A Fertile Heart - Year 2 (S) by fertileheart.org.uk

Key Stage 1 Year 2

A Fertile Heart Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Love is creative. To have a fertile heart is to love, grow and make a positive difference.

A Fertile Heart Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Children have a natural desire to love. They have a longing to make a difference. They love growing. A Fertile Heart helps them understand that these desires are all connected. God’s first words to us were, “Be fertile!” And the whole of the Bible teaches us that we are fertile through healthy, loving relationships – with God and each other. Learning to authentically and appropriately receive and give love leads to us having fertile hearts. Using the concept ‘fertile’ helps the children see the similarity between plants growing through fertile soil, sun and water, and us growing through a caring environment, love and truth.

Key Stage 1: Year 2

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love Panda Press Publishing would like to thank the following contributors to A Fertile Heart: Kathryn Lycett, John Cook, Mary Dickenson, Maryanne Dowle, Bernadette Eakin, Christopher Hancox, Louise Kirk, Gavin McAleer and Rebecca Surman Thanks also to Dr Charlie O’Donnell, Joe Smiles, Michael H. Barton, Mary Flynn, Rev Dr Stephen Morgan and Fr Wayne Coughlin for their kind support. ISBN: 978-0-9930555-9-1 A Fertile Heart KS1 - Year 2 Scripture quotations taken from various authorised translations. Every effort has been made to locate copyright holders and to obtain permission to reproduce sources. For those sources where it has been difficult to trace the originator of the work, we would welcome further information. If any copyright holder would like us to make an amendment, please inform us and we will update our information during the next reprint. All images and illustrations used under licence. Design © 2021 Panda Press Publishing Limited Illustrations and Images: Shutterstock All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher who can be contacted at hello@fertileheart.org.uk British Library Catalogue Publication Data. A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library. Printed and bound in the UK and published under licence by Panda Press Publishing Ltd, 1 Newcastle Street, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8JU Company Number 11786188 Printed, bound and distributed in Australia by Createl Publishing, 98 Logistics Street, Keilor Park, Victoria 3042, t: 03 9336 0800, f: 03 9336 0900, www.createl.com.au Keep in touch Facebook @afertileheart Linkedin.com/company/a-fertile-heart Twitter @afertileheart visit A Fertile Heart at www.fertileheart.org.uk Version 7, September 2021

Imprimatur:

Nihil Obstat for KS 2, 3 and 4: Reverend Jonathan Veasey. Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, 30th November 2020.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

04/07/2018

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Foreword His Grace George Stack, Archbishop of Cardiff Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel “The Glory of God is humanity fully alive”. Thus wrote St. Irenaeus in the 3rd century. His words remain true to this day. They mean that God is the creator of the gift of life. In that gift, each human person receives a share in His own creative love. His revelation in life and love, as well as through creation, is pure gift. This is the ‘grace’ of which we speak, in order that “we may have life and have it to the full” (Gospel of St. John 10:10). This truth lies at the heart of the Gospel. It is what it means to be truly human. The gift of life is bestowed by God in order that we may flourish and thrive. We do this in the first place simply by living with gratitude. We do it by responding to His love in a life of joyful communion with Him. We express it by actively engaging in the good of others so that mutual ‘flourishing’ may take place. The more we give, the more we receive. The ‘Gospel of Life’ outlined above is, indeed, ‘Good News’. It is revealed in every aspect of human nature and creation itself. This is the life-giving teaching we seek to hand on to our children who are “the messages we send to tomorrow”. The Rite of Baptism reminds us that parents are the first and best teachers of their children. The Catholic school exists primarily to educate children to receive and respond to God’s love for each one of them and for all. Our schools are designed to help parents fulfil their God given task of caring for their children in the school of love. The Catholic school is not just a place for professional education – existing for improvement in learning - important though that is. It is a place of formation, a place in which ‘lessons for life’ are imparted, received and shared. The whole school community teaches and learns these lessons in a truly Catholic environment. Human relationships are obviously at the heart of life and flourishing. We are made to relate to each other, body, mind and spirit. The physical, emotional and spiritual reality of our being are part and parcel of the ‘holy trinity’ of each one of us. Thus affective sexuality education is a crucial part of human formation. A Fertile Heart is the culmination of several years work of dedicated individuals [teachers, theologians, education advisers and parents] from within the dioceses of Birmingham, Cardiff, Clifton, Arundel and Brighton and Shrewsbury. They have worked tirelessly to create a resource which puts the human person and the flourishing of our pupils at the heart of the Catholic school. It is offered as an important aid to pupils, parents, teachers, governors and clergy to remind us all that “We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning God had meant us to live it” (Ephesians 2:10).

Year 2 Introduction Welcome! It’s such a privilege to help a young child grow in understanding anything; doubly so when it means them understanding themselves. We are all created in love, to live and grow - but maybe that’s particularly obvious though the wonder of a child’s eyes. Content In Reception, we focused on being loved, happy, beautiful children of God - whom God helps to grow in body, mind and heart, and invites us to cooperate in this. In Y1 the Hail Mary guided us to deepen our love for ourselves, each other and the whole human family, through receiving God’s creative love of us, and responding generously and joyfully, as Mary did. Year 2 is structured by the Our Father, separated into six parts. Healthy, life-giving relationship is founded firstly on self-knowledge. We cannot truly know ourselves except in the light of Genesis 1-3. We are lovingly created in the image of God as his helpers and friends. Year 2 starts with the sad story of the Fall of Adam and Eve - which helps us understand why we and the world aren’t perfect, and need saving. It is a hard module - and 2a1 and 2a2 are longer - because it is so important for the children to understand this story correctly: but the reward is that it helps the rest of the year go much more smoothly. The children learn that sin hurts our special journey to full happiness with God, but in Jesus, can’t stop it: he is both our vaccine for sin and our satnav guide through life. The parable of the Good Samaritan helps the children understand the joy of giving, and that we are called to build up God’s kingdom through loving service of each other. Jesus’ Calming of the Storm calls us to trust in God’s loving will for us even when it feels dark and scary. It also helps the children see that our real journey is an ‘inside one’ not an ‘outside one’: a spiritual journey. The parable of the Talents develops the children’s understanding that God feeds our body, mind and heart with the daily bread of food, truth and love - and that we can cooperate in all of these: growing more when we share our gifts. The parable of the Unforgiving Servant calls the children not just to be forgiving, but to have a forgiving heart. It offers ways to overcome our emotions in order to do this. Accepting that we are all loved sinners can be both freeing and uniting. Finally, the story of Joseph and his brothers, and his journey to Egypt, helps the children understand how to help God lead them away from temptation. They also learn that nothing can stop our journey home to God. Within these, we also deal with some safeguarding issues, helping the children to understand how to be ‘kind but careful’ - hopefully in a way that will give them confidence without panicking them. The great strength of all this is that it communicates - in a joyful, life-giving way - the truth behind healthy living and good relationships and firmly links it all to our faith, so that the children don’t only learn the externals of good practice, but gradually understand and own the reasons behind it. Structure and Methodology The year begins with an introduction to the Our Father, and in particular the meaning of ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. This is followed by 6 modules - perhaps one every half term - each with three lessons. Each module focuses on a Bible story, with (except for 2f ) a modern story to help us understand its truth. Please, as a school, buy these contemporary books - the course is impoverished without them, and the authors etc. have a right to just remuneration. Each lesson has an Introduction, a Respond and Teach element - as reflective Circle Time, example activities and a mission. There is a lot of music used - normally two songs per lesson - that helps immerse the children in the beauty and joy of Christ’s message. All lessons can easily be delivered in smaller chunks to suit your class and timetable.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

After a lot of reflection and discussion, we decided to write down nearly every word of the lessons. There are several reasons for this: to save you the spade work; because we found it easier to write down a set of questions and answers than try and explain in abstract what they are trying to achieve; and because doing it this way really allows the important strands of A Fertile Heart to be built up slowly. We hope the fuller text gives you confidence in the lessons, and allows you to focus on what you do best - teach the children! Included in this, we haven’t added so many ‘mindmap’ and ‘discuss’ pointers as in Reception modules, due to space - trusting that you know the best way to make the lessons dynamic and interactive. We are firm believers that you are the best resource you have in the classroom and we want our course and colourful powerpoints to help you as much as possible. Truth and Love We are in a culture where many of our children do not experience the traditional family structure. This is important to acknowledge, while still presenting Jesus’ vision of what family is called to be. As well as this, many of our children sadly carry wounds that need great sensitivity. We have tried to allow these truths to shape how we communicate Christ’s life-giving message of love, without it preventing us talking of God as Father, family life, forgiveness, trust, etc. - in a spirit of equality, tolerance, compassion and dignity. We can only help you in this with our words and prayers; you are the one who will best know how to deal with anything that arises. Sensitive issues need to be dealt with sensitively, not ignored. The RHE themes at the start of each module relate to England and Wales’ CES given themes, based on DfE guidance and agreed with them. A Fertile Heart is so called, because we all long to be fertile in the deepest sense - to grow, to help others grow, to make a difference: and ultimately it is love that achieves this. So we invite you to add your fertile heart to ours, and to Jesus’ and Mary’s - so that we can all help our children’s fertile hearts grow too.

Modern Texts Max Lucado - The Oak Inside the Acorn Publisher - Tommy Nelson ISBN-13: 9781602522732 Shel Silverstein - The Giving Tree Publisher - Harper & Row ISBN-13: 9780060256654 Angela Elwell Hunt - The Tale of Three Trees Publisher - Lion Children’s Books ISBN-13: 9780745917436 Marcus Pfister - The Rainbow Fish Publisher - North-South Books ISBN-13: 9780735820845 John Steptoe - Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters Publisher - Puffin ISBN-13: 9780140559460

Contents: Year 2 The Our Father is used this year to unite the different modules together. This will reinforce the prayer for the children, but also, hopefully enrich the prayer for them every time they pray it. A short introductiory lesson presents the Our Father to the children, and explores ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. 1) ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.’ The Fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3): This story, like Genesis 1 and 2, tells us so much about being human, and why we are like we are. This deals with the bad part - our turning away from God, and sinning. The children explore how we can all want to decide what is right and wrong, but trusting God as Father means we trust that he knows and wants what is best for us. God promises to save Adam and Eve even after they have chosen not to trust him; he is still Our Father, even after we choose not to trust him. This is why his name is ‘hallowed’ or holy. It is Jesus who is our Saviour - he is our vaccine against sin and our satnav on our ‘inner journey’ of growing in love. 2) ‘Thy kingdom come.’ The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37): This is the clearest and simplest of Jesus’ parables calling us to serve and help each other. First of all it teaches us that Jesus is the Good Samaritan who heals us and the whole human family; then it calls us to help him by being like the Good Samaritan ourselves, by serving others and the whole human family whatever our differences. We are called to lend everyone a helping hand when we can and when it is safe - and to find joy in the giving itself, not in any reward. 3) ‘Thy will be done’ The Calming of the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27): There can be storms in our lives. It can seem like Jesus is asleep. But he never leaves us, and the storms will never cause us to sink. He has power over all creation, and nothing bad can happen that he cannot being good out of, if we trust him. God has plans for us that are even more amazing than our wildest dreams! Trusting this protects us from loving money, power or fame, which take us on a meaningless ‘outer journey’, whereas Jesus invites us to a life-giving inner journey. 4) ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30): We explore further the idea that God feeds us with food, truth and love. And that every gift from God helps us daily grow in body, mind or heart. The parable of the Talents helps us see that we cooperate with this daily growth by using our gifts to the best of our ability. Thankfulness and trust in God give us the courage to use our gifts lovingly. Jesus’ deepest truth is that when we give gifts, or love, to another, we in some way give ourselves too. This is why he gives himself to us as daily bread: on the Cross, in Mass and Holy Communion. We have life to the full (Jn. 10:10) when we have completely become a gift to God and others. This is heaven. 5) ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35): Through Jesus’ parable of the Unforgiving Servant, we explore the importance of forgiveness and the link between God forgiving us, and us forgiving each other. We reflect on what forgiveness is, and isn’t, and what emotions can stop us wanting to forgive - or wanting to say sorry - and how to overcome them. We learn that forgiveness comes from a generous, forgiving heart which frees both of us to be happy. We then look at the ‘Lord have mercy’ in Mass, and the beauty of us all knowing that we are a family of forgiven sinners. 6) ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ Joseph and his brothers (Gen. 37, 39-41): The story of Joseph introduces two topics which we would all rather avoid: that there is a serpent whose voice can tempt us; and that there is human evil, which we seek to protect our children from, through safeguarding. Firstly, then we think through choices that lead us away from or into temptation. Then we offer a foundation for the school’s safeguarding lessons. In particular, trust in God gives the children confidence to seek appropriate help and to learn appropriate skills, so that they can still learn to be kind, but in a careful way. We finish the module and the year on a positive note - that ultimately, God will always protect us, even if our difficulties on the way can be deep and real.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

We are special to God Our Father Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To know the story of The Fall. Lesson 2: To see how sin hurts our journey to heaven. Lesson 3: To know that God has a special journey for each of us.

