Religious Education - Roman Catholic Church

Christian

Catholics define ‘Christian’ as any person who is baptised and who has faith in Jesus Christ

Catholic

‘Catholic’ comes from the greek word ‘katholikos’. A combination of ‘kata’ meaning concerning and ‘holos’ meaning whole.

Tradition

‘Tradition’ is a special word that refers to the handing of the teachings of the Apostles under the Holy Spirts guidance

Scripture

a collection of ancient books written by human authors inspired by God

Holy Spirt

The third person in Holy Trinity. God the Holy Spirt. The promise to send the Paraclete.

The Lords Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Where do the words of our Lords Prayer come from?

Jesus taught his disciples the prayer.

How does the Lords Prayer support the faith of Catholics?

People of Faith believe the teachings of Jesus, the Lords Prayer celebrate them, are nourished through the sacraments and they grown in a vital and personal relationship with God through the relationship that is prayer.

Sacrament

Sacraments are visible signs of God’s invisible grace. They are ‘Ex Opere Operato’ meaning the very fact of being administered.

7 Sacraments

Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders

3 Categories of the Sacraments

Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of healing and Sacraments at the Service of Communion.

What does the Sacraments of initiation mean?

Sacraments of initiation are the Sacraments which lay the foundation of every Christian life

7 Sacraments in the 3 Catagories

INITIATION - Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist

HEALING - Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick

SERVICE - Holy Orders, Marriage

How do the Sacraments support the faith of Catholics?

Through each Sacrament, people receive gifts from God, also called ‘graces’ which strengthen people to live their faith and draw them into a closer relationship with Jesus and other members of the community.

What does the Sacraments of Healing mean?

Sacraments of healing are Sacraments that celebrate the healing powers of Jesus

What do the Sacraments at the Service of Communion mean?

Sacraments at the Service of Communion are the Sacraments which help members serve the community

What do Christians believe about creation?

• All creation deserves to be respected

• Each person, no matter who they are or what they do has a God given dignity that must be respected

• Each and every person is capable of expressing God-like qualities

• God is the creator of everything in the world

How do people show respect for God and his creation?

• Care for the created universe 

• Care for the environment 

• Ensure the dignity of all people by ensuring everyone has access to what they need to live

In what ways do people grow?

Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Socially, Spiritually

What are some of the challenges of adolescence?

- Physical, emotional and social changes can be challenging 
- People grow and develop at different rates

In what ways can people show love to each other?

Children loving their parents, parents loving their children, loving members of the family, loving friends, showing love for those in need,

How can we live the commandment of Jesus; ‘love one another as I have loved you’?

This commandment calls us to use Jesus as a model for how we should love one and other. To follow this we can reflect God by: 
Being kind, helping people in need, helping provide for the basic needs of people, etc. 

What does God want of the special love between husbands and wives?

God wants husbands and wives to relate to each other in a special way and through their love, to be a visible sign of God’s love for us. Through this love husbands and wives can participate in God’s creation and create new life and care for the world. 

What does God intend for human life?

The creation of human life should be self-giving, love-giving and life-giving.  
Human life is sacred from the moment of conception until a natural death. 
God intends children be born into a family that is prepared to love generously and unconditionally and create a home that is secure and nurturing.

How can people show that they love and value human life?

Care for themselves by keeping healthy, provide for essential needs to all,

share wealth and resources with everyone, promote care for others especially those in need,

respect and appreciate the different people that guide and teach them,

do not bully, hurt or kill people,

do all they can to heal and care for the sick or those in danger

How does God help people to protect human life?

- Through God’s law - The ten commandments teach people to protect human life 
- People learn through Jesus and the teachings in his Gospel to follow God’s commands. Jesus teaches that anything that hurts human life is wrong.

The Fifth Commandment

You shall not kill.

How do people live the Fifth Commandment?

Accept that every human life from the moment of conception until a natural death is sacred because people are created in the image and likeness of God,

believe that the necessities in life must be provided for all people,

provide particular attention to those in most need, protect all people from injury, killing, bullying, or anything that hurts people emotionally, physically or spiritually,

avoid substances that cause harm

The Sixth Commandment

You shall not commit adultery

How can people live the Sixth Commandment?

- Accept the sacredness of the special relationship of husband and wife 
- Respect spouse 
- Never treat people as objects 
-Be Chaste: Care for and respect the special gift of ones body and sexuality 
- Be modest: Practice of thinking, talking, behaving and dressing in ways that maintain dignity of the person

What are some of the ways that Jesus showed love?

Loving people of different religions, backgrounds, genders, ages

How does Jesus model how to live a good life?

- Through his actions such as forgiving sin, loving the sick, healing, conquering evil 
- Through his words such as parables and sermons

What are the Sacraments of Initiation?

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist

What is the Sacrament of Baptism?

Through the Sacrament of Baptism, people are welcomed into God’s family.

How can people become baptised?

Infant: Parents promise to pass on their faith and be responsible for helping the child to grow in love of God and to become a follower of Jesus. Godparents represent God’s family and undertake special responsibility of helping parents to keep promises. 
 
RCIC: Older children and teenagers are prepared to become Catholic and celebrate the sacraments of Initiation. Children and families form a community in the parish as they grow in relationship with Jesus and with the Church. The children and families are introduces to the life of faith in the parish and the meaning of the celebration of the sacraments.  

RCIA: For Adults and involves sessions with community members who pray, learn about the life of Jesus through Gospels, discuss what the teachings of Jesus mean for people in every day life and learn about and discuss Catholic beliefs and practices. Candidates promise to follow the teachings of Jesus and participate as a full member of the Catholic Church. A sponsor represents God’s family and support the candidate in participating in the life of the Church 

What elements does the Rite of Baptism consist of?

The celebration of God’s Word consisting of introductory prayers, readings from the bible, prayers of intercession with concluding prayer written in the style of an anointing – introduces anointing with the oil of catechumens or laying on of hands

Prayers including baptismal promises and the profession of faith, concluding with the blessing of the water by the celebrant

Pouring of water while saying the words of baptism “ I Baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Then the candidate is anointed with the Oil of Chrism.

Concludes with the Lord’s Prayer and blessings for those assembled

What does Baptism enable Christians to do?

Continue to proclaim the message of Jesus
In their actions by providing a good example, helping others, being good friends
In their words through what they say and how they speak
By upholding what is good and challenging what is wrong, eg working with others to do good, protesting against injustices and trying to persuade people to change for the better.

Adolescence

The rapid time of growth and development, which generally occurs between the ages of 10 to 16. It is a time of many varied rapid changes, and is a time of growth and discovery. During these years it is normal for people to grow and develop at different rates.

Human Sexuality

Maleness and femaleness - it is who people are, it is part of their identity. Though sexuality a person expresses who they are and how they relate to others. A persons sexuality is about their whole being: body and spirt, it is a gift from God.

Modesty

Modesty helps people develop chastity. It is the conscious practice of thinking, talking, behaving and dressing in ways that help maintain your dignity as a person, in ways that show yourself and others that you respect yourself.

Parable

A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

Sermon

A talk on religious or moral subjects, usually based on passages from Scripture. (In other words, based of part of the Bible).

RCIC

The rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC) is the process through which older children and teenagers are prepared to become Catholics and celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

RCIA

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is designed for adults who feel a call to know more about Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith. People respond to the call by making enquires online or going to their local Catholic parish. The RCIA is a process for preparing adults for the Initiation into the Catholic Church.