Which bits could you take away, before the ship was not a ship anymore? How many bits could you replace before you had to say that the ship had become a different ship? 1.Are there any “parts” of yourself, if you changed, would make you a “different” person? Which & why? name? sex? Personal qualities eg less careless, more sociable, more serious? Having different interests? Having some life-changing experiences, good or bad Something else? 2. Do life experiences change who you are, or do you think there is something about you that stays the same through it all? Why? **Which parts of you, if you lost, would mean you were no longer human?

Image of God To describe what makes you you To explain what it means to be in the image of God To think about how the body makes us who we are

St. Thomas Aquinas said that we all have a basic human nature, that makes us human, and which will never change, even if other things about us change. Like the ship, if you take these parts away, it is not a ship anymore - that person would not really be fully human. We would no longer have those things that make us like God – the image of God. He includes things like: 1.Being able to know things and understand 2.Being rational (doing things for reasons) 3.Being moral (doing or not doing things because you can tell it is good/ bad) 4.Being free (unlike animals, we can choose our actions) 5.Being able to love unselfishly 6.Wanting to be a part of society – be social 7.Having a soul: being able to recognise truth, love & goodness (ie. God), & wanting to be with Him/ that. 1.Write up the things that Aquinas says give us the “bedrock” of who we are as images of God. 2.Which things do you think would be the worst to lose, as a human being? Why? **Do you think there is anything else you need, to stay the person that you are? What/ why? Bedrock that makes us who we are – images of God

Which of these is from the “image of God” part of us? 1.Eating and drinking 2.Making a free decision 3.Choosing not to fight when angry 4.Reflecting on what you did yesterday 5.Feeling pain 6.Wanting to share things with someone 7.Giving up time and effort to help a stranger 8.Wanting to worship God

Maybe the most important part of being made in the image of God, is our ability to love. The Pope’s book, “Theology of the Body”, is all about how we can love each other like God would want us to. Listen to God’s love letter to us, then write your own to yourself, or to someone else....showing the sort of qualities of love that you would find in God.

Would you: describe your relationships? I have brothers/ sisters/ such-and- such friends etc describe what you can do? I am good at… I like playing… say what you like ? I like this music/ certain computer games/ some activities eg shopping describe your personality? I am funny/ shy/ generous/ loyal. just say the obvious? I am english / a boy/ girl Which of these things could change over time? Which of them make you really you? Who are you ? If you walked into a chat-room full of strangers, and had to identify yourself, what would you say? 1.Explain what aspects of you will change over time, and which would not. 2.Do you think you have a “core” that makes you you? **Is there anything you could say about yourself that will never change? What?