EIGHTH YEAR

Theme: Understand the Church as the great sacrament of Christ's presence in the world, giving glory and praise to the heavenly Father and functioning as an abiding vehicle for his loving Son's redemptive work. Each of us should have a heartfelt desire to actively participate in the life of the Church.

Doctrine.

View the Church as the successive continuation of that new People of God Jesus established to perpetuate his saving work.
List characteristics of the early Christian community and note how these elements are still found in the living Church Christ founded.
Appreciate the Holy Spirit as the presence of God preserving and guiding the Church through the centuries.
Recognize that the mission of the Church is to save souls. She does this by proclaiming and living out the Good News of Christ. Christ is the ultimate Savior. Elements of the Church's identity which help in this work are as follows: the infallibility of the Pope; the various vocations and roles of service in the Church-- bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and the laity; ecumenical councils; the Magisterium or divinely protected teaching authority; and the inter-relationship of the Scriptures and living tradition.
Describe some of the ways in which Vatican II speaks of the Church.
Recognize that membership in the Church is made possible by faith and baptism.
Explain the various levels of Church tradition, referring to the most important traditions as the unwritten Word of God, and noting them as a body of truths divinely revealed by word of mouth to the Apostles and handed down through the centuries.
Describe the relationship between freedom and responsibility.
Recognize conscience as that faculty of judgment by which we make decisions between right and wrong actions.
Name the precepts of the Church.
Recognize the Beatitudes as standards or conditions for perfect happiness as given by our Lord.
As active Catholics we have a responsibility to respect and to care for others. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy help us to fulfill this duty.
Recognize Mary's role as the Mother of the Church and the perfect model of the Christian life.
Name the various states of life and vocations, explaining their manner of service and how they contribute the Church's mission of evangelization.
Recognize the failure of sin: to respond to God's loving call; to serve the needs of our neighbor; and to respond to what a properly informed conscience judges as right.

Scripture.

Accounts of the Early Church (Acts 1:12-14; 2:42-47).
The Church as the People of God (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Promise of the Spirit (John 16:13-26).
Pentecost Account (Acts 2:1-36; John 14:26).
Command to Preach and Hand On Message (Mark 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11).
Faith and Baptism (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; 2 Corinthians 5:6-7; Ephesians 4:3-6; John 3:1-21).
Tradition (John 21:25).
Following Laws of the Church and Commandments (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-48).
Sin (Matthew 25:31-46; James 3:2).
Account at the Cross (John 19:25-27).
Scripture Passages Related to the Sacraments (see Grade 5 for specifics).
Explain the distinction between Gospels and Epistles.
Name the Four Evangelists.

Prayer.

Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, Acts of Faith, Hope and Love, the Angelus, the Memorare, the Magnificat, and a Prayer for Vocations.
Deepen one's relationship with God through various prayer forms.
Be at ease with spontaneous prayer.
Experience brief silent meditation.
Experience such devotions as the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, prayer to his/her patron saint or important saints on their feast days.

Worship and Sacraments.

Plan and execute class liturgies or paraliturgies.
Intensify internal and external participation in the Mass, with the possibility of functioning as a lector.
Recognize the mystery of the Eucharist as the center and heart of Christian life.
Experience communal celebration of Penance with individual Confessions.
Be familiar and comfortable with the procedure for the individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Recognize and describe liturgical seasons and feasts of importance.
Familiarity with the purposes and rituals of each sacrament.

Moral Development.

Understand and describe the relationship between freedom and responsibility.
Emphasize the responsibility of forming one's conscience according to Christ's teachings transmitted by his Church.
Appreciate that Christians have a particular responsibility in promoting and realizing the Gospel of Life by always conducting themselves with integrity, justice, and mercy.
Recognize the need for obedience to lawful authority and to evidence this in behavior.
Intensify the reciprocal appreciation of daily receiving and granting forgiveness, particularly in connection to the appropriate supplication of the Lord's Prayer.
Acknowledge personal failings in regard to Jesus' Law of Love, the Beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, and the Precepts of the Church.
Acknowledge in rightful conscience our personal fault in hesitating or refusing to answer the divine summons to love God and neighbor through Christian service.

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Last Updated December 30, 1997 by Fr. Joseph Jenkins