In Unit 2 the emphasis is on the sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist—which welcome new members into the Catholic Church. Praying the Apostles’ Creed leads to learning that it contains basic beliefs of the Catholic Church.
		We Are Baptized Into the Body of Christ (Signs of Christian Faith) 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 the Incarnation is the mystery of the Son of God becoming man in Jesus Christ. • learn that Baptism frees us of original sin and makes us children of God and members of Christ's Body. • appreciate the lives of Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne. Background The Gospels tell us that John the Baptizer baptized in the Jordan River. His was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus himself came to John for baptism. Jesus did not need to repent of anything, but he wanted to show his connection to all flawed human beings. He had taken on flesh. His baptism was a way of saying, "I am one with you." According to the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus came up out of the waters of the Jordan, "a voice came from the heavens, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased'" (Mark 1:11). Thus began Jesus' public life in which he lived the good news of God's love for us. He had become incarnate so as to become a living, breathing, laughing, crying, thinking, feeling symbol of God's love. He is God's love made human, love incarnate. The Incarnation For Christians the Incarnation is a primary and basic belief. To say we are Christians is to say that we believe that Christ Jesus is both God and human being. Christ means "the anointed one, the messiah"; Jesus means "Yahweh is salvation." In Jesus we find God's goodness, mercy, and graciousness. We find salvation. Paul tells us that Christ, our Savior, is the head and we are his body. This is how closely we are linked to Jesus through Baptism.
		Baptism and Confirmation 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 • review that the Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. • learn that adults and older children receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. • appreciate the life of Dorothy Day. Background For the first two centuries, the Church had no formal process of initiation. The Church asked people to believe in Christ and the Trinity, to change the way they lived, and to care for the needy. Gradually a formal rite developed–a signing with the cross, a claiming that those who sought Baptism belonged to Christ, and a welcoming into the catechumenate, the first step toward Baptism. From the beginning the Church linked the liturgy with catechesis. However, by the 20th century the catechumenate, which involved catechesis over a period of time, was all but lost. The RCIA Vatican II mandated that the Church restore an adult catechumenate, known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This process involves three steps: (1) In a liturgical rite the candidates express their desire to respond to God's call to become Roman Catholics. Then the catechumens study so as to deepen their faith. (2) Usually on the first Sunday of Lent, the Church names those who are awaiting Baptism. Throughout Lent the catechumens concentrate on their experience of metanoia, or conversion, in their relationship to God and others. (3) At the Easter Vigil the Church and the catechumens celebrate the final step of the RCIA. During the vigil the Church initiates the catechumens through Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist into full membership in the Catholic community.
		Grace: A Gift of Strength and Support 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 they receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism and are strengthened with the Holy Spirit at Confirmation. • learn about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. • appreciate the life of Saint Katharine Drexel. Background Grace is a free and loving gift from God. It is God's own self-communication to us. Thus, grace is a sharing in the life of the Trinity. This is a life of deep, abiding, enriching, and self-perpetuating love. This saving love, which we call grace, is revealed in all of creation. God's love permeates the universe. We see God's love, or grace, in all the events of our lives. The Israelites experienced it in the great mystery of the Exodus. The early Christians experienced it in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Through these events they came to know the abiding presence of God. Jesus Embodies God's Loving Grace In taking on a human body, Jesus "embodied" God's love for us. Therefore, God is totally present to us in Jesus. In him we find the fullness of God's loving presence. He is God's blessing to us. Jesus teaches us how to live the love of the Trinity. Jesus is the embodiment of the Trinitarian life of love. We receive God's life in Baptism. We cannot earn God's loving grace; we can only say a grateful and humble "Thank you, God!" for this gift, which strengthens and enlightens us. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul asks us to use the gift of grace for building up the Body of Christ. Thus, grace draws us together as one Body, and God freely gives it to us to share for the common good of everyone.
		We Profess Our Faith 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 the Apostles'Creed contains the central truths of the Catholic faith. • realize that the Apostles'Creed is a true summary of the Apostles'beliefs. • appreciate the life of Saint Patrick. Background The word credo means "I believe" or "I trust." So a creed is a statement of belief. When we say a creed, we profess and proclaim what and whom we believe and what and whom we trust. In the case of the Apostles' Creed, we profess what we believe and trust about the triune God. In the early days of the Church, the Apostles' Creed was directly attributed to the Apostles. By the early 400s the Church in the West was using the creed in its baptismal rite and in catechetical instruction. Even though scholars in the 15th century determined that the Apostles had not written the creed themselves, they affirmed that the creed reflected the true beliefs of the early Church. A Trinitarian Structure The Apostles' Creed has a Trinitarian structure. That is, the creed is divided into three parts, each of which professes what we Catholics believe and trust about one person of the Trinity. In the first article of the creed, we profess our belief that God is the only God. In the second article we proclaim that Jesus is God's Son and that Jesus is the Christ, or Messiah, so long awaited. In the third and final article of the Apostles Creed, we profess our belief in the Holy Spirit. We also proclaim our belief and trust in the work of the Spirit throughout history and into eternity.