Teaching

When we are thinking about our faith, we come to see that there are four basic pillars upon which we build our faith. 

First, the Creed:  These are the truths that we believe.

Because we are Catholic, we come from a long history of followers of Jesus who studied him, prayed with him, were healed by him and were chosen by him to share his word.  And they passed that on to us! As Catholics, we are a part of all of those things that Jesus taught!   Being a Catholic means being a part of a people who believe things about God, and about who God created us to be.   

The Sacraments (click here for more about the Sacraments):  The Sacraments are signs of Jesus’ love for us!  When Jesus walked on the earth two thousand years ago, he came to show us his love for us.  He taught people, he healed people, but he also told his apostles that he would send his Holy Spirit to continue to teach them when he was gone. It is through the sacraments that we can continue to share in God’s love for us today and that Jesus continues to work today among us.

Prayer:  In prayer, we talk to God, and God talks to us.  Sometimes people pray by just asking God for something. But there are other kinds of prayer too.  We pray to thank God, we offer praise telling God how much we love him. There are also times that we pray for other people.  It is very important that we pray every day so that we can get to know God in a deeper way.   

The Moral Life:  Because we are disciples of Jesus, there is a way that we act in this life.  It is called the moral life.  Jesus told us to love our neighbors just as we love ourselves, and to follow God’s commandments. When we do that, it means that we will behave in a certain way, we will talk a certain way, we will pray a certain way.  That is what separates us from those who do not believe in God. 

So you see, being Catholic has a lot of parts to it!  Everything that we have in our faith helps us grow in our faith, and our love of God:  the Mass, the Bible, the Saints who pray for us.  With them, we come to understand Jesus in a deeper way, we can communicate with Jesus, and we become his followers, just like the disciples. 

STOP HERE AND READ CHAPTER 1, PAGES 1-10 IN YOUR Confirmation BOOK. 
AFTER READING FROM THE BOOK, CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT SECTION

Connect Faith to Daily Life

There are many people in our community who do something for the church. Think of someone who does something for the church, who you see whenever you go to Mass.  What is it that they do?  

We are all part of the church, and so each of us has a role to play in the life of the church.  

Think of what you could do for your church family:   

• Hold a door for someone?  

• Help pick up the bulletins that are left behind in the pews after Mass?  

• Saying the prayers out loud during Mass?  

 
What are some things that you might be able to do for someone during the week, when you are not at Mass?  

Every day, God gives us many opportunities where we can show him how much we love him.  Starting our day off with prayer is one way that opens up our hearts so that we can see what God needs from us. 

Make a list of some nice, helpful things you can do for someone, and a list of you could do for the church.  If you can, put that list into action!  

Learn Catholic Prayers

Prayer to St. Joseph

        St. Joseph,  watch over me  and care for me  just as you cared for the child Jesus;
       and by your help,  may I come to know  your Son, and so grow in strength and wisdom and the favor of God.    Amen.

Learn about the Saints

SAINT JOSEPH
Saint Joseph is the man God chose to be the husband of Mary, and the foster father of Jesus here on earth because he was a very good man.  He loved God.  An angel appeared to Joseph one night in a dream, and had a special message for him. 

“Do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived."

Joseph may not have understood everything that was happening, but he took Mary as his wife.

He trusted God.  When Jesus was still little, an angel appeared to Joseph again and told him to take Mary and little Jesus away into Egypt, because a very bad king was looking for him, and wanted to kill him.  Joseph may not have understood everything, but he took Mary and Jesus, and left right away for Egypt.  He obeyed God.

Joseph was a carpenter, and so when Jesus was growing up, Joseph taught him how to be a carpenter too!

Joseph is also the patron saint of the Church.  He was entrusted with Jesus and now he is entrusted with us. 
St Joseph, pray for us and for all workers, especially those who are in need of jobs right now!

Learn Catholic Vocabulary

Faith:  The gift from God that helps us to trust him, and believe in him and all we are taught in the church.

Disciples:  Those who follow Jesus, and try to live like he did.

The Creed:  What we know and believe in our faith.  

Grace:  God’s life in us, given to us without our earning it.