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The Seven Petitions

On this handout, students match the meaning to each line of the Lord’s Prayer.

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A Prayer Puzzle

On this handout, students must use clues to unscramble words related to prayer.

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Spirit Telecom: The Universal Wireless Prayer Network

This handout guides students as they locate and read various Scripture passages focusing on the many way God calls us to prayer.

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YES! We Do!

This handout helps provides the dialogue for the students to renew their baptismal promises as a class.

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Popular Bible Stories

This handout provides a list of Scripture passage that can be used for games and to review well-known Bible stories.

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My Vocation

This handout helps students identify their talents, gifts, and personality and how these fit into God’s vocation for their lives.

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Saying Yes

This handout guides students to examine several Scripture passages exemplifying what it means to say “yes” to God’s call.

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Stories That Speak to Us

This handout guides students to recognize the importance of stories, both in our families and our faith.

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Putting the Pieces Together

This puzzles helps students to identify and order the parts of the Liturgy of the Word.

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Liturgical Roles

This handout asks students to identify the role of the various liturgical ministers at Mass.

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Important Moments

This handout asks students to think about and reflect on moments in their life that have been significant.

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My Morning and Evening Prayers

This handout asks students to think about the Liturgy of the Hours before they answer questions about and create their own morning and evening prayers.

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Symbol Search

This handout challenges students to find symbols in their classroom or school and identify the deeper meaning of each.

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Reflections on Poverty in America

This handout provides a series of Scripture passages and real-life accounts to help students reflect on poverty in America.

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Married Couple Interview

This handout provides the outline for an interview of a married couple.

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The Roles of Men and Women on TV: True to Life or Not?

This handout provides questions for students to answer as they observe the roles of men and women on TV.

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Aiming for God Game

This handout contains cards to be used with the “Aiming for God Game”.

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Lead Me Not into Temptation

This handout presents different roles for students to act out from a real-life theft situation

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Beatitudes Strips

A list of the Beatitudes organized to be cut into strips for a class activity.

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Exodus, Chapters 19–20

This handout provides a note-taking guide while reading chapters 19-20 from Exodus.

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The Ten Commandments

This handout asks students to keep a running record of how they observe the Ten Commandments in their actions throughout a week.

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Religious Identity Descriptions

This handout provides the religious identities for five major world religions.

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Praying the Liturgy of the Hours: A Reflection

A reflection to be completed after praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

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Categories of Books in the Old Testament

This is a list of characteristics to be divided among the books of the Old Testament.

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Mind Map: From the Spoken Word to the Written Word

This Mind Map helps students to organize and brainstorm ideas about friends, school, sports, and family.

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Learning about Learning

This is a self-evaluation to help students reflect on their learning during Unit 1.

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Primary Source Reader Correlations

This is a list of articles and other sources to accompany student learning as they discover who is Jesus Christ.

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New Testament References to Eternal Life

This handout lists Scripture passages to be read by students that reference eternal life and how Jesus makes it possible for us to attain it.

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Reflection on the Greatest Commandments and the Judgment of the Nations

This handout challenges students to reflect on the application of the greatest commandment in their own lives.

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The Parables of Jesus

This handout lists all of Jesus’ parables and their scripture references.

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What It Means to Be Human

This handout helps students list characteristics that come from society and from Jesus’ teachings that describe what it means to be human.

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Faith in Action

This handout challenges students to create a poster representing the ways they participate in Jesus’ mission to serve others.

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God’s Revelation through Sacred Scripture

This handout provides an outline for students to record key points taught by other groups from this section.

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Learning about Learning

This handout asks a series of questions to help students reflect on and evaluate the learning in a particular unit.

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My Key Relationships

This handout provides a chart for students to list key relationships that are from their church, community, family, and friends.

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The Nicene Creed and Commentary

This handout breaks down the Nicene Creed line-by-line and gives each a brief explanation and commentary.

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Empathizing (Christianity)

This handout provides several suggestions to help students draw connections between the various denominations of Christianity.