Teacher Notes The first module of Y2 offers continuity with the last module of Y1. They are probably the hardest modules of KS1, as they deal with sin and death respectively - but we can’t really understand our need for Jesus without raising these subjects. Sin is dealt with here through the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 - what is often called ‘The Fall’ or ‘Original Sin’. We try and cover it in as light and loving a way as possible; and also relate it to the children’s own experience, but it is a story that does just need to be known. It does have all the ingredients of a good story, mind you. In the Introduction to the year - which may be best done separately from Module 2a1 - we deal with earth and heaven, and in Module 2a1 we deal with ‘outside/inside’ - both of which may stretch some children, but which greatly help the rest of the year and indeed the course, and are the same point really. In lesson 3 we use Max Lucado’s The Oak inside the Acorn to help the children realise that God’s plan for them is for them to grow into a very special person, with a unique purpose. Sin gets in the way of growing, but ‘hallowing God’s name’ ensures we reach our potential.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and loved by God: 1.1.1.1, 1.1.1.2, 1.1.1.4, 1.1.2.1, 1.1.2.2, 1.1.2.4, 1.1.3.2, 1.1.3.3, 1.1.4.3, 1.1.4.5, 1.1.5.1. Theme 2: Created to love others: 1.2.1.6, 1.2.2.1, 1.2.3.1, 1.2.3.2, 1.2.3.6, 1.2.4.2, 1.2.4.3. Theme 3: Created to live in community: 1.3.1.1, 1.3.2.2, 1.3.3.2, 1.3.3.4, 1.3.3.5.

Bible Text Genesis 3 - The Fall of Adam and Eve Through the Genesis account of Original Sin, the children learn how the original beauty of Eden was spoilt through the sin of disobedience. Like Genesis 1 and 2, this important real event is given to us in a story and language we can understand - though it requires much pondering: for instance the name of the tree being the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There is no replacement for this story and such pondering, as it is such a key text for understanding our need for Jesus as our Saviour. An important lesson of the story is that although Adam and Eve did wrong, God still loves them and wants what is best for them.

Modern Text Max Lucado - The Oak Inside the Acorn “Just be the tree God made you to be.” This is the message that stayed with the little acorn right from when he started out life in mother oak tree. He didn’t always know God’s plan for him, but he trusted that God would help him to grow for a special purpose. God made each and every one of us for a special and unique purpose. Are we patient and faithful enough to trust in Him?

Introductory lesson Teacher Notes Y2 uses the Our Father to give shape to the year, as Y1 did with the Hail Mary. This gives a clear structure to the modules, and hopefully deepens the children’s appreciation of the prayer as well. Here we introduce the Our Father to the children, and in particular give them an understanding of ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. This helps them see their life as a journey, which in turn, should make all the prayer more accessible to them. Explain: Last year the Hail Mary helped us think through how much God loves us, which makes us special and able to love ourselves and each other, with Jesus’ love. This also helps us all to grow - in our body, in our mind and in our heart. This year the Our Father is going to continue to help us understand our journey in love - and how God wants us to help him make the whole world one family. Let’s first just listen to the Our Father - listening closely to the words. Then we will think about one part, and then we will pray it all together. Listen out for the words ‘earth’ and ‘heaven’. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZPCG5slxhk Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40). Ask: Did anyone hear the line about earth and heaven? ‘... on earth as it is in heaven’. Heaven is a very happy place. Jesus tells us this is because everyone in heaven is one family with God as Father. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Explain: These are the first three things the Our Father talks about. Remember, ‘thy’ is another word for ‘your’. What do you think ‘hallowed’ means? It means the thing is holy, respected, honoured. So when we pray that God’s name is hallowed, we are praying that everyone realises that God is holy, and that he is respected and honoured by all. What do we mean by God’s kingdom? We talked about God’s kingdom last year: we talked about all being God’s family, all being the Body of Christ, and we talked about building God’s kingdom with ‘bricks of love’. When God is king of every human heart then we will have God’s kingdom. What do we mean by God’s will being done? When we do what mum or dad asks us, we are doing their will - doing what they would like us to. When we do what we want, we are doing our will - doing just what I want to do. So, when we do what God asks, when we live as he likes, we are doing his will.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

What Jesus tells us in the Our Father is that all these three things happen in heaven and that’s why it is such a happy place. And they don’t always happen on earth, which is why it isn’t always a happy place. So, when we pray ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ after these three things we are saying that we want God to be respected on earth, his kingdom to come on earth, and everyone to do his will on earth - as it is already in heaven. So we can all be happy, just like the saints in heaven. Explain: In the past, children used to learn about God by starting with two important questions. (Teacher note: it was called the Penny Catechism.) Let’s read the first question and answer together: Who made me? God made me. The second question was a bit harder, but will help us understand the Our Father more. Let’s try and read it together: Why did God make me? God made me to know him, love him and serve him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in the next. Explain: This answer reminds us that we are happy when we know, love and serve God. And that happens already in heaven, and sometimes happens on earth, and sometimes doesn’t. Last year we talked about earth being like school - where we learn to love - and heaven being home - where we love as a family. So, this answer helps us see why Jesus taught us the Our Father: to hallow God’s name, build his kingdom and do his will is the same as ‘to know him, love him and serve him’. And doing it in this world so that we can be happy in the next is the same as saying ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. Good, we’ve learnt something very important here. So, this time, let’s join in with Tomkin in praying the Our Father, now we understand the words more. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. And, of course, all this is about asking Jesus help us to be children of God, and live like children of God. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgAy-jydfN8 We are Children of God- Monica Scott (2:22), which will be familiar to the children, and links up with everything we have been saying.

2a1

To know the story of The Fall

We start off Year 2’s modules with an understanding of how things first went wrong Lesson Objectives for the human family - when Adam and Eve, in the beautiful Garden of Eden, chose against God. There shouldn’t be any problem in any of us trusting in the creation stories and in science - there is simply no problem in holding on to both, unless we misuse science, or think that Genesis 1 and 2 are literal accounts of creation. However, it is harder to understand the real event of The Fall and Original Sin and how it fits in with paleontology and what we are discovering of earth’s history. For instance, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that humans at first didn’t eat meat, and then did. However, there is a lot of evidence that we all do come from one mother, and there are a lot of things in our lives that Original Sin explains: that we don’t quite work ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ as we should. The Church holds on to the truth and historicity of the story of Genesis 3 - even if it is communicated in a way that is not necessarily literal - just like the six days of creation. So, God did invite our first parents to trust him, whereas they chose to follow their own ideas of what is good for them and what is evil. In this, they were tempted by the devil. Whether a tree, a serpent and some fruit eating were involved is another matter. As the song We are Children of God, by Monica Scott, says, ‘heaven’s not so far, when we know who we are’ - and we can’t really understand ourselves except through Genesis 1-3. Explain: If you remember, we have been thinking about the Our Father, and about how God wants us to learn to honour his name, help build his kingdom and always do his will so that we can all be happy in heaven one day - and be as happy as possible on earth while we journey together. So let’s pray the Our Father together.

The snake said to the woman, “... the day you eat [the fruit] your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods knowing good from evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. Gen 3:5-6

Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Recap Genesis 2: God creates Adam in a beautiful garden called the Garden of Eden. Adam is lonely, so God creates Eve from him, as a helper and a friend. They live in the garden as God’s loving gardeners - helping him make the world even more beautiful. God, Adam and Eve and all creation all live in harmony and peace. Then, something went wrong... Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7TDvJrjjz0 Adam and Eve Sin (3:24). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • What was the garden of Adam and Eve called? The Garden of Eden. • What was it like? It was beautiful - and had everything Adam and Eve needed. • What did Adam and Eve do in the garden as well as look after the trees and plants? They looked after the animals. • From which tree did God tell Adam and Eve not to eat? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That’s a long name! But it is important: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. • What did God say would happen if they ate of this tree? They would die. • What did the snake tell Eve would happen instead? They would become like God. • Who was the snake really? The devil - an angel who had turned away from God and wanted to spoil everything. • Why do you think Eve listened to the snake rather than God? The fruit looked good to eat; and she wanted to be clever and wise. • Oh dear - things went wrong because of this: what did Adam and Eve do when God came looking for them? They hid from him. • Why? Because they realised they had no clothes on.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

The Fall of humanity.

We have an outside and an inside. • What did God say would happen because of them disobeying him? It would be hard on everyone - there would be suffering. • How would the snake suffer? He would crawl on his belly from now on. • How would Eve suffer? There would be a lot of pain in life. • How would Adam suffer? A lot of pain in his life - he would have to work very hard just to get food. • Where did Adam and Eve have to leave? The Garden of Eden. Explain: Oh dear - a lot went wrong because Adam and Eve sinned against God. It was our first sin against God, so sometimes it is called ‘Original Sin’ because ‘original’ means first. It is sometimes called ‘The Fall’ because it was when Adam and Eve fell away from God, and from happiness.

Shame involves fear of another person, when we’re not sure we can trust that person. This shame [of Genesis 3] took the place of the absolute trust connected with the previous state of original innocence in the mutual relationship between man and woman… Shame is… swallowed up by love, dissolved in it.” Pope St John Paul II

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM6u_hHmezE Adam and Eve and that Forbidden Tree (to 2:08) as a musical recap. Respond & Teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Do you remember when we first heard the story of God creating Adam, the Bible tells us that he created him out of the earth and breathed into him. God is trying to tell us something very special here - not that we are made of soil, but that we are in some way like everything else we can see, and in some way we are different. We could say we have an ‘outside’ and an ‘inside’: we sometimes say we have a ‘body’ and a ‘soul’. This makes us special. We can see our body but we can’t see our soul. They are different, but they make up ‘me’. • Do you remember we say that God feeds us in three ways? What are they? He feeds our body, our mind and our heart. Say together: God feeds our body, mind and heart (touching tummy, head and heart as you do - see Re3, 1c2, 1e2 and 1f1). • What do we say he feeds our minds with? Truth. But we can’t see truth. Our mind is part of our ‘inside’. • Where is your heart? Can you feel it beating? • What do we say he feeds our hearts with? Love. Yes, we know we all have hearts, but when we talk about our heart we are talking about our love, more than the thing that is beating inside your chest right now. • What is a simple way of showing love? A smile. Yes, so we say that love comes from our heart, and we can show it in our smile. It is quite difficult to put into words isn’t it? But I hope you can all see that we have an ‘inside’ and an ‘outside’ - and they’re connected!

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Deciding good and evil.

2a1

To know the story of The Fall

Explain: We need to remember that when we think about the tree that God told Lesson Objectives Adam and Eve not to eat from. • Can you remember its long name? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ‘The knowledge of good and evil’ means the power to decide what is right and what is wrong. • Now, who is good at knowing what is best for us? Would you say that you know what is best for you always? Or that mum knows what is best for you? Mum. Yes. We might not like it when she tells us it is time for bed - but we actually know that she knows best, and we’re just being a bit lazy when we disagree. • Can you think of any other examples of when mum knows best? When to wash our hands or clean our teeth, or when we can or can’t eat something, or when it’s time to get up etc. What is true of mum is very true of God: he made us, so he knows what is best for us so he has the power to decide what is right and what is wrong. Adam and Eve were being like we are with mum sometimes: they knew he knew best, but they liked the idea of deciding for themselves what is best for them. So, it wasn’t so much the eating of the fruit that was wrong - it was doing something that they thought would give them God’s power of deciding. So, we’re back to that ‘outside - inside’ thing again: ‘outside’ was eating the fruit; ‘inside’ was wanting to have their own way. • What did the snake affect by tempting Eve and Adam? Their inside or their outside? Their inside. • Was eating the fruit an inside thing or an outside thing? Outside. • Their sense of being ashamed when they realised they’d done wrong: was that an inside thing or an outside thing? Inside. • Then they hid from God, because they were naked: was that an inside thing or an outside thing? Outside. • The pain that they suffered afterwards, and their leaving the garden: was that inside or outside? Outside. This is a bit difficult - so don’t worry if you’re a bit confused - but it shows us something very important: our inside and our outside are connected - you are one person! - and what happens inside us affects the outside, and what we do; and what happens to our outside affects our inside! We’ll learn more about this later, but it is a bit confusing. In fact, Adam and Eve got confused about it - so I wouldn’t worry if you did too! • What did the story say Adam and Eve were ashamed of? Not having any clothes on. • Was that an outside or an inside thing? Outside. • What should have they been ashamed of? Disobeying God, and wanting their own way. Is that an inside or an outside thing? Inside. Yes. They had nothing to be ashamed of about their body, but they should have been ashamed that they had done wrong - but they got confused, and got it the wrong way around - we could say they got it inside-out! (That might just be a teacher joke!) • Should we be ashamed of when we do wrong? Yes - though we can always be forgiven. • Should we be ashamed of our body? No! It is your body, and God made you. So whether you are a different size or shape to others doesn’t matter. God loves you body and soul, and we should love ourselves body and soul. But Adam and Eve and God got it right when they put clothes on in public! Because our body is good, but parts of it are private too. So, let’s love our body, wear clothes, and feel a bit ashamed when we do wrong. And then we’ll have things the right way around! Watch: Body Parts Song for Kids (2:23) - the video is more for Reception, but having done the ‘inside/outside’ stuff, it is important to reiterate that my body is me - I’m not ‘living in my body’ - and the upbeat music communicates that my body is good and loveable - as it is. Too many people, after reading Genesis 3 seem to forget those two things.

