Pope Francis FAITH Award

Pope Francis FAITH Award Gathering Point 4 UNDERSTANDING “Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!” 26th April 2013

Reflect Learn Act to be Understanding. MENU: Gathering Point 4 Understanding Gathering Point Understanding We are learning... Learn about the Gift of Understanding. Reflect to reflect on what Understanding means. Act to be Understanding.

Let us begin our time together In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen We begin our Gathering Point with prayer. We remember that, as we make the Sign of the Cross, we are praying to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We ask God to guide our time of learning, reflection and action.

Gathering Point : We are learning... UNDERSTANDING The fourth Gathering point will focus on the Gift of Understanding.

Refl ect Lea rn Act to be Understanding. about the Gift of UNDERSTANDING. Refl ect to reflect on what Understanding means. Act to be Understanding. Gathering Point UNDERSTANDING We are learning... The Learning Intentions for each GP are stated in a slide at the beginning of each session. GP4 – The Gift of Understanding. We are learning: about the gift of UNDERSTANDING to reflect on what Understanding means. to ACT by using the gift of Understanding to serve others.

“Understanding” is letting the Word of God have room in our lives.. Lea rn about the Gift of Understanding. Understanding helps us to have an insight into what God is asking us to do and how we should live our lives. With Understanding being a disciple of Jesus is always refreshing and life giving to ourselves and others. “Understanding” is letting the Word of God have room in our lives.. Gathering Point Understanding We are learning... The Gift of Understanding energises us when we sometimes find it hard to know why we have to love others and act in a certain way. Not only does Understanding help us to see what God wants us to do, but when we understand how to live and we show this to others we also revive them and give their faith journey new life. It is like fresh water that refreshes us on our faith journey.

about the Gift of Understanding Scripture Time Learn about the Gift of Understanding It may be useful to remind pupils that, when we listen to Scripture passages, we are listening to the inspired Word of God (RERC 2-12a) and that we “read aloud from Sacred Scripture in such a way that I am proclaiming the Word of God”. (core learning P6. 2-12a). While the Scripture passages have been included in each PowerPoint, you may want to first use a Bible to read from to show the proclamation of the Word, and then display the slides that follow.

a Gift of the Holy Spirit UNDERSTANDING: a Gift of the Holy Spirit Listen carefully as your teacher reads the words of Scripture The translation used for all Scripture passages comes from the Jerusalem Bible.

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (55:1,3, 10,11) The Lord says, “Come, everyone who is thirsty- here is water! Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me and you will have life! My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make crops grow and provide seed for sowing food to eat.” The translation used for all Scripture passages comes from the Jerusalem Bible.

Listen for the key words and messages from this passage. Your teacher will read the words of Scripture again. Quick Question Time Listen for the key words and messages from this passage. Re-read the passage to pupils. At the end of reading the passage give pupils some thinking time and then ask them to share the key words and messages. This can be done using ‘show me’ boards or a ‘hands-down’ question time where the teacher selects pupils to answer (rather than them volunteering a response). Both methodologies should encourage all pupils to listen carefully as they will have to share a response.

Each Gathering Point follows the Scripture Passage with activities to help pupils understand the meaning and relevance of the text for them.

How do instructions help us to understand? Your teacher will read the words of Scripture again. How do instructions help us to understand? What ‘instructions’ does God give us to help us on our faith journey? What is the difference between knowledge and understanding? In what way is God’s Word like water? Use the questions to try to encourage pupils to think about: What is difference between knowing something and understanding it? – I know that when I put bread under a hot grill it becomes toast but do I understand how that happens or why? Why is it important to not only know some things but also understand them. Can the pupils give any examples of something they understand now that they didn’t when they were younger. Have you ever used instructions to help understand how something works or how best to use it? Are these instructions always written down or can they come in different forms? (e.g. Diagrams, someone telling you, on-line hints, trying it out) God’s Word is our instructions. It helps us unlock our understanding of what God wants for our lives. But this Word is not just the Bible, like all instructions his Word is sometimes written but sometimes it is other people or actions that help us to understand. Can you think of people, actions or something written that have helped you to understand God in your life more? (Prayers, bible passages, sacraments (& the preparation for them), parents & family, teachers, other pupils, saints lives, seeing someone else act kindly & copying them etc) 4)In our definition we read that it understanding means ‘letting the Word of God have room in our lives’ how is this phrase connected with the scripture passage we have just read? 6) Remember all of the ways that you said that you hear & see God’s word in point 3)? How can you make more room for them in your life?

