Grades 6—8

Page 1

Healthy and Holy Relationship Concept: Freedom

Freedom 101 According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, freedom is defined as: 1.the state of being free: such as A. the power to do what you want to do; the ability to move or act freely [the state of being free] B. the state of not being a slave, prisoner, etc. [ability to move or act freely] C. the state of not having or being affected by [or being released from] something unpleasant, painful, or unwanted D. the right to use something or go somewhere without being controlled [use without restriction] 2. a political right * an important freedom * basic human freedoms

This may be the way society looks at freedom, valuing independence; but as Catholics, freedom entails more. Looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church, freedom is defined as: Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude (CCC 1731). [dependence on God]. We go on to learn: As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. This freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach. The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin.” (CCC 1732-1733). In reading more, it is emphasized that freedom is exer-cised in relationships: Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement

of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order. (CCC 1738). We may now have a better understanding of God’s desire for our freedom and what threats society may place in this path. Threats to freedom. The exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything. It is false to maintain that man, “the subject of this freedom,” is “an individual who is fully self-sufficient and whose finality is the satisfaction of his own interests in the enjoyment of earthly goods.” Moreover, the economic, social, political, and cultural conditions that are needed for a just exercise of freedom are too often disregarded or violated. Such situations of blindness and injustice injure the moral life and involve the strong as well as the weak in the temptation to sin against charity. By deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts neighborly fellow- ship, and rebels against divine truth. (CCC 1740). Perhaps a way to summarize is to reflect on the concept that man tries so hard in our culture to be independent (not influenced by the thought or action of others; thinking or acting for oneself) believing that gives him freedom; whereas, created in God’s image, man does not have freedom until he is truly dependent upon God. We are given tools through the Church’s tradition, liturgy and sacraments, prayer and scriptures to show us the way. Some resources to consider are: The Ten Commandments; The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy; the seven tenets of Catholic Social Teachings; and the Beatitudes. Not “Freedom from …..,” but rather “Freedom for … .” How does one know? Look to Love— Is my ability to love as Christ loves enhanced with a freedom from . . . ? Love is enhanced with a freedom for . . . . Our dependence on God frees us to love as He loves—for others!

Catechist Reflection Page

With safe environment, we consider how we keep all our children, youth and teens safe. Adults are responsible for protecting young people, yet young people can at the same time be empowered and encouraged to learn ways to avoid unfavorable situations, to stop when feeling unsafe, and tell a parent or a trusted adult so they can help. To build positive, healthy relationships, we need to develop an understanding of freedom – with God, with ourselves, with others, and with all of creation,

Vol. 5 Issue 1

Reflection for Catechist ~~

Reflect on the relationships in your own life. How can you apply “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1) in each area? What will be your first step?

• With God...

• With yourself...

• With others...

• With the world of creation…

I. Opening Prayer

Please use the “Litany for Liberty” found on pg. 3 for the Opening Prayer for this lesson.

• The Our Father may be used as the closing prayer to remind us of our dependence on God.

Our Father

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. Amen.

Healthy and Holy Relationship Concept:

Session Objectives:

• God wants his people to be free for love.

• Freedom does not mean being selfish— “doing

whatever I want” or being exploited by others.

• True freedom includes both rights and responsibilities.

• In a “Right Relationship” freedom means being free to

share our thoughts, feelings, and time with others.

• If we are in a relationship where we are being exploited

or are not free to share our thoughts, feelings and time

with others, we need to get help.

II. What Are God’s Rules?

A Reference for the Lesson, as needed.

Share with the class: “God gave Moses the 10 Commandments to help guide our lives and how to show our love to God and others. (Give an example of one or two commandments.) In following the 10 Commandments, we learn to grow in Christian Freedom.

Other guides that Christ has given us through Scriptures and our Catholic Teachings include:

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy Catholic Social Teachings The Beatitudes

Overview

This lesson is designed for use during a class session in January/February. It presents information on some ways that our faith life can help us build qualities of right relationships. Freedom is a quality of Right Relationships—the kind of relationships God desires for us. Some people in society think freedom is about having no limitations—free to do whatever we want—free to disregard rules and throw caution to the wind. On the contrary—with freedom comes responsibility. In the lesson’s quote from 1 Peter 2:16 we learn that true Christian freedom is the result of being servants of God. It includes reverence for God, esteem for every individual, and committed love for all people. God created each person in His own image; therefore, our dignity is grounded in God and must be respected by all. God tells us to treat each other with respect, especially in our unique, individual differences. The Ten Commandments and The Catholic Social Teachings are guides for us to help us to show respect to God and others. As we learn and mature in building healthy relationships with others, we experience how freedom is essential in all friendships and relationships. We need help if we are in a relationship where we are being exploited or are not free to express our thoughts, feelings, and time with others. An environment of open communication encourages youth to communicate their thoughts and feelings appropriately and seek help from parents and other trusted adults when they feel others are hurting them or pressuring them to break the rules.