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Example Activities 1. Create a storyboard with simple captions to illustrate and retell the story. 2. In small groups act out the story through role-play and drama.

Mission Be aware of times you want to decide what is right and wrong. Maybe, later, discuss with class any times of which they were aware: did they want to eat the fruit or trust God (or the grown-up)?

God still loved them, body and soul.

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2a2

To see how sin hurts our journey to heaven

This lesson builds on the last one - reinforcing the Fall of Adam and Eve as something Lesson Objectives that affects us, and our journey of love into heaven. As the Church says, we don’t share the guilt of this sin, but we do share in the consequences. This gives us the starting point for the rest of the modules of this year helping the children understand how Jesus helps us get from where we are - including the reality of sin around us and in us - to the joy of heaven.

“Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life.” 1 Cor. 15:22

Explain: Jesus taught us the Our Father. He wants us to journey to heaven. Sin - like Adam and Eve not trusting God - hurts that journey: in fact it stops it if it wasn’t for Jesus. Let’s pray the Our Father... Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Explain: Last time we learnt about Adam and Eve and how God made them in the Garden of Eden with everything they needed, but sadly, they listened to the snake - or the serpent, which is another word for snake - and disobeyed God, and lots of things went wrong because of it. Recap - watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7LZnMHYrmY The Gospel Project for Kids: Sin Entered the World (3:04). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • What did God tell Adam (and Eve) about from which trees they could eat? They could eat from all of them except one. (In the Bible it is Adam that God tells, but since Eve is able to repeat it exactly to the serpent, then clearly she was included and knew.) • And what was that one tree called? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Teacher notes: the name of this tree is often misquoted - changing the whole meaning of the story. There is also the Tree of Life in the Garden, but we are not mentioning that here.) • What did God say would happen if they did eat of it? They would surely die. • What did Eve say that God had said, when the serpent asked her? Exactly what God had told Adam - so she was very honest then. • What did the serpent reply? That God was lying - that they wouldn’t die, but they would become like God. Oh dear. Eve could have asked God, and Adam, about what the serpent was saying in secret - but she didn’t. That was a bad secret to keep. And she did eat that fruit. And then Adam did. • Who did Adam blame when God asked why he had eaten it? Eve. • Who did Eve blame when God asked her why she had eaten it? The serpent/snake. • Was life a lot easier or a lot harder for Adam and Eve, because of their first sin? Harder. • Is life a lot easier or a lot harder for us, because of Adam and Eve’s first sin? Harder. Yes, we are still good, but things aren’t as good as they first were. • What did God promise Adam and Eve? That one of their descendants would free them and destroy evil. When someone has children, and they have children, and they have children, then all of these are called ‘descendants’ - so God was saying that one of Adam and Eve’s children’s children’s children etc, would save us all. Explain: It’s not a very happy story is it? But there are two bits of very good news in it - firstly God tells Adam and Eve that he is going to save them; and secondly, this shows that God still loves them. If you remember, they started thinking God wouldn’t like their bodies; and they also might have thought he would stop loving them

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The journey from Eden to heaven is interrupted by sin...

...as are our own journeys.

We need help in our healing. because they had been bad, but although he was sad and disappointed that they had disobeyed him, he still completely loved them. And all that is true of God and you too! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SIhhVVP7yM&t=513s God loves you in Walking with Jesus (8:23-10:00).

“We must understand that we all carry within us a drop of the poison of that way of thinking, illustrated by the images in the book of Genesis… The human being does not trust God. Tempted by the serpent, he harbours the suspicion… that God is a rival who curtails our freedom.” YouCat, 68, quoting Pope Benedict XVI

Respond & Teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Knowing we are loved by God completely helps us be honest. Because we weren’t in the Garden of Eden, we didn’t commit that first or ‘original’ sin: but we are all tempted, and we do sometimes act a bit like Adam and Eve and get it wrong. so… • God hasn’t told us not to eat fruit from a tree, but what has he told us to do? Love God and love one another. • Eve knew what she had been told: do we know what God has told us? Yes. • Adam and Eve knew God loved them and wanted what was best for them: do we know that God loves us and wants what is best for us? Yes. • But then Eve started getting tempted: what did she want to do? What she wanted, rather than what God asked. And because of that, she believed the silly lie of the devil that God was scared that Adam and Eve would become like him. God is doing everything he can to make us to be like him! But he tells us the important thing is to be like him in loving others. • Remembering the Our Father, was Eve respecting, or ‘hallowing’, God’s name when she ate the fruit? No, she had stopped trusting him. • Eve forgets all her common sense when she sees something she wants to eat - and is selfish: can we be the same? Yes. • Can you think of examples of when we might be like this? I’ll start us off - when you see one sweet and there are two of you… (Others might include wanting to carry on playing a game, not wanting to go to bed, not wanting to eat healthy food, not wanting to say sorry etc.) • When God asked Adam what he had done, did he know he had done wrong? Yes. • But instead of owning up, who did he blame? Eve. • When God asked Eve what she had done, did she know she had done wrong? Yes. • But instead of admitting it, who did she blame? The serpent/snake.

2a2

To see how sin hurts our journey to heaven

Lesson Objectives

Example Activities

• Do we sometimes blame others instead of owning up? Yes. • Who do we sometimes blame? Sister/brother, someone else in class. • When you don’t do what I ask or what mum or dad ask does it make things better or worse? Worse! • So why do you do it?! But we all do! We need to keep trying not to be like that. But we also need some big help from someone who loves us.

1. Colour in the downloadable template of our vaccine against Covid-19 and our vaccine against sin.

Explain: It is hard to own up to doing wrong; but it is even harder to own up to keeping on doing wrong. What the story of Adam and Eve teaches us is that God gave them all they needed, but they spoilt things by wanting more. • Was eating the fruit an ‘inside’ thing or an ‘outside’ thing? Outside - they could be seen eating the fruit. But what changed in them was an ‘inside’ thing - it became easier for them to be selfish and mean, and harder for them to be loving and kind: they weren’t so close to God in their heart. This led to an ‘outside’ thing - their lives got harder, work got harder, loving got harder. The ‘inside’ thing we call sin - we say ‘sin entered Adam and Eve’s hearts’. (Teacher note: you’ll have to adapt the first questions if Covid is long past, but at the time of writing that doesn’t look like being soon!) • Who has heard of Covid-19? (Many if not all.) What is it? An illness - what we call a virus. It affects us inside. But we don’t know that until we start ‘coming down’ with feeling ill: we call these ‘symptoms’ - and they happen ‘outside’ - where we can see and feel. • Covid is a type of flu. What symptoms are there for flu? Hot temperature, cough, sometimes a cold as well. Covid had some strange symptoms as well - like losing your sense of taste, or your toes going purple! We could say that sin is like a virus of the heart, and all the things that make life harder are like the symptoms of the sin-virus. But we can get better from viruses! • What can we do to help stay healthy from viruses? Wash hands, and not cough on others. For Covid we also had to stay 2m apart, and adults had to wear face-masks. • But what really helped us beat Covid-19? The vaccine. A vaccine is an injection that doesn’t just stop the symptoms, but means we can kill the virus inside us. Thank goodness for vaccines! • Have you had other vaccines? Yes - for nasty diseases like rubella, measles and mumps. You might remember having your ‘booster jab’ or injection - but most of the vaccines you had were when you were a baby. Older people also can have a ‘flu jab’ every winter to protect them from flu - sometimes children do too - as a spray up your nose. So there are lots of times we have vaccines to help us kill diseases and viruses. For the virus of sin we needed a very special vaccine. • It wasn’t something - it was someone. Can you guess who? Yes, it was Jesus. When he died and rose again for us he became our vaccine against the sin-virus started by Adam and Eve. And we receive this vaccine through Baptism. Thank God for Jesus! So against sin, we need to try and love God and each other - that’s like washing our hands and not coughing over each other. But we also need Jesus to save us from sin, and destroy evil. Explain: We’ve done a lot of hard thinking today, so let’s just relax in knowing that God loves us… whatever we look like, and whatever we do. Watch again: God loves you in Walking with Jesus (8:23-10:00).

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2. In small groups role-play when you are tempted to want your own way, and when you can choose God’s way instead. (Some examples were introduced in Circle Time.)

Mission Volunteer to do something you know mum would want you to do. E.g. Offer to go to bed, or make your bed in the morning, offer your brother the spare sweet, stop playing the game/watching TV at the time agreed, etc.

Choosing to be happily obedient.

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2a3 To know that God has a special journey for each of us

It isn’t just Joseph and Mary that God asks to go on a special journey - it’s each of us. Lesson This lesson’sObjectives mission is to ask someone at home about Satnav - it might be good to school text home to tell them this. Explain: Our Father wants us all to grow on earth, so that we can all enjoy heaven together, as one family. But the journey he calls each of us on is special to us. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Read The Oak inside the Acorn, by Max Lucado. Check understanding. The following questions may help. • Little acorn is scared of the big world. What does mummy oak do? Encourage the little acorn. • What does she tell the little acorn? Within you is a great oak. • The acorn first lands in the farmer’s pick-up truck. What does mummy also say then? Just be the tree God made you to be. • Little acorn met an orange tree, who could grow oranges. Could little acorn? No - no matter how hard he tried. Because he wasn’t an orange tree! • Later he was planted near the house, by some flowers. Could he grow flowers? No- no matter how hard he tried. Because he wasn’t a flower! • Slowly, what did he grow into? A big oak tree - just like his mummy said he would. • What had God wanted him to grow into? An oak tree. God hadn’t made him to grow oranges or flowers. • Who started to swing from big oak tree? A little girl. • When she got bigger, did she know what she wanted to be? No. • What did big oak want to tell her? To just be the big girl God made her to be. • What did the girl realise by thinking about the little acorn and the big oak? That within her was a great girl, and that all she had to do was just be the person God made her to be.

“God is in love with us; we are his children. We were made for heaven, for eternal life, to live forever… To go to heaven, the path is Jesus; it is having a living relationship with him, imitating him in love, following in his footsteps.” Pope Francis

Explain: the story compares how you all will grow, with how the little acorn grew into a great oak. So, let’s watch an acorn growing into a great oak, and while we do, think about what you might be growing into... Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cPu7O59hg Anim8Nature: Oak Tree (Acorn) Life Cycle (1:03).

God calls each of us on a special journey.

Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: So, today’s story reminds us that God has made you for a very special journey - to grow into a very special, loving adult person - and then at the end of our journey on earth, to live with him in heaven forever. What an amazing journey he has called us to! In the story of Adam and Eve we heard how he had done exactly the same for them: he gave them everything they needed for a very special journey. We also heard how they spoilt it a bit by sinning - by not trusting him and not doing what he had told them. • What might have happened if little acorn could have done the same? He might not have grown into a great oak, and helped the little girl. Yes, he might have spent all his life trying to grow oranges or flowers! We are the same: God has made you for a very special journey, and the only thing that can spoil that journey is ourselves - if we don’t trust God, and do what we want instead of what he tells us to do. • Did Adam and Eve ruin their journey? No - they spoilt it a bit, but not even their sin could stop God’s love for them. God promised to send someone to save them.

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Little acorns grow into great oak trees.

We are growing to be like Jesus - on the inside.

Example Activities 1. Write a simple diary as little acorn as you grow on your journey. Include a picture of a little acorn and a great oak tree. 2. Discover which other trees drop their ‘seeds’ that might grow into trees themselves. (E.g. sycamores and horse chestnuts - all of which fall in Autumn.) 3. Spend five minutes thinking what you might grow up to be - and asking God to help you let him lead you on your journey. Jesus is the Satnav on our journey to heaven. • Who was that? Jesus. Yes, so we call him our Saviour - because he saves us. • What did we say he was like, last lesson? A vaccine for sin! So we could be healthy again. • What do you think God has called you to be when you grow up? A mum or dad? A teacher? A priest? A nurse? A carer? A lollipop person? A cook? Wanting to be a pop star, or a footballer might be a bit like wanting to grow oranges or flowers - it might not be what God made you to be - we don’t know yet. • Do you remember the answers we learnt about why God made me? God made me to know him, love him and serve him in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next. So, whatever God has called you to be, it will help you know him, love him and serve him - and be happy with him. Trusting in God’s plan for me is respecting and trusting him - when we trust him as our loving Father we are ‘hallowing his name’ - like we pray in the Our Father. Explain: we have said that our life on earth is like school - learning to love - and heaven is like home. Imagine walking home with mum or dad. Imagine holding their hand as you walk along the streets - especially as you cross the roads. • Would you know the way home without mum or dad? Probably no. • So what would happen when you had to choose each way to turn? You’d probably get lost. That would be a bit like Adam and Eve wanting to decide what was right and wrong, rather than trusting God their Father. That’s how they got lost. God wants to lead us to happiness; sin gets us lost. • Would you be able to find the right way, once you were lost? Not easily. Thankfully Jesus tells us that he is always with us, and will always help us when we are lost. • Who knows what Satnav is? It’s something grown-ups use when they are driving, to help them go the right way. The best thing about Satnav is that if you take a wrong turning - if you take a turning different to what the Satnav said - it doesn’t just leave you lost. It simply works out where you went wrong, and then tells you what turning to take now. And Jesus is like that with us! He is our heavenly Satnav! So: God makes us for a special journey, our sin sometimes gets us lost instead, but then Jesus directs us back on our journey from wherever we are: how special is he!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me, and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:11

Mission Ask a driver at home to show you their Satnav, and explain it to you. See if you can explain to them how Jesus is our Satnav on our journey of life.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mmeDJhjZqM Acorns to Oaks (2:05) as a fun way to recap.