At the beginning of the reading we heard these words: “My word is like the snow and rain that come down from the sky to the earth” Use the slides to prompt the pupils to reflect on what they have heard and to think about what this may mean for their own faith journey.

Listen to those words again. Close your eyes. Listen to those words again. “My word is like the snow and rain that come down from the sky to the earth” Imagine the rain falling on a hot, dry, desert. Why are snow and rain important for the world? Why do farmers need them? Why do we need them How is God’s word like snow and rain? If pupils are not used to reflecting or meditating it may be helpful to use some of the meditation technique notes beforehand. Each teacher can decide how this time of reflection will work best for their class. Some may dim the lights and use lit candles, others may use music, others again may prefer silence. However it is done, pupils should be given time to stop and think about the questions. During the first GPs this time may be short. However, as the pupils become more comfortable with the activity, you may be able to extend the reflection time. Pupils may find it helpful for you to quietly repeat the questions to keep them focussed.

SHARE Each GP has the chance for pupils to think for themselves, talk to a partner and share with the class.

SCRIPTURE IN MY LIFE Why is understanding important? Your teacher may ask you to share some of your thoughts on the Scripture passage now. The questions below may help you to share your thoughts: Why is understanding important? What can happen if two people don’t understand each other? How can we understand what God wants for us? How do you use the gift of Understanding? This activity can be done within the pupil journal or as a class discussion. It may benefit pupils to take some time immediately after their reflection and ‘pair & share’ to jot down their own thoughts in notes, bullet points, mind map so that they can read back on this at a later stage.

Understanding is about discipleship Some Deeper Thinking... Understanding is about discipleship . With Understanding being a disciple of Jesus is always refreshing and life giving to ourselves and others. Choose one way that you share your faith and write about how this helps others on their faith journey. Some pupils may be able to be challenged further and so each GP will include a task that will develop deeper thinking. This may not be suitable for all pupils and can be used at the discretion of the teacher.

to reflect on what Understanding means Reflection Time Your teacher will give you a worksheet to help you reflect more upon the meaning of Understanding “ Understanding helps us to have an insight into what God is asking us to do and how we should live our lives.” Each GP has a worksheet to accompany it. This worksheet may be used in class or as homework. The activities relate to the learning and reflection in the GP and are intended to help the pupils begin to link these with action. You may decide to wait until the end of the GP to issue the worksheet.

Examination of Conscience Each GP has a worksheet to accompany it. This worksheet may be used in class or as homework. The activities relate to the learning and reflection in the GP and are intended to help the pupils begin to link these with action. You may decide to wait until the end of the GP to issue the worksheet.

We will think about how not to do that again in the future. When we come together we will think about all the times that we have made good decisions, loved God and others and done the right thing. We will also think about the times when we made bad choices that we are not proud of. We will think about how not to do that again in the future. This is called ‘examining your conscience’. By examining your conscience regularly you can be sure that when you LEARN something and REFLECT upon it you will know how to ACT in a way that helps you to become a disciple of Jesus. Each GP has an opportunity for an examination of conscience. This can be linked to RERC 2-23a “I know that God has given me the freedom to make choices about the way I live my life. I have reflected I how the decisions of my conscience affect my relationship with God and others” and specifically with the core learning “I am aware of the responsibility to inform my conscience when making choices about the way I live my life and I can do this by learning about and being faithful to the teaching of the Church and through daily prayer”. Included in the resources there is a document with 3 examples of ‘Examination of Conscience for Children’, should you prefer to use these rather than the one in the GP. The Examination of Conscience in each GP is split into 2. The first part uses a quote from Pope Francis to focus the pupils and to get them to think about when they have not put God first in their lives. It may be that for the first few GPs you decide to only use this slide and keep the second part for when pupils are more skilled at examining their conscience. The second part begins with the ‘FAITH’ prayer. This has been adapted from the Year of Faith prayer and is intended to be a simple ‘check list’ for discipleship. As such, it therefore offers pupils the chance to ask “Can I check this off? Have I done it? If so, when? If not, why?”. It may be helpful to plan an opportunity for pupils to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation following on from an examination of conscience.

