Catechesis: Grades 5 – 7

WE ENCOUNTER God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

• Revelation is the knowledge we have about God and how God wants us to live; Scripture and Tradition together form one source of God’s revelation. 
• God’s infinite love, care, justice and goodness for all people is expressed through the covenant; a covenant is a holy commitment or promise between God and his people. 
• Jesus, is called the Messiah (which means “Anointed One”) because he came to fulfill the old covenant and establish a new covenant. 
• Jesus described the Kingdom of God as living of peace, justice and love. 
• Jesus will come again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. 
• The bible was written by human authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to tell the truth that God wanted to reveal. 
• There are 46 books in the Old Testament (called the Hebrew Scriptures) and 27 books in the New Testament (called the Christian Scriptures). 
• The Holy Spirit continues to inspire and guide God’s people. 

WE ARE FORMED  in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. 

• Abraham is called the “father of faith;” he is a model of faith for all of us. 
• The prophets are called to speak about God’s covenant and to call people back into faithful living according to the covenant with God. 
• Christianity has its roots in the Jewish religious faith of Jesus and the cultural/historical world of Jesus. 
• Mary is the perfect model of faith because she said yes to being the Mother of Jesus. 
• The four authors of the Gospels are also called evangelists; they are Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. 
• The Gospels have a special place of honor because they tell about what Jesus said and did. 
• The Acts of the Apostles tells of the coming of the Holy Spirit and about how Christians lived in the years after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. 
• The Letters tell about the first Christian communities and what they believed; many of the letters were written by Paul. 
• The Church Year celebrates the story of salvation as it fulfilled in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus; it also honors Mary and the saints with special feast days. 
• Catholic Christians celebrate the Lord’s Day by participating in the Mass or Eucharist; the Eucharist is considered the center of our Christian life. 

WE LIVE as disciples of Christ helping to build the Kingdom of God.

• Good stewardship means showing respect for the dignity of the human person and the responsible use of the Earth’s resources. 
• Everyone who is baptized is called to be a saint; they are called “temples of the Holy Spirit”. 
• Everyone who is baptized shares in the the priesthood of Christ; we are called to be priests, prophets and kings–holy teachers and servants. 
• We can participate in the life of the parish community in many ways. 
• Jesus tells us how to be happy and have eternal life with God in the Beatitudes. 
• Being a disciple of Christ means we are called to serve our families, community and Church. 
• Social justice is a responsibility of all followers of Christ. 
• Every person goes through various stages of life and each stage brings new changes and challenges; this is part of God’s plan. 
• Our sexuality is a gift from God; sexuality includes/affects our physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual development. 
• It is important to think about what it means to be on the journey to the the Kingdom of God (which Christians sometimes call heaven). 
• We should learn and read the four Gospels. 
• We should learn and use: the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit 
• We should learn and practice: the Corporal Works of Mercy, the Spiritual Works of Mercy, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Golden Rule.