St. John XXIII Parish

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Y o u t h M i n i s t r y O f f i c e

Dear Confirmation candidate, We missed you at Confirmation on Sunday! In order to make-up for the session you missed, please complete the following and turn it in at the next session on January 8th. The topic of the session was “What do we believe?” We talked about what it means to believe in something and what we need to believe if we to call ourselves Catholic. Stand for your choice In this activity, we asked the participants to stand up if they agreed with the following statements. In lieu of standing, indicate by a yes or no if you believe the follow statements and answer the questions that follow:

Do you believe…. � that all people are created equal? � that everyone is given by God certain rights that cannot be taken away, such as the

right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? � that people should not be able to legally drink alcohol until they are 21? � that Michael Jordan (of the Chicago Bulls) is the greatest basketball player of all

time? � that the current president Barack Obama is doing a good job? � that school should be year round? � that there is life on other planets? � that God created everything that is good? � that parents should regulate what their children watch on TV? � that to succeed in life you have to make a lot of money? � that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and that his life, death, and resurrection have

won eternal life for you? � that we are responsible for serving the needs of others, especially the poor, lonely and

outcast? � that the Beatles are the greatest band of all time? � that the Holy Spirit is alive in the world?

What is the difference between an opinion and a belief? What Makes Us Catholic? The small group brain stormed lists of beliefs and practices that make us Catholic. Make a list of at least five beliefs and/or practices that are “Catholic”. What Makes Us Catholic: A Hierarchy of Truth Read the handout “Hierarchy of Truth” (attached) or go to the Power point presentation at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tyfscpchxk6tjtv/What%20do%20we%20believe%20Photo%20Show.ppt?dl=0 and answer the following questions based on the handout:

• What does a “hierarchy of truth” mean? Is that a concept you had heard of before? • Where can we find a summary statement of our beliefs? • What other resource do we have if we have questions on Catholic beliefs? • What does the Catechism invoke as the five foundational truths of our faith? Do you agree or

disagree with that list? Which one is the most difficult for you to understand?

Catholic Jeopardy: What We Believe As a way to test how well we know these foundational truths, we played a game of jeopardy. Your task is to answer one question from each dollar amount from any of the five categories (one $100; one $200 etc.) plus the Final Jeopardy question from the attached sheet. (So you will be answering six questions.) Feel free to use whatever resources you have, including the Catholic Faith Handbook For Youth from your freshman and sophomore year. Defending Our Faith: What Are Catholics “Apologizing” For? (Attached) Read through the attached handouts and answer the following questions:

• Has anyone ever challenged you on your Catholic beliefs? If so, how? Were you able to “defend the faith”?

• Which of “The Catholic Answers” was particularly helpful to you? Why? • Are there any other beliefs that you have been questioned on or that you have questions about?

Closing Prayer – Advent: Who Are We Waiting For? Pray the prayer found here: https://www.haikudeck.com/p/f59d6fddca/advent-prayer and answer the following questions. (If possible, reflect upon the pictures and symbols in the power point presentation as you pray. Please note there are also some videos that you should play in the prayer as well as some Scripture passages to read!)

• Did you like the prayer? Why or why not? • Which video did you like best? Why? • Why do we light candles at Advent? Does your family have an Advent wreath?

If you have any questions, contact the Youth Ministry office.

Presentation: The Hierarchy of Truth Hierarchy of truth: As Catholics, we have lots of different beliefs and practices. Can anyone name tell me the difference between a belief and practice? Of the beliefs that we listed, what do you think is essential to believe if we are to say we are Catholic? (Belief means much more than knowing, it is an assurance that something is so. A practice is something you do. ) As Catholics we recognize that there is a “hierarchy of truth”, that is, that there are some beliefs that other beliefs flow from and return to. "This hierarchy does not mean that some truths pertain to faith itself less than others, but rather that some truths are based on others as of a higher priority, and are illumined by them.” The Deposit of Faith - much like a house - exists according to a Hierarchy of Truths, wherein some truths are more foundational than other truths. The latter rest upon the former as the 2" x 4" studs constituting the frame of a home rest upon the concrete foundation and the plumbing. Before the frame is built, the concrete must be poured, and even before the pouring, the first pipes for the plumbing must be set in place. With regard to catechesis, the existence of a hierarchy of truths does not mean some truths are more true than others. Rather, it means that for an effective pedagogy (or, method of teaching), the catechist must lay the foundation first and teach the remainder of the deposit with the foundation always in mind, connecting the pieces. Is there something out there that tells us what we believe as Catholics? Where can we turn if we have questions about Catholic belief?

The Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creeds are statements of what we believe as Catholics. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a “reference text” that presents the beliefs and doctrines of the Catholic Church, which is used to teach the faith, and as a tool for those who have questions about Catholic beliefs. Other catechisms have developed based on the CCC – Youcat, which is a catechism for teens as well as the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.

"Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works."

---the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 198 Catholic belief is succinctly expressed in the profession of faith or credo called the Nicene Creed: Following the Church’s Creeds, the CCC identifies the Trinity as the central mystery of Christian faith and "the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light which illumines them" (no. 234). Finally, the recent General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) states: "All aspects and dimensions of the Christian message participate in this hierarchical system" (no. 115). It goes on to mention: the Christocentric nature of the history of salvation (the Person of Jesus); the Trinitarian structure of the Creed; the centrality of the Paschal Mystery, and therefore of the Eucharist, in the sacramental system; the primacy of the two commandments of love of God and neighbor in Christian moral teaching (the Dignity of the Human Person); the way the Lord’s Prayer is a "summary of the Gospel" and sum of all

petitions. For Pope John Paul II, "The truth that God is Love constitutes as it were the apex of all that has been revealed . . . . This truth illumines the whole content of divine revelation" (Gen. Audience, Oct. 2, 1985). God is Himself love (1 Jn 4:8), and this love is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. From these things we learn about the Person of Jesus and the Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery reveals to us the centrality of the Eucharist and the other sacraments. It is also from Scripture and the person of Jesus that the greatest commandment is revealed, upholding the dignity of the human person and also from our Scripture and Tradition that the Body of Christ is revealed to be brought to life in the Holy Spirit through the Church. These five foundational truths of revelation are invoked throughout the Catechism and provide a framework in which all doctrine finds its proper context. They are:

1. The Blessed Trinity: God is an eternal loving communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

2. The Person of Jesus: A divine person who took on human nature in the Incarnation

3. The Paschal Mystery: the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ

4. The Dignity of the Human Person: made in the image and likeness of God

5. The Church: the Body of Christ brought to life in the Holy Spirit What is the source of our Creeds and the Catechism? As Catholics, our beliefs and practices are based on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, those beliefs and practices handed down to us from the Apostles and other early Church leaders sometimes called our Church Fathers.

Jeopardy: What Do We Believe? God the Father $100 True or False: There are many religions that call God Father $200 Why do Christians call God Father? $300 When God revealed his name to Moses, what was it? $400 If we call God Father, does that mean that God is male? $500 What two statements probably say more about God than anything we could say? Jesus’ death & resurrection $100 How was Jesus executed? $200 Jesus’ death save is from _______ and ________ $300 True or False: Resurrection means a dead body come back to life $400 What is the name we give to Jesus’ suffering and death? $500 How was Jesus’ death like a ransom? Christological terms (terms about Jesus Christ) $100 What is the name of the doctrine that teaches that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine (God)? $200 What is the two word name we give to the saving work of Christ (redemption of humanity) accomplished through his Passion, death, Resurrection and Ascension? $300 What special title do we give to Mary, the Mother of Jesus? $400 What dogma teaches that Mary was free from sin from the first moment of her conception? $500 Name two titles used for Jesus Christ The Holy Spirit $100 Fill in the blank: The Holy Spirit is the ________ Person of the Holy Trinity $200 True or False: Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit share the same mission $300 What title does Jesus use for the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John?

$400 Name two ways the Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament $500 What miracle happened when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles at Pentecost? Potpourri (Random questions) $100 What are the official teachings of the Catholic Church? $200 Define the communion of saints $300 True or False: Jews and Muslims also believe in the Trinity $400 What are two important things (there are at least three) that Catholics and other Christians agree on? $500 What are three things that Catholics and other Christians do not agree on (there are many)? Final Jeopardy: What is the central thing the Trinity teaches us?