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I am called to serve Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To know the parable of The Good Samaritan. Lesson 2: To understand the happiness of loving. Lesson 3: To help build God’s kingdom through serving each other.

Teacher Notes In Module 2b we focus on ‘thy kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven’. We do this by focusing on the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is the clearest and simplest of Jesus’ parables that call us to serve and help each other. First of all it teaches us that Jesus is the Good Samaritan who heals us and the whole human family; then it calls us to help him by being like the Good Samaritan ourselves, by serving others and the whole human family. The second Catechism question we looked at called us to ‘know, love and serve [God] in this world’, and we have looked a lot at knowing and loving him, so it is good to specifically focus on the dimension of service. Because of the hard work of Module 2a, this module should be quite simple and powerful. In lesson 2 we use The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein to draw out more of the call to service and the happiness it brings.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and loved by God:1.1.1.3, 1.1.2.2, 1.1.2.3, 1.1.3.2, 1.1.4.1, 1.1.4.3. Theme 2: Created to love others: 1.2.1.1, 1.2.1.2, 1.2.1.3, 1.2.1.5, 1.2.2.1, 1.2.2.2, 1.2.2.4, 1.2.2.5, 1.2.3.3, 1.2.3.6, 1.2.4.7. Theme 3: Created to live in community: 1.3.1.1, 1.3.1.2, 1.3.2.2, 1.3.2.3, 1.3.3.1, 1.3.3.3.

Bible Text Luke 10:25-37 - The Good Samaritan The children will hear this most powerful parable of Jesus, about his call for us to love and serve each other, no matter what. The racial animosity between Jews and Samaritans is used by Jesus to make the point that neighbourliness is about choosing to love and nothing else. Jesus is our Good Samaritan who heals us out of compassion, and then calls us to do the same to each other.

Modern Text Shel Silverstein - The Giving Tree Every day, a little boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk. This made the tree very happy. However, as the boy grew older, he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. This tender story teaches the children about the joy of giving out of love, without needing any reward - loving being its own reward.

2b1 To know the parable of the Good Samaritan

Explain: we are using the Our Father prayer to help us think about our journey Lesson from earth toObjectives heaven. We are now thinking about the second part of the prayer: ‘thy kingdom come’, and how we can help build God’s kingdom. Let’s pray the Our Father, and especially those words. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Explain: Jesus was a Jew, from the country of Israel. Nearby was a country called Samaria. People from Samaria were called Samaritans. Sadly, Jews and Samaritans didn’t get on very well. They were often mean to each other just because they came from different countries - which is silly and very wrong. Let’s listen to Jesus’ story about one Samaritan. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO4qSAhI1sI Parable of the Good Samaritan (2:13). Check understanding. The following questions may help. Ask • Right at the start, the man asked Jesus what he needed to do to be saved. What two things did Jesus say? To love God and to love your neighbour. • In Jesus’ story where was the Jewish man travelling to and from? From Jerusalem to Jericho. • What happened on the journey? He got attacked by robbers. • Afterwards, a priest came along and saw the wounded man - what did he do? He walked on by. • Later, the priest’s assistant saw the man too - what did he do? He walked on by, too! • Finally, a Samaritan came by - what did he do? He took pity on the Jew. He cleaned his wounds and bandaged them. Then he took the man to an inn and paid the innkeeper to look after him. Remember Samaritans and Jews didn’t like each other normally. • Jesus asked the crowd who had been a neighbour to the man who had been injured? The Samaritan! The one who had shown love. Yes, that is why Jesus called the man the Good Samaritan. • Then what did Jesus tell the crowd? That they should go and do the same. • And what is Jesus telling us as well? That we should go and do the same, also. That we should all be Good Samaritans. And when we do love each other, because Jesus has loved us first, that is the best way of saying thank you to him.

Jesus asked, “Which of these three proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the bandits’ hands?” The man replied, “The one who showed pity towards him.” Jesus said to him, “Go, and do the same yourself.” Luke 10: 36-37

The Good Samaritan.

Explain: Jesus taught us to love our neighbour - no matter where they come from, or whether they are different in any way, or whether we feel like it or not: because he loves us always, no matter what. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlkcoAfLU4 Love One Another (2:43 used in Module 1f2). Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Ask • Who did Jesus say we needed to love? God and each other. The story of Adam and Eve shows us what goes wrong when we don’t love God. Today’s story helps us think about loving each other. But, as always, Jesus didn’t just tell us what to do, he shows us: • Does Jesus love us always? Yes. Does he help us when we are sad? Yes. • Does he heal us when we are hurting? Yes. Yes, always. • Do you remember, we said he was like our heavenly Satnav: what does he do? Guide us on our journey, even when we go wrong and get lost.

We can be a neighbour to others.

Little ways of being a Good Samaritan. 22

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• We also said he was like a vaccine for the virus of sin. What is he doing there? Healing us, making us better. Yes, so we could say that he is a Good Samaritan to all of us - he always guides us and heals us. • Jesus showed he was a neighbour to all of us: how can we be a neighbour to others? By loving them as he loves us, by being kind to all. Yes, Jesus tells us that a neighbour is someone who loves. Explain: What made it harder for the Samaritan to love the wounded Jew was that he had been told that Samaritans and Jews don’t like each other. Ask • Is it right for people to tell us not to like other people? No. • Who decides if you like someone or not? You do. And only you. Jesus asks us to like everyone. We ask you to like everyone. But only you can choose to like everyone. Never listen to people telling you not to like others. • The Samaritans came from a different country to the Jews: should we like people from other countries? Yes! • Some people come from different types of families: should we like people from families different to our own? Yes! All families are important! • Should we like people who have different likes and dislikes to us? Yes! • Should we like people who support a different football team? Yes! It can be hard sometimes to like everyone, because we can be a bit scared when people are different - but if we are careful and kind we can soon find that we are just one family really. Explain: Jesus asks us to love our neighbour with his love. When we do that, we are much better at loving! He gives us strength to stand up to our fears and to the wrong things people say to us. WIth Jesus, it is always a team effort: him and us. • What can we do to love our neighbour? Examples might include sharing our things, helping others when they are sad, always being polite. • We should also try and love our neighbours around the world, whom we can’t see. How could we help people who are poorer than us? Help everyone get food, help everyone get medicine, learn things so that when we are grown up we can help more. • How can you help people who are hungry though, when you are only little? With our family we can sometimes help people we see who are hungry, sometimes we can also help raise money for people in other countries. You can’t do much. And the others in the class can’t do much. And even I can’t do that much, but if we all do a little bit together we start to make a big difference. And then we really are being neighbours to everyone, we are being Good Samaritans. And everyone will also learn how much Jesus loves them - through the love we show them. It is like we are Jesus’ hands helping people; we are his feet walking with people on their journey; we are his mouth saying kind things. How special is that?! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3yBD9ev1FM The Good Samaritan (3:29). This reflective song retells the story and recaps the point that we are Jesus’ hands, feet and mouth.

Example Activities 1. Write a postcard from the hurt man to the Good Samaritan, thanking him for his kindness. 2. Create pictures/posters etc. of ways in which we can be Good Samaritans, i.e. ‘I can be a Good Samaritan by…’ 3. Hot-seat key characters and ask questions about why they chose to ignore/help the hurt man and what they might do differently next time, and why.

The parable eloquently presents the basic decision we need to make in order to rebuild our wounded world. In the face of so much pain and suffering, our only course is to imitate the Good Samaritan. Any other decision would make us either one of the robbers or one of those who walked by without showing compassion. Pope Francis, Tutti Fratelli

Mission Look out for little ways you can safely be a Good Samaritan.

2b2 To understand the happiness of loving

Explain: we are thinking about ‘your kingdom come’ in the Our Father - and how we Lesson can share in Objectives building God’s kingdom by trusting God with all our heart, and by loving our neighbour as ourselves. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Read The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. Check understanding. The following questions may help. • Who did the tree love? The boy. • What did the boy do every day with the tree? Play, climb, swing from its branches, eat apples, and then sleep in the tree’s shade. • Did the boy love the tree? Yes. Was the tree happy? Yes. • Why was the tree happy? Three answers: because the boy loved her, because they played together, and because she loved the boy. The story is about which of these is the most important to happiness. • When the boy returned, older, was the tree happy to see him? Yes. • What did the tree invite him to do? To play, climb, swing, eat, rest and be happy. • What did the boy reply? He wanted to buy things now, and have fun. He wanted money. • The tree had no money, so what did she offer? Her apples for the boy to sell and make money. • The boy then was away even longer. How happy was the tree to see him? She shook with joy! • When the tree invited the boy to play, climb and swing, what did the boy say? He was too busy. He wanted a house to keep warm and to have a family. • What did the tree offer? Her branches - to help build the house. • The boy was away even longer still. How happy was the tree to see him then? She was so happy she could hardly speak! • When the tree invited him to play and climb, what did the boy say? He was too old and sad to play. He wanted a boat to sail away. • What did the tree offer? Her trunk - to build a boat out of. And the tree was happy. Sort of. But had nothing left to give. • The boy was away for even longer still. When he came back, what did the tree tell the boy? That she had nothing left to give. • What was the only thing the boy now needed? To sit and rest. • What did the tree offer him? Her stump - to sit and rest on. And the tree was happy.

Jesus says, “The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation; and there will be no one to say, ‘Look, it is here! Look, it is there!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21

The happiness of loving.

Explain: The first thing we can learn from the tree is what we learnt from the Good Samaritan story - that we can all lend a helping hand to each other. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf6K1xFzGfU Lend a helping hand (2:38). Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. • In the story, what three things did we say made the tree happy? Being loved by the boy, spending time with the boy, and loving the boy. • Do we enjoy lending a helping hand? Yes. What do we enjoy about it? We enjoy loving. We enjoy being loved. We can enjoy spending time with the other person. We sometimes get a reward for being good. So, we are quite like the tree, really! Jesus teaches us that all that this is good, but what makes us really happy is when we are willing to love without expecting anything back in return. That can be hard sometimes. So we have to think about what makes us happiest. • Let’s think about the tree. What did the boy start doing less in the story? Visiting the tree, spending time with her, playing with her.

The Giving Tree and the boy.

Giving until there’s nothing left to give. 24

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Example Activity 1. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=SY8nh9XfvTs Lend a Helping Hand Choreography Video (2:34) and learn the actions to the song. Then play the song again - https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=mf6K1xFzGfU - and try and sing it with actions!

Happily lending a helping hand. That would have made the tree a bit sad. Was it fair of the boy to just start staying away? No - not really. • When the boy first returned, did the tree sulk or try and be helpful? Be helpful. Yes - she offered him her apples. • When the boy was even longer away, how would the tree have felt? Sad, hurt, lonely. • Was she happy when he did return? Yes. How happy? She shook with joy. Have you been so happy that you want to burst? How lovely is it that God is like that when he sees you - as are all those who love you. • The tree wanted to play, but the boy wanted to build a house. What did the tree offer? Her branches. • When he was away for even longer and then returned, what did she offer that time? Her trunk - to build a boat with. • When he went away, she was sort of happy: why? Because she had been always loving and giving. • Why was she a bit sad too? Because she was alone, because the boy never gave anything back, and because she had nothing more to give. • When he came back the last time, how happy was the tree? So happy she could hardly speak. I wonder if she squealed instead! • What did she offer this time? Her stump for the tired boy to sit on and rest. Because, although we’ve been calling him a boy all the way through, he had become an old man by now. • So, what can we learn from the giving tree? She was always wanting to give, no matter how she felt, even if the boy was being unfair, even when she felt alone. Explain: Also, she was happy because she was loving and giving. She was a bit sad that the boy wasn’t loving her back much, or spending time with her - but overall, she was happy. And that is a very important lesson for us: It is nice to be loved back. It is nice to spend time with people we like. It is nice to have a reward for being good. But, what makes us really happy is loving. Simply loving. And when we love without expecting anything back we are loving like Jesus. • Do you remember last year, you learnt about how many people you could think about at one time? (Modules 1d3 and 1e1.) • How many people can we think about at any one time? One, really. I can think about me, or I can think about you. I can think about what I need or want, or what you need or want - it’s not easy doing both at the same time. Who was the giving tree thinking about all the time? Herself or the boy? The boy. And because of that, she could see what he needed (or wanted!): different things at different times. And we are the same: if we are thinking of others, we get better at seeing that different people need different things, and at different times. And this makes us even more loving. And the more we love without wanting anything in return, the happier we will be, and the more we will be able to lend a helping hand.

Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will. Amen. St Ignatius of Loyola

Mission Lend a helping hand at home and school.

