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The Synod of Bishops: For a Synodal Church begins this week on October 4. This October gathering of bishops and others from throughout the universal Church is the first of two and is part of a three-year process that began in October 2021. The synod’s three themes are: communion (How can we make our relationships with other Catholics stronger?); participation (How involved are we in our parish and beyond?); and mission (How can we tell others about God’s saving grace?).
Pflaum provides synod background sheets to help catechists and teachers share the purpose of the synod with their students and families. Find these at gospelweeklies.com/synod-resources.
Please join us in praying that the Holy Spirit will move and guide us to become a community and people of grace:
We stand before You, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance
lead us down the wrong path
nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity
so that we may journey together
to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth
and what is right.
All this we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son,
forever and ever.
Amen.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find a helpful tip for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and information about our online resources and seasonal activities. Here are tips for teaching the Gospel Weeklies lessons this week:
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
Sunday Gospel Cartoon Reading and Lesson
Holy Heroes
The Parable of the Two Sons
God’s Story: Two Sons and a Father
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us.
For this lesson you will need: pencils, crayons, items for the activity on page TG1-10, and a Church Year calendar. Download and make copies of the story coloring page for “Rafael Makes Choices”. You can find it here.
Prepare in advance for the lesson the items you will use for the Choosing Activity on TG1-10. Since this lesson focuses on making choices, it could be a good idea to offer the children as many choices as you can during the course of the session. For example, you can give them the choice to use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to color the activity on page 4 of their lessons.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
“CHOICES,” by John Burland
Promise
Lesson Theme: God gives us choices.
Prepare for this lesson by gathering pencils, crayons, coins, and game markers. Make name tags for the children in advance of your class session. Download and make copies of the story coloring page for “Just Five More Minutes!” You can find it here.
Note that you will introduce the children to the term Ten Commandments in this lesson. It is the Word of the Week. Emphasize that these rules help us make good choices. Some of the children may have some familiarity with the Ten Commandments. You may wish to read them to the children and explain them simply as needed. Tell the children that they will learn the Ten Commandments when they advance to the Good News (grades 2, 3) level of the Gospel Weeklies.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
“CHOICES,” by John Burland
Good News
Lesson Theme: God makes us free to choose.
Make name tags for the children in advance of your class session. Bring a ball to your session to play a Name Game at the beginning of your class session to help the children (and you!) learn everyone’s names. If the children are preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, this lesson about being free to choose will support their preparation.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
The Four Gospels | Jesus Is the Good News | What’s in the Bible?
Venture
Lesson Theme: Our words have power.
Plan to have enough Bibles (one for every two children) for the young people to get some practice locating Sunday’s First Reading and Gospel in their Bibles. You will also need copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (one for every two children) and the Lectionary for this class session.
This lesson includes a lot of foundational information about Catholic faith and practices. As you teach, use this opportunity to note whether students have prior knowledge and those who perhaps have not received regular catechesis. Note: This is not a test—simply a way to gauge what you may need to emphasize or review over this year.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
The Bible Explored—A Brief History
Bishop Barron on How to Read the Bible
The Liturgical Year
The Mass
Who Was Saint Clare of Assisi?
Visions
Lesson Theme: Jesus calls us to do his word.
When reading the story “Saying Yes, Saying No” on pages 2–3, make sure to pause after reading the question in the green box on page three. After reading the question, talk about what Tony should do, and then finish the story. This story leads well into this Sunday’s Gospel story of the two sons. Lead the young people in discussing this question: What’s more important—what we say or what we do? Also discuss the issue of competing demands on their time; how do the young people balance and honor their commitments?
Spend some time with the Our Catholic Faith feature on parables (page 5). Ask the students why they think these stories are so memorable. As you read the Gospel, consider reading it twice. The first time, invite the students to choose which son they most identify with. The second time, invite them to take on the viewpoint of the other son. Readers tend to identify with the heroes in a parable. Invite the students to consider in which role Jesus might be asking them to see themselves. How does this change their understanding of this Gospel Reading?
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
World Youth Day Lisbon
Image and prayer credit: synod.va
