The Linked Parishes of Pope John XXIII & Christ The King
2020-21 Faith Formation Program
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Middle Grades
Session 1 - What We Believe
Before you begin, you will need to get paper, pencil, and a Bible
There are so many different ideas about God, Jesus, our universe and creation...
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How do you know if God is real?
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Where do we learn the truth?
Lauren explains how God shows Himself to us through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition -- our Catholic and Christian traditions that have been handed down to us through the centuries.
She also explains how God has revealed Himself to her through events and people in her own life.
VOCABULARY
MYSTERY
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Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain
SCRIPTURE
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A term for the sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments. They are the word of God.
TRADITION
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Human practices and rituals that help us learn God's truth. They are handed down through the centuries under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
REVELATION
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What God has made known about himself is called Revelation. It is communicated to the world in two main ways: through Sacred Scripture and through Sacred Tradition.
Think of your favorite family story, one you love to hear over and over again.
Maybe it is the story of the day you were born or something you did as a young child.
Perhaps there is a story of a parent from when they were young, or something an aunt or uncle did as a child that provides a hint to their life as an adult.
What does that story teach you about the time it happened?
What did you learn about the people involved?
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Why do you like to hear it over and over?
We learn about God's love for us and share our Christian family stories too...in the Bible
GOD TEACHES US ABOUT HIMSELF THROUGH SCRIPTURE
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The Bible is a very special book. We call the Bible Sacred Scripture, which means "holy writing". The Church teaches us that God inspired, or worked within the minds, of the people who wrote the books. That is why we believe the Bible is the Word of God. God makes himself known to us because He loves us.
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The Bible is a collection of books that are the inspired words of God. The Bible is like a library of books, poems, and songs that were written over the course of a thousand years. It is the most important book that has ever been written in the history of mankind.
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WHAT ARE THE TWO PARTS OF THE BIBLE?
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The Old Testament is a record of the old covenant (agreement) between God and His chosen people. It describes mankind's preparation for the coming of the Messiah (Jesus).
The New Testament is a record of the new covenant (agreement) made by God with the entire human race, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God.
Tradition
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tradition
Does your family eat a certain kind of pie on Thanksgiving?
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Do you set your Christmas tree up on the same day every year?
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Do you have a special meal that you eat on your birthday?
These are your family traditions. - Things that your family does regularly. They are meaningful and help you learn about your family. Family traditions are customs and is spelled with a small "t".
Traditions spelled with a capital "T" are also actions and deeds passed down to us. The difference is they come to us from Jesus and the apostles and those who came after them. They are our Sacred Traditions
Remember what Lauren said in the first video?...
God shows Himself to us through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
God makes Himslef known to us because He loves us and wants us to know Him.
But we cannot fully know God's ways. We can learn to know Him, but we never truly grasp everything about Him.
God is too big for us to understand - that is God's Mystery.
