1. You Have Been Called The Church Unit 5, Chapter 14
Document #: TX005564
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

2. A Call from God
Jesus called his Apostles and sent them out to share the Good News with others.
We can hear Jesus calling to us in the ordinary events of our lives.
God constantly calls all of us into communion with himself and others.
Notes: Draw a parallel between the early followers of Christ and us. They were called to be in relationship with Jesus, sent out to share the gospel, and created to be in community with others. Explain that God doesn’t just call us; he also gives us the gifts we need to answer his call.
© Bill Perry / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

3. Called to Belong to the Church
The Church is the assembly of people whom God calls together
to be in a special relationship with him.
God’s desire to be in relationship with us is extraordinary.
Notes: Ask the students how God’s call to belong to the Church happened in their lives. The next slide addresses infant Baptism as an entry into the Church.
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series
© JHershPhoto / Shutterstock.com

4. Your Call from God
Most Catholic teens began the Christian life as infants.
The parents promise to help their children come to know God
and participate fully in the Church.
Notes: Ask the students who were baptized as infants if they know the date of their baptisms. Tell them that, in 2014, Pope Francis invited the faithful to find out that date and to celebrate it as a feast day.
© Natalilia Budianska / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

5. Your Life in the Sacraments
In Baptism, you died and rose with Christ and were freed from Original Sin.
You were incorporated into the Body of Christ as priest, prophet, and king.
You “put on” Christ, and he enlightened you.
Notes: Point out that not all Catholics received the Sacraments in the manner described in the student book. Explain the last bullet point in light of the Rite of Baptism, as described in article 56 in the student book.
© mylu / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

6. First Reconciliation
You may have received this Sacrament for the first time at age seven or eight.
In Reconciliation, you received God’s mercy for sins.
You learned to examine your conscience.
Notes: Discuss the benefits of a regular examination of conscience.
© Lukasz Pajor / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

7. Your First Communion
The Eucharist is the Sacrament that is at the center of our faith.
At First Communion you were united more fully with Jesus
and, through him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit as well.
Notes: Ask the students if they recall how they understood the meaning of Communion when they received the Sacrament for the first time. Ask how receiving this Sacrament every week nourishes our spiritual life.
© tarczas / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

8. Are You Confirmed?
You may have already received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Through this Sacrament you receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Notes: Ask what we call the three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist (Sacraments of Christian Initiation). Point out that for most Catholics today, becoming fully incorporated into the Body of Christ is a process that unfolds over several years.
© Jorg Hackemann / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

9. Learning More
You learn more about God and his Church through religion classes,
books, retreats, liturgies, and the positive examples of others.
Notes: Ask the question that concludes article 56 in the student book, “What adults have played an important role in promoting your faith life and your participation in the Church?” Consider sharing how you would have answered in high school.
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series
© William Perugini / Shutterstock.com

10. The Life of the Church
Christ enriches us through participation in the life of the Church.
You have many opportunities to deepen your relationship with Christ and to receive his grace.
Notes: Ask the students what experiences have helped them get to know Christ and receive his grace. (The next slides cover three important ways.)
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series
© Prixel Creative / Shutterstock.com

11. Sacred Scripture
Jesus is the Word of God, the unique Word through which God speaks to us.
In Scripture, we learn about Jesus.
We also encounter Jesus himself.
Notes: Direct the students to read the sidebar in article 57 of the student book, “The Newman Center.” Share any personal experience or knowledge you may have of Newman Centers.
© Jason Stitt / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

12. The Sacraments
The Sacraments are gifts from Christ that bring us face-to-face with God.
We encounter grace most fully in the Sacraments.
Our response to God’s call means having an active liturgical life.
Notes: Ask the students to name the Sacraments that fall under each category named in the section “The Sacraments,” in article 57 of the student book. Ask the students how their own faith has been strengthened when they were present as others received the Sacrament of Matrimony, Baptism, or Confirmation.
© Zvonimis Atletic / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

13. Prayer God calls us to be people of prayer.
People pray in many different ways.
Without prayer, we fail to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and we fall into sin.
Notes: Discuss the picture of Christ knocking on the door in article 57 of the student book. Point out that the Sacraments, Scripture, and prayer are all gifts given to us by God so that we can grow closer to him, but that all require action on our part.
© Nancy Bauer / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

14. Called to Community
The desire to be in relationship with others is wired into us.
The people in our lives are also gifts from God
and they are ways for God to communicate with us.
Notes: Discuss how God might communicate his love and even his will to us through our relationships.
© dotshock / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

15. True Friends
True friends help us to grow in faith and as members of the Body of Christ.
To find good friends, you need to be a good friend.
Notes: Direct students to look over the list of actions associated with true friends, in article 58 of the student book. Invite them to reflect on whether they have found true friends, and whether they themselves have been true friends. Discuss small steps we can take to become better friends.
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series
© Martin Novak / Shutterstock.com

16. Finding Faithful Friends
You may find a friend through your parish, school, or diocese:
at retreats
through volunteering
on service trips
Notes: Ask if the students are familiar with World Youth Day. Share some basic information about it. (You can readily find information online.)
© mangostock / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series

17. We Are Members of the Body of Christ
God has called us into a big family of faith, the People of God.
The Church is diverse, with members from every nation and people.
We exchange a diversity of gifts with our brothers and sisters in the faith.
Notes: Read aloud the sidebar that concludes article 58 in the student book, “Catholics Are Not All the Same, Thank God!” Discuss examples of seeing differences as gifts.
© bikeriderlondon / Shutterstock.com
© 2016 Saint Mary’s Press
Living in Christ Series