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Friendship and Forgiveness Prayer Space

An activity, including a discussion and a craft, on forgiving friends and family members, based on The Catholic Children’s Bible featured story “Jesus Teaches Us to Forgive”, Matthew 18:21–35.

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Sacred Scripture and the Rules of the Saints

This activity has students work individually and in small groups to read and reflect on the rules of St. Augustine, St. Benedict, and St. Francis.

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The Lord's Prayer

Jesus shows us how to pray by giving us the Lord’s Prayer. After reading or reviewing chapters 49 and 50 of The Catholic Connections Handbook, complete the crossword.

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Chapter 50 Activity: The Seven Petitions

Match each petition of the Lord’s Prayer with its meaning.

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Chapter 49 Activity: The Lord’s Prayer in Spanish

The Lord’s Prayer translated into Spanish.

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Chapter 48 Activity: A Prayer Puzzle

Unscramble each of the following words related to prayer, using the clues given for each word. Then take the letters that appear circled in boxes and unscramble them to find the name of an important Marian devotion.

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Chapter 46 Activity: A Prayer Acrostic

Despite the “busyness” of our daily lives, we must strive to pray always. Imagine that you have to create a marketing poster telling a group of young people your age why they should make prayer an important part of their …

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Chapter 26 Activity: When Do You Pray?

As a Catholic, you probably learned from a young age some of the traditional prayers of the Church, such as the Sign of the Cross, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Hail Mary. You probably also learned about the Mass and …

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Chapter 9 Activity: Faithful to God

It can be difficult to live in the modern world and remain faithful to God’s will. What are three things in your life that distract you from your faith in God and from following his will? List them in the …

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Chapter 6 Activity: Recognizing God’s Goodness

Have you ever noticed how news reports often feature bad news: natural disasters, crime, accidents, and so on? Even in your own life, you may sometimes feel like there’s bad news all around. But the reality is that despite the …

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Chapter 4 Activity: Symbols for the Blessed Trinity

According to tradition, Saint Patrick used a shamrock to represent the Blessed Trinity—the one God in three Divine Persons. The following symbols, the triquetra (TRY-kwetra), on the left, and the triangle, are also symbols for the Trinity. On the lines …

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Chapter 39 Activities

Activities for Chapter 39 The Lord’s Prayer: Human Need including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 38 Activities

Activities for Chapter 38 The Lord’s Prayer: God’s Glory including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 37 Activities

Activities for Chapter 37 Praying Together including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 36 Activities

Activities for Chapter 36 Praying with Scripture including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 35 Activities

Activities for Chapter 35 Personal Prayer including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 34 Activities

Activities for Chapter 34 The Forms of Prayer including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 33 Activities

Activities for Chapter 33 Introduction to Prayer including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Chapter 26 Activities

Activities for Chapter 26 Honoring God including a core activity, core activity extension, and additional activities.

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Roman Missal Activities

This resource provides activities to help you to prepare young people for the implementation of the Roman Missal, third edition.

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Podcasts on Prayer

A worksheet where students are asked to create a series of teen-friendly podcasts about prayer.

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Good Friday Intercessions

A handout that guides students through writing their own Good Friday intercessions.

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Prayers of Praise

A homework assignment where students can use a template to create their own prayers of praise, from Section 5 Part 2 of “Jesus Christ: God’s Love Made Visible.”

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Prayer Stations

Three prayer stations presenting ideas for craft projects to help make forgiveness more tangible for students.

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Finding Salt and Light for the World

This worksheet is part of the Living in Christ Series. It helps students reflect on various gifts, skills and virtues they might posesses in order to discern specific ministries they might be good at.

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Gifts of the Holy Spirit

This worksheet is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can learn about the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit and use their own words to describe what each gift is.

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The Goodness, Blessedness, and Beauty of the Created World

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can answer short questions about the beauty of the created world and the presence of God within it.

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"Jesus' Ascension" Word Search

Please note that this document is only available as a PDF.

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Sharing in the Ministry of Jesus: Priest, Prophet, and King

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Groups of students can answer questions about Jesus as Priest, Prophet or King and reflect on models and characteristics of these distinct but related ministries.

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Reflection Questions: The Call to Holiness

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can reflect on what it means to be holy and how to grow in holiness through these series of questions.

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What Makes a Person Holy?

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students must think critically about what habits make a person holy.

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Taize Prayer

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can work in groups to prepare various aspects of a Taize prayer service.

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Heroes of Prayer

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to research and answer questions about a "Hero of Prayer", including doubt they experienced and prayers they used.

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The Interview

This handout is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can use it to prepare for their assignment to interview a brother or sister in the monastic life.

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Prayers of Praise

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can fill in the spaces with personal prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God.

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Prayers of Petition

This handout is part of the Living in Christ Series. It gives students spaces to write their own intentions and petitions as a prayer activity.

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Praying with and for the Suffering Body of Christ

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can research, present on, and pray for various countries in need.

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Reflections on Suffering

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can reflect on their experiences of and response to suffering through this series of though-provoking questions.

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Prayer to the Holy Spirit

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can offer their own personal prayer for themselves or those in their community to the Holy Spirit.

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Where Have Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, Disciples, and Others Modeled the Ways to Discipleship?

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to reflect on the discipleship modeled by Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, and others.

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Where Are You Right Now in Your Faith Life?

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to reflect on their own habits and practices in their spiritual journey.

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Preparing a Prayer Service

This resource is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers step by step details to consider when planning a prayer service.

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The Nicene Creed and Commentary

This resource is part of the Living in Christ Series. It includes the word to the Nicene Creed and a commentary on key phrases and lines.

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Vocabulary Review

This review is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students may use it to review key theological terms.

