Unit 1

The Marks of the Church from the Beginning

Early Christians built their communities around the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and the Gospel message. Their belief in the Kingdom and in the ongoing presence of Christ sustained them through many times of trial and persecution.

1.  Apostolic: Founded on the Apostles

• Recall that belonging to a group involves certain goals and responsibilities
• Understand the development of the Magisterium from the apostolic, Trinitarian rots of the early Church
• Understand that the pope has the authority and responsibility to lead and guide the universal Church.
• Offer ways to carry out the apostolic mission of the Church in today’s world.
• Pray the Apostles’ Creed.

CCC 98, 747, 810, 846, 937, 939, 1190, 2051, 78, 738, 765, 771, 782, 789, 797, 877, 879-895, 2032-2035, 2049

2.  Holy: Jesus Christ in the Sacraments

• Recognize that Christ is present in the sacramental life of the whole Church.
• Describe reasons that the Eucharist is the central act of worship in the Church.
• Understand that the Church is the Body of Christ and that its members are on a journey toward holiness.
• Express appreciation for the gift of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and demonstrate knowledge of significant parts of the Mass.
• Pray a prayer adapted from the Mass.

CCC 620, 804, 805, 1131, 1187, 1195, 1208, 1277, 1280, 1281, 1282, 1070, 1076, 1136-1139, 1276

3.  Catholic: Open and Respectful of All

• Recognize that disagreements can occur between people with good intentions and explore ways to resolve conflicts.
• Define the word catholic and describe an early disagreement in the Church over the catholic nature of the Church.
• Offer ways that we can reflect the catholic nature of our Church and promote the common good.
• Respond to the difficult challenge of spreading the Gospel message in the modern world.
• Pray an intercessory prayer for the good of the Church.

CCC 807, 1925-1927, 1983, 2051, 2252-2253, 1905-1908, 1924-1925, 2093-2094

4.  One: Praying for Unity

• Reflect upon the differences between people and consider ways to overcome them.
• Explain the ways that unity and variety are reflected in the Church.
• Acknowledge God’s call for Christian unity.
• Understand that there are many ways to express our faith and show God’s love to others and that even the most ordinary ways are important.
• Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a prayer of unity.

CCC 777-778, 780, 806, 866, 1890, 2857, 2763

Unit 2

The Growth of Christendom

Having endured persecution and internal strife, Christianity burst forth as the dominant religion of the Mediterranean world and the organizing principle of society. Great cathedrals and basilicas embodied the spirit of faith and optimism.

6.  Liturgy and Unity, Worship and Beauty

• Indentify changing family traditions and changing liturgical traditions.
• Learn about the development of the Church’s liturgy and liturgical customs of the early Christians of East and West.
• Discover how the Church’s liturgy can adapt to customs and cultures without losing its essential meaning or mystery.
• Explore how symbols and designs have been used to express the mystery of faith, especially through the construction of cathedrals during the medieval period.
• Pray a Eucharistic prayer from the third century.

CCC 1193-1195, 1209, 1284, 1318, 1415-1416, 2047-2048, 1104, 1205, 1374-1376

7.  The Church and the Empire

• Give examples of Christian influences on the customs and celebrations of modern society.
• Discover how the Church established Christianity in the Roman Empire and how Church and state became united.
• Become aware of the challenges of following the natural law and being obedient to God in modern society.
• Identify ways to bring Christian principles into society.
• Meditate on a story about Mother Teresa that calls us to remain faithful to Christ.

CCC 1895, 1920-1921, 1923, 1978-1979, 2256, 2321, 2452, 1954-1959, 2242, 2263-2266, 2309, 2402-2404

8.  Prayer for Understanding

• Realize that different types of images can be aids for prayer.
• Learn about the differences between churches of the East and West.
• Discover ways to promote understanding and unity, in the spirit of Pope Paul VI.
• Gain appreciation for the Eastern Church’s great richness of tradition and recognize the diversity of prayer forms within the Church.
• Pray in the words of Saint Anselm.

CCC 230, 809, 852, 2800

Unit 3

The Age of Faith and Beauty

The medieval Church expressed its deep faith through glorious cathedrals and elaborate worship. We are called to use contemporary media to proclaim the Catholic faith.

9.  Faith Expressed and Lived

• Become familiar with principles of monastic life and share examples of places that can help a person feel closer to God.
• Learn about Saint Benedict’s relationship with God, the Benedictine Rule, and the role of monasteries in the Middle Ages.
• Discover ways to nourish one’s relationship with God.
• Describe how study of the word of God and the Church’s teachings can nourish one’s faith.
• Practice lectio divina, which combines reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.

CCC 44, 46-47, 180, 320, 637, 656, 658, 1016, 2460-2461, 997, 1005, 1017, 1049

10.  Mass in the Cathedral

• Identify the spiritual philosophies expressed by the designs of various churches.
• Learn ways in which Gothic cathedrals and medieval Masses expressed the spiritual philosophy of that period.
• Explain why celebrating Mass on Sunday is essential to our Catholic faith.
• Explore the principles behind the design of Gothic cathedrals.
• Meditate in the spirit of medieval mysticism.

