1. Adult Meeting

2. Agenda This PowerPoint includes:
Slides for opening questions to help orient parents into their role of primary teachers of their children
Slides to introduce the A Family of Faith program
Closing reflection

3. Opening Questions
We’ve been discussing all year how parents cooperate with God in giving life. What are the two fundamental aspects of our lives?

4. Opening Questions
We are made of body and soul. What has parenthood taught you about the physical needs of the human person? The spiritual needs?
Once parents have answered the opening questions, affirm the vital importance of the example Jesus has set for us in a manner similar to the following:
Jesus has gone before us in every way, and has set an example for us in everything he asks us to do. He calls us to love and sacrifice for others, taking into account their physical and especially spiritual needs. He shows us the meaning of life and the path to ultimate happiness, which is eternal beatitude with God in Heaven

5. Lecture/Essay Content Review

6. The New Commandment, the Works of Mercy, and the First through Fourth Beatitudes

7. The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.”
- G.K. Chesterton
I G. K. Chesterton said, ““The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”
A. What does this mean? Allow discussion on this question for a moment before proceeding.
B. This quote is a reminder that a life of Christian discipleship is difficult. It requires us, if we take it seriously, to life in a way that is completely different from the way the world wants us to live!
II. If someone did not know you were Catholic, how would they be able to tell from the way you live your life? What are some signs of a Christian life? Allow discussion on this question for a moment before beginning.
A. Jesus told us how the world would know we are His disciples: that we love one another as He loved us.
B. We call this the New Commandment. But how do we love one another? Did Jesus give us guidance for that?
C. Some of the concrete ways we live out the New Commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us are the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
a. Share a personal example here of the challenge of self-giving love Jesus calls us to.

8. The New Commandment
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35)
I The New Commandment
A. At the Last Supper, Jesus said to the Apostles: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35)
i. There is a lot to unpack here! First we see that how we act and how we treat one another matters. What other people see in us as examples of the Christian life matters.
ii. When Jesus washed the feet of His Apostles at the Last Supper, He showed that His love was one of service.
iii. Then He instituted the greatest sacrifice of all, the sacrifice of His Body and Blood in the Eucharist!
iv. The Eucharist unites all of us with His sacrifice on the Cross.
v. In this way, the New Commandment contains the law of the entire Gospel – God loves us so much that He gave His son so that we could go to Heaven.

9. Christian Discipleship
A. So we see that Christian discipleship is hard! It is truly life-changing if we believe it and take it seriously.
i Remember the Chesterton quote we began with!
ii. Our culture is one of selfishness, that teachers us to go after what we want, and that worldly success or materials goods will satisfy us.
iii. A life of sacrificial love shines out to the world like light in the darkness.
iv. But the values of Christ’s Kingdom, where we love God before all and our neighbor as ourselves, is the surest way of declaring ourselves as disciples of Christ.
v. More than our words, our deeds of humility and love are what will show the face of Christ to others.
1. Share a personal example here of someone you know who truly strives to live a Christian life in service of others. You could also ask the parents if they would like to share any inspirational examples.

10. The Works of Mercy

11. Mercy is the form love takes when it encounters misery.
A. Pope St. John Paull II defined mercy as the form love takes when it encounters misery.
i. Think about that – the form love takes when it encounters misery.
ii. Think of your response when one of your children is hurt, or your response to a friend who is struggling with their spouse or who has lost a loved one. What do you do? You comfort them, you offer a hug, some advice, a home-cooked meal, or whatever good thing you hope will comfort that person.
All these are good examples, and remember that the most miserable condition we can be in is to lack God. When Adam and Eve lost God’s grace though Original Sin, God did not abandon them, He looked upon them with mercy. He made clothes for them, and promised a savior! He continues to call us to Him and offer forgiveness and healing. This is why mercy is a word for God’s love for us, and why we call love that imitates the Lord the Works of Mercy.

12. Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead
(i) The word “corporal” means “of the body,” and the Corporal Works of Mercy meet the bodily needs of the person. They are: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.

13. Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead
(i) The word “corporal” means “of the body,” and the Corporal Works of Mercy meet the bodily needs of the person. They are: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.

14. Spiritual Works of Mercy
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Admonish sinners
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive offenses willingly
Comfort the afflicted
Pray for the living and the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy meet the spiritual needs of the person. They are: instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the living and the dead.

15. Spiritual Works of Mercy
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Admonish sinners
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive offenses willingly
Comfort the afflicted
Pray for the living and the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy meet the spiritual needs of the person. They are: instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the living and the dead.

16. Spiritual Works of Mercy
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Admonish sinners
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive offenses willingly
Comfort the afflicted
Pray for the living and the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy meet the spiritual needs of the person. They are: instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the living and the dead.

17. “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
1. The Works of Mercy are based in Scripture. In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Christ lists out the Corporal Works of Mercy and He also says, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
2. Although both are essential to the Christian life, the Spiritual Works of Mercy are more important. This is because they address needs that are related to the ultimate end for which we are created: an eternity in Heaven with God.
3. In other words, we perform the Spiritual Works of Mercy for our neighbors to help them get to Heaven.

