Family Faith Circle Week Twenty – Breakout Theme: Ways of Happiness Host Family will lead opening prayer and introduce their family members. (Give a little detail about each person such as where they go to school, etc.) Faith Filled People to choose from (and why are they important to you and/or your family?): Dorothy Day Saint Peter Claver Saint Louis IX Today’s Readings from Lectionary: Read or summarize today’s readings to prepare for church or unpack for those that attended 8:30 mass. Song led by Jennifer St. Jacques Host Family Activity Video’s to choose from that go with the theme of the lesson: Bible Splice: the Beatitudes(5:22 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2zEbbYpy7g The Beatitudes: The Portrait of Happiness (3:25 minutes) (From Fr. Barron’s Catholicism Series) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ1VCDFEkkk Close Encounters with the Beatitudes (3:56 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU6gqBdNbr8
Transcript
Family Faith CircleWeek Twenty – Breakout
Theme: Ways of Happiness
Host Family will lead opening prayer and introduce their family members. (Give a little detail about each person such as where they go to school, etc.)
Faith Filled People to choose from (and why are they important to you and/or your family?): Dorothy Day
Saint Peter Claver
Saint Louis IX
Today’s Readings from Lectionary: Read or summarize today’s readings to prepare for church or unpack for those that attended 8:30 mass.
Song led by Jennifer St. Jacques
Host Family Activity
Video’s to choose from that go with the theme of the lesson:
Bible Splice: the Beatitudes(5:22 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2zEbbYpy7g
The Beatitudes: The Portrait of Happiness (3:25 minutes) (From Fr. Barron’s Catholicism Series) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ1VCDFEkkk
Close Encounters with the Beatitudes (3:56 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU6gqBdNbr8
Breakout: Choose one activity on topic and discussion for group. Topics suggested are from Be My Disciples.
Pre-K, 1 - Action Items: Bible to read from, print out beatitudes below. Cut out and talk about each one. Can also give black and white version for students to color. This website https://www.churchhousecollection.com/the-beatitudes-cards.php also has the Beatitude characters available as stand along cards if you want to print them all out. Make it a game – print out two sets, cut them out and play a matching game.
Read Matthew 5:1-10 outloud. The Beatitudes give us the ideas and actions that lead to the Kingdom of God. A lot of times, they are not what our culture values. Today we are learning about being a Peacemaker – or Shalom. Shalom in Hebrew means peace. When we think of peace, we often refer to the relationship between two things, like between two countries or two groups of people. In the biblical sense, peace means not only being at peace with others, but being peaceful inside ourselves – nothing is missing, nothing is broken, a general sense of well-being. When we have friends and we experience Shalom, it means there is trust and we know each other pretty well. When Jesus was here, he told his disciples he was leaving them Shalom, or peace. So we are Peacemakers! And Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called Children of God. We are Children of God!
Question – Who has forgiven you and who have you forgiven? Forgiving others shows our love for one another. Christians forgive one another. Jesus tells us to forgive people who have hurt us. Jesus says, “Ask God to forgive your sins and to help you forgive those who have hurt you.” Matthew 6:12 A couple questions before we do a craft, lets say your best friend borrows one of your favorite toys without permission. When she returns it, it is badly damaged. She tells you she is sorry. What will you say? (One of these)
a. It’s okb. I’m sorryc. It’s my fault.d. Go away.e. Let’s be friends.
Next question: You and your friend make bird feeders for your yards. You insist on carrying both feeders outside and drop your friends feeder. It breaks into several pieces. What will you say? What will you do? - From Be My Disciple, Catechist Guide 1
Grades 3,4,5 We did do this activity in 2017 if you want to do a different activity. There is another one below or find one that you like. Note: You do not have to do all of this in this exact way! I think it was done by a Mom who is on Pinterest a lot. But I thought they were good illustrations for this age group, so take what you want and leave the rest. This takes some preplanning. And you don’t have to make the “hamburger” in that same way with the Velcro, etc.. You could just draw it out and I think they would get it. Action items: paper for hamburger, print out of hamburger, print out of Beatitudes that go on the hamburger, tape or glue and scissors. For the Jar lesson, you need an glass jar filled half with water and half with oil. Add food coloring.
To list the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12 To recognize that the church behaves differently than the world To recognize that persecution will take place in a Christian’s life
Materials: Inductive Bible Study Form; a glass; vegetable oil; food coloring; water; [If students are doing this one their own, they will need paper and crayons. If you are teaching this to a group, you will need posterboard, markers, crayons, and velcro.] You will want to make the “hamburger” ahead of time. or you can have your students create their own and add the beatitudes as you go through the lesson. Be sure to put 2 beatitudes for the “meat” layer.