2b3 To help build God’s kingdom through serving each other

Explain: Jesus wants us to help build his kingdom on earth, he wants us to be the Lesson Objectives Body of Christ, he wants us to love our neighbour: today we are going to learn that these are all the same thing. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and join in prayer. Introduction Explain: Today we are going to learn a bit more about the story of the Good Samaritan - the story Jesus told to help us see who we should be kind to. Recap - watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLzdQtetedc God’s Story: The Good Samaritan (3:50). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • What do we call a story of Jesus that teaches us a lesson? A parable - an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. • The Jewish leader asked Jesus what he needed to do to be perfect: what was Jesus’ answer? To love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind; and to love our neighbour as our self. Remember our soul is what we have called our inside - what we can’t see. • Jesus told the parable to teach them who was their neighbour. What would we expect the priest to do when he saw the man badly hurt? Help him. • What did he do? Passed him by. Oh dear - why do you think he did that? He didn’t want to help; he thought he was too important to help. • The next person to see the badly hurt man was the Levite, the priest’s assistant. What would we expect him to do? Help him. • What did he do? Passed him by. Oh no - why do you think he did that? He didn’t want to help; he thought he was too important to help. • Who was the third person to see the man? The Samaritan. • What did the Jewish listeners expect him to do? Nothing - pass by. Why? Because they had been told Samaritans don’t like Jews. • But what did he do? He helped him - he cared for him, gave him his time and spent his money on him. • And who should we be like? The Good Samaritan.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

Helping hands building God’s kingdom.

Explain: Jesus said he wanted to build God’s kingdom here on earth. Jesus is God; he is our king. We even call him the King of Kings - because he is the most important king there is. • Are kings important? Yes. We said the priest in the story, and his assistant, weren’t like Jesus’ priests normally are - they thought they were too important to help; too important to serve. • Was Jesus too important to serve? No. He said, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life for you” (slightly simplified from Matthew 20:28). • Do you remember the Last Supper - Jesus washed his disciples’ feet! He was a king - and washed his disciples’ feet! Clearly Jesus has a different idea of what ‘important’ means. On earth, some people think having money, or power or being famous makes them important. Jesus tells us only two things make us important: being loved, and loving. So, his kingdom is very different to an earthly one. Earthly kingdoms have big palaces and lots of servants for the king. Jesus’ heavenly kingdom is full, simply, of loving people. If you are a kind person, you are a part of God’s kingdom, and you are important. Explain: Let’s listen to a beautiful hymn that teaches us about Jesus being The Servant King. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcCEVTb7Z3w The Servant King (4:07).

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Jesus came not to be served but to serve.

We become Good Samaritans with Jesus.

Respond and teach

Example Activities

Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Last year we talked about our good deeds being like bricks, building God’s kingdom. Jesus also told us that we were his body: The Body of Christ (Module 1e3). This is another way of us seeing that we love with God’s love, that he asks us to be his hands, his feet, his mouth. We are individual persons, but we are also a human family, and we are growing into God’s family. So, remember, firstly Jesus guides and heals us. Then he asks us to help him guide and heal each other. Let’s look at the picture of the Good Samaritan helping the man who was badly hurt. • Which one is really Jesus? The Good Samaritan. • And which one is us? Aha! Well, if Jesus is healing us, who are we? The badly hurt man. • And if we are healing each other with Jesus’ love who are we? The Good Samaritan. So, when we are receiving God’s love, we are like the man, and when we are giving God’s love, we are the Good Samaritan - and it’s our job to be both! In fact, we should help heal each other as a way of saying thank you to Jesus for healing us. Explain: Love makes life ‘richer’. You could say that life without love would be like life in black and white, and life with love is like life in colour. This video helps us to see how we can be the Body of Christ: each of us doing the little things that we can do, that bring colour to each other’s lives. Which acts of kindness could you do? Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwelE8yyY0U Color Your World With Kindness (2:13). • So, what was the first act of kindness? Sharing lunch. Could you do that? Yes. • And what was the second? Returning money that was dropped. And could you do that? Yes - though only if you had a grown-up with you - otherwise it might be better to hand it in to a grown-up that you know: remember ‘careful and kind’. • And what was the third act of kindness? Putting the lady’s luggage in the locker. And could you do that? No! Not yet! • And what was the fourth act of kindness? Entertaining the crying baby. And could you do that? Yes. So there are acts of kindness that we can do, and some that we need to leave to others. But that is okay - we are the Body of Christ, so it is like me doing some things with my left hand, and some with my right hand, and some with my voice. It doesn’t matter what part of Christ’s body we are - so long as we’re part of it!

1. Create a class ‘helping hands’ Giving Tree: children to draw around their own hand, then draw on it an act of kindness they can do - and decorate it. Then create a display of a tree with branches on the classroom wall, and attach all the ‘helping hands’ as leaves. 2. Using school computer, find out something more about Mother Teresa of Calcutta (St Teresa). Then find out about The Samaritans - and how they help people, by phone, who feel they need help.

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)

Read together the quote from Mother Teresa, in the margin here. Explain: This is something Mother Teresa said. She lived a while ago and helped a lot of poor people in India. Can anyone tell me what they think she means?

A class Giving Tree of helping hands.

(Hopefully the discussion will lead to seeing the importance of us all helping - leading to Activity 1.)

Mission Start a ‘kindness week’: a week in which the children try to do something kind every day for others just out of their own generosity - no reward expected.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Trusting in God when things go wrong Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To know the story of Jesus Calming the Storm. Lesson 2: To trust that God wills what is best for us. Lesson 3: To know that our journey to heaven is an inside journey not an outside journey.

Teacher Notes We turn to the third part of the Our Father: ‘thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’. Module 2a focused on trusting God instead of choosing what we wanted - not giving in to our own impulses for pleasure. Philosophers call these our (misguided) concupiscent desires for life and growth. The virtue we are called to is temperance. This module focuses on still trusting in God when things go wrong - when the fear of being hurt, isolated or even dying tells us to panic. These are called our irascible desires for avoiding being harmed. The virtue we are called to is courage or resilience. This doesn’t mean we ignore fear, but that trust in God helps us to not panic - so that we can face fear in a rational way. Obviously, we will only be communicating some of this to the children - and in a simpler way. The Bible story we focus on is Jesus’ Calming of the Storm, and this is complemented by Angela Elwell Hunt’s The Tale of Three Trees, which teaches the children that our lives might not go quite according to our plans and desires, but that God’s plans for us are even bigger and better - as you’d expect from a loving, almighty Father. The lessons help the children to see that the desire for money, fame and power can set them off on an ‘outside’ journey, whereas love, truth and trust in God guide them on an ‘inside’ journey to heaven.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and loved by God: 1,1,1,4, 1.1.2.1, 1.1.3.1, 1.1.3.2, 1.1.4.1, 1.1.4.4, 1.1.5.1. Theme 2: Created to love others: 1.2.2.1, 1.2.2.4, 1.2.2.5, 1.2.4.2, 1.2.4.6, 1.2.4.7. Theme 3: Created to live in community: 1.3.2.2, 1.3.3.4.

Bible Text Matthew 8:23-27 - The Calming of the Storm The children will hear the story of Jesus Calming of the Storm, where Jesus gets into the boat and falls asleep while a storm rages. The disciples, in a panic, wake him up and question whether he cares. He challenges their lack of faith and calms the storm with a word. The disciples are left in amazement at who this man is.

Modern Text Angela Elwell Hunt - The Tale of Three Trees This is a story of three trees who all have dreams for the future. They interpret their dreams in a clear way, and after waiting and waiting, have to cope with the disappointment of not achieving what they wanted. However, God had deeper plans, and the life and death of Jesus fulfils their dreams in specific ways that they could never have expected.

2c1 To know the story of Jesus Calming the Storm

Explain: we are now going to think about the third part of the Our Father - ‘thy will be Lesson Objectives done, on earth as it is in heaven’. ‘Will’ is another name for wanting. Sometimes we want different things to what Mum or Dad want for us - and we can feel it’s not fair, and before we know it, we are feeling that they are being mean to us. Then, later, when we’ve calmed down, we realise we were being silly - of course Mum or Dad want what is best for me. The same can happen with us and God - when things seem to go wrong we can think that God has forgotten us, or isn’t being fair to us. Sometimes we have to wait a bit longer to see that he was caring for us all along. When we pray that God’s will be done - not ours - we are trusting that God knows what is best for us - even when it doesn’t feel like it. Let’s pray the Our Father, and really mean those words.

“Why are you so frightened, you who have so little faith?” Matthew 8:26

Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40). Introduction Ask: Who likes the sea? Who likes being on a boat? Explain: Lots of us, but maybe only when the sea is calm and the sun is shining! Sometimes the sea, or even big lakes, can be very stormy! Then it’s a bit scary, as the waves get bigger, and the boat seems to get smaller and smaller! Let’s watch a video of a boat in some very stormy seas. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZSM5ZbdpWw&t=360s Ships in Horrible Storms (from 6:00 up to 8:48 - or as long as is needed).

Jesus calms the storm.

Explain: Jesus lived near a big lake called the Sea of Galilee. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzPwRXytr7U Jesus Calms The Storm (2:08). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • What was the weather like when they got in the boat? Calm and sunny. • What happened as it got darker? A storm started. • What were the big waves doing to the boat? Nearly sinking it. • What did the disciples feel? Panic, fear. • What was Jesus doing? Sleeping on a cushion at the back of the boat! • What did the disciples do? Wake Jesus up and ask for help. • Jesus saw the big storm, and the frightened disciples: what did he do? He told the wind and the waves to be quiet and be still. • What happened? They did!! • What did Jesus then ask his disciples? Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? • What did the disciples feel then? Terrified of Jesus - as in awestruck, because of his calm and what he’s just done. • What did they say? Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him. Explain: The disciples did right in going to Jesus for help - but he wanted them to trust even more: to simply feel safe because he was with them. That’s what we mean when we say we trust in Jesus, when we say ‘your will be done’.

We are all afraid of lots of things.

Walking with God through storms and through sunshine.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlJU3te81Dg I will trust you (4:07).

Of course I care. Be at peace. 30

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: This story helps us to learn how to deal with our fears. • Do you have fears? Yes. • What fears do we have? (This might need sensitive handling.) Common answers would probably include the dark, shadows, spiders, snakes, the unknown, thunder and lightning, blood; some children’s situations might lead them to franker answers of illness, losing mummy or daddy, death; and there are in between answers such as the dentist, crossing the road, being in an assembly, or moving class/school/home. Jesus understands that we have fears. He doesn’t expect us not to be afraid of things. If you remember, he got very afraid the night before he died - not surprising at all! But he does want us to have courage. • What helps us find courage? Does talking to others about my fear, help? It can - we can be encouraged by the other person, the more we can trust what they say, the more we will be encouraged. Who can we go to if we are worried or afraid? Any grown-up you trust - family, me, both. There are also organisations who can help us in different ways, some of which we will be learning about later. We can also learn ways of protecting ourselves - so we can always be ‘kind but careful’ but even as grown-ups we can’t always protect ourselves. Courage comes from being able to trust the person who is protecting me. And, in the end, that is always God. Trusting in God gives us confidence to share with a trusted grown-up and to learn ways of protecting ourselves - God loves us through others. Ask: • The disciples were afraid of the storm. What did they do? They woke Jesus up, wanting him to help. • Was that a good thing to do, or a bad thing? A good thing - they went to the right person for help. • However, what did they say to him? Master, don’t you care if we drown? Oh dear, that sounds a bit like they didn’t trust him - a bit like when we are scared and start thinking that mum has forgotten me, or dad doesn’t care. • After Jesus had calmed the storm, they were able to not be afraid. Why was it easier for them then? It had stopped! It’s very easy to be brave once the storm is over! We might think that turning the light on will give us courage about the dark but it doesn’t really: it just removes the dark. Real courage is being able to trust when it is dark, when we are in a storm. • How did the disciples feel after even the wind and waves had obeyed Jesus? It says they were terrified of Jesus! • What does that mean? Full of awe and wonder at what they had just seen. Jesus had just calmed a whole sea in three words! (Quiet! Be still!) This ‘fear’ is a good fear. It comes from us knowing the power of God, and knowing that our loving God is all powerful helps us trust. Fear of God gives us courage against all other fears. That’s an important thing to remember. Explain: One last thing: trusting God doesn’t mean we never feel afraid, it means the feelings aren’t as strong, and don’t stop us being happy. Fear is like the waves: if they’re just gentle waves they don’t bother us; if it feels like I’m drowning that’s different! Trusting God means knowing that whatever happens I won’t drown in fear. And that keeps me smiling! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpkQ-Bb78sU With Jesus in the boat we can smile through the storm (1:27).

Example Activities 1. Create storm soundscapes using percussion instruments - starting from calm and gradually getting stormier. Maybe record their compositions on a graphic score. 2. Re-enact the story in small groups, using the percussion accompaniment either ‘live’ or using a recording. 3. Hot-seat or interview the disciples before, during and after the storm.

“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith”? Faith begins when we realise we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we founder: we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars. Let us invite Jesus into the boats of our lives. Let us hand over our fears to him so that he can conquer them. “ Pope Francis, from St Peter’s Square, solitary, at the beginning of the pandemic

Mission Next time you are afraid of the dark, tell Jesus it’s okay because he is with you.

