Catechist Background continued Celebrating Our Faith in Liturgy The grace we receive in the sacraments strengthens us on our journey of faith. Through the Sacraments of Initiation, we begin this new life of grace and become members of the Catholic Church. We are baptized in the name of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit— and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift is strengthened at Confirmation. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are joined in communion with the family of the Church.
Scripture in This Chapter The coming of the Holy Spirit and the call of the Church are described in Acts of the Apostles 2:1–4, 32–41. In Matthew 29:19, Jesus sends the disciples to baptize all in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 100 is a prayer of praise and thanks to God.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) The mystery of the Holy Trinity is presented in CCC 261 and 267. Salvation through Christ is considered in CCC 454, 620–621, and 747. The Sacraments of Initiation are described in CCC 1275–1279, 1316, and 1407–1408.
Catechist Preparation Before You Begin • Review the content and activities in this chapter and the additional features provided for your background. • Review the Choice and Review activities at the end of the chapter to decide which activities to incorporate to further reinforce the concepts taught in the lesson. • Gather the necessary materials. • Prepare the CD player for the opening song and for the ritual for moving to and from the Prayer Center. • Remove from the children’s books the Chapter 1 Scripture story stickers, or allow time during this session for the children to remove them. • Set up a CD player to play the Recorded Dramatized Scripture Story, The Coming of the Holy Spirit, CD Track 5, as indicated on page 2. • Make arrangements to show the children the baptismal pool or font at church. (See page 5.) • Optional: Bring items relating to Baptism to show the children. (See page 5, Take Note.) • Practice the gestures for prayer indicated on page 8.
• Review the directions for Gathering for Prayer and Bridge to Closure on page 95.
Music in This Session • Opening Song: Children of the Lord, CD Track 1. • Music for the procession to [Your Word Is a Lamp, CD Track 2] and from [We Go Forth, CD Track 3] the Prayer Center.
Family Connection Encourage the children to explore with their families the family guide Together: Preparing at Home for First Eucharist. In Session 1, we are reminded us that we belong to God’s family. In the Eucharist, we’re all invited to the table of the Lord.
Additional Program Components Throughout this session, reference My Own Mass Booklet and incorporate activities and ideas found at www.loyolapress.com/godsgift. Coordinate with your Program Director on ways to incorporate the Preparing Together for the Sacraments DVD.
First Day Notes • Greet the children warmly as they arrive. • Prepare name tags if needed and plan for introductions as indicated on page 1.
Prayer in This Session • Prepare a portion of your meeting space as a Prayer Center as described on page 95. For this session, you may wish to include an item related to Baptism (bowl of water, Baptism candle, and so on). Belonging Chapter 1 1b
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