Examination of Conscience  “How many things take the place of God in my life each day?” Pope Francis Examination of Conscience part 1: This seemingly simple question from Pope Francis can be used to help pupils think deeply about the time they give to God through prayer, acts of love, using their gifts and talents etc But also, when have they pushed God out of their life and replaced him by being cruel to someone, selfish or disobedient?

Faith Prayer & Examination of Conscience    Lord Jesus, You ask those who believe in you to give your Good News to others. We pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, our words and actions will help other people to hear of You, to believe in You to find the joy of knowing You. Amen  The FAITH prayer can be used to conclude the Time of reflection or as the beginning of a fuller examination of conscience. If concluding the Reflection time and you do not want to use the rest of the examination of conscience, please go to slide 32 (you can do this by clicking on the ‘faith’ image at the bottom of the slide.

You ask those who believe in you Examination of Conscience    Lord Jesus, You ask those who believe in you to give your Good News to others. Do I show others that I believe in Jesus? Do I give the Good News to other people? 

Do my actions show God in the world to other people? Examination of Conscience    We pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, our words and actions Would people meeting me know that what I say has been inspired by the Holy Spirit? Do my actions show God in the world to other people? 

Examination of Conscience    other people will hear of You, will believe in You Do other people know God because of me? Do they hear of God in what I say? Do they believe in him from what I do? 

How do I show others the beauty of God in the world? Examination of Conscience    and find the joy of knowing You. How do I show others the beauty of God in the world? Do I share the joy of having God as my friend? 

Examination of Conscience    What could I do more of to share my faith? How do I show my faith in school? In what ways is my life at home filled with faith? What do I do in my parish to show others I believe?

“How many things take the place of God in my life each day?” Pope Francis

Act to be Understanding Can you remember all of the learning and reflection from this Gathering Point on the Gift of UNDERSTANDING? What can you do with this gift? Set yourself a target of one new way to show others that the Holy Spirit has given you the gift of UNDERSTANDING. It is important for the pupils to see a connection between the faith that they learn and pray about and the faith that they live and celebrate. In each GP there is a slide which prompts pupils to take their learning and reflection and put it into practice. Over the course of the GPs this will help them to build experiences where they are increasingly aware of how they use each of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruits that this brings. From these experiences they will build evidence for their P7 profile and to demonstrate that they have met the criteria for the FAITH Award. Examples of activities have been given to staff, these are not exhaustive and the most important thing is that pupils are given the opportunity to say how they see the guidance and gifts of the Holy Spirit in their life.

The Pope Francis challenge Try to put into practice Pope Francis’ words: “Let us ask Our Lady to teach us how to live out our faith in our daily lives and to make more room for the Lord “ At the end of each GP there is a ‘challenge’ from Pope Francis. These have been taken from his tweets! These may be useful to help pupils stay enthusiastic about the award across the 2 years. It may help to print these slides off, display them in the classroom and encourage pupils to share when they managed to meet the Pope’s challenge – perhaps by adding a post it to the wall, or telling the class at morning prayer or writing in their journal.

Understanding

What does Understanding mean? Can you remember the symbol for Understanding? Why do we use this symbol?

Have you been successful? You set yourself a target to put Understanding into action Have you been successful?

What else could you do to show you have the Gift of Understanding? What next? What else could you do to show you have the Gift of Understanding?