In Unit 1 the children will read some stories that will help them to know the importance of prayer and love for one another. They will also learn that they are welcomed into the Church through Baptism and Confirmation.
		The Holy Spirit Guides Us to Become Church Prior to presenting each chapter, refer to the TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME pages in your child's book, or print out these pages from TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME. Learning Focus This chapter will help the children • realize that a world community of Jesus' followers makes up the Catholic Church. • understand that we are called to help show that the Catholic Church is one body. • learn that we are all baptized into one faith. Background Translated from the Greek ekklesia, church is a word that means "assembly" or "congregation." Our understanding of Church today is as "the People of God." Having gathered a group of disciples, Jesus went about preaching, teaching and healing - gaining more followers along the way. Jesus' followers, the People of God, worked side by side in his ministry. After the Ascension, God sent the Holy Spirit to provide strength and guidance to Jesus' followers so that they might yet maintain a fidelity to his teachings. New members are initiated into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The Holy Spirit comes to us through these sacraments and strengthens us so that we can remain faithful to and imitate the work of Jesus and the Apostles. Our membership in the Church also makes us part of the Communion of Saints. Living as One Church St. Paul wrote to many of the individual Church communities and exhorted them to maintain a fidelity to Jesus' teachings. He reminded them that they were called to love and help one another; to put aside their differences so that they could act as one body, one Church. Today the Holy Spirit calls us to be united. We are called to love and serve each other and take an active role in our Church community.
		We Receive the Sacraments of Initiation Prior to presenting each chapter, refer to the TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME pages in your child's book, or print out these pages from TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME. Learning Focus This chapter will help the children • identify Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist as the Sacraments of Initiation. • understand that the Church supports us and helps our faith to grow. • understand and value their membership in the Catholic Church. Background The Sacraments of Initiation are the visible means by which we become members of God's Church. The Catholic Church provides certain guiding principles that emerged from the Councils of Trent and Vatican II. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy explains that the purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify people, to build up the Body of Christ, and to give worship to God. In a broader sense, sacraments are signs of faith. Baptism is considered the preeminent sign of faith wherein an individual accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and is born to new life (infants make this commitment through others). Receive the Spirit Jesus Christ empowered his followers to spread the Gospel message (John 20:21-22). In the same way, the Sacraments of Initiation are the visible means by which God empowers the Church and its members to be sanctified, build up the Body of Christ, and give worship to God. We accept Christ through our faithful response and "receive the Holy Spirit."
		We Show Our Love for One Another Prior to presenting each chapter, refer to the TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME pages in your child's book, or print out these pages from TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME. Learning Focus This chapter will help the children • know and give examples of what it means to care. • understand that God calls us to love everyone because we are created in God's image. • recognize the Christian family as the domestic church. Background Jesus teaches us the importance of showing our love for God as well as our neighbor: One cannot love God without also loving one's neighbor. God tells us that each one of us is created out of love. Moreover, each is created in God's image. Hence, our personal response to another must show that we recognize the sacredness of all people. We must understand that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. Our love for our neighbors, then, shows that we love God through our understanding and respect for God's Law. God Calls Us to Love Standing at the gates to the Temple, Peter and John offer God's healing love to a paralyzed beggar. Peter says, "In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk!" (Based on Acts 3:1-10) His invocation of Jesus' name shows that Peter is offering the beggar a cure through the saving power of Jesus Christ. He offers Jesus' salvation to the beggar. Peter's love for his neighbor is tied to his love for God and respect for God's Law. Peter cures the man outside the Temple while others are praying inside. In the same way, God calls us to love our neighbors by reaching out to them and bringing them the Good News.
		Jesus Teaches Us to Pray We Pray for Unity and Each Other's Needs Prior to presenting each chapter, refer to the TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME pages in your child's book, or print out these pages from TAKE HOME FAMILY TIME. Learning Focus This chapter will help the children • realize that Jesus teaches us how to pray. • understand that we pray for help, to give thanks, to praise, and to ask forgiveness. • learn about the Kingdom of God. Background The bishops at the Vatican II Council sought an increase in the Church's ecumenism–God's gift of unity in the Church, which we are called to witness as Christians. A prayer common to all Christians is the Lord's Prayer. The opening words of this prayer affirm that God is the Father of all. Like a loving parent, God loves us and provides us with everything we need to live in God's kingdom. The Church teaches that the kingdom of God is both a present and a future reality. We give witness to God's kingdom on earth through our efforts at building unity with other Christians. We hope for the day when God's Kingdom will come in its fullness. Christian Prayer The four basic types of prayer are blessing, petition, thanksgiving, and praise. All of these prayer types are found in the Book of Psalms. In this chapter, the children will pray for peace and unity of all Christians throughout the world. They will pray for the needs of their neighbors. Whenever they pray the Lord's Prayer, they join their voices with those of Jesus Christ and other Christians.