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Empathizing (Judaism)

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

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Empathizing (The Ancestors of the West)

This handout provides several suggestions to help students draw connections between Christianity and polytheistic religions of the West.

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Empathizing (Buddhism)

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

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Empathizing (Indigenous Religious Traditions)

This short handout provides questions and reflections to help students empathize with indigenous religions.

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Comparing and Contrasting Religion in the Modern World with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and religion in the modern world.

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Comparing and Contrasting Islam with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Islam and Christianity

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Comparing and Contrasting Forms of Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in different forms of Christianity.

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Comparing and Contrasting Judaism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Judaism.

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Comparing and Contrasting the Ancestors of the West with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and the Ancestors of the West.

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Comparing and Contrasting Shinto with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Shinto.

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Comparing and Contrasting Zen Buddhism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Zen Buddhism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Taoism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Taoism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Confucianism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Confucianism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Sikhism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Sikhism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Jainism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Jainism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Buddhism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts several key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Buddhism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Hinduism with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts the key ideas and beliefs in Christianity and Hinduism.

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Comparing and Contrasting Indigenous Religions Traditions with Christianity

This short handout compares and contrasts the ideas of god, an ultimate reality, and history between indigenous religious traditions and Christianity.

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The Comparative Study of Religions

An introduction to the comparative study of religions.

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An Interreligious Interview

This handout offers guidelines for setting up an interview with a person from a different religion.

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The Ninety-Nine Names of God

This handout lists the ninety-nine Islamic names for God and poses several questions regarding the list.

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"In the Beginning Was the Word"

After presenting John 1:1-18 from the Christian Bible, this handout challenges to students to identify key parts that describe the doctrine of the incarnation.

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Images of Jesus

This handout provides many different images and descriptions of Jesus for students to examine and relate to.

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Rings of Interpretation

This handout lists six excerpts taken from the Tanakh.

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A Zoroastrian Symbol

This handout presents a Zoroastrian Symbol of faith and explains its elements. Students are then challenged to create their own symbol to represent their personal understanding of faith and human nature.

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"The Canticle of Brother Sun"

A Canticle prayer by Saint Francis of Assisi

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The Haiku of Basho

A compilation of Haiku by Matsuo Basho.

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The Sikh Khalsa

The information on this handout provides further insight into the nature of the Sikh Khalsa

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The Ten Gurus of Sikhism

This list of the ten Gurus of Sikhism briefly summarizes the key contributions of each Guru.

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The Biographies of the Tirthankaras

A list of patterns and themes found in the biographies of the Tirthankaras

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Monks

This handout is to be used as students rotate to various stations. At this station, students examine a picture depicting monks in Thailand.

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Objects Used in Tibetan Rituals

This handout is to be used as students rotate to various stations. At this station, students examine objects used in Tibetan rituals.

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Right Meditation

This handout provides a space for students to write impressions, observations, or questions that arise as they meditate on a statue of Buddha.

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The First Sermon at Deer Park

A Buddhist sermon

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"The Dance of Love"

A Hindu myth

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The Narrow Door: A Guided Meditation

This guided meditation communicates the Gospel message of simple living in a way that engages the imagination and inspires young people to actively simplify their lives. This activity is an excerpt from the book Justice and Service Ideas for Ministry …

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Helping the Church of Today and Tomorrow

This handout challenges students to reflect on and brainstorm what it would have been like to create Church teachings and rules shortly after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

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The Ideal Church: Romans, Chapter 12

This handout lists 26 objectives of the ideal church as presented in Romans, Chapter 12

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Paraphrasing the Sermon on the Mount: Hearing and Acting on the Word of God

This handout allows students to complete statements from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

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Paraphrasing the Sermon on the Mount: Not Judging Others

This handout allows students to complete statements from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

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Paraphrasing the Sermon on the Mount: How to Pray

This handout allows students to complete statements from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

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Paraphrasing the Sermon on the Mount: Not Being A Hypocrite

This handout allows students to complete statements from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

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Paraphrasing the Sermon on the Mount: Loving Your Enemy

This handout allows students to complete statements from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

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Paraphrasing the Sermon on the Mount: Being Salt and Light

This handout allows students to complete statements from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

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The Consequences of Moral Decisions

This handout examines how actions, attitudes, and decisions affect ourselves and the people around us

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Who Is Your God?

