7th 2026 Religion

Link to our 7th 2026 Religion Google Classroom: https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/MTI2ODcyNTkwNTM5

Instructor: Deacon Rick Roder

Seventh grade is a HUGE year for religious studies. Here are our goals:

• Life of Prayer. Nothing matters if we are not praying and growing as pray-ers. Our classroom lessons are based on lectio divina, or prayerful reading of the Scriptures. Thus in our lessons we are growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Bible Literacy. Using the renowned Great Adventure Bible series and the striking Great Adventure Bible, we learn the Story of Salvation that includes all the great events of the Old Testament. In each story is one or more "Biblical type" that points to a truth found in the New Testament; thus we are learning the Old Testament roots of our New Testament Catholic faith. Our Bible study provides Biblical literacy that is necessary for Confirmation preparation next year and to be adequately prepared for the challenging course of study in high school theology. We also reinforce and basically complete the Bishop's curriculum for kindergarten through 8th grade (although some of the 8th grade topics will be covered more completely in that academic year).

• Source and Summit. We are a Eucharistic people. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian lives. Everything in the Bible points in one way or another to the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament, who is Christ our Lord. There Christ pours out his immense mercy from his Most Sacred Heart. We seek to become students-for-life of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If we know who Christ is in the Holy Mass we will never leave Him.

• Immersion in the Liturgical Calendar. For Catholics the New Year begins with Advent, not January 1. Our entire year is geared toward the Triduum. Daily we check the calendar for feast days and get to know the saints in our Catholic family. We learn about little-known feasts like the Feast of the Dedication of St. Mary's Church, Remsen. We aim to see the year's calendar through our Catholic, not secular, eyes. The Liturgical Calendar provides rhythm for our life of prayer, liturgy and devotion. We'll learn to have a solid mastery of the liturgical calendar and its closely related three-year cycle of Scriptures.

• "Find Your Voice." With Confirmation on the horizon it is time to begin to realize that we must mature solidly in our faith to face the many challenges that come with the high school, college, and young adult phases of life. Satan prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls and does so primarily in attacking the Mass and the priesthood and in sowing seeds of division and doubt in the laity. In class we very directly face the current issues that the Catholic Church faces in the world. We begin to work toward knowing our faith well and being willing and able to defend the Church not only in deed but in word. I am constantly amazed at how our students "find their voice for Christ" when challenged to do so. I always encourage questions (is our faith life truly alive if we are not seeking answers?) and promise our students truth in the answers. If we don't have the answer we find it in the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. We will learn to articulate answers to the questions that are thrown toward Catholics from poorly catechized Catholics, non-Catholic Christians, non-Christian believers, atheists, and agnostics. We base our "voice" on the Kerygma (Proclamation of the Kingdom of God): Jesus loves you; He died on the cross to save you from sin and death; repent of your sins; invite Christ into your life. We seek to internalize the Kerygma and then always seek to share it with others. We learn, know well, and live the fact that the Holy Catholic Church is the very voice of Christ (Luke 10:16).

Our St. Mary's parents are the first and primary educators of their children in the Catholic faith. It is an honor for us in the theology department to assist them in this all-important work! Together we strive for a better world for all and for the salvation of every soul we encounter through Christ our Lord.