This week the class focused on the Scripture verse John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  We talked about what the Scripture meant:   

1. Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish people, goes to Jesus in the night time because he is fearful that others might see him going to Jesus. He experiences Jesus – he has a personal encounter. Until each of us has that ‘personal encounter’ with the Risen Jesus, we will not be able to truly live our faith. We must first “trust in Jesus” so that we can open our hearts and minds to him; then, and only then, will we be able to build the relationship with Jesus that is required in order for us to truly believe and live our faith. We must do everything for the “greater Glory of God”.

John 3:16 God sent Jesus so that we would believe in him so that we would be saved. John calls Jesus’ miracles ‘Signs and Wonders’ in the Gospel of John. God knew that He needed to do something drastic for people to believe. He send his only sinless prefect Son to die so that we might believe and have eternal life with him but some people still didn’t believe, God wants to do something powerful in each and every one of our lives so we have to ask him what it is and then give him quiet time each day to “listen” for what that is. We have to pay close attention to the people he puts in our lives and the situations that come to us (either by choice or by God’s will). We are a ‘work in progress’ ; we are God’s workmanship.

We listened to a song from a band called We the Kingdom called For God So Loved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jasoo3UDSwY

We also watched a great video about Tim Tebow and his story about John 3:16 in his life.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WVnAbdHZao

HOMEWORK: Please watch this video on the Holy Sacrifice of the  Mass and come to class with a question or thought about it! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOLZDaTgIaM

Next Week April 19th will be our last class. It has been a wonderful year getting to know each of you! May God Bless you always!

This week we covered the first section of the Gospel of Luke using "The Bible Project" Video Series. I am attaching the link for the video we watched on Monday evening (3/8). Attached also are links to the videos that we will cover over the next two weeks. Please watch the video for Luke 9-19 and Luke 19-23 for this coming week 3/15). Please write down 3 things you learned for the two videos due this week. Also, please have a Bible handy for class if you have one.

 The Bible Project Luke 1-2 (We watched this before Christmas) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OLezoUvOEQ&t=19s

The Bible Project Luke 3-9 (We watched this in class 3/8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k4GbvZUPuo

The Bible Project Luke 9-19 (Please watch this for homework due 3/15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUCCUHurV0I

The Bible Project Luke 19-23 (We will watch this in class on 3/15 but please watch it before class) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_unHmAf7INk&t=204s

The Bible Project Luke 24 (We will watch this in class 3/22) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb24Lk1Oh5M

If you have any questions, please email me at:                          grade7d@sspeterandpaulrc.org

NOTE: Please come to class with some ideas for a movie we can watch on our own and then we can discuss it in class after Easter! 

The movie should be related to our Faith :-)

Congratulations boys and girls!! What a beautiful day to remember your Confirmation just one week ago! You were all so reverent and I was proud to be your teacher! The Holy Spirit was certainly present:-)

Here is the new ZOOM link for the remainder of the year. I know you will have other obligations this Spring but it would be wonderful to continue to spend time with you learning about Jesus and his love for all of us! Hope to see and I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience with your Confirmation!

 7th Grade is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: 7th Grade Monday

Time: Mar 8, 2021 04:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

        Every week on Mon, until Apr 26, 2021, 8 occurrence(s)

        Mar 8, 2021 04:30 PM

        Mar 15, 2021 04:30 PM

        Mar 22, 2021 04:30 PM

        Mar 29, 2021 04:30 PM

        Apr 5, 2021 04:30 PM

        Apr 12, 2021 04:30 PM

        Apr 19, 2021 04:30 PM

        Apr 26, 2021 04:30 PM

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIudO-sqz4pGd33XLyjehzlYwlJopA7Qpu3/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGurTgsHtGQsxqORpwAA4jCM-jwmCVejacOzyfJGipWahn6D_VOGL1vMY_h

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86336455339?pwd=T3BKb2V2NVNMWHpNMklaaGIydWFGUT09