A reflective worksheet where students identify meaningful definitions of God

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A Reference Guide to the Gospel Story

A partial list of scripture references for Jesus’ miracles, parables, important teachings, and life events

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Sacrament Facts

A brief fact-sheet about the seven sacraments.

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Parish Council Committee Assignments

This handout assigns students to a made-up Parish Council Committee. Students must then brainstorm ideas and activities to help engage young people in the life of the parish.

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One Solitary Life

This short reflection calls to mind the profound impact Jesus Christ has had on humanity and the world.

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Called to Share the Mission of Jesus

This small-group activity provides each group with an example of Christ's mission. Groups must answer questions surrounding their particular example.

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Reflections on Relating

This poem provides a reflection on the fears and insecurities that we all carry underneath the outward impressions we give off.

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Scoring "My Responses to Conflict"

This handout provides the scoring that should be used to interpret the accompanying Handout 9-D.

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My Responses to Conflict

For this worksheet, students choose which behaviors match how they typically respond to conflict in relationships.

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Whom Will You Tell?

Students identify with whom in their life they would share a list of personal pieces of information.

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Listening Traps

Students reflect on and answer a series of questions about their listening skills.

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Interpersonal Style

Students reflect on and answer a series of questions about their interpersonal style and relationships with others.

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Questionnaire on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS

This handout provides a list of True/False statements about sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS.

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Role-play: "I'm Pregnant"

This handout provides two role-play situations in which a couple has discovered they are pregnant.

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Opinionnaire on Gender Roles (Part 2)

Students share their opinions in response to a series of statements about gender roles in society.

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Opinionnaire on Gender Roles (Part 1)

Students share their opinions in response to a series of statements about gender roles in society.

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Word Association

Students identify the different associations with and meanings of sexuality as portrayed in the media, by peers, and from adults.

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Attitudes About Sexuality

This handout presents a series of statements about sexuality. Students are to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with each.

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How Much Did You Pay for That?

Students estimate the cost of a list of items needed to live independently. This exercise is meant to help students understand the amount of money needed to survive.

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Work Values

On this handout students explore the qualities they look for or want in a job and brainstorm possible jobs that fit those qualities.

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Ranking the Prestige of Occupations

Students rank a list of careers based on their importance and prestige in society.

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Perceptions of Leisureliness

This handout provides a list of statements designed to help students evaluate the leisureliness of a specific person.

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Support for Leisure Activities

This handout asks students to decide which types of leisure activities their peers encourage them to participate in.

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Cases to Examine: Leisure or Work?

This handout presents two real-life scenarios for which students must read and answer questions.

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Leisure Satisfaction

Students list leisure activities in which they participate before rating the frequency and satisfaction for each.

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Goals of Formal Education

Students rank eight possible goals of formal education based on their importance or relevance.

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Cases to Examine: Levels of Independence

Students read several scenarios and rank the level of independence demonstrated.

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Personality Perceptions of __________

Students choose adjectives from a list to describe a specific person.

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About Myself

This handout provides a series of questions for students to answer about themselves.

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How Do I Know That I Am Fully Alive?

This handout asks students to rank statements according to their beliefs about what it means to be fully alive.

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Cases to Examine: Is This Euthanasia?

This handout provides three situations for students to read and evaluate. Students must decide if the story shows an example of Euthanasia.

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Respecting the Earth: Ten How To's

This handout provides ten tips to care for the Earth.

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Cases to Examine: Self-respect

This handout provides three situations where teenagers are not fully respecting themselves. Students read the situations and respond with suggestions that demonstrate more self-respect.

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Role-plays: Kindness and Truth

This handout provides two role-play situations for students to practice open, honest communication in a kind, truthful way.

