CCD Third Year

Theme: The Church is the family of God; Jesus abides and works with us through the Church.

Doctrine.

• Recognize that during his Earthly life, Jesus gathered a community of followers.
• Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, invited his followers into it, and gave a model of life to follow.
• Jesus selected the apostles and gave them special powers as the first leaders to serve his people.
• When Jesus returned to his Father, he sent the Holy Spirit to be with his people and to continue his work.
• The present-day Church is one-and-the-same with the faith community instituted by Christ which he commanded to spread the Good News.
• Jesus is present in the Church through the Holy Spirit and the sacraments.
• Priests and Bishops, as successors to the Apostles, are the leaders of God's people whom Jesus has called, today.

Scripture.

• Jesus Preaching (Matthew 4:23-25).
• Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 12:1-53).
• Stories of Cures.
• Call to Goodness (Luke 6:39-49); Call to Repentance (Mark 1:14-15); Call of Christians (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
• Call of the Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 5:1-11); Mission of the Twelve (Matthew 18:16-20); Binding and Losing (Matthew 16:3-20); Easter Night (John 20:19-23).
• Ascension (Luke 24:44-53; Mark 16:19-20).
• Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13); Holy Spirit in the Church (Acts 9:31); Promise of the Spirit (John 14:25-26).
• Story of Nicodemus (John 3); Baptism (Acts 2:36-41).
• Eucharist (1 Corinthians 10:16-17); Multiplication of Loaves (Mark 6:34-44).
• Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-30); Fraternal Correction (Matthew 18:15-18).

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Blessing Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, and an Act of Faith.
• Experience formal and spontaneous prayer situations.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers and responses of the Mass: Penitential Rite, Response to Readings, Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Eucharistic Acclamation, Lamb of God, and the Great Amen.
• Experience brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as prayer to Mary and patron saints or important saints on their feast days.
• Pray that all will be guided in the choice of vocation.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Experience paraliturgies on forgiveness/reconciliation-- the call from God and our response.
• Experience communal celebration and personal reception of the Sacrament of Penance.
• Familiarity and comfort with a procedure of individual reception of Confession according to his/her ability and moral development.
• Actively participate in the Mass.
• Recognize vestments, chalice, and ciborium.
• Describe through verbal and/or artistic forms of creative expression something of the significance of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Annunciation, Immaculate Conception, and feasts of important saints.

Moral Development.

• Realize that through Baptism God calls people to a new life in the Spirit.
• Realize that members of God's family are called to work with Him to extend His love throughout Creation.
• Give examples of behaviors which do not conform with God's Law of Love and which require that we ask forgiveness or render pardon.
• Express verbally and/or in artistic forms of creative expression examples of Jesus' healing and loving care, relating Jesus' forgiveness to a deepening understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.