Dear Fifth Grade PREP families,

Greetings! April 26 is our final lesson for the 2019-2020 PREP year. I wish we were together, in person, to pray, share and to thank God for our PREP year.  The children are such a blessing to me and to the parish. I've enjoyed assisting you in passing on our faith. I hope we will all be together soon at Mass to give thanks.

This year we have worked together to learn about the Seven Sacraments. As the children have read the Scriptures and learned about Church teachings, I hope they have come to know more about God’s great love for us.

God calIs each person to a special vocation. There are many ways to serve God and each person’s path in life is unique. I ask the children to quiet themselves and pray for guidance in finding their vocation so they can be lights in this world.

To wrap up our study of the Seven Sacraments, we will focus on chapters 17 and 18 and study the last two sacraments.  
Chapter 17: Jesus Establishes His Church (study pages 195-202).

1. Page 195: have the children think about makes a good leader. Do they know anyone who is a good leader? Work on the activity on page 195 and circle the most important qualities you think a person should have to be a good leader.
2. Jesus is the greatest leader the world has ever had. What qualities of Jesus made him a great leader?
3. Page 196: read the Scripture Story of Jesus Chooses Peter from Matthew 16:18. Before Jesus ascended in Heaven, he chose one of the Apostles to lead the Church. From the Scripture story, list some qualities Peter had that made him a good leader (he was faithful, loved Jesus with all his heart, the first Apostle to understand that Jesus was the Son of God).
4. The name Peter means “rock.”
5. Read Page 197 on the Leaders of the Catholic Church. Jesus entrusted Saint Peter and the Apostles with carrying on his mission of teaching the Good News of salvation.
6. Review Faith words on page 197: pope, bishops, apostolic.The pope is the visible head of the Catholic Church. The bishops, in union with the pope, are the chief teachers of the Church.
7. Page 198 -199: What are some ways the popes have helped the Church? Read about Blessed Pius IX and Pope Saint John XXIII. Discuss what an ecumenical council is (a gathering of the pope and all the bishops of the world) and the doctrine of infallibility (guides the pope and bishops to be free from fundamental error in their teaching). Then work on the Activity on page 199.
8. Worksheet on Ordained Church Leaders:  www.blestarewe.com  > Grade Organizers > Grade 5 Organizer > Chapter 17 > Downloads (first column) Chapter Activity - Ordained Church Leaders. Answer Key is provided.

 
Chapter 18: Holy Orders and Matrimony (study pages 205-212).

1. Page 205: Think about different commitments you have made (clean your room, do homework, call a grandparent). Describe some of these commitments.
2. Read pages 206- 207. What kind of commitments do people make to God? The Church celebrates two Sacraments in which the participants commit themselves to serve others. These Sacraments are Matrimony and Holy Orders. They are called the Sacraments at the Service of Communion and are directed toward the salvation of others.
3. Through their commitment to serving others, those who celebrate these two Sacraments build up the People of God with peace, justice, God’s mercy and compassion.
4. Identify and describe the three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders (Bishops, Priests, Deacons) on page 206. What happens during the Sacrament of Holy Orders? See the picture on page 206.
5. What happens during the Sacrament of Marriage? See page 207.
6. Review the Faith Words on page 207:Sacrament of Holy Orders, Sacrament of Marriage, Sacraments at the Service of Communion
7. Read how Saint Philip Neri served God on pages 208-209 with his humor.
8. Test your knowledge with online Quiz: www.blestarewe.com > Grade Organizers > Grade 5 Organizer > Chapter 18 > Chapter 18 Quiz

These resources in the book will help reinforce your child’s learning experience this year:

• Let Us Pray- Common Prayers, page 9
• Feasts and Seasons of the Church, pages 234 – 236
• Our Catholic Heritage, page 259
• Glossary of Faith Terms learned, page 279

Parent video on how we can utilize the Seven Sacraments to bring more grace into our families’ lives: “The Sacraments”  (19:46 minutes) on www.formed.org. Search: The Sacraments

I hope the children continue to pray, particularly the Rosary, and develop a closer relationship with God. It’s pure joy to see your children’s faces every Sunday and we miss it. If I can be of assistance, please reach out to me at [email protected]

A final Blessing: “May the Lord bless and keep you. May He show His face to you and be merciful to you. May He turn His countenance to you and give you peace.”

Blessings to your family, Mary Ann Beiting