St. Edward New Evangelization Lessons (Grades 6-11)
March 24, 2021: Clean Heart, Palm Sunday, and Holy Week
This past Sunday, the Responsorial Psalm was "Create a clean heart in me, O God." As a prayer, listen to "A Clean Heart" by Matt Maher How wonderful that we can have a clean heart! Reflect on what needs to be cleaned in your own heart before we enter Holy Week this weekend.
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday - the beginning of Holy Week. Watch this Summit video from Lifeteen and spend some time reflecting on how you will embrace Holy Week. Discuss it with your family.
Share with us a couple of things you took from the 2 videos. Have a blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter the following Sunday!
March 17, 2021: Stations of the Cross
Please contact Celia for the lesson of the week at ne@stedwardmackville.org
March 9, 2021: Forgiveness and Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross booklet:
Please spend some time praying and reflecting on the Stations. There are discussion questions for each Station. We ask that you write (type) a little reflection using those questions (or share anything that comes to your mind while praying). You can share in general terms as a young person, not necessarily share your personal story as we want to respect privacy… We will compile the various reflections and use them next week in class.
https://www.hspgeist.org/PDF/edge_stations_of_the_cross_20.pdf
March 3, 2021: Holy Week/Holy Thursday
This first week in March, we will reflect a little bit on Holy Week, and then we will focus our attention on Holy Thursday.
1.Watch "Holy Week in 3 Minutes" by Busted Halo: https://youtu.be/qdrPhxqRP9I
Give a brief summary of what Holy Week is.
2. Watch "Holy Thursday HD" by Catholic Online. If a non-Catholic asked you what is so special about Holy Thursday, share at least 3 things you would share with that person:
3. We are going to spend time in "The Garden" with Jesus on Wednesday night. On the night before Jesus died, He asked His disciples to stay awake with Him and pray. We are using the following for our reflection time:
a. Journal prompts #1 - #4 from Lifeteen
https://lifeteen.com/blog/9-journal-prompts-for-holy-week/
b. Song "Remembrance" by Matt Maher https://youtu.be/d53V3OO9ihU
February 10, 2021: Preparing for Lent
There are 3 pillars to Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We are going to create a personal plan for the 40 days of Lent, which begins next week on Ash Wednesday (February 17).
Here is a Lent planning worksheet. Please prayerfully consider what you will do this Lent to grow closer to the Lord (SEE ATTACHED)
Prayer
Here is a link with a wide variety of ideas for prayer during Lent. Browse through and see what strikes your heart!
https://lifeteen.com/blog/40-ways-40-days-staying-rooted-prayer-lent/
Fasting
Please watch this short video on fasting. Share 1 thing you learned about fasting, and then reflect on 1 way you can fast during Lent this year.
Almsgiving
Consider ways that you can offer your time and talent this Lent. Just some examples: If you give up drinking soda, offer the money you would have spent on soda to a charity. If you give up 30 minutes of screen time, consider spending that time making cards for a local nursing home. If you enjoy reading or playing an instrument, consider helping us at Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings. If you like to create, please consider creating something for church around the theme "Thirsting for Him." The ideas are endless!
January 20, 2021: Personalities and Spiritualities
Tonight, we learned about, and experienced, a couple of different spirituality types. The results of the personality test we took show us what our primary spirituality type is, but it is important to know that we can very well be a combination of several spirituality types.
-
Here is a document that shares a summary about each of the 4 spirituality types we considered in the lesson. The personality types are written on the top of each summary page – if you cannot remember your letters from the personality test, just let me know. Find your spirituality type in the document and write 3 things you learned or will consider for your prayer life.
-
Most people in our NE classes landed in the Franciscan and Augustinian Spiritualities. We have 2 short videos from class about them below. Please watch the videos and comment on 1 thing from each.
-
Here is an image of one Ignatian Spirituality prayer: The Daily Examen. Consider praying this on a regular basis, whether in your car or in bed at night or… (See image)
**The information for this lesson was taken from https://www.piercedhands.com/temperament-and-prayer/
January 13, 2021: Baptism of Jesus
Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit
This is a guide that offers a little more description to the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit:
http://rclbsacraments.com/confirmation/confirmation-gifts-fruits-holy-spirit
Reflection Questions:
1.Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Which gifts of the Spirit are you most drawn to?