Meeting ID: 863 3645 5339

Passcode: 864239

ZOOM Recording:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/smQ0Bid0BTlwX8Zq71kodgj2MmMXepSCSF0Qbe0qY25YmitM2n9Zafu-Wp74WkN6.oUe5wIxgbKGobKGl 

Review and Discuss Chosen Homework

1. Video Segment 2 - The Holy Spirit, our Guide and Map

• • • H.S. is a guide and road map - God is our GPS

    • H.S. is the Divine Teacher (knowledge of the heart) helping us KNOW God

    • Principle Author of the Bible - Divine Inspiration

    • God breathes life into us and he breathes life into the Scripture

    • Call on the H.S. when you read the Gospel

    • H.S. is the soul of the Church

    • H.S. breathes and gives life to the Church

    • H.S. is our guardian and protection so we can trust that what the Church teaches is good and true

    • A body and soul makes us complete humans. As a Church, the Holy Spirit is the soul while we are the body.

  • Video Segment 3 - The Holy Spirit in Your Life

    • God calls each of us and invites us into a relationship with Him and the Holy Spirit allows us to say YES to God.

    • The H.S. strengthens us to live our life with courage and conviction; gives us comfort and strength; is the anchor and defender of our Faith

    • The H.S. is our lifeline to God

    • Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength

    • Saint Catherine of Siena : “Be who God meant for you to be and you will set the world on fire”  - pray every day for the H.S.to guide you to God’s plan and purpose for you

  • St. Elizabeth of Hungary Review - More about her here https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=45

As a class watch Chosen Lesson 13 Video Segment 1 and 2 - Gifts of the Holy Spirit

• • • The Holy Spirit is Love; just as God is Love

    • The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the Blessed Trinity. Sometimes known as the “hidden” Person of the Trinity. He completes Jesus’ work on earth in our lives, here and now.

    • The Holy Spirit is the Giver of Gifts - Can we open them?

    • Bishop will say “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” –this is an indelible mark that stays on your soul forever. Your soul is immortal and will one day, after you die, be reunited with your body in all its glory as God meant you to be. Jesus looked different after he died and rose from the dead – remember the apostles and his closest friends did not recognize him right away.

    • There are seven  Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude (Courage), Piety (Reverence) and Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe). Gifts are given initially at Baptism then strengthened at Confirmation. The first 4 Gifts are oriented toward our Intellect. The last 3 deal with our Will.

• • • 1. Wisdom:

         • Helps us to prioritize the What – God, Family, Friends, Things

         • Helps us to avoid evil that takes us away from God

         • Helps us to focus on the things we need to do to become the Saint we are called to be

      2. Understanding:

         • Helps us to understand “how” to live in order to become a Saint

         • God reveals Himself to us so we learn to understand Him and live for Him

      3. Knowledge:

         • Helps us to “know” that “We are Loved!” by God just as we are.

         • We are made for more than just the things of the material world- God knows us and loves us beyond all reason

         • Helps us to “know” we are loved and therefore empowers us to “be who we are called to be”

         • “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!” St. Catherine of Siena

      4. Counsel (Right Judgement):

         • Helps us to make good decisions

         • You can help others by you using your gift of Counsel

         • You can foster this gift by knowing that Christ is present in the Church, by reading Scripture, talking to and surrounding yourself with good and Holy people, and reading about the Saints

      5. Fortitude (Courage):

         • Be courageous Saints

         • You might still be afraid sometimes but you will have courage to do the right thing even when it is difficult

         • Stand up for Christ: Be like St. Paul and Blessed Carlo Acutis – all the Saints are cheering you on

         • 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He (God) who is in you than he (the devil) who is in the world. 1John 4:4

      6. Piety ( Reverence):

         • Give to God what He is due

         • Go to Mass to Worship and Praise our Lord

         • We genuflect when we enter the Church because Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle

      7. Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe)

         • God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnipresent

         • God is already pleased with us and so He gives us these gifts - Live for God

         • Let us open the gifts and use them for His greater glory in all that we do

Go and change the world!