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TV Truth: Keeping a Record

This handout provides a chart to help students keep track of the types of truths and lies portrayed on TV.

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An Inventory on Money Matters

This handout provides a chart to help students keep track of their expenditures during one week

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Cases to Examine: What Are We Afraid Of?

Students read several real-life scenarios and explore the many fears, anxieties, and pressures that influence decisions.

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The Plight of the Worlds' Children

This handout provides several statistics and pieces of information about the alarming needs of children in our world.

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Peace: A Guide to Win-Win Conflict Resolution

The PEACE process is a way to approach a conflict so that the outcome is a win- win situation, one that ensures that the good of both parties is considered and given priority. PEACE stands for problem and purpose, empathy, …

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The Circle of Faith-in-Action

The steps of awareness, analysis, action, and new awareness are explained in this handout.

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The Literature of Love

Reflection questions on William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.

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Grace Poems

Questions related to the poems “Renascence” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and “The World Is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth.

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Spirituality Action Plan

It is important for us to take stock of where we are in life and put plans in place to achieve our goals. It is important to do that in our spiritual life as well. We are all spiritual people. …

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The Prophetic Tradition

Details about various biblical authors.

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"O Lord, You Have Searched Me and Known Me"

Spend a few moments quietly asking God to help you see clearly and honestly into your heart and mind as you begin this examination of conscience. Write your responses to the questions below. No one will collect this handout.

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The Fasting Siddhartha

1. Observe the statue or picture at this station. 2. Notice that it is probably different from almost any other image of the Buddha that you have seen. 3. Look closely and write down what you observe. How does this …

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Right Meditation

1. Here is a Buddha statue or picture. Sit quietly and stare at it. Meditate on it. Let it be a visual focus for your medi- tation. Learn from it. 2. Write any impressions, observations, or questions you have.

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Chapter 44 Summary: Respecting Sexuality

A nice summary of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, and how God wants us to conduct ourselves in sexual matters.

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Life Issues B Activity: Meeting Jesus: A Guided Meditation

A guided meditation that uses the imagination to spend time with Jesus and understand how he wants us to live.

Saint Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

Saint Joseph Cafasso was born to peasant parents in Castelnuovo d'Asti, which is in the Piedmont region of Italy. He was ordained to the priesthood and became a popular professor of theology at the Institute of Saint Francis. Saint Joseph …

Saint John Nepomucene (1345-1393)

Saint John Nepomucene was a renowned preacher and a member of the 14th-century Bohemian court of King Wenceslaus IV. While at court, Saint John was a peacemaker and solved many arguments and disagreements. He was also the queen's confessor. When …

Blessed Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi (20th Century)

Two of the first people Pope John Paul II beatified in the new millennium were Luigi and Maria (Corsini) Beltrame Quattrocchi. They were an Italian couple who were married for forty-six years. They had four children, three of whom entered …

Blessed Julian of Norwich (c.1342-1420)

Julian of Norwich was an anchoress (from the Greek word for recluse) who lived a life of solitude and contemplation. Julian stepped away from worldly activity to spend her days contemplating God. As part of her daily life, she lived …

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The Wonders of God's Creation

For the next twenty-four hours, pay attention to experiences and details of your day. The following list suggests phenomena for you to observe, and you may think of other subjects for observation. Create an observation journal on a separate sheet …

Saint Catherine Laboure (1806-1876)

From the time that she was a young child, Saint Catherine Laboure felt called to religious life. However, after her mother passed away, young Catherine was charged with taking care of the household, while her older sister joined a religious …

Saint Junipero Serra (1713-1784)

Junipero Serra was born in Majorca, Spain, in 1713, and was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1737. He spent most of his priestly life as a missionary in Mexico, Texas, and California. During his ministry Father Serra is believed to …

Blessed John Duns Scotus (c.1265-1308)

Blessed John Duns Scotus was part of a well-off family of farmers. He is referred to as "Duns Scotus" to specify where he was born--Scotland. He joined the Friars Minor at Dumfries, and began his studies after novitiate. In those …