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Interview Questions: Personal Relationship with Jesus

This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are to interview an adult in their life whom they know that has a personal relationship with Jesus.

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Let Your Light Shine: An Overnight Retreat on Self-Esteem

This overnight retreat on self-esteem invites the young people to explore their own personal gifts and encourages them to share those abilities with others. The retreat emphasizes the light of Christ in our Life, the special people who bring us …

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Faith: Responding to God

Student handout: Puzzles to do after Chapter 7

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Birthday Blessings

Similar to back to school blessing handout. Something you can do at home, "introduce God into your birthday celebrations at home"

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Back-to-School Blessing: A Prayer Service for the Beginning of the School Year

A resource/handout for teachers or catechists. Something fun to do on first day of class, or during the beginning of the new school year.

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Leader's Guide for Coyote Meets Jesus

Stories are not just for young children. Everyone loves a good story and good storytelling is a useful tool for teaching. Using folktales as a teaching tool in a catechetical setting or a religion class can help teens understand the …

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Peace Creed

Writing a Peace Creed (15 minutes) 1. Tell the young people that as much as we might want peace to become a reality in our world, being a peacemaker takes a lot of hard work. The first steps are to …

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Family Relationships

Scripture Passage Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"-- this is the first commandment with a promise: "so that it may be well with you and you may live long on …

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Assumption of Mary - Mary as a Disciple

  Begin an exploration of Mary as the first disciple by explaining the word disciple, which means "follower, or one who believes in the teachings of a leader."   Invite the students to examine the ways that Mary was a …

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Handout 1: The Walk to Emmaus

Characters: narrator, Jesus, Cleopas, second disciple Narrator: That very same day, two of the disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking over all that had happened. Now as they …

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Reflection Exercise: My Least Answerable Questions

(5 minutes) 1. Introduce this exercise by reiterating the idea that death is mystery and that since the beginning of time, people of all ages, cultures, and races have asked tough questions about death. Jesus himself struggled with such questions. …

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Unbound!

  OVERVIEW Praying for forgiveness sets us free. In this prayer the young people experience this message through a ritual of reconciliation. This strategy, which is ideal for a retreat or as a conclusion to a session on forgiveness, allows …

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The Power of Song

(25-35 minutes) Preparation Bring in a recording of an African American sacred song, or invite a local gospel choir or your school or parish choir to come in and perform such a song. A good resource for music is Lead …

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Lenten Nails: A Reflection Exercise for Lent

OVERVIEW This two-part reflection exercise allows the young teens to evaluate their behaviors and attitudes and admit their faults, throughout Lent. The exercise is introduced at the beginning of Lent and concludes before Easter. Suggested Time: Approximately 10 minutes for …

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Ashes to Reconciliation: A Reconciliation Prayer for Lent

OVERVIEW This prayer can be used during the first week of Lent or any time the sacrament of Reconciliation (also called the sacrament of Penance) is discussed or celebrated. Suggested Time: 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of …

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Advent: Saint Joseph and Jesus

This can be easily adapted to a video call.  1. Gather the group in a circle for a moment of silence. Light the candle and read these passages about Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew (1:18-21 and 2:13-15). Ask the …

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Mass to Commemorate and Celebrate the Life of Pope Saint John Paul II

In light of the Pope's passing, this Mass script offers an order of service with prayers, music suggestions, intercessions, and other materials that will make planning a meaningful celebration as simple as possible when time is limited. This Mass can …

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Back to School: Latin 101

Invite your class or each student to create a motto for the year in terms of positive faith growth over the course of the year. Your students are most likely familiar with the tradition of mottos or creeds in Latin. …

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Month of the Rosary: Share the Rosary

For a class or group project make rosaries for a group of elementary students preparing to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time. Rosaries can be made from beads found at craft stores or by tying knots …

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September 11: Bring Peace to the World and Honor Heroes

As we remember the attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember that our world is both troubled and filled with heroes. We offer the following suggestions to bring peace to the world and to honor heroes. Suggestions for the individual …

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A Listening Session for Teens on the Mishandling of Sexual Abuse by Clergy

Materials Needed * a 3-by-5-inch index card for each young person * a pencil for each young person * prayer materials (Select one of the "Options for Ritual Actions" below.) * 3 readers for the closing prayer                                                                                                                 * handouts …

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The Meal Ministry of Jesus

Ask the students to recall their favorite meal celebration. What made it so special? What was the occasion? Where were they? Who was present? What did they eat? What else happened there? Invite them to share with the class the …

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The Color Purple

A CAUTIONARY NOTE: One of the criticisms of The Color Purple is that it depicts the men in the story as primarily abusive. Also, this movie is PG-13, mostly because of the violence and strong language. We recommend the movie …

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Forms for the Hermitage Experience

For more information see Leading Students to Hermitage. Preparation for Hermitage Dear __________________________, Your day for hermitage is _____________________ in the MORNING at 8:00 a.m. or AFTERNOON at 1:40 p.m. To come to hermitage, you must do the following things: …

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Building Faith Community in the High School

In a workshop entitled "The Catholic High School as Faith Community," religion teachers, campus ministers, and school administrators discussed, among many things, the obstacles they face in trying to build faith community in their school. One obstacle they addressed was …

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Questions for God

In a course on faith that he teaches at De La Salle Academy in New York City, David Detje, FSC, uses the film Oh, God! to shake up the students' notions of what God is like. He has gotten some …

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Praying the Psalms

Remember the television show from the late 80's called "Doogie Howser, M.D.?" At the end of every show, Doogie would sit down at his computer and write a 2 or 3 sentence "blurb" that perfectly summed up his day and …

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