HOMEWORK: Watch Chosen Lesson 13 Video Segment 3 and Answer Questions

Read “Hero of the Week” - St. Paul the Apostle (pg 130)

Review and Discuss Chosen Homework

1. 1. Chosen Lesson 14 Video 3- What Happens at Confirmation?

      • Confirmation will give you the strength and courage to share and defend your faith

      • The Apostles were the first Bishops, that is why the Bishop is the minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation

      • Signs and Symbols of the Sacrament of Confirmation

        1. Holy Oil-for cleansing and strengthening. Around Holy Week, the bishop consecrates the sacred Chrism during the Chrism Mass. This oil is used in a number of sacraments; Baptism, Confirmation, anointing bishops and priests in Holy Orders, anointing of the sick

        2. The Laying on of Hands-preparing you for “battle”

        3. The Prayer of the Bishop-the sign of blessing and gift of the Holy Spirit

      • You are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This seal (Character) marks us as Christ’s servant and commits you as forever called to fulfill the Church’s mission in all the circumstances of life. This mark protects us. 

      • Confirmation can only be received once and can not be “undone”

Watch Fr. Mike Schmitz - Advent-More than a Chocolate Calendar

https://youtu.be/SA-gx-PWB0A

2. 1. Advent is the season of Devout and Joyful preparation of the coming of Jesus

   2. Devout means with firmness and with your whole heart (whole-heartedness)

   3. JOY: this is different from happiness that we get from things or only when something good happens. JOY is happiness and peace that we have independent of our circumstances. JOY: comes from knowing that God knows my name and that He loves me beyond all comprehension. God “chose” me to be his and for his purposes.  

J-Jesus

O-Others

Y-You

1. 4. Advent: is a time to be joyful. We prepare for Jesus in three modes.

      •   Prepare for Jesus’ coming on Christmas Day, i.e. his birth as baby into humanity (Isaiah 9:6-7 – Jesus’ birth was foretold by the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament)

      • Prepare for Jesus’ 2nd coming – he promised us in the Gospels that he would return again and so we must prepare our hearts for him

      • Prepare for Jesus “in the meantime” – let Jesus into our daily lives by opening our heart to him. If Jesus showed up in your life today, would there be room for Him?

        1.  Build a relationship with Jesus by talking to him every day as your best friend. Would there be room for Jesus in your heart?

        2.  Pray more: simply say “Jesus, I Trust in You!

        3. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance

        4. There is so much noise and many distractions around us that we have forgotten how to take time with Jesus. Talk to him: tell him your problems, ask him for advice, thank him for loving you, etc…

        5.  Try to say “no” to some of the things that pull us away from quiet time with Jesus: watch a little less tv, put your phone on airplane mode for a bit, don’t play video games as long, etc…

        6. Do random acts of kindness so that others see Jesus in you; let your light shine as Jesus said “You are the light of the world”

      • Read the letter from Jesus to you: then each day spend some time to write a letter back to Jesus. You can write whatever is on your heart; it can be sad things, happy things, things that scare you, things you are thankful for, etc… Then you can place it in his manger on Christmas Eve. Jesus really wants you to be in relationship with you. He wants you to receive him in your heart and also in the Eucharist when you go to Mass. Try to attend Mass to worship God and show how much you love Jesus.

      Dear Friend,

How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I care about you. I saw you yesterday as you were talking with    your friends. I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me too. I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you -- and I waited. You never came. It hurt me -- but I still love you because I am your friend.

I saw you sleeping last night and longed to touch your brow so I spilled moonlight upon your face. Again I waited, wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you! You awoke and rushed off to school. My tears were in the rain.

If you would only listen to me! I love you! I try to tell you in blue skies and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in leaves on the trees and breathe it in colors of  flowers, shout it to you in mountain streams, give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature scents. My love for you is deeper than the ocean, and bigger than the biggest need in your heart!

Ask me! Talk with me! Please don't forget me. I have so much to share with you!

I won't hassle you any further. It is YOUR decision. I have chosen you and I will wait -- because I love you.

