Faith Reflections

January 8, 2012

Today while I was listening to the Message in Mass, ideas for guiding my students in their faith development ran through my head. There are a few messages I want to share with the students in my class this week in particular. You can work through these ideas throughout the next few weeks. Not every activity is a paper-pencil task, but rather serves as a discussion topic.

1. Post names for Jesus on the white board or chalk board. Ask the students who they think this is. Names that were given to Jesus are: Messiah (anointed one), Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, Emmanuel (God with us), Wonderful Counselor, King of the Jews, Savior, Alpha and Omega (beginning and the end), Redeemer, Light of the World, Lamb of God. Depending on the age level of your students review what these names mean.

2. Reading the story of the Epiphany can lead the discussion into how Jesus was brought to us as a gift. He was a gift for the people 2000 years ago and is still a gift today. How is Jesus a gift? Allow students to share ideas about how Jesus is the living God coming down to touch our lives, perform miracles, spread the word of God, bring light to our darkness, and finally to serve as a model of how to live our lives.

3. Brainstorm—How will you share the gift of Jesus with others? How will you live like Jesus? This is ultimately the question you will return to often as I feel it’s a work in progress. Identify acts of kindness, love, and humility that students can demonstrate. This can be part of their New Years Resolution. Have them draw a picture or write about the gift of Jesus they will share. You can post it up at your religion centre with a picture of Jesus above it stating, “The Gift of Jesus is Here”. This will be a reminder that Christmas is everyday and not just celebrated one day a year.  As well it’s important for the students to understand that Jesus is the key to membership in God’s family. When He stooped to our level by becoming a man, He made it possible for us to relate to Him and for God to relate to us through Him

4. Read the passage from Isaiah that describes that Jesus is here on earth to help guide us through our dark periods. Without Jesus, God's forgiveness would not be possible and there would be no Light of the World (John 8:12). Through crisis or challenges in our lives, we draw close to Jesus for strength.  We turn to Jesus for guidance, assurance, and encouragement through something that can’t actually be fixed.  For younger students with simpler lives unaffected by any real crisis, they can think about what small things in life they need Jesus to help them with.  This can include asking Jesus for help with their work at school, solving conflicts with friends, and obeying their parents at home.  They can be taught at a young age that when they need help that instead of quickly turning to a teacher or an adult they can first turn to Jesus, who is always with them. 

5. Brainstorm—When was there a problem that you thought was impossible to fix? How did you solve your problem? God has given you a special gift to help you through your dark times, it is Jesus. The word of Jesus, the actions of Jesus, and the salvation of Jesus will help you through. You won’t always get what you want, but you can find rest and peace because with Jesus nothing is impossible.

Use the stories of the healings of Jesus, his miracles and authority to drive out negative spirits as the proof of Jesus' work in action.  Yes, human nature is inherent with problems, some bigger than others.  It's important to remember that our problems are temporary as we place our hopes in an unseen God, through the promise of the risen Christ.  You can have students draw or write what that means, “With God, all things are possible” and they can respond to a time when things were hard, trying or very sad for them.

One student recently shared with me that during a particularly hard recess with friends she made a pile of snow and knelt down. She decided to pray and ask Jesus for help. When I asked her if the prayer helped, she said "well, not really". I wanted her to see that she was indeed helped through prayer in that she always has Jesus to talk to about her problems and maybe this relationship she has developed with Jesus is giving her insight into making good choices. She later agreed that she made a good choice, which included walking with a teacher the following recess. She agreed that maybe her praying did help, not always in a way we expect it to. We all know that praying for the red bike or the cabbage patch doll didn't actually give us the cabbage patch doll. But, we kept praying because we knew someone was listening.


 "Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are my Life, for without You my life would be worth nothing. You are my Savior and my King, the Lamb of God who atoned for my sin. You are the Alpha and Omega and You control the beginning and end of each circumstance in my life. You are the Bread of Life and I can feast on Your spiritual nourishment to keep me in perfect peace. You are my Lord and my God. In Your holy name, amen."