CCC 1110, 1409, 1413, 1982, 2192, 1356-1367

11.  The Quest for Salvation

• Explore the injustice of religious warfare in the world.
• Gain knowledge about religious warfare, particularly the Crusades, and about feudal notions of salvation.
• Understand that salvation comes through Jesus Christ and must be more important to us than worldly concerns.
• Suggest ways to become closer to God in the midst of our worldly concerns.
• Learn about the Psalter of the Middle Ages and praise God by praying a psalm.

CCC 847, 1056, 1059, 1498, 2140, 2161-2162, 2556, 1104, 1701, 1710, 1847-1848, 2096-2097, 2123-2126, 2544-2547, 2551

12.  Devotions

• Perceive the merits of Catholic devotions.
• Learn about the Imitation of Christ and the rise of devotional practices and mendicant orders.
• Define the role of private devotion in Catholic life.
• Discover the history of the Rosary and develop knowledge of other devotional practices.
• Meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

CCC 350, 1498, 2141, 2509, 2511, 2530, 2754, 2662, 1674, 2669

Unit 4

Reason, Rebellion, and Reform

The Renaissance brought calls for the reform of the Church. Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation when he nailed the ninety-five statements of protest to a church door. The Church responded with the Counter-Reformation

13.  The Counter-Reformation

• Consider the best way to address faults or abuses within a group.
• Learn about the Protestant Reformation and the division it caused in the Church.
• Understand that Jesus Christ established the Church to bring salvation to everyone and that we must strive for Christian unity.
• Learn more about the Reformation and explore constructive paths to reform based on the examples of Saints Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross.
• Pray the poetry of Saint John of the Cross and write an original prayer.

CCC 97, 682, 743, 780, 808, 870, 936, 1060, 1498, 1594, 185, 426, 689-690, 727, 737, 816-819, 830

14.  Forgiveness and Reconciliation

• Reflect on experiences of sin and forgiveness.
• Learn about the history of the sacrament of Reconciliation and about the Counter-Reformation.
• Realize that Christ forgives our sins and that the priest in the Sacraments of Reconciliation is a visible sign of Christ.
• Gain appreciation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation by arranging a class penitential celebration.
• Pray a prayer for mercy from  the Rite of Penance.

CCC 419, 1279, 1486, 1490, 1492-1495, 1497, 1876, 1396, 1398, 1484, 1549, 1551-1553, 1562, 1578

15.  Morality and Salvation

• Consider positive ways to respond to situations of conflict and division.
• Learn how the church leaders defended the Church against Protestant doctrines.
• Become aware of the persecution of Catholics in England during the Reformation period.
• Describe the contributions of two Doctors o the Church to our understanding of moral teachings and examine our religious and moral attitudes.
• Discover Saint Teresa of Ávila’s advice on prayer and pray by using her words.

CCC 350, 1746-1747, 1796, 1799-1802, 2027, 2080, 2139, 2556, 1731, 1733, 1740, 1744, 1778, 1998-1999, 2010, 2070-2071

16.  Seeking a Common Prayer

• Become aware of commonalities among Christian denominations and the challenge to unite all Christians.
• Learn about Catholicism’s beginnings in America and about religious influences on American life.
• Develop knowledge about the history of American Catholicism and explain why we must work for Christian unity.
• Explore ways to receive and spread the Christian message.
• Pray for Christian unity.

CCC 747, 804, 807, 849, 2693, 2720, 2670-2672, 2681, 2709-2719, 2724, 2763

Unit 5

Returning to the Roots of Christianity

Grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our faith is expressed in new ways in every age to meet the challenges of contemporary life. We are called to be part of this renewal of the Gospel.

17.  Modern Ecumenical Councils

• Explore the meaning and value of traditions.
• Discover how the Church brought its traditions into the modern age through the ecumenical councils.
• Understand that the Church must meet the challenge of spreading the Gospel message to every culture and age.
• Give examples of how members of the Church can help the Church in its struggle to evangelize.
• Pray a peace prayer of Pope John XXIII.

18.  Renewal of the Liturgy

• Express appreciation for the Mass.
• Learn about the sacramental and liturgical changes that resulted from the Second Vatican Council.
• Explain why celebrating the liturgy of the Church and being part of a faith community are important.
• Give examples of ways people can participate in the liturgical life of the Church.
• Pray a contemporary version of the Gloria.

19.  The Moral Struggle of a New Age

• Offer ways to create an economically just world.
• Explore various Catholic social justice teachings.
• Describe effective responses to social injustices, such as practicing the corporal works of mercy.
• Suggest ways to respond to specific examples of injustice and inequality, based on the example of Oscar Romero.
• Act out the Gospel story from which the Church derives the corporal works of mercy.

CCC 1666, 1945, 1947, 2254, 2320, 2329, 2399, 2451, 2455, 2459, 2462, 2512, 2357-2359, 2364, 2401-2449, 2488-2489, 2491-2492, 2510

20.  A Prayer for the Church

• Identify various kids of blessings and write a prayer of blessing.
• Realize that we are members of a community that witnesses the Christ and is blessed with faithful people who came before us.
• Recognize that we must rely on prayer and on help from the Holy Spirit and one another as we strive to imitate Christ.
• Pray some of the Church’s prayers for important needs of the Church and the world, and write original prayers for such needs.
• Ask God for blessings upon our church and our world.

CCC 324, 1678, 1761, 1947-1948, 2135, 2320, 2322-2324, 2327, 2393-2395, 2456, 2460, 2462, 2507, 2533, 2645, 2721, 2626-2627, 2658