In Unit 3 the children will learn about being open to the Holy Spirit as well as to all people. As Catholics, they are to respect and accept others, share the Good News with everyone, and act as a sign of God’s kingdom in this world. Around the world Catholics celebrate their shared faith at Sunday Mass.
		Catholics Are "Open to All" 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 • understand that Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection are for everyone. • realize that God's gift to everyone was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. • learn that the Catholic Church is catholic because it is open to everyone in the world. Background Some people think that the word catholic refers only to the Roman Catholic Church or to the churches under the leadership of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. All Christian Churches, however, are meant to be catholic. The word catholic means "open to all." All Christian Churches are obliged to open their doors to everyone regardless of race, creed, color, or sexual orientation. Throughout the Gospels, we see much evidence of the catholicity of Jesus Christ's Church. Jesus and his disciples ministered not only to their Jewish brethren, but also to the Samaritans, and Romans, as well as people from other nations. Jesus broke bread with the righteous and with sinners alike. He healed people who were outcasts in society–the blind, lame, and sick. How Open Are You? Psychologists tell us that prejudice is not an innate human trait. We learn prejudice, usually as children. Hence, it is important that young children look to someone who is truly catholic, truly open to all. As a parent, you have a tremendous opportunity to shape the minds and hearts of your children–the future Church. Your openness to people can testify to the point of this lesson: the Paschal mystery is for everyone; Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was raised from the dead so that all might be saved.
		We Gather for Mass 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 • appreciate that Sunday, the Lord's Day, is a day to rest from work and spend with our Church family and our family at home. • understand that at Mass we celebrate the Risen Lord in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. • realize that the liturgy is a common experience to Catholics around the world. Background For centuries Church members focused on the adoration and mystery tradition of the Mass. In the early 1960s the bishops of Vatican II clarified the purpose and meaning of the Christian assembly as Mass. All Church members were encouraged to realize an active and essential role in the sacred liturgy. Indeed, the word liturgy means "the work of the people." The word Mass means "gathering" or "assembly." At the Sunday Eucharist we come together as Church, as the Body of Christ. We offer with Jesus his perfect sacrifice of himself for the remission of sin. We believe God is truly present in the priest celebrant, in the Scripture, in the bread and wine, and in the Christian assembly. The Introductory Rites The purpose of the Introductory Rites at Mass is to change our thinking from isolated individuals into one People of God. We take time to acknowledge that God is with us as a group; Jesus came to save us all. We take time to remember that we are all brothers and sisters in God's family. All are welcome to join in the Eucharistic celebration of praise and thanksgiving. All are invited to ask for God's mercy and to praise God in the Trinity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
		We Serve Others 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 • recognize our call to be missionaries and to share the Good News with others. • understand that God's grace helps us act with faith, hope, and charity. • learn that grace is the gift of God's presence in our lives. Background When we say the Church is apostolic, we mean two things. First, we mean that Jesus called forth the Apostles and entrusted them with the mission to make disciples of all nations. The bishops of today's Church are the "spiritual descendants" of the Apostles. They can trace their sacramental lineage back to the Apostles. Secondly, we share the same mission as the Apostles. As Church we, too, are called to go out and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Some of us do this through work as missionaries at home and abroad. All of us must spread the Good News by becoming signs of God's kingdom through our words and actions. Spreading the Good News Jesus calls all Church members to be missionaries or evangelizers. In whatever ways possible, we are to practice faith, hope, and love in our daily lives. We are to spread the Good News by bringing God's love and compassion to all people in all situations. Fortunately we are not alone. God always helps us. The Holy Spirit is constantly with us, giving us the grace we need to live as Jesus taught. The Spirit emboldens us, like the first Apostles, to witness to the Gospel in everyday life.
		We Pray for All People 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 • learn that we should be open and accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit. • understand the Church's devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. • understand the purpose and content of the Hail Mary and the Rosary. Background Marian devotion is a rich and significant tradition in our Catholic faith. Since the inception of the Church, Christians have considered Mary to be their model of faith and charity. The Holy Spirit came to the disciples including Mary on Pentecost, filling them all with the same grace and courage to spread the Good News. As Catholics, we do not worship Mary. But we do honor her, and acknowledge the important role that God has granted to her in the life of the Church. Mary is our mother, too. We believe she truly cares for us as she cares for own Son. That is why we ask her to pray for us and to bring God's blessings to all people. Mary as Mentor Praying the Rosary is as valid a prayer form today as it has been for centuries. It is important to remember that we are not alone on our spiritual journey. Mary and Jesus lead the way for us. They are our spiritual mentors. We can learn from their example, because they, too, experienced the joys, sufferings, and challenges of human life. From them we can learn to be open to the Holy Spirit in every situation of life. We ask Mary to intercede on our behalf and to pray for the needs of all people. We ask Mary to pray for us and for all the faithful "now and at the hour of our death." (See also Feasts and Seasons - Mary on this website.)