Saint Columba (521-597)

Tradition tells us that Saint Columba was born in Donegal, Ireland. After completing his studies, Saint Columba was ordained to the priesthood, and devoted a large portion of his life to preaching throughout Ireland and Scotland. At the age of …

Saint Pothinus (87-177)

Saint Pothinus was the bishop of Lyons, France. When he was at the advanced age of 90 years old, he and his Christian companions were detained by an angry mob and brought to the magistrate for trial based on their …

Saint John of Cassian (360-435)

Saint John of Cassian was a monk and religious writer. He befriended and defended Saint John Chrysostom in Rome. After his defense, Saint John of Cassian was ordained to the priesthood and he established several monasteries in Europe. He is …

Saint Anastasia (d.304)

Saint Anastasia was a Roman of noble lineage. Her father was a pagan, but her mother, a Christian, had Saint Anastasia baptized as a baby and secretly raised in the Christian faith. Saint Anastasia married a man named Publius, who …

Pope Saint Gregory VII (c.1020-1085)

When Saint Gregory VII became pope, the corruption of the clergy had become a serious scandal to the faithful of the Church. Pope Gregory VII saw the need for reform, so he dismissed the members of the clergy who had …

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Handout: The Four Rs of Praying with the Scriptures

Descriptions of the four Rs of praying with Scripture; read, reflect, respond, and rest.

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Handout: Building the Table of the Lord

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

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Handout: The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

A list of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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Handout: The Holy Trinity

Descriptions of how each person of the trinity is present in the liturgy.

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Handout: A People a Body a Temple

Scripture verses about the Church as the people of God, the body of Christ, and temple of the Spirit.

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Handout: Gifts of the Spirit

Scripture verses where the gifts of the spirit are mentioned.

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Handout: Images of the Holy Spirit in Scripture

Scripture verses where the Holy Spirit appears in in different forms.

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Handout: A Week That Shook the World

The events of Jesus’ crucifixion.

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Handout: Statements from the Apostles Creed

Statements from the Apostles Creed, which can be cut out.

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Handout: Scripture and Tradition

Connections between Scripture passages and Catholic Traditions.

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Prayer Questions

Reflection questions relating to prayer.

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Lord, This Is for You

Reflection on the First Commandment.

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I Have a Mission

A prayer/reflection about one’s mission of service to God.

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Learning about Learning

We can come to understand ourselves better by taking the time to review the process of learning the material in a unit.

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Learning about Learning

We can come to understand ourselves better by taking the time to review the process of learning the material in a unit.

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"The Fingerprints of God" Reflection Questions

A set of reflection questions on the song, “The Fingerprints of God” by Steven Curtis Chapman.

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Who Is God Calling Me to Become?

A series of questions that help young people reflect on what God is calling them to become.

Seven Blessed Martyrs of Songkhon (d.1940)

The Seven Blessed Martyrs of Songkhon were seven Roman Catholics who were martyred in the village of Songkhon in northern Thailand. They were executed in December of 1940, in the midst of the Franco-Thai War, after being falsely accused of …

498 Spanish Martyrs (d.1934; d.1936; d.1937)

The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 and raged on until 1939. It was fought between the Republicans, who were loyal to the Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, who opposed the Republicans and their persecution of Catholics. This period of …

Saints of the Cristero War (1926-1929)

The Cristero War, which took place between 1926 and 1929, was a rebellion against the anti-Catholic government in Mexico. This oppressive government was set on breaking down the Catholic faith of its people. Catholic institutions were shut down, foreign clergy …

Blessed Martyrs of Nowogrodek (d.1943)

The Blessed Martyrs of Nowogrodek are comprised of a group of Roman Catholic nuns from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. These nuns were an important part of the town of Nowogrodek. During the oppressive occupation of Poland …

Saint Theophane Venard (1829-1861)

Saint Theophane Venard was brought up in a devout family. He was ordained to the priesthood and followed God's call to become a missionary to southeast Asia. Saint Theophane spent several months ministering to the faithful in Hong Kong, then …