Session Outline

• Opening Prayer (5 min)

• “Defining Freedom” / “Free Friendships” lesson focus (30 min)

• Activity sheet “Rights Responsibilities Privileges” (22 min)

• Closing Prayer (3 min)

Supplies • Pens or pencils for each

• 1/2 sheet paper to write definition

Activities / Hand Outs - for each person Activity Sheet: “Rights, Responsibilities, Privileges”

Goal: Although society may stress that freedom from...many things or undesired actions may help to make us independent, we learn it is our dependence on a loving and merciful God that gives us freedom for...our loving actions toward others in our relationships.

Some materials created by Diocese of Grand Island. Used with permission. Additional materials developed by Diocese of Rapid City. Resources: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1730-1748; “Life in the Spirit Based on True Freedom—St. John Paul II,” https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb52.htm; “John Paul II and the Truth About Freedom,” Avery Cardinal Dulles, https://www.firstthings.com/article/1995/08/004-john-paul-ii-and-the-truth-about-freedom

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil. ...show proper respect for everyone...” 1Peter 2:16

Vol. 5, Issue 1

“The truly free person is one who does what is good out of love for goodness itself.” ~ St. John Paul II

Page 2

Grades

6—8

Page 3

Lita

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Page 4 III. LESSON: Freedom

Introduction Opening Activity (5 minutes): Given a piece of 1/2-sized paper, have each youth write down their definition of “freedom.” Then write the word on the board. After a few minutes, ask them to share what they wrote. As they tell you the “key points” in their definition, write them down. If another person states the same concept as one already present-ed, just add a checkmark after the written concept. Ask: What does the definition of freedom end up saying? Is this what you want? Is this what you want every other person to have? Where do we get this definition—from society or our Catholic beliefs? If everyone used this definition of freedom, what do you think would happen with our relationships? In our communities? In the world? Is this what we want? Is this what God wants for us?

If a friendship has the important quality of freedom, friends are free to: • Enjoy one another’s company,

without insisting on being the only significant relationship in each others’ lives.

• Encourage one another to speak their mind, sharing their thoughts and feelings. One shows respect by listening and acting on what was said.

• Create a safe environment— safe from ridicule and physical harm. Safe to be oneself.

Questions to Ponder: Take some time to think about your own friendships. Along with what we consider as our rights, one also needs to examine the responsibilities that are involved and how they respond to them: • Do you promote freedom in

your relationships? What does that look like?

• Do you feel safe? • Can you be yourself? • Do you encourage each other

to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas. How is this done in a responsible way?

• Do you really listen? How do you demonstrate this? Do you respond to what was said?

• Are you both free to have meaningful relationships with other friends and family? — or are you made to feel guilty if you are not together 24-7?

• Are you each respecting the other in your use of language and actions? How does this display responsibility?

If we are responsible and make good choices in our relationships with others, we may also have some privileges. These are things we have “earned” through

our own hard work and/or behaviors. If we make bad or poor choices, we may lose our privileges [consequences].

Think of a time when you may have lost a privilege for a while. What was the privilege you lost (consequences)? Can you fol-low the path to that happening? Were there responsibilities that you did not uphold that caused this to happen? What right was connected to this situation? Share and discuss: Sometimes we take our privileges for granted, and come to think they are our “right.” You may have a right to freedom of speech. Using that right responsibly is remembering to use respectful language to others. If parents hear you talking disrespectfully on your cell phone, they may take the phone away for a period of time. Owning a cell phone and the service provided is a privilege. • What are your thoughts

here? • Did you act responsibly? • What if someone spoke to

you that way?

Read quote above; then ask: What steps can you take to live your faith in your relationships with others in freedom?

What does “freedom” mean? Has it changed any from the defi-nition you had at the beginning of tonight’s class?

If you are involved in a friendship that does not allow basic freedom, please seek help. Talk to someone you trust.

