Unit 2 studies the first centuries of the early Church, describing disagreements between early church leaders and the development of liturgical traditions and church teachings that are essential to Christian faith today. Refer to the Unit 2 Opener in The Study of Our Church. Chapter 5|Chapter 6|Chapter 7|Chapter 8
		Councils, Cultures, and Conflicts Refer to pages 43-44 in your young teen’s book to help in preparing for Chapter 5. Learning Goals Participation in this chapter will help the young people • know that God reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. • understand some of the serious conflicts that divided the early Church and how the Church struggled to overcome them. • realize that the Church continues to work toward an understanding of the issues and problems it faces today. Background Chapter 5 discusses the gathering together of different cultures within the universal Catholic Church. Many U.S. Catholics believe that the universal Church is the Roman Catholic Church. What they do not realize is that the universal Church consists of Eastern Rite Catholics and Western Rite Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church is part of the Western Rite. In all, twenty-two different church traditions make up the universal Catholic Church. Family Activity Share with the young people that Vatican II took a positive stand on religious freedom. In fact, Pope John XXIII said that error has no rights, but people do. Invite the young people to give historical or contemporary examples of human rights being denied because of religion. Challenge the group to come up with Christian solutions to these conflicts. As a launching point for discussion, ask, "How could the errors of history have been corrected with the outlook and teachings of Christ?" Back to top
		Liturgy and Unity, Worship and Beauty Refer to pages 51-52 in your young teen’s book for a choice of things to do at home. Learning Goals Participation in this chapter will help the young people • know that there are essential signs and words in the liturgy that cannot be changed. • understand that the liturgy of the Church has continued to develop since the Church’s inception. • realize that in the Eucharist the risen Christ becomes present under the appearance of bread and wine. Background We tend to view liturgical rituals as something very personal. We often forget that liturgy is a living expression of the church community’s worship of God. Chapter 6 discusses some ways the Church’s liturgy has changed. At first, Christians met in houses on Saturday (the Sabbath) to celebrate the Eucharist. Later, they celebrated Eucharist on Sunday because it was the day of Christ’s Resurrection. In the fourth century, when Constantine legalized the Christian religion, church members began to meet openly. They built churches for liturgy. Gradually both the church buildings and the liturgy became more elaborate. Family Activity Bring in a parish calendar or a printout from a Catholic Web site that includes saints’ feast days. Invite the young people to find the feast days of their patron saints—either saints they are named for or saints whose feasts are celebrated on their birthdays. Point out that in some cultures, children are named for the saints on whose feast days they are born. Invite the young people to share saints’ day traditions that their families may observe. Back to top
		The Church and the Empire Refer to pages 59-60 in your young teen’s book for a choice of things to do at home. Learning Goals Participation in this chapter will help the young people • discover how the Church established Christianity in the Roman Empire. • learn that obedience to God comes before obedience to civil authority. • understand the meaning and importance of natural law. Background From the sixth to ninth centuries, the once-powerful cultures of Rome and Greece fell to barbarian tribes from the north. After destroying almost everything in their path, the barbarians set up an uncivilized rule of brute strength. During this time, Pope Gregory the Great sent missioners to many countries to convert and civilize the barbarians. The end result of this and other church efforts was the rise, in the ninth century, of a new church-state entity known as the Holy Roman Empire. Family Activity Remind the young people of the Beatitude "Blessed are the peacemakers." Ask them to sug-gest the names of people, both well known and perhaps known only to a few, who could be considered "peace-makers" in our time. Invite the young people to share their reasons for suggesting each person. They may suggest people they know, such as their parents or local leaders, or well-known people such as Mother Teresa or former presi-dent, Jimmy Carter. Back to top
		Prayer for Understanding Refer to pages 67-68 in your young teen’s book for a choice of things to do at home. Learning Goals Participation in this chapter will help the young people • know that God sends the Holy Spirit to guide the People of God, the Church. • recognize the diversity of prayer forms within the Church. • pray for understanding as a means to unity. Background In the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), people grew apart because they began speaking different languages. Unable to communicate with one another, they drifted apart. The same thing happened in the Church during the ninth through eleventh centuries. The anointing of Charlemagne as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire politically divided the Western Church and the Eastern Church. The simultaneous use of Islam prevented ordinary communication between church leaders. Cut off from one another the Western Church and the Eastern Church began to grow apart. Their differences multiplied and led to a lack of understanding. Family Activity Play a song that speaks of peace and social justice, such as Rock of Ages, from Kim and Reggie Harris’s album of the same name. Or choose a selection with a freedom theme from their album Steal Away, which has songs about the Underground Railroad. Encourage the young people to share their impressions of the music and the lyrics.