Saint Pachomius (292-348)

Saint Pachomius joined the army when he was a young man. His unit was stationed in Thebes, Egypt. The Christians at Thebes showed the soldiers such great kindness that Saint Pachomius was inspired to convert to Christianity. After joining the …

Saint Marianne Cope (1838-1918)

Saint Marianne Cope was born in Germany, but emigrated to the United States when she was a young child. Her family settled in Utica, New York. When her father became too ill to work, Saint Marianne went to work in …

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque lost her father at the tender age of eight years old. After his death, she was sent to the Poor Clares School. During this time, Saint Margaret Mary was afflicted with rheumatic fever and became confined …

Venerable Catherine McAuley (1778-1841)

Venerable Catherine McAuley was born to devout Catholic parents in Dublin, Ireland. Her parents lived out their faith by ministering to the needs of the poor. Sadly, Catherine's parents passed away, and she was sent to live with relatives. Catherine's …

Saint John Houghton (1486-1535)

Saint John Houghton graduated from the University of Cambridge with degrees in both civil law and canon law. He served as a parish priest for several years and then felt the call to become a Carthusian monk. Saint John became …

Saint Caesaria the Younger (c.465-c.530)

Saint Caesaria the Younger established a convent in 512, and served as its first abbess. Her convent became very popular, especially with women who had been widowed. Saint Caesaria's house soon expanded to include hundreds of sisters. She and her …

Saint Fulgence of Ruspe (c.465-533)

Saint Fulgence of Ruspe was a high-ranking Roman who was born in North Africa. He felt called to become a monk, even though his widowed mother opposed his decision. Saint Fulgence became abbot of his monastery, but had to flee …

Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c.330-c.395)

Saint Gregory of Nyssa was a member of a very holy family. His grandmother was Saint Macrina the Elder, his parents were Saint Basil and Saint Emmilia, his older brother was Saint Basil the Great, and his sister was Saint …

Saint Clement of Rome (d.101)

Saint Clement of Rome was a convert who was brought into the Christian faith by either Saint Peter or Saint Paul. He was selected to serve as bishop of Rome. Saint Clement penned a letter, known as Clement's First Epistle …

Saint Gianna Molla (1922-1962)

Saint Gianna Molla was born into a very devout family. She became involved in the St. Vincent de Paul Society and received degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia. Gianna opened a clinic where she specialized in …

Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390)

Saint Gregory of Nazianzus was a friend of Saint Basil the Great, and accepted his invitation to join him in monastic life at Basil's newly founded desert monastery. Saint Gregory enjoyed a life of prayerful solitude at the monastery, but …

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792 - 1878)

Blessed Pope Pius IX was born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti. He was an intelligent and reverent young man who was afflicted with epilepsy. Giovanni attended Piarist College in Volterra, Italy, and then continued his studies in Rome. He wished to join …

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Blessed John Henry Newman spent the first half of his life as an Anglican. He was an important member of the Oxford Movement, which highlighted the Church's debt to the early Church Fathers, and opposed the complete subjectivity of the …

Saints Cyril and Methodius (d.869; d.884)

Saints Cyril and Methodius were brothers. They were raised in Thessalonica by a well-known Christian family. Because numerous Slavic peoples inhabited Thessalonica, Cyril and Methodius knew the Slavic language. The brothers joined the same monastery, but were summoned to become …

Saint Simeon of Thessalonica (d.1429)

Saint Simeon of Thessalonica is well known for his liturgical writings. His most famous work is "Against All Heresies." This tome is made up of two treatises: one regarding doctrine and another on the liturgy and Sacraments. We celebrate Saint …

Pope Saint John Paul II (1920-2005)

Saint John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland. His mother, father, and older brother passed away before he turned 21. Karol attended Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, but had to abandon his studies when World War II …

Saints Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, Archangels

Angels are God’s messengers. They appear often in the Bible, but only these three are named. Gabriel is the most well-known, as he is the messenger who asks Mary, the young Jewish girl, to bear the Messiah. In the Scriptures …