Discussion: “Free Friendships” Read to class:

The Bible tells us many stories of God freeing his people from slavery and exploitation. God wants his people to be free. Freedom is a quality of Right Relationships—the kind of relationships God desires for us. When we think about freedom, we sometimes think about having no limitations—free to do whatever we want—free to disregard rules and throw caution to the wind. On the contrary—with freedom comes responsibility. The freedom God wants us to have is based in the love he has for us and our dependence on God. Freedom in relationships is freedom FOR . . . , not the freedom FROM . . . that our culture promotes with the idea of independence. Freedom in a relationship does not mean that each person acts and makes decisions that disregard the other individual [freedom from]. Rather, each person respects the other enough to allow them to express their own unique thoughts, feelings, and beliefs [freedom for]. Each respects the other’s right to have meaningful relationships with family and friends. Each person treats the other with respect and human dignity.

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil. ..show proper respect for everyone…” 1Peter 2:16.

“The truly free person is one who does what is good out of love for goodness itself.” ~ St. John Paul II

Page 5 Activity Sheet: Rights, Responsibilities, Privileges Grades 6—8

Getting a driver’s license. Freedom of speech. Cleaning up after yourself. Driving responsibly. Owning property. Owning a cell phone. Having enough to eat. Helping your neighbor. Being treated with dignity and respect. Using respectful language. Treating others how you want to be treated. Text messaging. Paying taxes. Spending time with others. Taking care of the earth. Respecting your elders. Looking out for your younger siblings. Having a job. Sticking up for a friend. Being safe. Following curfew. Doing a good job. Earning a later curfew. Going to grade / middle school. Getting an allowance. Going to high school. Getting paid for work on a job. Going to college.

Right Privilege Responsibility

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We all have some basic rights. The right to be treated with dignity and respect. The right to live and have meaningful relationships with others. The right to share our thoughts, feelings and beliefs. We also have some basic responsibilities. To take care of God’s creation. To respect all life and treat others with dignity. We all have rights and responsibilities that don't depend on our behavior. They are ours whether we have done anything to deserve them or not. If we are responsible and make good choices in our relationships with others we may also have some privileges. These are things we have earned through our own hard work—if we make bad choices we may lose our privileges. Put the following into the right category.

Page 6

This week we discussed the Right Relationship concept of freedom. We are created in God’s image; therefore, we have a divine dignity that must be respected by ourselves and by others. Freedom is directed to this end. Free for love and respect; free from exploitation.

Younger grade levels (PreK-2) learned that freedom doesn’t mean “doing whatever I want.” Children were reminded that God gave us parents to care for us and protect us. Part of that care and protection includes rules and direction. They were encouraged to view freedom as “freedom from harm,” as well as “freedom to share our thoughts, feelings and time with others.” They were encouraged to tell you if they are unsafe, or if they are in a relationship where they feel afraid to share their thoughts and feelings or spend time with others.

Grades 3-5 discussed the concepts of “rights” and “responsibilities” as important components of freedom. They were encouraged to be respectful of others and to view them-selves as worthy of dignity and respect. They were encouraged to seek help if they are being treated disrespectfully by peers or adults in their lives.

Grades 6-8 discussed ways to be a good friend. The freedom God wants us to have is based in the love he has for us and our dependence on God. They identified signs of freedom in relationships and practiced determining in relationships our rights, responsibilities, and privileges. They were reminded if they are involved in a friendship that does not allow basic freedoms, to talk to someone they trust.

At the high school level (Grades 9-12), students discussed freedom as an essential quality of right and loving relationships. While we may feel flattered when a friend or dating partner is possessive of our time and attention, it is important to recognize that possessiveness can be a form of control and is often considered a “red flag” for abuse. As quoted by St. John Paul II, “The truly free person is one who does what is good out of love for goodness itself.”

“Freedom is limited by the ability to respond to a right or privilege. We want to assure success for our children. To be responsible we need to help our children learn to ‘respond with ability.’ As we observe our children developing abilities, we can offer corresponding freedoms.” (Maren Schmidt, Freedom Within Limits of Responsibility) Our children also need our guidance with the growth of their faith life. They need to understand that true Christian freedom is the result of being servants of God. It includes reverence for God, esteem for every individual, and a committed love for each person. May our children’s watchful eyes see this mentored in us.

If your child reports concerns about a relationship with an adult or peer, or if you would like more information about right relationships, please contact the Diocesan Safe Environment Office (605)343-3541 or cverhey@diorc.org.

A Note to Parents Freedom

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and

where the spirit of the Lord is, there is

Freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

“Live as free men, but do not use your

freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect for everyone.”

1Peter 2:16

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,

then, and do not let yourselves be

burdened again by the yolk of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1