Background: Jesus was still in the beginning years of His ministry. He fed the 5,000, walked on water, and healed people by the hundreds. More and more people were coming to see what He was about. His time still “had not come.” Therefore, He continued to slip away when the religious leaders caused issues.
Main Events of the Beatitudes:{Fill the glass half full with oil and the rest with water. Add food coloring. I prepared this ahead of time, but you could do it with the kids.} Where is the water? [On the bottom of the jar.] Where is the oil? [At the top.] When Jesus saw the multitudes coming towards Him, He went up on a mountain. He sat down and began to teach the people. It was Jesus’ job to tell the people about the Father and about eternal life in heaven. In the sermon on the mount Jesus mentioned heaven 21 times. He also talked about righteousness 5 times in this sermon. Jesus gave the people a list, which we call the Beatitudes. What happens if I shake the jar? {Shake the jar. The water and oil mix, but then separate again.} Jesus told us that God’s people are to be IN the world, but not OF the world. In this sermon Jesus wanted to tell the people how God’s people are to live. A person cannot belong to God and live however he wants to. Just like the oil and water are both IN the jar, Christians are IN the world. But the water and oil separates. The church cannot behave like the world. Let’s see what Jesus said.
[BUILD THE HAMBURGER]I. LOVE. HAMBURGERS! Ones right off the grill. They smell good. They look good. A good hamburger can make me happy. But even after a good hamburger, we’ll get hungry again. Even the happiness fades. But if we continually fill ourselves up with the Bread of Life and Living Water, then we will never need food or water again. Jesus told the people that if they wanted to be a part of the kingdom of God, then they had to be righteous – GOD’S way.
Each of the Beatitudes begins with “Blessed are those who…” That word “Blessed” equals the word “Happy.” Jesus has told us how to be happy! But like our jar, it isn’t what the world would consider happiness. Let’s put together The Hamburger of Happiness!
Bottom of the Bun (POOR IN SPIRIT) – If we didn’t have the bottom of the hamburger bun, would the hamburger stay together well? Probably not. It’s a solid foundation for the rest of the burger. The same goes with the Beatitudes. The first one is foundational for all the rest. When Adam and Eve were in the garden and they disobeyed God by eating the fruit, something died within them. Their spirits became poor. Separated from God. We are poor in spirit when we realize we are separated from God by our sin. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, then John 3:16 tells us we have everlasting life. Therefore, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Cheese (Mourn) – Once we realize that we have sin and will always sin, then we need to take it seriously. God sure does. Sin is no laughing matter. It should not make us happy. But happy are those who mourn over their sins. When we ask God to forgive us and we are really sorry we committed those sins, then we will be forgiven and comforted. Therefore, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Tomato (Meek) – Being meek does not mean being weak. Being meek means a person recognizes that he is not in charge of life, and that God is. Being meek means you trust God totally to be Who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do. Remember what happened to the earth when Adam and Eve disobeyed God? The ground was cursed. It was lost. But the meek will inherit, or be given, the earth. Think about how wonderful heaven will be!! It won’t be cursed! It will be restored. Therefore, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Meat (Hungering and Thirsting and Merciful) – Remember that Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life and that He had Living Water? The more you read your Bible, memorize scripture, pray, and worship Jesus, the more you will hunger and thirst for Him. And the more you thirst and hunger, the more righteous you will become. God does not hide. He wants to be with you. He wants to be involved with your life. He wants to fill you! Therefore, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled (satisfied). And the more we learn about Jesus, the more compassionate we become. We are more quick to extend mercy, kindness, and second chances, to those who do not deserve it. If you want to receive mercy, then be sure you give it out to others. Therefore, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Onion (Pure in Heart) – As we learn more about Jesus, as we partake of the Bread and Living Water, we will begin to think differently and change our actions. God will cleanse our hearts. This is what that churchy word “Sanctification” means. It’s allowing God to clean your heart, your motives, your thoughts, your actions, your words….everything. It’s a slow process. But if we allow God to show us the sins we need to get rid of, then we will see Him. One day we will see Him face to face, but even now on earth God reveals Himself to people in many ways. Therefore, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Lettuce (Peacemakers) – Being a peacemaker means you try to not cause strife, or be a part of trouble and unrest. We must make peace with God and we must be at peace with other people. We make peace with God when we ask for forgiveness. The same is true when dealing with others. If we mess up, own up to it. Ask for forgiveness. Make peace. Has anyone told you that you look like one of your parents? The more you make peace, the more you look like Jesus to others. Like Father, like son, or daughter. Therefore, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Top Bun (Persecuted) – It doesn’t sound quite right to say, “happy are those who are persecuted.” But that is what Jesus was saying. Happy are those who were, who are right now, who will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Think about Jesus. He was persecuted. The Jewish Leaders tried to trick Him, they beat Him, pulled out His beard, had Him whipped, nailed to a cross, and left for dead. And Jesus had done nothing wrong. Jesus was persecuted, and He tells us over and over again in scripture to be ready, for if we are going to follow Him, then we must carry our cross. We will be persecuted if we choose to be like Jesus. {Hold up the jar. It should be separated again.