities of religious sisters.

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“To Brother”: A Personal Story

An article written by Br. Armand Alcazar FSC, who discusses his view of his vocation as a verb, “to brother”, or “brothering” in teaching and community life.

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A Prayer Service in Intercession for Ordained Ministers

A prayer service for ordained ministers including multiple readers, speakers, and responses.

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The Sacrament of Holy Orders Graphic Organizer

A worksheet completed in groups about the symbolic words and actions that take place during the Rite of Ordination, as well as their meaning and effect.

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The Threefold Ministry of a Bishop

This resource is a group activity worksheet that has students list examples of the Bishop’s roles in the areas of teaching, governing, and sanctifying.

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The Future of Marriage

An article on the eschatological perspective of marriage.

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Conversion's Impact on Marriage

An article about the ways that a married individual is called upon to be converted; as an individual, within the marriage, and as one called to live in the image of God.

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The Witness of One

An article about how the greatest testimony to the faith comes not from famous and influential people, but through you and me, as we face the challenges that come to us each and every day.

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"You Have Heard…But I Say"

An article about Jesus’ command to love everyone, even those who society has deemed unlovable.

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Living God's Call

A reading, with reflection questions, on living out God’s Call of unconditional love, agape, for all.

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Forms and Expressions of Prayer

A listing of several forms and expressions of prayer.

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Fellow Prophets, Pray for Us

A short prayer service asking the Lord to grant us the gifts of the prophets before us.

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Resurrection Passages

Several Resurrection passages from Scripture.

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Passion Passages

Scripture passages from all four Gospels on the Passion of Jesus Christ.

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Scripture Passages on Morality

A collection of Scripture passages focused on morality.

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Teach Us to Pray

An activity to help students learn "The Lord's Prayer" from "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth" Teacher Guide.

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Praying with Scripture The Magnificat

Praying with Scripture, using The Magnificat, from "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Teacher Guide.

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Prayer Service: Love One Another as I Have Loved You

A prayer service focusing on loving one another as God loves us.

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Revelation: A New Testament Apocalypse

An article on the Book of Revelation.

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Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire

An article on the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.

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Pauline and Deutero-Pauline Letters

An article on the Pauline and Deutero-Pauline letters.

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Paul's Cultural Context

A reading on Paul’s cultural context.

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The Passion According to John

An article on the Passion according to John.

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Jesus and Judaism

An article on Jesus and Judaism.

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Oral Tradition

An article on oral tradition.

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Non-canonical Gospels

An article on the non-canonical Gospels.

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New Testament Christologies

An article on New Testament Christologies.

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Formation of the Canon

An article on the formation of the Canon.

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The Gettysburg Address

A copy of the Gettysburg Address.

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How to Teach Biblical Research

An article on how to teach students to conduct biblical research.

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How Should We Interpret Scripture?

An article on how we should interpret Scripture.

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A Brief History of Catholic Biblical Interpretation

A reading that gives a brief history of Catholic biblical interpretation.

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Old and New Testament Passages

A chart showing the similarities between Scripture passages in the Old Testament and Scripture passages in the New Testament.

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Why the Second Vatican Council Really Is That Important

An article on the importance of the Second Vatican Council.

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Symbols in the Book of Revelation

A reference sheet for the symbols that are used in the Book of Revelation.

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Imaginary First-Century Letters

Two imaginary first-century letters that describe the difficulties of staying faithful to the teachings of Jesus in a culture that rejects them.

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Historical Genre Stations, from “The Catholic Youth Bible” Old Testament Teacher Guide

An activity where students read certain Scripture passages and look for illustrations of community and identity, from “The Catholic Youth Bible” Old Testament Teacher Guide.

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Using Final Performance Tasks to Assess Understanding

A reading on using final performance tasks in the classroom to assess students' understanding.

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The Domestic Church

An article on family life and the domestic Church.

