K-5
Curriculum:
Most K-5 sessions will have three sections. It may seem like there is “too much” to do, but that is infinitely preferable to having too little to do. We don’t want families sitting in a classroom twiddling their thumbs. However, so that families do not become frustrated with the work, please remind everyone in your room (on each night) to work at their own pace and that whatever they do not finish can be taken home to do another time if they wish.
Parents,
There will generally be several activities taking varying amounts of time depending on the size of your family and age of your children. Go at your own pace. Do not worry about completing everything. If you wish, you can even bring the rest home to talk about another day or throughout the month.
We are going to begin tonight with an activity. The Lifelong Learning volunteers will give you some clay for your child to mold a holy water font for your home. You can put this font by your child’s doorway or an entrance to your home to remind them and your household of their baptismal promises. Instructions for creating these fonts can be found below. At the end of the night we will collect the fonts, glaze and fire them, then return them at an upcoming Sunday Mass.
Instructions:
- Make a bowl with the clay. This will hold liquid, so be sure to have high, thick, sides and a sturdy base.
- Use the toothpick to scratch deeply (in print that we can read) your child’s first and last name. We need this so that we can return your child’s bowl.
- Use the toothpicks to decorate the bowl with some symbols of baptism (ie: water, godparents, baby, shell, etc.)
- Continue to Activity B.
ACTIVITY B: Understanding and Preparing
Our Parents
Read:
Have you ever noticed how children look a lot like their parents? You have probably even heard people talking when there is a new baby. They might say, “Oh, she has her mother’s eyes” or “Hey, he has his father’s nose.” This isn’t a coincidence. God made man in His image, but He also made it so that the children of men and women would be made in their parents’ image.
Answer/Discuss:
How are you like your parents?
How are your parents like your grandparents?
Do you have any of the same talents as your parents?
(If you have them) How are your siblings similar to you?
Our First Parents
(Younger children can color the pictures of Adam and Eve while they listen to the story. Older children may do the reading for the family)
Read:
Our first parents were Adam and Eve. These were the first humans ever made by God. When God made Adam and Eve, he gave them many special gifts. First, God gave them SanctifyingGrace. Sanctifying Grace is what makes us holy. It is the gift God gives to humans so that we can live in union with Him. Adam and Eve also had other spiritual gifts that made life (especially doing the right thing) very easy for them.
God asked only one thing of Adam and Eve. He told them not to eat the fruit of a special tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God knew that this tree would hurt Adam and Eve, even kill them. God doesn’t want us to get hurt, and since all sin hurts us more than anything else on Earth, He gives us the rules and help we need to avoid committing sin. Our parents also make rules so we don’t get hurt.
Answer/Discuss:
What are some rules in your home that keep you safe?
What are some rules you struggle to obey in your home?
Why did your parents create those rules?
What are some rules Catholics have? How do they keep us safe from sin?
Consequences
Read:
Unfortunately, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree, instead of trusting God. By disobeying, Adam and Eve sinned. We call this the original sin. Because of original sin, Adam and Eve lost many of the wonderful gifts God gave them. They even lost their life of Sanctifying Grace.
Remember how children are made in the image of their parents? Well, when Adam and Eve lost the special gifts that God gave them it meant that they couldn’t pass on those gifts to their children. This meant that all humans were born without the life of Sanctifying Grace which Adam and Eve had. This also meant that people would now die instead of living forever, as Adam and Eve would have if they hadn’t sinned. This was very bad for all of us, but since God loved us so much, He promised a savior would come and save us from death and sin. This savior is Jesus.
Answer/Discuss:
There were consequences for Adam and Eve’s sin, for themselves and for others. What are the consequences of disobeying your parents? (For yourselves and for others)
What are the consequences of disobeying the police? (For yourselves and for others)
What are the consequences of disobeying God? (For yourselves and for others)
What did God do and what sacrament did He create to save us from the consequences of original sin?
START ACTIVITY C
ACTIVITY C: THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Read:
Jesus says, “No one can enter the kingdom of God (heaven) without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3:5b) Just as we were born into our family, we also need to be born into God’s family. Baptism is our birth into the Church! Jesus instituted the sacrament of baptism because of original sin. It gives us the Sanctifying Grace Adam and Eve lost, makes us God’s real sons and daughters and promises a life of complete joy with God after our lives on Earth. God made this sacrament so powerful that it even puts a special, permanent mark on our souls that says we are God’s children.
Answer/Discuss:
What happened when we were born into our family?
Who was there?
How did your parents prepare for you?
Read:
Your birth was a wonderful time to celebrate, but a lot of preparation had to be done first. The same is true with baptism. Your parents had to prepare for your baptism and today you will pretend to do the same.
(If you did not bring a doll you can use one of the extras provided when you need to)
1. First things first. You received a name at your birth and at your baptism. You must now give a name to your pretend child. It is good to give your child the same name as a saint. If you do this, your child will always have that saint as a special friend through life to pray for him or her.
What is your child’s name? (write it on the pretend baptismal certificate provided)
2. God gave you two parents at birth. You need to choose two godparents for your pretend baby’s birth into the Church. God trusts your parents to keep you safe and raise you. Godparents should be trusted to keep your child safe by helping them avoid sin and grow into good Catholics.