} If the water represents those who belong to God and the oil equals those who do not believe, then we cannot mix. If we choose to be righteous like Jesus, then we will be radically different from the world. And they don’t “get it.” They don’t “get” Jesus. And they won’t understand you either. But even if we were to die in our persecution, what hope do we have? To be absent from the body is to be in the presence of Jesus. Therefore, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Toothpick (Rejoice) – Some fancy sandwiches have toothpicks that keep them together. God gives our hamburger a toothpick. Jesus told the people to be happy if people persecute you. Why? Because God has a reward waiting. We are to rejoice! Because if people think you are worth persecuting, then you must be acting like Jesus. We are to rejoice! Think of your favorite birthday gift you ever received? How much better will be the gifts from God? After all, He created things like Saturn and the ocean!! Therefore, Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
All of these “Happys” and “Blesseds” rest on the first one: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Recognize that you are a sinner. Those who say they have no sin lie, and deceive themselves. Mourn over your sin. Allow God to work in you and transform you into a copy of His Son. The kingdom of heaven is a place you do not want to miss, but you have to choose God’s terms and not your own.
Target Age: 2nd-5th grade
Action Items: Print outs, Scenario Cards if dividing into groups, Bibles to read from.
Time Needed: 30-40 minutes depending on how much your class likes to talk and participate
Materials Needed: Prewritten or typed Scenario Cards (You can use the three scenarios provided or make up more depending upon the size of your class and how many children you would like to include in each small group)
Hook:
1. “What is peace?” Give the children opportunity to give their own definitions.
2. “What does it look like to not have peace?” Give the children opportunity to explain what this may look like.
3. “Does God want us to have peace in our life?” Give the children opportunity to answer and explain the why of their answers.
Small Group Time:
1. Divide the class into small groups. The number of groups should match the number of scenario cards you have prepared in advance.
2. “I am going to give each group one card. Have one person in your group read it out loud and then discuss how you could make peace in the situation. Talk about what you would do if you were in that situation.” Give one scenario card to each group.
3. Allow the groups time to discuss while you walk around the room listening in and engaging in the groups’ discussions.
Scenario Card #1 Share:
Scenario: “You are waiting in line to go up the ladder and go down the slide on the playground. Another kid runs over and cuts in front of you in line. You push them out of your way before climbing the ladder. After all, it was your spot in line wasn’t it? What do you do?”
1. The small group shares what they would do to make peace in this situation.
2. “Take out your Bibles and turn to Romans 12:18-19.” Read aloud these two verses.
3. “What does the Bible tell us we should do?” Take input from the children.
4. “The Bible tells us we are to do whatever we can to be at peace with others. Should we ever take matters into our own hands if someone has done something wrong to us?”
5. “No, God tells us to never seek revenge because He will take care of it for us. He calls us to do our part to make peace with others no matter who started it. To make peace in this situation, we should go back to the child we pushed, apologize, and seek their forgiveness without mentioning the fact that they cut in line first.”
Scenario Card #2 Share:
Scenario: “There is a child in your neighborhood who often calls you names. You do not know why they call you these names, but you do know that it hurts your feelings. You think maybe this other child could be jealous of you. What do you do?”
1. The small group shares what they would do to make peace in this situation.
2. “Open your Bibles now to Hebrews 12:14.” Read aloud the verse to the class.
3. “This verse tells us to strive for or pursue peace. We are to try to be at peace with all people. You are not at peace with another child if they are calling you names. The Bible tells us to seek to make peace with this child and find out why they are calling you names. By seeking to make peace you are showing the other child the peace you have in your heart because you do not want the other child to have a hardened heart toward you.”
Scenario #3 Share:
Scenario: “It is time for book clubs in your classroom, the time when you and your classmates get to choose which book you will be reading and discussing in small groups over the next several weeks. You have had your heart set on a certain book and everyone in your class knows you have been looking forward to reading it. There is only one of those books left and the
student whose turn is right before you chose it, leaving no more copies of the book you wanted. What do you do?”
1. The small group shares what they would do to make peace in this situation.
2. “Open your Bibles to 1 Peter 3:10-12.” Read aloud these verses to the class.