2c2 To trust that God wills what is best for us

Explain: Remember, to will something is to want something - so what God wills is Lesson Objectives what God wants to happen - and since he is almighty God, what he truly wants to happen happens, but it is a lot easier and a lot better if we try and help him. So, when we pray ‘your will be done on earth’, we’re saying we trust he wants what is best for us, and will help it happen. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray it with him. Introduction Explain: Imagine your family are taking you out on a trip. All week you are excited about where you might be going. Will it be swimming? The cinema? A play park? • What would happen if you found out the treat your family had got for you wasn’t what you wanted: would it be fair to be sad? No, because your family had made an effort to make you happy. And do you know what? They know more than you, and they know you very well so there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy their choice even more than your own.

“The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:7

Explain: today’s story is about three trees, and about what they wanted from life. Read The Tale of Three Trees, by Angela Elwell Hunt. Check understanding. The following questions may help. • What did the first tree dream of being? A treasure chest, holding precious gold and diamonds. • And the second tree? A mighty ship that carried kings and queens. • And the third tree? The tallest tree in the world, so that when people looked up at him they would think of God in heaven. They all slowly grew, and waited, and finally people chopped them down for wood. All three trees got excited - looking forward to their wishes coming true. • What was the first tree used to make? A feedbox for animals. Oh dear. • And the second? A simple fishing boat. Oh dear, oh dear. • And the third? Large beams - just planks of wood. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The years went by, and nothing happened, and the three trees began to even forget their dreams. • Then one day, what was the feedbox used for? To hold a newborn baby in the hay. • And who was that baby? Jesus. And the first tree realised he held the greatest treasure of all - far greater than gold and diamonds. • And later on, who got in the simple fishing boat? Some fishermen - one of whom fell asleep. • And what happened while they were in the boat? There was a big storm. • And what did the sleeping man do? He woke up, and told the sea to be at peace - and it went calm, the storm stopped. • And who was that man? Jesus. • And do we recognise this story? Yes. What is it called? Jesus calms the storm. Yes, and the second tree realised that he was carrying not just kings and queens, but the king of heaven and earth. • And later on, what happened to the beams of wood? They were made into a cross, and a man was nailed to it and died. • And who was that man? Jesus. • Yes. And what happened three days later? He rose again from the dead. And the third tree realised that he had become a great sign of God’s love for us all, and from then on, anyone who looked at him would think of God in heaven. • So, did all the trees’ dreams come true? Yes. How they expected? No. Better than what they expected? Yes. Yes, and our lives are like that - if we let God’s will be done.

Trusting that God wills what is best for me.

The Tale of Three Trees.

Explain: Let’s allow this song to help us think what we can learn from the story. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j61cwtyn9to A Prayer for Tomorrow (2:25).

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Entrusting our hopes to God.

Explain: So, if we trust in God, who has bigger dreams for us that we do, we offer him our hands, our feet and our hearts - to do his will. Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: This story has helped us think about our own dreams, and God’s will. Have you ever been in a room when someone has said something, and you didn’t hear it properly, but another person did? Or you were watching the TV and didn’t understand something, so you ask mum or dad what was said? It’s a bit like that with us! Your heart ‘speaks’ about what you really want. And your mind hears it. And God hears it. But you don’t always hear it right. But God does. So God offers to help us follow what we really want - not what we think we want! That’s a bit confusing - but the story helps us understand it. • What did the first tree really want? To hold a great treasure. • What did he think he really wanted? To hold gold and diamonds. • Is that what he really wanted? No. He made the mistake of thinking that gold and diamonds were the greatest treasure. • What did the second tree really want? To carry important people. • What did he think he really wanted? To be famous for carrying kings and queens. • Is that what he really wanted? No. He made the mistake of thinking that being famous was more important than serving. • What did the third tree really want? To guide people to know God. • What did he think he really wanted? To make people look to God. • Is that what he really wanted? No. He made the mistake of thinking that he had to make people look up to see God. • Some children want to be rich when they grow up to have lots of money. What can they learn from the first tree? That Jesus is our real treasure: if we have him in our heart, we don’t need money or diamonds. • Some children want to be famous when they grow up. What can they learn from the second tree? That serving makes us happy, not how many people like us, or whether we are on TV or not. • Some children want to be powerful when they grow up. What can they learn from the third tree? That love is more powerful than strength. These are very important lessons. A lot of children and grown-ups you meet might want to be rich, famous or powerful - and that can make us want the same. But money, fame and power aren’t part of God’s dream for you and if you are listening to those people, you aren’t listening to God. • In the story, did what the trees really want come true? Yes - in a way they didn’t even dream of. • What needed to happen for their real dreams to come true? Three things. They had to wait, and wait and wait; they had to trust in God even when it seemed to be going wrong; they had to learn from what happened to them. So, every time we pray the Our Father, let’s remember this story and learn from the three trees.

Example Activity 1. Learn and sing Only a Shadow, by Carey Landry (The love I have for you my Lord). You may need the music coordinator or lead to help!

“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work.” St John Henry Newman

Mission Share with someone your dreams for your future - and then ask God what his dreams for you are.

2c3

To know that our journey to heaven is an inside journey not an outside journey

Explain: we have been thinking about God’s dreams for us, and our dreams for LessonA Objectives ourselves. mistake we can make is that God wants to take us on an ‘inside’ journey, but we sometimes are thinking of an ‘outside’ journey. So, it helps to remember that heaven is simply being like Jesus and with Jesus. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray it with him. Introduction Recap - explain: we heard the real story of Jesus Calming the Storm, and then we heard the made up story of the three trees. If you remember, that helped us think about our dreams and God’s dreams for us, and trusting what he wants trusting his will. Watch: A Prayer for Tomorrow (2:25). Recap - watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAUHUjq7nI 62 Jesus Calms the Storm (1:00).

“[The hidden wisdom of God teaches us about] the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond our imagination: all that God has prepared for those who love him.” cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7, 9

Check understanding. The following questions may help. • What did Jesus and his disciples want to do? Sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. • What did Jesus do on the boat? Sleep. That showed that Jesus trusted his disciples he wasn’t worried at all about safely crossing the sea. (Teacher note: recall the words of Only a Shadow: My own belief in you, my Lord, is only a shadow of your faith in me…) • What suddenly happened? A great storm. What was it like? Waves crashing into the boat, wind whipping around the disciples. Do you remember the video we saw of the boat in trouble? And do you remember our percussion recordings? • The disciples panicked, and woke Jesus. What did they say? Don’t you care that we are drowning? • What did Jesus reply? Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all? • Jesus tells the wind and waves to be calm. What happens? Straight away they are calm. • What do the disciples say about Jesus? Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him?

Journeying to be like Jesus.

Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. • What is heaven like? Happy, fun, loving, etc. Yes, but what is it like? We don’t really know. God hasn’t told us. In fact, he deliberately hasn’t told us… because it isn’t important! Let’s listen to what the Bible tells us about heaven… Maybe ask a child to read out 1 Cor. 2:9, which is in the margin. Ask the class what they think he means. Explain: We can’t even imagine how beautiful heaven is. And God hasn’t told us either. Now why is that? • What makes heaven, heaven? What is going to be the best bit about heaven? God. Being with God. • What’s the second best thing about heaven? Being with each other. Yes, the best bit about heaven is being with God and each other being together in love. One family. • Can you remember from the Good Samaritan, what two things did Jesus tell us to do? To love God and to love our neighbour. So, on earth we are learning to love God and each other, so that in heaven we can be happy loving God and each other. That’s our journey of love! So, God doesn’t tell us what heaven looks like, because it doesn’t matter what heaven looks like!

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

What does a journey to heaven look like?

Our journey is an inside one growing in love.

Our journey is a journey on the inside, not on the outside.

Example Activities 1. Draw a picture of Jesus, you and some of his disciples on a boat in a storm, all still smiling. Include a speech bubble each for Jesus, a disciple and you. 2. Sing ‘With Jesus in the boat we can smile through the storm’ at a school assembly. (Maybe play the children’s percussion recording before the song to set the scene.)

We have to choose an inside or outside journey. • Does anyone remember what we mean by inside and outside? Outside is about what we look like, our body; inside is about the things we can’t see - our mind and heart. It doesn’t matter what the ‘outside’ part of heaven is like - what we can see - what matters is that everyone there loves each other. Just like it doesn’t matter what our ‘outside’ is like - what we can see, our body - what matters is that we love. So, sometimes we don’t quite understand what we really want because we are dreaming of ‘outside journeys’ whereas our heart and mind long for an ‘inside journey’. • Is wanting money about an inside journey or an outside one? Outside. • Is wanting to be famous about an inside journey or an outside one? Outside. • Is wanting to be powerful about an inside journey or an outside one? Outside. Yes, and so what makes wanting them wrong is that they take us on the wrong journey! • But what about love, is that about an inside or an outside journey? Inside. • And truth and honesty - do they help us on an inside or an outside journey? Inside. • And trusting God - does that help us on an inside or outside journey? Inside. So if we decide money, fame and power are important we will go on an outside journey: and we will be sad because we won’t understand God who is taking us on an inside journey. But if we decide love, truth and trust are important we will go on God’s inside journey for us: and we will keep smiling even if bad ‘outside’ stuff happens. Watch: With Jesus in the boat we can smile through the storm (1:27) and sing along with it on your inside journey!

“Heaven is not a place in the Universe. It is a condition in the next life. Heaven is where God’s will is done without any resistance. Heaven happens when life is present in its greatest intensity and blessedness - a kind of life that we do not find on earth.” YouCat, 52.

Mission Next time you are asking for money remember that Jesus is your real treasure.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Trusting in God when things go wrong Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To know the parable of the Talents. Lesson 2: To understand that we grow more when we share our gifts. Lesson 3: To know that Jesus gives us our daily bread in Holy Communion.

Teacher Notes We have used this important phrase - that God feeds us with food, truth and love - since Reception, and ‘give us this day our daily bread’ from the Our Father is the right time to explore this further. God gives us life and wants us to sustain this life and help it grow, every day - this is what all ‘bread’ or food does. In fact everything we have and are is a gift from God, and has within it the potential to sustain and develop our life and the life of others. We cooperate with this by using the gifts we have been given to the best of our ability. This is the best way of showing we are grateful for the gifts. In turn, remembering that everything is a gift from God makes us more likely to appreciate our blessings and gifts, and use them as gifts to others. This module deepens the children’s understanding that we call what we have ‘gifts’ for these two reasons: they are gifts to us, and they are meant to be used by us as a gift to others. Jesus’ deepest truth is that when we give gifts, or love, to another, we in some way give ourselves too. This is why he, ultimately, gives himself to us - on the Cross and in Mass and Holy Communion. We have life to the full (Jn. 10:10) when we have completely become a gift to God and others. This is heaven.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and loved by God: 1.1.1.1, 1.1.1.2, 1.1.1.3, 1.1.1.4, 1.1.2.3, 1.1.3.1, 1.1.3.2, 1.1.4.2, 1.1.4.3, 1.1.4.4, 1.1.4.5. Theme 2: Created to love others: 1.2.1.1, 1.2.1.2, 1.2.1.4, 1.2.2.5, 1.2.3.1, 1.2.3.6, 1.2.4.6. Theme 3: Created to live in community: 1.3.1.1, 1.3.1.2, 1.3.1.3, 1.3.3.1, 1.3.3.2, 1.3.3.3, 1.3.3.4.

Bible Text Matthew 25:14-30 - The parable of the Talents The children will hear the parable of the Talents, where three servants are given money to use while their master is away. Two do use what they are given, and the third doesn’t. This parable is often misunderstood, but it simply teaches us that God gives us our gifts and talents to be used. He is happy with us when we try, and disappointed when we don’t.

Modern Text Marcus Pfister - The Rainbow Fish This is a story of a beautiful rainbow fish, who focuses on his beauty and doesn’t want to share. Mrs Octopus persuades him to try sharing, and so learn what happiness is.

2d1 To know the parable of the Talents

The parable of the Talents isn’t about money; it’s about using the gifts we are given. To Lesson Objectives help, we begin with a song the children first heard in Reception. The Activity involves cake making and selling to use our talents to raise money for Mary’s Meals - so it will need some extra dialogue and planning. Explain: In the Our Father we pray that God will ‘give us this day our daily bread’. We are praying that God will give us today all we need to stay alive and grow as we should - all our food and drink. But God feeds us in different ways: he feeds our body, mind and heart. Let’s say together, ‘God feeds our body, mind and heart’ (touching tummy, head and heart - as in 2a1). He feeds us with food, truth and love, all so that we can live and grow. So, we are really praying for all of these, every day! We’re praying for a lot! And that’s ok. Let’s pray the Our Father, and especially that line. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him.

“Well done, good and faithful servant, you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Matthew 25:23

Introduction Explain: God gives us life. Everything we have is a gift of love from him. The best way to show our thanks for all our gifts is to use them well - in love. This is how we ‘give’ or ‘offer’ our gifts back to him. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_g76phMf5E A Gift to You (Everything I Am) (2:50). Explain: So, the song used the example of singing as a gift, or talent, that we have. • Who gives us that gift? God. Yes, and the gift of music. • So, if we never sang, would we be using his gift to us? No. • But what if we sang to show off, or we sang mean songs in the playground: would that be using his gift to us? No! We use his gift when we use it to be kind to others. • How did you feel singing that song? Happy. Yes, we enjoy singing, we enjoy singing to God, we enjoy singing together. And what is true of singing is true of all our talents.