18. Eternity in Heaven is also called Beatitude
An eternity in Heaven with God is also called Beatitude.

19. The Beatitudes
I. The Beatitudes
A. God created us to be happy. The Church teaches that God placed the desire for happiness in each of our hearts. But what is true happiness?
a. In the Sermon on the Mount (where Jesus gave us the heart of His teaching and proclaimed the Kingdom of God), Jesus gave us the Beatitudes to show us what it means to be happy.
b. In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus begins each beatitude with the saying, “Blessed are …,” and then continues each statement with a teaching about who is “blessed” and what their reward will be. Some translations of Scripture use the phrase “Happy are…” instead of “Blessed are…” This is not a coincidence! The meaning is the same.
Jesus used the words blessed and happy differently from the way the words are typically used today. In fact, the kind of happiness Jesus talks about seems paradoxical.
i. He uses examples like “Blessed are those who mourn,” or “Blessed are those who are persecuted.” These examples do not sound happy to our ears!
ii. We think of happiness as an emotion that brings us pleasure. And because of this, our happiness cannot last.
But the blessedness and happiness that Jesus had in mind lasts forever. It is the happiness of those who hope in the Kingdom of God. It is the blessedness of those who walk on the path toward life.

20. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (CCC 1716).
a. The first beatitude states: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (CCC 1716).
i. Jesus’ words are not just about detachment from materials things, but also about being completely spiritually humble and completely dependent on God.
ii. If we humbly recognize that we are God’s poor servants, that all our possessions are gifts from God, and that we are dependent on God for every minute of our lives, we will enter His Kingdom.
iii. Give a personal example here.

21. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (CCC 1716).
a. The second beatitude is: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (CCC 1716).
i. Belief in Jesus and in the eternal life He gives comforts us and strengthens us when we grieve.
ii. God blesses us when, even as we mourn for what we have lost, we believe in Jesus and long for the coming of the Kingdom in its fullness.
iii. Give a personal example here.

22. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (CCC 1716).
a. In the third beatitude, Jesus teaches us: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (CCC 1716).
i. To be meek is NOT weakness. Being meek is to be gentle, humble, teachable, and patient while bearing wrongs.
ii. Jesus demonstrates His meekness throughout His Passion (Matthew ). He endures betrayal, arrest, beatings, whippings, false accusations, and ridicule with quiet strength, never losing His temper or striking back, never retaliating or resisting.
Here you might marvel at how Jesus, God Himself, of infinite strength and power, held back from responding when He could easily have unleashed His full strength even when tortured unjustly. Again, meekness does not mean weakness.

23. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”
(CCC 1716).
a. The fourth beatitude tells us: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (CCC 1716).
i. We all hunger and thirst for food and drink because our bodies need these things. (Remember the Corporal works of Mercy!)
ii. But in this beatitude, Jesus reorients our attention to something we should more deeply hunger and thirst for: righteousness.
1. Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people to care for their physical needs. He also taught them with His words and example, in order to awaken in them an awareness of their spiritual need for righteousness.
2. Jesus, in His perfect relationship with the Father, is perfect righteousness. Jesus wants us to hunger for righteousness so that He can satisfy our hunger by giving us Himself.

24. Who do you see in this painting?
Suggested answer: Jesus is talking to a man. Jesus is gesturing as though He is showing the man the way somewhere.

25. How would you describe the man Jesus is speaking to?
Suggested answer: He is dressed richly, in bright colors with ornate fabrics. Some parents may say he looks slightly downcast or sad.

26. We read about Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Man in Matthew 19: What question does the Rich Young Man have for Jesus?
Suggested answer: Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22)

27. Have you ever asked yourself, “What do I still lack
Have you ever asked yourself, “What do I still lack?” Is morality really just about a list of rules?
Suggested answer: The young man isn’t really just asking about rules to be followed; he is asking about the meaning of life. This search for meaning is in all of our hearts. The rich young man knows deep down, as we all do, that what we do in this life matters for our eternal destiny. To only way we can find the good is by turning to God (which recalls the First Commandment). Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “God’s commandments show man the path of life and they lead to it.”

28. “God’s commandments show man the path of life and they lead to it
“God’s commandments show man the path of life and they lead to it.” - Pope John Paul II

29. Group Discussion/Sharing

30. Special Announcement

31. Reminders and Announcements
The upcoming Community Meeting will take place at [location] on [date/time].
Remind parents to put up their new Fridge Page and the Car Conversations hang tag for this month. These can be found in their Parent’s Guide at the beginning of this month’s lesson.
Remind them that they do NOT have to do all the activities in the book. They should choose only the activities they believe will work best for their family. Think quality, not quantity.
Also emphasize that this program is first and foremost about their own formation, and secondarily about helping them teach their children. “Put your own mask on first,” as they say!
Their children will learn the Faith better from their parents’ witness than through any structured activity

32. Reminders and Announcements
The upcoming Community Meeting will take place at [location] on [date/time].
Remind parents to put up their new Fridge Page and the Car Conversations hang tag for this month. These can be found in their Parent’s Guide at the beginning of this month’s lesson.
Remind them that they do NOT have to do all the activities in the book. They should choose only the activities they believe will work best for their family. Think quality, not quantity.
Also emphasize that this program is first and foremost about their own formation, and secondarily about helping them teach their children. “Put your own mask on first,” as they say!
Their children will learn the Faith better from their parents’ witness than through any structured activity

33. “If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.” –St. Teresa of Calcutta

34. Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for our time together here tonight. We pray for those who could not be with us. You have given us a new commandment, that we are to love others as you have loved us. As we walk this path through life, we ask you to be at our side leading and guiding us every step of the way.

35. Closing Prayer
In the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta, we pray, “Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours. A heart like yours, so full of love and humility. May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life, to love Him as you loved Him, to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”