Who is the godmother?
Who is the godfather?
Who were your godparents and why did your parents choose them?
3. In an emergency, your parents could have baptized you, but normally a Deacon, Priest or (possibly) a Bishop performs baptisms. Many times a priest will baptize a child at Mass on Sunday so that our whole Church family can celebrate and pray for the new child.
The Rite of Baptism
Early in the Mass, the priest will question the parents and the godparents. He will ask the name of the child, what they desire of God’s Church (baptism) and if they are willing to accept the responsibilityfor raising, or helping to raise, the child as a Catholic. After this, the Priest, parents and godparents trace the sign of the cross on the infant and go back to their seats and listen to the readings and the homily.
The celebrant (Priest) will also say a prayer of exorcism over the child so that any evil influence seeking to harm him or her will be stopped. The celebrant then anoints the child on his chest with the Oil of Catechumens (ka-tə-kyü-məns). Oil has been used for thousands of years as a tool for healing, a source for light and a preparation for athletes before a difficult competition. The Oil of Catechumens symbolizes all of those things. In baptism the child will literally be healed of original sin, be given the light of Christ’s life and will be strengthened by God’s grace to live the hard, but joyful, life of a Catholic.
The priest will then ask our Catholic family in heaven to pray for us and for the
child. Mary, the Mother of God, St. John the Baptist, St. Peter and St. Paul are all asked to pray for us. Afterwards, the priest asks the parents and godparents to reaffirm their faith in the words below.
Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith.
Parents: Say the following to your children and ask them to reply, “I do.”
Celebrant: Do you reject Satan?
Parents & Godparents:I do.
Celebrant: And all his works?
Parents & Godparents:I do.
Celebrant: And all his empty promises?
Parents & Godparents:I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in the God the Father, almighty, creator of Heaven
and Earth?
Parents & Godparents:I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was born of
the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the
dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
Parents & Godparents:I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the
communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting?
Parents & Godparents:I do.
Celebrant: This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church, we are proud to profess
it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All:Amen.
Baptism: Go to the “font” set up in your class. Please re-emphasize that this is pretend, then follow the rite on the next sheet to show what happens during baptism.
Celebrant: Is it your will that (name) be baptized in the faith of the Church, which we have all professed with you?
Parents:It is.
He baptizes the child, saying:
(parents can show children on the doll/stuffed animal)
Celebrant: (Name), I BAPTISE YOU IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER
He immerses the child or pours water upon it.
Celebrant: AND OF THE SON
He immerses the child or pours water upon it a second time.
Celebrant: AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
He immerses the child or pours water upon it a third time.
Sacred Chrism (another oil) is used to anoint the child after baptism to remind us that baptism makes us priests, prophets and kings like Christ. It also points toward the sacrament of Confirmation that the child will receive later in life.
The priest will say:
“God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life.”
(Kneel down, look your real child in the eyes and trace the sign of the cross on their forehead while saying: “You are God’s beloved son/daughter. You are a priest, prophet and king with Jesus forever.”)
Read:
After a child is baptized and anointed with Sacred Chrism, the child receives a white garment to signify chastity and purity. Parents receive a lit candle to remind them that the light of Christ’s life is now in their child. These are symbols of what baptism means. Water is needed for a baptism, but it is a symbol of what baptism does as well.
Answer/Discuss:
What are three or four different things water can symbolize?
Why do you think Jesus chose water for baptism?
Baptismal Certificate
(For Class Use Only)
Name of Child: ______
Date of Birth: ______
Baptismal Date: ______
Parents of Child: ______
God Mother: ______
God Father: ______
(For pretend baptisms only)
We Remember our Baptismal Promises
Read:
“No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it (under a bushel basket), but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light.” Luke 11:33
At our baptism we were given new life in Jesus, but that life was given so that we would LIVE it. Just as nobody lights a candle and then hides it, so our life in Jesus is not meant to be put away and forgotten after baptism, but to shine in the world. Holy water helps us to remember our baptism and the life we are supposed to live.
The first thing we do as we enter God’s house is dip our fingers into the holy water font and bless ourselves. We do this by touching our wet fingers to our forehead and making the sign of the cross. When we feel the holy water we remember our baptism and the life we are supposed to be living. We also remember that baptism is the way we enter God’s family, the Church, just as the holy water font is the way we enter God’s house, the church.
The Mass
God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit, but they disobeyed. As God’s children we should always obey Him. One of God’s commands is for us to go to Mass every Sunday unless it is impossible or unsafe to go. God commands us to go to Mass because that is where we hear His word in the bible, ask for His help, thank Him for His gifts and, most importantly, receive Him in the Eucharist. We also get to be with our Catholic family who helps us when we struggle and celebrates with us when things are well. God knows we need these things to help us live the life He gave us at our baptism. He knows we need the Mass just like God knew the forbidden fruit would be bad for Adam and Eve. We should trust that God knows what is best for us.
Answer/Discuss:
If we go to someone’s house, we normally know why we are going and what we might say. Why do we go to God’s house each Sunday? How can we prepare to go to God’s house?