The parable of the Talents.

Explain: Sometimes, though, we can be a bit scared of using our talents. Jesus told us a story about using our talents for God. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbLAZDPu3Pg&t=46s Making Investments (0:45-3:03). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • How many servants did the man have? Three. • What did he give to the servants? Money. A talent is a lot of money. • How many bags of gold, or talents, did the man give the first servant? 5. And the second? 2. And the third? 1. • What did the first servant do? Use his talents. How many did he end up with? 5 more. Yes, he doubled what he had. What is double 5? 10. • What did the second servant do? Use his talents. How many did he end up with? 2 more. Yes, he doubled what he had. What is double 2? 4. • What did the third servant do? He dug a hole and buried his talent. How many extra talents did he end up with? None. Yes, he started with one, how many did he end up with? 1. • When the man returned he was very pleased with the first servant. What did he say to him? Good and faithful servant, I trust you. • He was also very pleased with the second servant. What did say to him? Good and faithful servant, I trust you. • The man was disappointed with the third servant. What did he call him? Wicked and lazy servant. Yes, because this servant hadn’t tried at all. • We must all be faithful to God with what he has given us. Can you remember why? Because it all belongs to him. • And what does God do when we do our best? He blesses us - which is the best!

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

God was happy with the two servants who tried.

Respond and teach

Example Activity

Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Today’s parable helps us know that God gives each of us gifts. There are two reasons God gives you gifts: to help you grow, and to help you help others grow. • God gives us our daily bread. Why do we need food? To live and to grow. But everything God gives us helps us live and grow. So, when we ask God to give us our daily bread, we are asking him to give us everything we need to live and grow. • Can you remember the three ways we said God feeds us? He feeds our body, our mind and our heart. All repeat, ‘God feeds our body, mind and heart’ with actions. • What does he feed us with? With food, truth and love. • Remember we talked about singing earlier. Firstly we need to be able to sing what do we need for that? A mouth, a voice etc. That is about our body. Then we need to learn how to sing. That is about our mind. Then, we said, it is only a gift if we are singing out of love. That is about our heart. So, when we use our gifts well, we grow in our body, mind and heart - and we help others grow too. • Why do you think the third servant didn’t want to try to use his talent? Scared? Jealous? • When can we feel scared about using our talents? School assembly? Sports day? When others are watching? • What did the man tell the third servant off for? Not trying. That’s really important. Anyone who loves you might be disappointed if you don’t try your best, but will never be disappointed in you for trying your best and making a mistake. We all do that! In fact, it is often the best way of learning! Remembering that God gives us his gifts out of love - and he loves us trying - helps us do our best. So, it is very important for us to always be thankful for all the blessings we receive from God. • What blessings do we receive from God? Life, health, food, love, family, school, parish, relatives and friends, a home, warmth, being able to run and play, music and being able to sing, pets, our gifts and talents, and more! We should always remember to say thank you to God for them. This is polite - but it also helps us relax and try our best, knowing that God is smiling as he sees us try.

1. Make cakes and have a cake sale. Then watch: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=kuzAPy3Wbwg Mary’s Meals Malawi - A Two Minute Taster (1:55). This gives a simple vision of what Mary’s Meals does.

“The reason we have gifts is so that we can be gifts for others. And here, brothers and sisters, we should ask ourselves the question: do I only follow my own needs, or am I able to look to the needs of others, to whoever is in need? Are my hands open, or are they closed?” Pope Francis

Explain: We have a chance to live out the parable of the Talents we heard today! (Explain about the cake sale to raise money for Mary’s Meals.) Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8vfPPfQ0bo We all have gifts to share (3:50).

Mission

Review after activity:

Send the money raised to Mary’s Meals - to help feed poor children in school.

• By sending the money we have raised, How are we helping feed the poor children? Are we feeding their body, mind or heart? Body. • But, they can now go to school because of their meal - and what is that feeding? Their mind. • And because we are doing it out of love, what else are we feeding? Their heart! So, we really are being like Jesus and feeding them body, mind and heart. Let’s say together, ‘We can feed their bodies, minds and hearts’ (with actions). And, ‘Through us, Jesus feeds their bodies, minds and hearts’. • And how do we feel about using our talents to help others grow? Happy etc.

Using our talents in a crispy cake sale?

2d2 To understand that we grow more when we share our gifts

Explain: We ask God to give us our daily bread. We are really asking him for all our Lesson needs, everyObjectives day - for him to feed our body, mind and heart. In this sense, every gift he gives us is ‘like food’ in that it helps us to grow. We show we are thankful for our gifts when we use them well - to help others. Let’s pray the Our Father, and especially those words ‘give us this day our daily bread’. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Read The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister. Check understanding. The following questions may help. • Who was the most beautiful looking fish in the ocean? The rainbow fish. • What colour were his scales? Blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales too. • What did he do when the other fish asked him to play? He ignored them - he preferred to swim around admiring his own shimmering scales. • One day a little fish asked for one of the rainbow fish’s shiny scales. What did he reply? “Get away from me!” - he did not want to share. • After that, who played with the rainbow fish? No one. It didn’t do him much good being very beautiful and shiny, but all alone. • Who did the starfish tell him to see for help? The wise octopus. Wasn’t he sensible, asking for help and advice? • What advice did Mrs Octopus give? To give a glittering scale to each and every fish who asked. • What did Mrs Octopus say would happen if he did? He would no longer be the most beautiful fish, but he would know how to be happy. So, one by one he gave away his shiny scales to each fish that asked him for one who were all polite and all thanked him very much. • How did he feel before he started giving? Unsure, nervous - because he liked his glittering scales. • How did he feel as he gave them away? Slowly happier and happier - more and more delighted. In the end he only had one shining scale - just like the other fish did now and he felt at home, and happy.

“Each of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these varied graces of God, put it at the service of others.” 1 Peter 4:10

Learning to share our gifts helps us grow.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzgpA86x94U Rainbow Fish song (up to 3:29). This song should recap the story for the children. Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Ask • What did the rainbow fish most like about himself? His colourful, glittering and sparkling scales. • Was he thinking about his ‘inside’ or his ‘outside’? Outside. • Which, do we know, is more important on our journey to happiness and heaven: inside or outside? Inside. • What did he say to the little fish who asked for a scale? “Go away from me!” • Was that rude or polite? Rude. And we should always be polite even if we are saying ‘no’. • So, who was he thinking about: himself or others? Himself. • Did he thank God for being such a beautiful fish? No - again, he just thought about himself. • And was he happy? No. But at least he was sensible enough to ask for advice and help. • What was he scared of, when Mrs Octopus suggested he shared his scales with the other fish? That he would no longer be beautiful, special or important. • Does what we look like make us special or important? No.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

The rainbow fish. Sharing our gifts makes us beautiful inside.

Sometimes, giving in to our emotions spoils the happiness.

• He had to be brave to give his first scale away. But what happened as he did? He became happier and happier. • Why was that? Because he was loving and it’s loving that makes us happy, not being beautiful. In the end, he wasn’t special on the outside anymore but he was special on the inside. He felt happy and at home. • Where did Jesus tell us our true home is? Heaven - where we will be happy, because everyone will be special on the inside. • When the rainbow fish was just floating around enjoying being beautiful, was he helping anyone? No. • Was he growing? No. • Was he thanking God for his blessings? No. So, he wasn’t really loving others, loving himself or loving God. • In Jesus’ parable of the Talents who did the trusted servants make happy? The master - who was God really. • In this story, who was happy in the end, when the rainbow fish shared? The rainbow fish himself, and the other fish. So, in Jesus’ story we learn that when we share our gifts we make God happy - and this story reminds us that when we share our gifts we are happy and so are others around us. So, when we share our gifts everyone is happy: God, ourselves and others. Emotions Since that’s the case, why aren’t we always good, and sharing and giving? A big reason is that our feelings and emotions often tell us something different. • When do you think the rainbow fish’s feelings might have most strongly ‘told him’ not to give his scales away? Probably just before he gave his first one. When he was first asked for a scale by the little blue fish, and he was rude in reply, that was probably something to do with a similar emotion. He also might have also been nervous about asking the starfish, and then Mrs Octopus, for help and advice.

Example Activities 1. Write down three blessings which you want to thank God for: one to do with you; one to do with home and one to do with school. 2. Use downloadable template of rainbow fish: write on it one thing that might make someone beautiful on the outside, and one thing that makes someone beautiful on the inside. Then tick which one you think is most important. Decorate the fish. 3. Write down and complete three sentences: “I am happy when I share…..”; “I am happy when ….. shares …. with me.” (my friend/my sister/my cousin, etc.); “Sometimes, I don’t feel like sharing because I feel…”.

Mission Next time you find yourself a bit afraid of using a gift, thank God for giving it you in love, and that will give you courage.

Whenever we need to do something for the first time it can be hard; whenever we choose to trust rather than follow our feelings, it can be hard: we need courage. Lots of ‘but what if’ questions fill our minds - like waves filling a boat. Maybe talking to Mrs Octopus helped him understand his emotions more - trying to put into words how we are feeling often does. Teacher note: It would be good to discuss the cake making and selling activity and see if any negative emotions nearly stopped it working: maybe someone was nervous about making the cake; maybe there was nearly an argument about who sold them; or someone thought they were going to miss their turn, or anything really! Explain: Our emotions are important, but they are not good guides - truth is: and the truth is that loving God, loving ourselves and loving others is always the same: and it makes everyone happy long-term.

Thanking God for our gifts gives us courage.

Watch: We all have gifts to share (3:50) as a recap - it is probably even more important after this story than in lesson 1.

2d3 To know that Jesus gives us our daily bread in Holy Communion

Explain: we have been praying for God to give us our daily bread. We know that this Lesson Objectives includes feeding our body, but we have also learnt that it includes feeding our mind with his truth and our hearts with his love. But the best thing he feeds us with is with himself! He gave us his Body to eat in Holy Communion, and this feeds us in every way possible - so that we can grow to be like him. Let’s pray the Our Father, and when we pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’ think about Holy Communion, that some of you will be receiving for the first time next year. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Recap: Remind the children of the parable of the Talents: • God entrusts us with gifts so that we can all share in helping his family grow in love. • Two of the servants used their talents; the third was too scared to. • God was pleased with the first two servants and disappointed with the third. • He wants us to know that everything we have he has given us, out of love and he wants us to use what he has given us as gifts of love to others.

“For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in them.” Jn 6: 55-56

Recap: Remind the children of the story of The Rainbow Fish: • The rainbow fish was beautiful on the outside. • He wouldn’t share and only thought about himself. • He asked for help, and Mrs Octopus told him to share his scales with the others, and he would then know how to be happy. • He was nervous about sharing at first, but got happier and happier the more he shared. • All the other fish were happy too, that he had shared with them. Watch: A Gift to You (Everything I Am) (2:50). Explain: So, we are happiest when we receive all God gives us with thanks, and when we show it by giving it ‘back to him’ by loving others. When we do, we grow more, and we help each other to grow too. So, we want to give everything we do, to God. • Can you remember what we actually sang, though? Everything I am, everything I’ll be… I give it to you Lord, and do it thankfully. • So… better than doing, what is the best gift you can give to God? More than singing, or playing nicely? You! And of course the best gift God gave you is you because if he hadn’t made you, you couldn’t have enjoyed all the other gifts either! • Except, he has given you an even bigger and better gift than creating you. Can you think what that is? If the best gift you can give is yourself, what do you think God’s best gift is? Himself! God gave us everything when he gave us Jesus. Being Fed on Jesus (Start Circle Time now or after hymn) • So, how does God the Father give us Jesus? He gives us Jesus in lots of ways. • Who was the first person God ‘gave’ Jesus to? Mary - do you remember last year’s story of the Annunciation? The Angel Gabriel told Mary that God wanted her to have his Son. And so, he lived inside his mum, then shared his life with her. • Do you also remember the Last Supper we learnt about last year? The meal Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died for us. At that meal with his disciples, what did he wash? Their feet - as a sign of love. • Can you remember what else he did? He said something over some bread… and then over some wine… This is my Body. This is my Blood. And he asked them to eat and drink them. • What was he giving his disciples to eat and drink? Himself! When we looked at the Last Supper, our parish priest, Fr. N, helped us link it with two other special moments. Can you remember which these were? Jesus dying on the Cross, and the Mass. Yes, in all these three moments Jesus gives us his Body - to feed us and help us grow. He gives us his Body in love so that we can grow to be like him in love.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Jesus feeds us with his Body.

Focusing on my own beauty stops me giving.

When we give a gift, we give something of ourselves, too.