Saint Benedict the Moor (1524-1589)

Saint Benedict was not a Moor; his name comes from the Italian phrase "il Moro," or "the Black One." He was granted freedom from slavery at the age of 18. Even though he was free, he continued to work for …

Saint Melito of Sardis (d.180)

Saint Melito of Sardis was a second-century exegete and apologist. He acted as bishop of Sardis, which was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia. Little is known of Saint Melito's life, but fragments of his ecclesiastical writings remain. …

Saint Clement of Alexandria (150-215)

Saint Clement of Alexandria taught at the famed Catechetical School of Alexandria. One of his students was the famous theologian and teacher, Origen. Saint Clement preached that Christians must live moral lives to attain perfection and, ultimately, God. He also …

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680)

Kateri Tekakwitha, born in present-day Auriesville, New York, to a Christian Algonquin mother and a non-Christian Mohawk chief, was the first Native American to be canonized. When she was four, smallpox killed her parents and younger brother and left her …

Servant of God Dorothy Day (1897-1980)

If changing the world seems impossible, get to know Dorothy Day. She was your age about a century ago, but her legacy of compassion lives on today. An earthquake rocked Dorothy’s family in 1906, and they moved to Chicago’s slums. …

Saint Elizabeth (1st century)

Most everything we know about Saint Elizabeth comes from the beginning of Luke’s Gospel. In it, Elizabeth is married to Zechariah, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem. She is also the cousin of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. One …

Pope Saint John XXIII (1881-1963)

He was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Italy. Later he became known as "Good Pope John." During his lifetime, the world experienced two World Wars, the rise of communism, and the Holocaust. In the Church, there was fear of the …

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Saint Mother Teresa was a woman of great faith. She was born Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. At age 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto and took the name Teresa in honor of Saint Thérèse of …

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

Ignatius of Loyola was the youngest of 11 children of a noble family in Spain. As a young adult, his goal in life was to achieve fame and fortune. At the age of 30, he was seriously injured in a …

Saint Peter Chrysologus (d.450)

Born during the early fifth century, Saint Peter Chrysologus was appointed Bishop of Ravenna, a diocese located in northern Italy. As a young priest, Saint Peter Chrysologus quickly noticed that many of his parishioners unwittingly adhered to remnants of their …

Saint Martha (1st century)

The story of Saint Martha, and her profound friendship with Jesus and trust in his power, is found in the Gospels. Martha is first mentioned as the busy and frustrated hostess of Jesus and his followers. Poor Martha. She was …

Saint Leopold Mandic (1887-1942)

Saint Leopold Mandic, a Capuchin Franciscan, was born in Croatia in 1866. He was a man of unusually small stature, and suffered from numerous disabilities: arthritis, which often made it difficult for him to walk, speech impediments, which inhibited his …

Saint Pantaleon (d.303)

Saint Pantaleon was such a celebrated doctor that the Roman Emperor Galerius appointed him as his personal physician. Pantaleon's excessive involvement in the pagan court influenced him to deny his Christianity. He lived as a pagan for some time before …

Sts. Joachim and Anne (1st century)

According to an ancient Church tradition, Joachim and Anne are the names of Mary’s parents. While we do not know much about them, we do know they raised Mary to practice her faith and to be a strong and courageous …

Saint James (1st century)

Saint James and his brother Saint John the Apostle were two of Jesus' Twelve Apostles. Jesus first encountered James and John while they were fishing with their father. After joining Jesus, James and John were among Jesus' closest disciples. James …

Saint Adele (d.730)

Saint Adele was the daughter of King Dagobert II of Germany. She married and had a son, who would become the father of Saint Gregory of Utrecht. After the passing of her husband, and after she made arrangements to provide …

Saint Bridget (1303-1373)

Saint Bridget of Sweden was born in 1303 and from an early age experienced visions of the nativity, the crucifixion, and purgatory. These visions became well known and inspired artistic depictions. Married at age 14 to Magnus II, the King …