Call to Faith

Revelation

Session 2

In God’s Image

Session Purpose

God created human beings in his image and likeness. Because of this uniqueness, we have a natural desire to know God and to be with him. Young people will learn that God calls us to live in covenant with him, a relationship of deep love and mutual committment.

Objectives

Learners will

• understand that Jesus is our model for living our friendship with God the Father

• explore the meaning of covenant and God’s covenant with his Chosen People

• understand the Ten Commandments and their meaning for their lives today

Church Documents

For more background on session content, refer to Catechism paragraphs 44, 70–72, 228, 381, 415, 416, 1975, 2080, and 2081.

It is important that we conscientiously teach the Ten Commandments, the moral foundation of our faith, especially in light of the Beatitudes.

—See National Directory for Catechesis, 44

Catholics Believe

God made humans in his image and likeness so we could be in relationship with him.

· With a soul, reason, and free will, humans can set their priority and direction in life toward friendship with God. Jesus is the model for living out this relationship.

· God established a covenant with his people, promising to be faithful to them and to be their God. God calls each of us to be in relationship with him and to honor the covenant.

· The natural and revealed law—especially the Ten Commandments—guide people in what is good and evil, what is faithful living, and what it means to truly be an image of God.

Formation

Human beings were created to be in relationship. It is part of our nature. Because we were created by a God who is himself a community of Persons—and we are created for the expressed purpose of union with our Creator—how could it be otherwise? There is a natural inclination within each of us to be with others. When those relationships are defined by justice and love, they become what God intended them to be. When they are defined by selfishness and abuse, they become disordered. The Church offers us many sources of guidance and support to create relationships that are signs of God’s love.

How do the relationships in your life help you to come to know God better?

Parent Prayer

God, be my companion as I seek to pass along my love for you and your Church to the family you have entrusted to my care. Bless me with wisdom, patience, steadfastness, and, above all, a loving heart, that I may faithfully and honorably live and teach your truth. Amen.

Helping Your Young Adolescent Learn about Our Faith

• As they expand their relationships and social responsibilities, younger adolescents are beginning to grapple with the expectations of others, including the sometimes conflicting expectations of family members and peers. This session allows youth to reflect on the promises and commitments that they make. As parents or guardians, we can be open to conversations with our children about their priorities and their friendship with God.

• Because young people usually lack the perspective and experience that come from having lived through many personal crises, the stresses of life can seem immediate and insurmountable to them. As parents or guardians, our sharing an adult perspective can alleviate their sense of being overwhelmed.

Faith at Home Activity

At home, talk about the covenant you and your family members share. How do you promise to love each other and live together?

Resource Link

For more resources to use at home, see People of Faith—Generations Learning Together—Professing Our Faith Magazines. These magazines are designed to be used by families to promote faith learning, conversation, and prayer at home.

· We Believe in God

See also Faith at Home: Nurturing Households of Faith—a magazine that features practical suggestions, articles, activities, and tips for sharing and celebrating faith in the home. It also contains pages that relate specifically to this theme.

Additional resources to bring faith home to your family include Takeout: Family Faith on the Go, a monthly mini-magazine that helps parents build faith-filled families.

There’s also Catholic Parent Know-How, a series of booklets designed to help parents in their role as primary educators of the faith.

· Build Stronger Families

· Peer Pressure

· Why Do We Have to Go to Mass?

· Internet & Families