SECOND YEAR

Doctrine.

• Recognize Jesus as God's Son, made man, who came down to earth to save us.
• Recognize the obedience of Jesus to the Father as a sign and model for our lives.
• Know that Jesus suffered, died on the cross, and rose on Easter Sunday.
• Recognize the many gifts that Jesus has given us: a share in God's life through Baptism; his forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance; his real Body and Blood in the Eucharist; and his Mother, Mary, as our Mother.
• Recognize Jesus' presence among us, specifically during the Mass.
• Recognize that Jesus actually comes to us in Holy Communion so that we can grow more like him.
• Recognize Jesus' two-fold Law of Love: to love God and to love neighbor.
• Recognize that by our actions we can and do say "no" to God; therefore, we need to be forgiven and to forgive.
• Recognize that if we are sorry and seek God's mercy through the Sacrament of Penance, he will forgive us.
• Recognize the Church as the family of God; Baptism as the gateway to new life in God's family.

Scripture.

• The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) and the Visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12).
• Jesus' Hidden Life at Nazareth (Luke 30:40) and Finding Him in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52).
• Gospel stories illustrating the goodness and love of Jesus, especially when he cured people.
• Account of the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-20).
• Death and Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 23:44-56; 24:1-8; John 21:1-14).
• Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (Mark 8:1-10) and Easter Meal (Mark 16:14).
• The Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15); Story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10); Parables of the Prodigal Son and the Lost Coin.
• Jesus Present to Us Still (Matthew 28:20; 18:20).
• Baptism Accounts in Acts (Acts 2:37-41; 10:44-48).
• Recognize Mass Readings as the Word of God.

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, and an Act of Contrition.
• Recognize the different expressions of prayer and identify four reasons for praying.
• Participate in formal and informal prayers and celebrations.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers and responses from the Mass: Reading Responses, Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Eucharistic Acclamation, Lamb of God, and Great Amen.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Experience communal celebrations and personal reception of the Sacrament of Penance.
• Be familiar with ritual stages in Confession.
• Actively participate in the Mass.
• Recognize the difference between ordinary bread and the Eucharist.
• Describe through verbal and/or artistic forms of creative expression something of the significance of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Feast of the Holy Family, Feast of the Annunciation, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost.
• Point out certain objects in the church such as the altar, the tabernacle, the holy water font, Stations of the Cross, Confessional/Reconciliation Room, Mass vestments, as well as other important Christian objects like the Bible and crucifix.

Moral Development.

• Recognize signs of God's love in his/her life and in the world around us.
• Relate our care of all living things to God's care for us.
• Suggest ways of making the world a better place in which to live, particularly by being aware of our treatment of others.
• Identify and talk about reasons for sorrow and the signs of forgiveness.
• Participate in skits and games to distinguish between sin, temptation, and mistake.
  
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