3. “In this situation it was not a nice thing for the student ahead of you to choose the book you wanted when they knew you had been looking forward to reading it. Your reaction could have been to speak a mean word to them and use your tongue for evil. In this passage God tells us to not use our tongues for evil, but to turn away from evil and pursue peace.”
4. “What does it mean to pursue peace? It means to go after it. Peace doesn’t just happen on its’ own, but we must try to make peace with others.”
5. “In this situation you could go tell that student that you understand that maybe they wanted to read that book, too. You can tell them that you were disappointed you missed out on reading it for book clubs, but you plan to check it out from the library to read on your own. That would be making peace.”
Took:
1. “Why should we pursue peace? Why does God tell us in the Bible to pursue peace?”
2. “Let’s look at Matthew 5:9.” Read this verse out loud.3. “We are called to be peacemakers because we are sons and daughters
of God. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and made Him Lord of our life, then we are at peace with God. No longer does our sin keep us from being at peace with God the Father. What a blessing that is! Having peace with God is the greatest gift we could ever receive!”
4. “As a believer in Jesus, because we are now at peace with God, we will want to share that peace with others through making peace with them. By being peacemakers we will be sharing the peace we have in our hearts with those around us.”
5. “As you go to school this week and play with friends in your neighborhood look for ways you can make peace and share the peace you have with God. If you do not have peace with God, then today could be the day when you do. If you have questions about how to be at peace with God, then one of our adult helpers would be happy to talk with you about that.”
Grades 6,7 Action Items: IPad to watch video, bible to read out loud from, index cards. You can either pre-write on the index cards or have your class do it. You can play a matching game with one half of a beatitude written on the card and second half written on the other card or print out the Match Game below and cut them out. Can also print out the Beatitude Fill in the Blank below. Read out loud the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-10
Watch The Beatitudes (4:36 minutes) from Ascension Press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aml9KYredtI
The BeatitudesThe Beatitudes are the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-10). Jesus teaches us that if we live according to the Beatitudes, we will live a happy Christian life. The Beatitudes do not provide specific directions on how we should live our lives, as the Ten Commandments do. Rather, they inspire us to adopt a certain mindset or vision for our lives, namely, the vision of Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes challenge us to be people of virtue. Virtue is a firm attitude, mindset, or disposition to do good. For the virtuous person, doing good is a habit. Through the Beatitudes, Jesus calls us to change our vision and learn that in order to be happy (blessed), we must be peace-loving, merciful, clean of heart, and meek.
Living the Beatitudes is a lifelong task because the Beatitudes turn upside down the values of the world. The world sets up the rich to be first; Jesus puts the poor on top of the world. The world tells us to seek happiness at all costs; Jesus saw happiness in mourning. The world values power over others; Jesus praised the meek. The world encourages self-fulfillment; Jesus told us to work for justice. The world says that the merciless succeed; Jesus proclaimed blessed the merciful. The world announces, Go for the gold!; Jesus taught us to keep our hearts pure. The world honors the winners of wars; Jesus celebrated peacemakers. The world sees the persecuted as losers; Jesus declared them the winners.
So what are some ways that we can develop the Beatitudes in our own lives? First, we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit is already at work within us, drawing us toward God and inspiring our desire to be a Beatitudes-type of person. Second, like anything we hope to develop in ourselves, we must be open, learn, and study. Pay attention to the people you know who model a particular beatitude. Think of ways you can model their behavior in your own life. Finally, talk with God in prayer. Ask him to help you out and to teach you how to develop the Beatitudes in your mind, heart, and actions. – from The Loyola Press
Additional questions in case no one is talking: Which of the beatitudes “spoke” to you? How can you reflect that? The Ten Commandments spoke about how we were to live around others, the Beatitudes speak of how we are to live internally. Do you see the difference? Are these easy to live? Play the Beatitude Match Game below.
Adult Lesson: Watch the following video: Matthew Kelley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV5ffhGxCEE What are ways in the bible that tells us how to follow God? Ten Commandments? The Beatitudes? Play the Beatitude match game and discuss how following the Beatitudes would make you a Rebel. Action Items: Ipad for video, index cards or print out of match game below. (Cut into sections to match.)
Beatitude Memory Matching Game
A simple memory matching game is a good introduction to the Beatitudes, and it can be played with a Bible in hand to help learn them. The materials needed are a set of cards of equal size, each containing one-half of a Beatitude. Some companies manufacture and sell these cards, although they are also easy to make at home. The cards should all be laid out face down on a flat surface. During each player's turn, he or she should flip over two cards, allow all players to read them, and then turn them back over. If the two cards a player flips over match, the player gets to remove them from play and put them in front of him or her. When all cards have been removed, the player who has the most cards wins.