Which gifts of the Spirit do you find the most challenging?
2.Fruits of the Spirit
Which fruits are you most drawn to?
Which fruits do you find the most challenging?
3. In terms of the world and our country today – how can the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit be helpful to us as Christians who are also citizens of this country? State specific examples.
January 6, 2021: Personality
Please watch the video and then click on the link below to complete the assignment.
Link to the assignment. Please write down your results to turn in!
December 16, 2020 Reconciliation
Please watch the video "Reconciliation: Catholic Central." Share with us 3 new things you learned (or that simply struck you) from the video.
If you are able to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we encourage you to do so. If you have valid reasons to not attend Confession at this time, please spend some time examining your conscience in prayer. Then when you feel secure again, consider attending confession.
Thank you Jesus for Your mercy!
An Examination of Conscience
December 9, 2020 Advent Evening of Reflection
We will be participating in an Advent Evening of Reflection on Wednesday, December 9 for New Evangelization.
We will have 3 stations that focus on the readings for this upcoming weekend's Liturgy (3rd Sunday of Advent).
Following are 3 videos that will walk through those stations to help you focus on the season of Advent, as well as the readings for the upcoming weekend. Please watch each of them, whether all in one sitting, or watch one daily for the next few days.
Thank you and God bless!
Lesson December 2, 2020 Year B: Gospel of Mark
Our NE lesson for the evening will be focused on this article from Lifeteen.
Last weekend, we began the new liturgical church year (first Sunday of Advent). Along with the start of the new year, we also transitioned from one lectionary cycle (A, B, or C) to the next. We have now entered into Year B.
Please read the article and answer the questions on the worksheet provided.
https://lifeteen.com/blog/this-is-why-you-need-to-read-st-marks-gospel-immediately/
November 18, 2020 Feast of Christ the King
Lesson November 4, 2020 All Saint and Souls
November 11, 2020 Thanksgiving
Please share with us:
2 things you learned in the video
3 things for which you are grateful to God
Lesson October 21, 2020 – Grades 6-11
-October is Respect Life Month. This week, we are reflecting on the Respect Life theme: “Live the Gospel
of Life. Imitate Christ and follow in His footsteps."
-The readings for this upcoming weekend fit perfectly with the theme.
{30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 25, 2020) - Matthew 22:34-40}
-Please watch the Lifeteen Video (above) about the readings
Then reflect on some of the following questions:
• Which of the two great commandments do you struggle to live out most?
• Do you love yourself? Why or why not?
• Moses gave the people over 600 laws that ranged from dietary restrictions to the Ten Commandments.
Why do you think Jesus chose the two He did as the “greatest”?
• How are the two great commandments related? Do you think you can do one without doing the other?
• The second great commandment says we need to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Do you think you can really love someone else if you do not love yourself? Why or why not?
• What does it say about God, our creator, when we struggle to see our dignity and love ourselves?
• What negative feelings do you have about yourself that keep you from allowing God to fully love you and also keep you from loving others?
Email with a note sharing how YOU live the Gospel of Life.
How do you “imitate Christ and follow in His footsteps" at this point in life (whether as a middle schooler, high schooler, or parent)?
Possible things to share:
How are you loving God?
How are you loving your neighbor?
Consider making a plan on how your family will serve others. Maybe something for Thanksgiving, Advent, or Christmas time?? For example: Cards for people who have not been able to come out much (or at all) since March.
How are the two great commandments related? Do you think you can do one without doing the other?
God bless!
Opening Prayer - October 14, 2020
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 1st Reading for this upcoming weekend’s Liturgy
• What does it take for someone to earn your trust?
• Who do you trust the most? Why?
Read Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Reflect on some of these questions:
-
Where do you place your trust? In God? In material things? In others? In yourself?
-
Does the way you live your life and treat people and things reflect your answer above? Why or why not?
-
God calls every person by name. What makes it difficult for people to respond? How can we help them know God’s love?
-
Do people put other “gods” in front of our God? What other things do people worship or follow?
-
Is it easy or difficult for you to put God first in your life? What happens when God is not first?
-
Do you ever put negative attributes of relationships with people onto God (e.g., I had my trust broken by a person so now I do not trust God)? How does this negatively impact and distort your relationship with God?
-
Where do you need to trust God more?