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God's Story Plotline 4: Reconciliation

A reading on why God, whose love in unlimited, constantly picks out special groups.

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The Anointing of the Sick

A reading on the Sacrament of anointing of the sick, with a discussion of how the Sacrament was viewed in the past and how it is viewed today.

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All Are One in Christ Jesus

Several Scripture passages that show that all are one in Christ Jesus.

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The Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

A scriptural excerpt from Luke 24:13-35.

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War and Peace in Catholic Social Teaching

An article on war and peace in Catholic social teaching.

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The Challenge of Peace

An article on the foundations for a justified war and the just war doctrine.

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Principles of Catholic Social Teaching for Business Ethics

An article on the principles of Catholic social teaching for business ethics.

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Thomas Merton and Nonviolence

A reading on Thomas Merton and nonviolence.

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Living the Life of a Disciple: Prayer Service

A small-group planning sheet for a classroom prayer service on living the life of a disciple.

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Confirmation

A reading on the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church.

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Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

A reading on the principles of Catholic social teaching.

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The Conversion of Saint Augustine

A reading on the Conversion of Saint Augustine, with excerpts from “Confessions and Enchiridion.”

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Using Centering Prayer

An instructional reading on using centering prayer.

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Using Music in Teaching

An article on incorporating music in teaching.

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The Biblical Foundation of Justice

A reading on the Biblical foundation of justice.

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The Christian Sacraments

A reading on the Christian Sacraments.

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A Sacramental People

A reading on Sacraments and symbols.

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The Whip Around

A reading on a quick and participative assessment tool called the whip-around.

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Premarital Sex

An article on premarital sex, from "Christian Morality: Our Response to God's Love."

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Chastity

An article on chastity, from "Christian Morality: Our Response to God's Love."

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Reproductive Technology

This article presents a general overview of the Church’s teachings on reproductive technology, and then considers the ethical ramifications of some of the most common forms of reproductive technology available today.

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What Is Discipleship?

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers a brief introduction to the concept of discipleship as the Christian vocation.

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Community in the Catholic Church

This article is from the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the social nature of the Catholic Church, especially with reference to community and salvation.

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The Church, Social Ethics, and Politics

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It is a great introduction to the Church, social ethics and politics in the United States.

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Discipleship versus Citizenship

This is a short article from the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the differences between citizenship and discipleship.

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Where Does the Church Say?

This handout is part of the Living in Christ Series. It is a good resource for identifying the differences between various Church documents.

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Christian Unity and Ecumenical Dialogue

This article is from the Living in Christ Series. It is about the relationship between the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, and uses Church documents and scripture to discuss this relationship.

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Catholicism and World Religions

This article is from the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the relationship between the Catholic Church and other world religions through various Church documents.

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The Domestic Church: Catholic Families

This article is part of the Living in Christ series. It discusses the domestic church, that is, the home of Catholic families, and uses Church documents to affirm the important role families play in the life of the Church.

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Evangelization: Rally for the Gospel

This short article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It describes evangelization preaching as a sort of pep rally for the Gospel and discusses the need for all types of people to get involved in evangelization efforts.

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The Church Is One

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers an overview of the 4 marks of the Catholic Church, focusing especially on the characteristic of One.

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The Church as the Body of Christ and Sacrament

This article is from the Living in Christ Series. It offers an overview of two images of the Catholic Church: the Church as the Body of Christ, and the Church as a Sacrament.

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WebQuest

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the value of using WebQuests as a classroom learning tool.

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Creating Photo Stories

This article is from the Living in Christ Series. It gives ideas for using PhotoStory in the classroom, available for free download.

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The Marks of the Church

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the 4 marks of the Catholic Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

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The Visible and the Invisible Church

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the Catholic Church and the key features of its visible and invisible nature.

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Using the A to Z Method

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the value of using the A-Z Method of pre- and post- assessment.

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The Holy Spirit

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers a brief introduction to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.