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Catechist HANDOUT

Week 7 – 11/13/2016

Topic: The Prophets

SET THE WORLD

ABLAZE!

CATECHIST NOTES

Background Material

What is a Bible concordance, and how do I use it? - GotQuestions.org – there is a sample concordance in the CYB pp 1822-1830.

Introduction to the Prophets -

Bible Commentary -

Theology of Work – this is a

wonderful overview worth the

read.

Priests, Prophets, Kings |

Word On Fire – what does

the Bible teach us about our

Baptismal call to be Priest, Prophet and King?

Living Biblical Principles – CBY pp. C17-C24

Intro. to the Prophets –CYB pp958-959

Prophets and Kings – CYB pp. C28-C29

What Is Biblical Justice? |

RELEVANT Magazine

Great article.

The everyday prophets are

in our midst | National

Catholic Reporter – reprinted

homily by Bishop Thomas

Gumbleton - longtime

national and international

peace activist, and a

founding member of Pax

Christi USA

The Prophets are among the most admired men and women in Biblical literature. In large group today we will have some of the peer ministers speak about some of their “spiritual heroes”.

The Community builder today has the teens rank order a list of well-known

Key Ideas for this week OBJECTIVES

1. Teach the teens how to use a Biblical Concordance.

2. Help the teens answer the following questions. What was the role of

the prophets? What were their

messages? How were their

messages received? How can I understand

and apply their lessons to my life today?

Explore with the teens the meaning of Biblical justice and its role in helping us live a moral life today.

In the sacrament of Baptism, Christians are called to be Priest, Prophet and King. What does the Bible teach us about being prophet? OVERVIEW

1. 4 pm Mass 2. 5:20-5:30pm -

Hospitality in the Narthex

3. 5:30-5:45 pm Large Group - Attendance + short presentation in the Chapel

4. 5:50- 7:00pm Small Group Lesson Plan

What is a Biblical Concordance and how do I use it?

Learn what a prophet is and their role in the Bible and in the world today.

Identify the difference between major and minor prophets in the Bible

LESSON COMPONENTS A. Community Building

B. Shared experiences by adults and teens

C. Scripture & Prayer

D. Catholic Teaching

E. Putting Faith Into Action

F. Announcements

Understand the relevance of the prophets’ messages today.

Explore the meaning of Biblical Justice and its role in helping us live a moral life.

In the sacrament of Baptism, Christians are called to be Priest, Prophet and King. What does the Bible teach us about being prophet?

Community Builder (15-20 minutes)

Most Admired Direct teens to the MOST ADMIRED box

on TH1 Have each teen rank order the list as they

see fit (they should do this individually) Have teens share their list and their

rankings with the group. After everyone has shared ask the teens to

consider their list again and change any of the rankings they gave because of what someone else said.

Follow-up conversation 1. What qualities do you look for in people you admire? 2. Share with your group one person your age in your life that you really

admire and why.

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3. Share with your group one adult in your life that you really admire and

why.

Scripture (40-45 minutes)

Direct the teens to p. 958 in the CYB – Introduction to the Prophets

Introduction - Use these or your own words (2 min)

We opened this session talking about public figures we admired and then people in our own life that we admired. The Biblical Prophets were inspirational people in the lives of many because they could name what God was saying and they could point to experiences and events and help people see how God was present and active in their lives. They were not always popular because the message they brought was often not what people wanted to hear, at least at first. We are going to read about the prophets and as always I want you to have a pen, pencil or highlighter in hand. Underline, circle or highlight the words or phrases that strike you.

Can I have a volunteer to read aloud the 1st ¶ after the Words IN DEPTH.

Will someone else read the 2nd ¶

Based on what we just read What is a prophet? Who in your life tells you the truth or challenges you to live

a more just life?

The next sections in this article are about the general themes or Issues the prophets engaged. Again ask for teens to volunteer to read the next four sections

and have the rest of the group follow along pens in hand.

OR

Review those sections prior to the class and summarize the sections for your teens.

Discussion questions An idol is something we replace God with – something we

prioritize as more important than God 1. What are common idols today?

(wealth, power, fame, security, popularity, success…)

2. Who are the people that remind you to put God first in our lives?

Justice and care for the poor 1. What are some of the injustices we face today? In what

ways are the poor unfairly treated? (racial injustice, gun violence, gang intimidation, the lack of good schools and other services in poor neighborhoods, environmental degradation, homelessness, domestic violence, discrimination…)

2. Can you name any individuals or groups that call us to act justly and treat everyone with respect?

(PADS, Black Lives Matter, activists, advocacy groups, Pope Francis, parents, teachers…)

CATECHIST NOTES

individuals in the fields of sports, entertainment, politics and religion. After doing this you will lead them in a conversation about the people they admire in their own lives. Decide who on your team is going to do the intro – you or one of the peers. Reading aloud is one way a teen can participate in the group, especially someone who does not feel as comfortable sharing personal thoughts or feelings in a group setting.

NOTE: Never force a teen to read aloud in a group. Not all young people read well – reading disabilities are common and not confined to young children. To be asked to read aloud if one has a reading or speech disability can be a humiliating experience. This might be a good time

for you or a peer to share

first in order to model the

kind of sharing you are

seeking.

Remember that breaking up

a presentation with

discussion will help your

teens comprehend the

material better and keep

them focused.

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Attempts to deepen our understanding of God’s love and

mercy

1. Who are the individuals or groups who speak to you about God’s love and mercy?

2. Who in your life needs to hear about God’s love and mercy?

Promises of hope for the future

1. What gives you hope?

2. Who are the people in your life who speak words of hope and encouragement?

3. To whom do you speak words of hope and encouragement?

Have teen volunteers read the final two ¶s in that section

beginning with “The stories of the earliest prophets…

Ask if the teens have any questions or comments about what they have read and discussed.

