In Unit 5 children will learn that as followers of Jesus they must work for peace and justice in the world and help others learn about God’s kingdom. They do this when they act with love and respect for everyone.
		The Church Is a Sign of the Kingdom of God 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 as followers of Jesus, we are called to be signs of God's kingdom in the world. • believe that Jesus is always guiding us toward God's kingdom. • learn that the kingdom will come to perfection at the end of time. Background Throughout history philosophers and writers alike have speculated about what a utopian society might be like. This concept of a perfect place is similar to the Christian promise of the Kingdom of God. We believe that this kingdom is a perfect experience of love, peace, and justice because God is always present. We also believe that we will not know the fullness of God's kingdom until after the second coming of Christ. Present Reality The Kingdom of God is not only a promise, it also is a reality. The Church is a sign, or sacrament, of the beginning of God's kingdom on earth. God is present in God's people, the Church. As Church members, we give witness to the idea of the kingdom. We know, however, that we will not experience the kingdom until the end of time. Jesus' parables about the Kingdom of God tell us not only about the future kingdom, but also about the present Church. Like the mustard seed we must grow in love so that the Church will grow. We must promote peace and justice in all relationships so that everyone can find a home in the Church.
		We Are Called to Serve 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 blessings can be used often in everyday life to spread the Good News, to give thanks and praise to God, to ask for God's help, and to show our faith in God. • understand that any lay person, including a child, can give blessings. • learn that sacramentals remind us that life is holy and help us receive God's grace. Background You have undoubtedly heard the phrase, "Children are a blessing from God." As Catholics, we believe that phrase is true. We also believe that every member of the Church is a blessing from God. In one sense a blessing is a gift, something wonderful we don't really deserve. In another sense, a blessing is a wish for happiness and expectation of good things to come. The Church teaches us that only God can bless us. And yet each Church member–ordained and non-ordained–can share a blessing. When we say a prayer of blessing before or after meals, we are really asking God to bless the food and those who eat it. Likewise, when we bless family members, we are also asking God to pour out grace upon these people. They empower us to spread the Gospel of Christ. Spreading the Good News Just as Jesus entrusted the Apostles to make disciples of all nations, so Jesus commissions each member of the Church to be his witness in today's world. One way we can give witness to God's continual love is by sharing prayers of blessing throughout the day–when we wake, when we leave home, when we study, when we eat, and so forth. Blessings remind us that each moment of daily life is holy because God is always with us. In this way, blessings are sacramentals; they are little signs of God's grace and love.
		The Church Is a Witness for Justice and Peace 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 that the Church continues Jesus' ministry of service to the poor and suffering. • understand that we continue Jesus' ministry of service when we work for peace and justice. • learn that Catholics are called to act with compassion toward all people. Background Jesus was concerned for and responsive to the suffering of others. He fed those who were hungry. He offered water to a thirsty Samaritan woman. He visited and often cured the sick. He sought justice for those who had been treated wrongly. This chapter provides two role models that show how we, too, must respond to the suffering of others. We are called to imitate the Good Samaritan in Jesus' parable. Contemporary examples of the Good Samaritan include the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, who led a simple life and worked hard to bring about justice in his diocese. The Ministry of Justice The Church's ministry of justice and peace involves compassionate service toward all people in need. Love for one's neighbor is not limited to the person next-door or to the classmate who sits nearby. God wants us to consider everyone as our neighbor. We must promote justice throughout the world; we are called to help those who are in need, even people we do not know. This chapter helps children learn the true meaning of the word neighbor. We are to love everyone and to serve all the poor just as Jesus does. We are called to act with compassion toward all people.
		The Church Prays for World Peace 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 calls us to work for peace and justice. • understand what it means to be a peacemaker. • understand the importance of prayer in seeking peace, and uniting all members of the Church. Background In his encyclical letter On Social Concern, Pope John Paul II explains that world peace, "so desired by everyone, will certainly be achieved through the...effect of social and international justice [and] through the practice of the virtues which favor togetherness and which teach us to live in unity, so as to build in unity, by giving and receiving, a new society and a better world." This statement summarizes more than a century of Church teachings regarding social justice and peace. These teachings reflect Jesus Christ's commission to his Church to be a peacemaker throughout the world, and to bring the peace of God to all people. Working for Peace There are many ways that Catholics can work for peace. Like the transformed Zacchaeus, we can promote peace by being fair in all business transactions and personal exchanges. We can treat everyone with respect and compassion. We can forgive those who hurt us. We can take the first step in being reconciled with others. And we can join with other Catholics in praying for world peace. The children will learn about the Liturgy of the Hours, which is an official Church prayer shared by Catholics all over the world. This prayer unites members of the Church everywhere in praying for peace.