Your friend,

Jesus

Recorded Zoom for Monday, October 26, 2020

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/l6Y8jF4AV53fkWcHaViPgMW3VspLf2rsvh4V0xktJ8zISIMSwSS0mO8fgC-l0AyS.6vnvRCmMgy-CcTBC?startTime=1603744182000

Chosen-Lesson 3, Video Segment 3 and Questions: A Kingdom on Earth

1. 1. 1. What was Jesus’ mission while on Earth? Aside from giving us salvation (lived, died, and rose), Jesus was here to Establish a Kingdom on Earth - The Church

      2. The Church is both human and __DIVINE__. How? Jesus selected the 12 Apostles (Humans) and entrusted them with the mission of expanding the Church but He sent the Holy Spirit (Divine) to them to guide and strengthen them - Pentecost.

      3. __SAINTS__ are men and women the Church recognizes for their heroic virtue. They are witnesses, intercessors, and examples of faith. These Saints said yes to God just as Mary and Jesus did. 

• God became man by sending his son Jesus- Jesus is the Word Incarnate

• Jesus lived, died, suffered and rose from the dead to provide salvation for our souls

• But he also came for another reason: to establish a Church on earth - God’s Kingdom

• After Jesus rose from the dead, he came back to visit the apostles a few times 

• He ascended into Heaven 40 days after he rose - this is the Ascension

• Before he ascended into heaven, he promised to send a helper, a paraclete, the Holy Spirit to strengthen the apostles to build and grow the Church he established

• He chose 12 apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholemew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheaus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot (betrayed Jesus)

• The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and Mary as they were gathered in the upper room (the Pentecost) - Holy Spirit came as of tongues of fire- Jesus said “You will receive power to be my witnesses- and to spread the good news to the ends of the earth”

• After the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, Peter went out and proclaimed the good news and that day three thousand people became followers of Jesus Christ

• Peter and Paul went to Rome and the other apostles went to other places. 

• When we are confirmed, we are then called to share our love for Jesus and the Church

• We can be witnesses of God’s love in our lives; we can share what we’ve learned about the faith and also how you have experienced God and Jesus

• The Church belongs to the Lord: it has sinners and saints

• Judge the Church by those who live up to what the Church represents; follow the saints and the heros 

• The Church always needs good and holy people to help the Church to grow and be reformed over time from the inside out

• You have been CHOSEN to carry on the mission of the apostles to bring the kingdom of heaven on earth

Pentecost - See post below with Painting and Questions

Hero of the Week - St. Teresa of Avila

• Patron of Headaches; People in need of Grace; Those Ridiculed for Piety

• A Doctor of the Church

• She wasn’t always a model of holiness. St. Teresa struggled with prayer and in her relationships with other people.

• She looked for a quick way to sainthood and ran away to fight the Moors so she could be martyred.

• Considered a “Living Martyr”

• Wrote several books on Spiritual Life

HOMEWORK

This week please watch Video from Lesson 12, Segment 1 and do 2 questions on page 107. Read Hero of the Week on pg. 50 St. Teresa Benedicta - very powerful!  Also, scroll down and look at the Pentecost picture again and reflect on what you see and what happened that First Pentecost!

 Each student/parent will register themselves. Here are the instructions: 

Please only use one email address per family to set up the account and keep password handy so that your child can log in and have access to videos.

HOW TO REDEEM YOUR REGISTRATION CODE FROM YOUR LEADER

1. After creating an account and logging into Ascension Press at www.ascensionpress.com, go to the drop-down menu under MENU located in the top right corner

2. Click on JOIN A STUDY:  The study is called SSPP 6th and 7th Grade Confirmation PREP 

3. Click the blue REDEEM CODE button above the picture

4. Enter your 6-character registration code under "Registration code" and the other information. Your code is  A5PEEB 

5. Now click REDEEM CODE

The study will now appear on your Dashboard.  You only need to redeem the code once and going forward the CHOSEN Program will be available on your dashboard.

*Please be sure to do this with your child this week. If you have any trouble, please contact me at: grade7d@sspeterandpaulrc.org