Because the sacramental life of the church is modeled on the life of Jesus
and a way of ritually living out the Gospel message, this mini course should
follow "Jesus: His Message and Mission". The activities and
information in this course are written with this in mind.
The first session explores the topics of symbol and ritual. The students are
encouraged to think symbolically, then apply these symbols to the rituals and
events of the cultural holidays and special feasts of the church.
Session two deals in more detail with the seven sacraments. Students list
facts about each of them. A scripture search engages the students in connecting
scripture passages to specific sacraments.
This session asks the student to choose a sacrament that is most meaningful
to them. It then focuses on Eucharist, which is referred to by Aquinas as the
"sacrament of sacraments"(no.1211). It closes with an agape ritual
that invites them to think of who has been "Eucharist" to them, who
they are called to serve and who is in need of care.
The course uses the following seven principals to teach sacraments of the
Catholic Church.
This course is to be presented after the completion of the core course
"Called to Live the Gospel". It allows for more exploration of moral
situations and issues.
In the first session entitled "Looking at moral issues" the moral
decision making process is reviewed. The participants choose from among eight
prepared case studies on moral situations and apply the decision making process
to these circumstances. Finally they compare their understanding of the Faith
response for these situations to a sample response.
The students are divided into groups to discuss situations they have chosen
themselves.
They present their topics to the rest of the group and everyone discusses the
options available.
The third session "Living Morally" is an examination of what
inspires us to live a moral life. A story is told which leads to discussion and
presentation on the ultimate motivation for living as moral people. The young
people are encouraged to develop a set of beatitudes that represents their
beliefs and values.
The close of the session is a prayer service affirming their commitment to
lead a moral life.
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Exploring Catholicism
This course is different from the others in that is has no set sessions or
teachers. It is advisable to recruit different teachers to present different
facets of the faith that are not discussed in previous core or mini-courses,
such as devotions, prayer, sacramentals, and the unique Catholic understanding
of saints.
It brings together many of the organizational and traditional elements of
Catholicism and is designed to answer the whys of our Catholic faith.
An interest finder is used to help plan the curriculum for this course. It
asks the young people to indicate on a five-point scale their level of
knowledge in certain topic areas. It then asks them to prioritize at least ten
topics based on the interest in the subject areas.
This mini course can be scheduled in various ways: A three-session
minicourse, a once-a-month session, a retreat or seasonal sessions.
Different course leaders may include parish priests, deacons, educators,
retreat presenters etc.
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Level Three Mini Courses
Encounters with Jesus in the Gospels
This course is designed to reinforce the information on literary form and
cultural context of Gospel stories in order to help the student understand the
stories more fully.
The sessions are organized around three Gospel stories. The students are
invited to enter into these stories experientially, intellectually and
prayerfully. Each session begins with a simulation related to one of the
stories.
The participants experience being ‘blind" in the first session,
being "thirsty" in the second, and being "burdened" in the
final session.
Each session closes with a Gospel reading and prayer experience designed to
help them connect the message of the story with their own life
"Encounters with Jesus" strikes a balance between using the
intellect and the heart and the imagination to unlock the mystery of Jesus.
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Paul: The Man and the Message
This mini course explores Paul’s life and letters, and the impact he has
had on Christianity.
Session 1
The first session titled "Paul’s Story", explores the
influences that helped form Paul and his message. The account of Paul’s
dramatic conversion is discussed, along with the changes a conversion
experience can bring about.
Session 2
"Paul’s Message" is the title for session 2. The first half of
the session focuses on 1 Thessalonians, and the people’s concern over the
long wait for the Second Coming of Christ. A short presentation is given on
the literary for of an epistle.
The second half of session deals with five major theological themes in Paul’s
letters.
Session 3
The last session explores the complex issue of defining salvation and
grace. The session attempts to present this theme trying to avoid the
simplistic understanding of salvation while avoiding one that is too overly
complex. The session illustrates what we need to be saved from, while
exploring aspects of what it means to be saved.
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Additional Mini Courses include:
Finding Your Personal Style
The young people are encouraged to understand and express God-given
characteristics and uniqueness. They accept and celebrate who they are and
what they can become
Keeping A Journal
The students learn to express themselves by journaling thoughts, feelings
and prayers.
Parent-Teen Relationships
Young people are helped to understand adult development and live cycles,
and how they affect daily life. They explore ways to communicate, and how to
balance personal freedom with family responsibility
Sexuality: Its Challenges and Choices
Young people explore their own sexual development and recognize the
physical, emotional changes as part of maturing. They critically examine
stereotypes and male/female images. They are taught to recognize and
appreciate the church’s teachings on sexuality as life affirming and
life-giving.
Believing in a Media Culture
The young people recognize the power of popular culture in their world and
examine its effect on their life as a believer. They learn a strategy called
media mindfulness, which is designed to help them discern what is healthy and
what is not.
Christian Meditation for Beginners
The young people learn techniques for meditative prayer and learn the value
of silent communication with God.
Dating and Love
The students are helped to understand the dating relationship as a
continuation of a process of self-discovery. They are taught to recognize the
difference between mature love and infatuation, and they discuss appropriate
physical expressions of affection in a dating relationship.
Taking Charge: Managing Life’s Struggles
The students are helped to understand that difficulty is a normal part of
life experience that includes the opportunity for personal growth. They see
God as a source of hope and comfort, prayer as a source of strength.
Death, Grief and the Christian Hope
Students are taught that to understand human mortality through faith is
more life giving than denying death exists. They begin to understand the grief
process as a healthy and necessary part of healing, based on the mystery of
love and suffering.
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