February 12, 2025

Tonight's Lesson Theme: Jesus Speaks About Happiness

Share Experiences 6:15 p.m. (20 minutes)

• Cover Activity (page1)
• Welcome
• Where Have You Seen God Since the Last Time We Got Together?
• Review of Last Session's Student Session Wrap-up Questions
• Gospel Weeklies Correlations to Sacramental Preparation Program
• As You Prepare To Receive the Sacrament of Confirmation
• Tonight's Student Session Wrap-up Questions
• Opening Prayer
• Jesus Is Our Light (page 1) 
• Story Closer to the Stars (pages 2–3) 
• Discuss the first Talk question related to the story.

• Sunday Gospel 
• Mary and Joseph Present Jesus at the Temple (page 4) 
• Connecting Gospel and Doctrine (page 4) 
• Discuss the Talk questions related to doctrine.

• Tonight's Topic
• Source: What the Church Believes and Teaches handbooks (pages 24–25).
• Catholic Faith Word
• Presentation of the Lord (page 5)
• Our Catholic Faith (page 5) 

• Activity
  • Celebrate the Jubilee (pages 6–7)
• Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (Visions Activity Book, Activity #19)
• Closing Prayer
• At Home
  • Have the young people read the World Church feature (page 8)
  • Complete the With My Family and Friends activities (page 8)

Announcements (5 minutes)

•  Closing Prayer
  • Clean up area; put missalettes and kneelers in place. 
  • Line up at the north wall for dismissal at 7:20 p.m.

Welcome to Tonight's TRG Session

• Arrival and Seating (6:15 p.m.)
  • Find your assigned Theological Reflection Group (TRG) area
  • Locate your clipboard with tonight's lesson on your seat
• Initial Activity
  • Begin reviewing Page 1 quietly
  • Complete the opening activity using the provided pen
  • When finished, place your pen under your seat
• Let's review tonight's Initial Activity
  • The TRG members whose birthday is closest to today's date should be prepared to share with the larger group when called upon.
    
    

• What is Operation: Soaring Eagles?
  • Operation: Soaring Eagles invites senior citizens to come to the church monthly to share stories of their lives with the students in Confirmation class.
• What work do Christian disciples continue today?
  • Christian disciples continue to pass on our Sacred Tradition and will continue until Jesus returns in glory. Whatever vocation we may choose, Jesus calls each of us to love as he loves.
• Who were the first three people Jesus called to follow him?
  • The first three people Jesus called to follow him were: James, John, and Simon Peter.
• What is a vocation?
  • A vocation is a job or state of life to which God calls each of us.
• Who does Partners in Health help?
  • Partners in Health provides health care to the poorest of the poor around the world.
• Why do you think Jesus used physical examples to help teach spiritual truths? Can you think of another time he did this? (Confirmation Correlation Activity)

Plans for Tonight! 

• Gospel Weeklies Correlations to Sacramental Preparation Program

• Sunday’s Gospel can be challenging. 
  • Jesus says that we are blessed when we are poor, hungry, or sad. 
• When things are difficult, we are more open to depending fully on God and not on our own ability to fix things. 
• Perhaps that is why Jesus encourages us to empty ourselves out and be poor, hungry, and accept sadness as part of life. 
  • Jesus wants us to fully rely on God and seek to be humble as he was.

Gathering Prayer

• Loving God, thank you for all of our blessings.

• Old Testament: Jeremiah 17: 5-8
• Psalm 1
• New Testament: First Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20
• Gospel: Luke 6: 17, 20-26

Scripture Background

Connecting Scripture and Tradition

• The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulation; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured (CCC, 1717).
• Whatever you wish that people would do to you, do so to them; this is the law and the prophets (CCC, 1970). 
• The Lord asks us to love as he does, even our enemies, to make ourselves the neighbor of those farthest away, and to love young people and the poor as Christ himself” (CCC, 1825). 

Taking a Look at Tonight's Student Session Wrap-up Questions

• Who was Sister Mary Antona Ebo?
• What does Church teaching say when we fail to share what we have with the poor?
• What did Jesus say to do to when people hate you and insult you because of him?
• What are the Beatitudes?
• How did Jesus' teaching about the poor differ from ideas about wealth of that time?
• Why do you think we are more open to the love and healing of God when we are in times of suffering? (Confirmation Correlation Activity)