What is a concordance and how do I use it?

What if I was interested in reading what the Bible had to say on

immigration? How could I find that?

Turn to page 1822. An article subject index in a Bible is also

called a concordance. All study Bibles (bibles designed to help

people study the scripture) usually have short concordances in

an Appendix. There are also stand alone concordances

available on line and in print. A concordance that indexes

literally every word in the Bible is called an Exhaustive

concordance. This is simply another tool for finding things in the

Bible.

Look up immigration and see where it tells us to go in the Bible.

CATECHIST NOTES

Following up each section

with a discussion question

or two will help you know if

the teens in your group

understand what they are

reading and can apply it in

their own lives.

This part of the lesson is

meant to be short. It simply

points out another tool used

in scripture study. In future

classes you can practice

using the concordance in the

CYB.

As always there are more

discussion questions

provided than you need.

Pick and choose.

Breaking hearts of stone

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Ask all the teens to look up Jeremiah

31:31-34 (CYB pp.1078-79)

Have one of the Peer Ministers read the passage.

1. What covenant is Jeremiah referring to in v. 32?

(The 10 Commandments – see if your teens can find the answer in the Live It article. If not point it out to them).

2. How did the Israelites break that covenant?

(The same way we do, by not following them – stealing, idolizing false God’s, taking the Lord’s name in vain…)

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Catholic Teaching – What is Biblical Justice (8-10 min)

Direct the teens to TH3 and have them follow along

Make the following points

Biblical justice is based on the law of love

Some people wrongly assume that somehow the law of love replaced a harsher form of law or teaching found in the Old Testament. The law of love is clearly present in both the Old and New Testaments. The God of the Old Testament is a God of love; the God revealed in the New Testament is a God of love. The God revealed in the Old Testament punished evil; the God of the New Testament punished evil.

Biblical justice rooted in love included three main ideas 1. Care for the vulnerable 2. Being in right relationship (one of respect) 3. Valuing generosity

How do we practice biblical justice? (treating each other with respect, being generous with our time, sharing our ideas and feelings with each other, helping PADS and doing other service, treating our families and friends with respect, being patient, praying…)

How injustice is punished is different

1. Ancient law – you hurt me I destroy you 2. Biblical law – Life for life – the punishment fits the behavior. How does it feel when you do something wrong and the punishment is excessive? (unreasonable, uncalled for, cruel, sadistic, unwarranted,

unjustifiable, gratuitous, unnecessary…)

How does excessive or unreasonable punishment make people feel? (angry, disrespected, bad about themselves…)

CATECHIST NOTES

Prophetic justice – the aim of the teaching of the prophets – is also called biblical justice. Many people have been taught that somehow the God of the Old Testament was not as loving, more judgmental than the God of the New Testament. This is NOT true. All justice in the Bible is based on love. The covenant between God and humankind is one of love. Jesus’ understanding of God comes from the Hebrew Scripture (O.T.) – the law and the prophets.

The text most frequently sited to prove that the O.T. God is sterner, stricter, less loving is

“But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Ex. 21:23-24).

Scripture scholars now know that this was an amendment of ancient law which did not put any limits on punishment. If I kill a member of your family, said ancient law, you can come and kill my entire family or tribe. The God of the Israelites forbade such excess, setting forth a standard of penalty which came to be known as life for life. Punishment must be proportional – punishment must fit the crime.

Cruel and unusual justice adds insult to injury.

3. How will the new covenant be different from the old one?

(It will be no longer be an external rule book; the people will internalize God’s word – it will be written on their hearts.)

4. What is the central message of the covenant? (I will be their God and they will be my people – we will be in relationship)

5. What does God mean when he says he will write the covenants on their hearts? (The relationship will not only be a matter of knowing and following the rules but one of love – it will be heartfelt on both sides)

6. Jeremiah say’s there will no longer be a need to teach people about how to be in relationship with God they will automatically know. What might the prophet be speaking of? (Conscience – that voice within)

7. Share a time when you felt your conscience prevailed – you knew what to do or not do instinctively?

8. What part of God’s teaching is most valuable to you personally? What is etched on your heart?

9. What part of God’s teaching do you think you will pass on to your own children?

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The justice achieved by punishment is understood differently and has a different outcome

Retributive (payback, retalitiation, revenge) vs. Restorative (repairs the harm done, brings about reconciliation, makes the relationship whole again)

Why is restorative justice better than retribution?

Putting Faith Into Action (5 min)

Direct teens to the Let’s Recap page TH4 Have them fill out 2 of the boxes Have them share one thing they wrote with the group

Announcements 1. Next week is the Hunger Meal – all IGNITE groups will go directly to the

Multitorium. Because this is a special program all groups will begin at 5:15 – if teens are not attending 4 pm Mass they need to be in the Multitorium by 5:15 sharp.

2.

CATECHIST NOTES

The three important features of prophetic or biblical justice were Care for the vulnerable Being in right relationship Valuing generosity

These traits characterize divine justice. Retribution is not bad; Restorative justice is simply better.

It can be argued that our civic legal system is based on retributive justice. We are just beginning to put restorative justice in place in some places. The tenets of Catholic Social teaching are based on biblical justice.

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LESSON PREPARATION NOTES:

Is there something I want to pick up or go over from last week’s class?

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My community building activity this week will be

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What parts of the lesson will the Peer Ministers lead/facilitate?

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Do I need anything from the Faith Office prior to class?

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Other______________________________________________________________________________________

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Things I will need for class

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The Key Ideas/Objectives

for this week are

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Things I need to consult

Mel about

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