St. Andrew Catholic Church 2628 Del Prado Blvd. S. Cape Coral, FL

Curriculum Objectives for Levels 1 and 2


We pray the Sign of the Cross because we belong to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Who is God calling us to be?

We also have the gift of love from the Father and Son. This Gift is the Holy Spirit.

"A gentle, great friend who inspires, guides, corrects, and strengthens this life..."

PRAYER:

God, my Father, I thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus. Dear Holy Spirit, I thank you for coming to me, You are my special gift from our caring Father and our loving brother. O Holy Three, O blessed Trinity Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I thank you for my family, for my church, for my school, for my friends. I thank you for calling me, my God, to follow my brother Jesus. I want my life to be always with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God the Father sent His Son, Jesus.

Jesus - means God saves, since Jesus brings us to the Father and saves us from our selfishness.

Christ - means the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Promised One, dedicated to God for us; Christ dedicates us to God.

Lord - means that the Second person of the Holy Trinity is also God. The Lord is our best friend and Savior.

Word - means this Second person of the Holy Trinity is the real and perfect image of God; through our good works Christ is reflected.

Son of God - means Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity; in Christ, we are daughters and sons of God, one in the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born on Christmas at Bethlehem. His mother is the Blessed Mother Mary. His foster father is Saint Joseph. As a boy, Jesus was obedient and loving to His parents. He lived at Nazareth in northern Palestine.

The four Gospels tell us of the life of Jesus, our brother. The four Gospel writers are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. They are the most important books of the Bible. In the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew and Luke, we find the message of the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born to be with us on our journey to God. He saves us by bringing us to God.

Pray over Saint Luke's Gospel chapter 4, verse 16-22 where Jesus goes into the synagogue at Nazareth and announces His mission:

"The Lord's Spirit has come to, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, 'This is the year the Lord has chosen.'"

What we do to others, we do to Jesus; see Saint Matthew's Gospel chapter 25, verses 35-40:

"When I was hungry, you gave me something you eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me. " Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?" The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."

Holy Seasons

Advent prepares us for Christmas. There are four weeks of Advent.

Lent prepares us for Easter, the feast of the Resurrection. There are forty days of Lent from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord's Supper. The last week before Easter is called Holy Week. Important days during Holy Week:

The Seven Sacraments are celebrations of the presence and actions of Christ.

These celebrations founded by Christ and use the words, signs, and rituals in order for us to grow in our oneness with the life of the Blessed Trinity and all God’s people.

In Baptism we become one with Christ; we are consecrated to offer sacrifice, that is, to do God’s will; we celebrate our common priesthood; we are welcomed into the Christian and Catholic community; Original Sin is taken away.

We hear the words of the priest or deacon:

I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We see the sign - the pouring of water.

In the Eucharist, we celebrate our life in God's family:

  • by hearing the Word of God,
  • by calling down the Holy Spirit who changes the bread and wine into Jesus' Body and Blood.
  • by receiving Jesus in communion, we are united to Him and in Him we are united to His community.

The first major rite of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Word. "Liturgy" means to worship or honor God. In the Liturgy of the Word:

  • We hear God's Word, especially, the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. These first four books of the New Testament are the most important in the Bible since they tell of the life of Christ. We hear Christ speaking to us today.
  • During the homily, the priest or deacon explains the Bible reading.
  • We pray the Nicene creed. These are the beliefs written down by the first Ecumenical Council in 325.
  • We pray for our Holy Father, Pope Bendict XVI; our bishop, Bishop Frank Dewane; Bishop Emeritus, John Nevins, for our pastor, Father Mark Heuberger; for our priests: Father Dominik Szabajkowicz, Father Remigious (Remi) Ssekiranda, Father Philip Joly, Father Thomas Bouchard, and Deacon George Seaton; for our we pray for the entire church community and the entire world.

The second major rite is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. "Eucharist" means giving thanks to God. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist:

  • Through the calling down of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine are changed into Jesus whom we receive in Communion.
  • Together with Jesus, we offer God ourselves and all we have. This Communion celebrates our oneness with Jesus and with one another.

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we celebrate God's loving forgiveness, and we express our sorrow.

How are sins which are committed after Baptism forgiven?

The pardon of sins committed after baptism occurs in the Sacrament called by these names: conversion, confession, reconciliation or penance.

The Holy Spirit helps us with an examination of conscience to prepare us for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

  • Do I thank God for all gifts?
  • Do I pray daily and celebrate the Eucharist weekly?
  • Do I obey my parents and others in authority?
  • Am I generous, helpful and kind to others?
  • Am I respectful to myself and to others?
  • Am I respectful of the property of others?
    • Have my speech and my actions followed the example of Jesus' speech and actions?
  • Have I treated others the way I would like to be treated?

Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

  • I ask the Holy Spirit to help me think of my sins.
  • I pray: "Bless me, Father, I have sinned, this is my first confession, or, my last confession was...
  • I confess my sins.
  • I receive my penance.
  • I pray my Prayer of Sorrow:
Oh My God I am sorry if I hurt you by my sins. I ask your forgiveness. I know you will forgive me because you love me. I will try to love you daily more and more.
  • I receive from God, through the priest, the blessing of forgiveness, called absolution.
  • I pray: "Amen." I thank the priest.
  • I do my penance.