• Do any of you know what some of us will be making next year? First Holy Communion. So, very soon, some of you won’t just be receiving Jesus’ gifts from him, or food from him - you will be receiving Jesus himself as food. And he will be really inside you, a little like he was really inside Mary. How special is that?! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCuA_ixkZOw This is my Body (3:30). Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: We are going to think about how we can love God and others with Jesus’ love. • So, how do we give ourselves to God? (Hard - but the important thing is just for them to be thinking about the question.) It’s actually easier than you think, because every time we love we are giving ourselves to the other person. When we give someone something, in a way we are also giving something of ourselves. • Who likes receiving a sweet/chocolate/biscuit? Me! • Who likes receiving a sweet/chocolate/biscuit from Nan/Gran/Auntie? Me! • Why is that even better? Because we know that we are not only receiving a sweet, we are receiving their love too - something of them. • If someone else drew your dad or mum a picture, they might smile, but when you draw them one their face often lights up: why is that? Because you haven’t just given them a picture, you’ve given them something of you. We can all be loving sometimes, but we all find it harder to be loving all the while. If we receive love from Jesus first, we are able to be more loving, for longer. He feeds us, then we feed others! With love. So, if we come to God in prayer and receive his love, then through the rest of the day we will be that little bit more loving, and grow that little bit more: day by day. Then at night prayer, we can offer him all the good things we have done that day out of love for him. What is true of prayer is especially true of Mass and Holy Communion: we receive God’s love, which helps us love him back: day by day, week by week. Remember: Everything I am, everything I’ll be, I give it to you, Lord, and do it thankfully. So, being thankful helps us receive Jesus more, and helps us give Jesus and ourselves more. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ewLEvA8_o Thankful Roar VBS (2:22) feel free to join in with the chorus and actions.

Example Activities 1. In small groups write a thank you prayer for all the ways God gives himself to us - in love, in our gifts, in Jesus. 2. Create a special picture to give to someone in the class. Put a simple kind message on it. Give the picture to them, with a big smile on your face. (Maybe put children’s names on slips of paper and hand one to each, before drawing - swapping for anyone who gets their own name - or use the register and have each person create something for the child after them, and the last child for the first one on the list.) 3. Have a special ‘show and tell’ session in class for children to share and talk about their special gifts and talents. Explore the joy that is given to everybody else when we share our gifts with others.

Mission Ask Mum or Dad to take you to Church on Sunday so that you can tell them about Jesus giving us his Body. Talk through with the children of other religions what they could do equivalently - mosque, temple, gurdwara, etc. - and talking about God.

Going to church as a family.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

God forgives me, I forgive others Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To know the parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Lesson 2: To have a forgiving heart. Lesson 3: To know we are all loved sinners.

Teacher Notes In this module we move to the important virtue of forgiveness. There are many reasons why we should forgive, but the main, simple one that Jesus gives is that we have been forgiven, so we should forgive others. He asks us to be so committed to forgiveness that we even pray for God to forgive us as we forgive others: ‘and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us’ - so it is a little dangerous to pray for that, and then not be forgiving! We first look at Jesus’ parable of the Unforgiving Servant, then we learn from the story Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, set in Zimbabwe, by John Steptoe which contrasts one sister who has a forgiving, loving attitude, with the other who has an unforgiving, selfish one. From all this we will explore what forgiveness is, and things that help us do it. We then look at the Mass, and the beauty of us all knowing that we are a family of forgiven sinners, and in Jesus have someone who heals us on the inside, with his forgiving heart. All this will be a great support to First Confession preparation, whether next year or this.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and loved by God: 1.1.1.3, 1.1.2.2, 1.1.2.3, 1.1.4.2, 1.1.4.3, 1.1.4.4, 1.1.4.5. Theme 2: Created to love others: 1.2.1.3, 1.2.1.4, 1.2.1.5, 1.2.1.6, 1.2.2.1, 1.2.2.2, 1.2.2.3, 1.2.2.5, 1.2.3.3, 1.2.3.4, 1.2.3.5, 1.2.3.6, 1.2.3.7, 1.2.3.8, 1.2.4.6. Theme 3: Created to live in community: 1.3.1.3, 1.3.2.2, 1.3.2.3, 1.3.3.2.

Bible Text Matthew 18:23-35 - The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant In the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the king is collecting in all his debts. One servant owes an astronomical amount of money - 10,000 talents, something like £7 billion - and can’t pay. He asks for more time, but in pity, the king goes much further and forgives the whole debt. Later, this servant is asked by another one to be patient with him over his debt of 300 denarii - around £10,000 - but instead, he has him thrown in prison. When the king hears this, he is furious and punishes the servant severely.

Modern Text John Steptoe - Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters This story is set in a village in Zimbabwe. Mufaro has two beautiful daughters, but one, Nyasha, is loving and happy; the other, Manyara, is selfish and unhappy. The king wants a wife, and Manyara plans to be the one. On her way to king’s city, she is mean to a boy and an old woman, and is petrified when she sees a five-headed snake. Instead, when Nyasha meets the king, she finds an old friend who knows her well.

2e1 To know the parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Explain: Forgiveness is very important. We all know the relief and joy of being Lesson forgiven; butObjectives we also all know that sometimes we don’t feel like forgiving. Every time we pray the Our Father we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others so it is even more important that we forgive, because we definitely want God to forgive us. ‘Trespasses’ is just another word for ‘sins’. Let’s pray the Our Father and especially those words. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction

“And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled all the debt.” Matthew 18:27

Explain: when Jesus taught us the Our Father, he taught us that God forgiving us and us forgiving each other are linked. He also told us a parable that helps us understand that link more. Peter, his disciple, was wondering how many times he needed to forgive his neighbour - he thought seven times was quite generous. Jesus didn’t. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED3fzkS-bhA The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (2:52). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • How many times did Peter think he should forgive his neighbour? Seven times. That’s quite a lot. • Does Jesus agree that seven times is enough? No. How many times does Jesus say he should forgive? 70 x 7 times! • So, how many times is that? Yes, too many to count! Jesus told them a parable to help them understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. • How much money did the servant owe the king? $1 million. (This is a simplification.) What did the king say he would do, until his servant had paid it all? Sell him and his family and everything he owned. • What did the servant do? He begged the king to be patient, and he would pay it all back. • How did the king respond? He had pity on him - and forgave the man all his debt. Wow - that was very forgiving. • After this, the servant went to visit a fellow servant. How much did he owe him? A few thousand dollars. • Is this a lot of money? Yes. Is it as much as $1 million? No - a lot less than what he had owed the king. • What did his fellow servant say? He asked for more time, and then he would pay it all. • How did the servant reply? He said no - and had his fellow servant thrown into prison. • The other servants weren’t happy with this - they thought it was very unfair, so they went to the king and told him what had happened: what did the king say to the servant? You evil servant! I forgave you - you should have forgiven others. • And what did he do to the servant? He had him thrown in prison until he had paid all his debt. • And what did Jesus say at the end of the parable about what God will do to us? That he will do the same to us, unless we forgive each other from our hearts.

The Unforgiving Servant.

Not being sorry, and not forgiving, both leave us sad and alone.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPPYg7mhEHc Forgive One Another (2:39).

Forgiveness wants the other person to grow and be happy.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Respond and teach

Example Activities

Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Today’s parable taught us something very important about forgiveness. Choice and emotions in forgiving • Who has done wrong, and been naughty sometimes? Me. • When we know we have done wrong how do we feel? Embarrassed, guilty, worried that I will get in trouble, worried that I won’t be forgiven, stubborn that it was someone else’s fault… • And how do we feel when we have been forgiven? Relieved, happy, special - glad that things are back to how they were. • How do we feel when others have been mean to us? Angry, annoyed, ‘it’s not fair’, hard done to, sad. • Do we always want to forgive? No. • Is there a difference in our feelings then, between wanting to be forgiven and not wanting to forgive? Yes. • So, if we listened to our feelings about not forgiving, what might happen? No one would ever be forgiven! What a sad world that would be. But our emotions aren’t good guides - Jesus is. He tells us that forgiveness isn’t an emotion, it’s a choice. And when someone is sorry, we should choose to forgive. Forgiveness and growth • What is unforgiveness? It is not wanting the other person to grow and be happy because we feel they don’t deserve it. • Does God want you to grow? Yes. Does God want you to be happy? Yes. Always? Yes. Even when we’ve been naughty? Yes. • If we weren’t sorry, and he forgave us, do you think we’d grow? No - we might think it was okay to be naughty. So, we have to learn that what we did is wrong, and we have to own up and say sorry otherwise we don’t learn from our mistakes and grow. God asks us to be like him and always want everyone to grow and be happy. When we want that with all our heart, then it is a lot easier to choose to forgive. If we don’t forgive we stop the other person growing, but we also stop growing ourselves. • How do you feel after you have forgiven someone? Happy. Pleased with yourself. Bigger! Yes - because we grow when we forgive. • What does Jesus’ parable tell us that helps us choose to forgive? Knowing how much we are forgiven by God.

1. Learn the hymn God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name. Use the YouTube video offered, or ask music coordinator or lead if you need help. 2. Role play/hot seat the characters. Write the story from the perspective of one of the characters.

“If you do not know how to forgive, you are not a Christian.” Pope Francis

Mission Next time you don’t feel like forgiving, remember God forgiving you, and choose to be like him.

Choice and emotions in saying sorry We have talked about choosing to forgive, even when our emotions say not to. Often we need to say sorry, even when our emotions say not to. • What feelings make it harder to say sorry? Embarrassment, being ashamed, scared the other person might not forgive me: sometimes we can convince ourselves that it’s unfair and we didn’t do wrong - and that might be true sometimes, but it is more common that we just don’t want to admit it. Have you ever said, “It wasn’t me” - whether it was or not?! Remembering that we are loved, no matter what, is the best way to beat these emotions. Then we find it easier to be truthful, and want to be forgiven.

Being sorry helps you. Saying sorry helps them.

• Is it more important to say sorry or be sorry? That’s not really a fair question - because the answer is both - both are important. If we are sorry, then it is important to say it to the other person - it helps them to hear it. But there’s no point saying sorry just because we are told to, if we don’t mean it. Saying sorry to mum or dad lets them tell us we are forgiven - and often show it by giving us a hug. When we’ve done wrong, let’s be sorry and say sorry. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHcyrLTayOM God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name (2:40). This is sung by a more adult congregation, and a bit slower but the activity following is to learn the hymn - it is a good one for First Confession preparation, and Mass in general - and we think this tempo helps that. 47

2e2 To have a forgiving heart

We use the story of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe, and by focusing on Lesson Objectives Nyasha, we are helped to see how having a forgiving heart makes us generous, patient and happy. To have a forgiving heart is to have a Fertile Heart. Explain: we have learnt how important it is to forgive others as God has forgiven us - but rather than just forgiving at important moments, we are called to always have a forgiving heart. Let’s pray the Our Father, asking him for a forgiving heart, like his. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Read Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe.

“Forgiveness is above all a personal choice, a decision of the heart to go against the natural instinct to pay back evil with evil.” Pope St John Paul II

Check understanding. The following questions may help. • In the village, Mufaro had two daughters: what were their names? Manyara and Nyasha. • Manyara was clever, strong and beautiful, but was she happy? No. • What did she keep telling her sister Nyasha about becoming queen? That one day she would be queen and Nyasha would be her servant. • What was Nyasha’s reply to this? That she would be happy to be her servant. • Nyasha was kind: what did Manyara say about her kindness? That it was silly. • What was Manyara’s biggest fear? She was afraid that Mufaro loved Nyasha more than her. Remember that - God is our Father and things start going wrong when we start fearing he loves others more than me. • Nyasha had a little plot of land to grow fruit and vegetables: what did she meet while she was singing there? Nyoka - a snake - who guarded her land. The king wanted a wife. So, Mufaro said his two daughters needed to travel to the great city to meet the king. • Manyara wanted to be seen first, so what did she do? She set off at night, even though she was afraid - because she was so greedy. • She met a boy who said he was hungry: how did she respond? She kept all her food for herself, and was rude to him. • She then met an old woman who tried to give her advice: what happened? She ignored her, was nasty to her, and told her she was ugly. • Nyasha woke up in the morning: where did she prefer to live? At home, with the people she loved. • When she met the hungry boy, what happened? Even without him asking, she gave him her lunch - a yam (sweet potato). • When she met the old woman, what happened? She followed her direction, and gave her some sunflower seeds to say thank you. • As she arrives at the king’s tent, Manyara runs from it, in a panic: what has she seen? A five headed snake who told her all her faults. • Nyasha still went into the king’s tent: who did she meet? The king - who had also been the snake, the boy and the old woman. • So what did the king know about Nyasha? How kind she was. Did he think her kindness was silly? No - it made her worthy and beautiful. • What did he ask her to be? His wife. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CxzSfaigpU Thula Baba (3:10). This is a ‘lullaby of hope’ in Zulu and English, that a South African father sings to his son, as he has to go to work down the mine on a night shift. It might be good to show where Zimbabwe and the neighbouring South Africa are on the globe/map.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Nyasha was kind, forgiving and happy.

‘Sorry’ is healing in any language.

Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: We can learn a lot about family and forgiveness from this story. • Who did Nyasha think about: her family or herself? Her family. • Who did Manyara think about: her family or herself? Herself. • Who was the happiest? Nyasha. • Manyara was unhappy - what feelings made her sad? She was jealous of her sister; worse, she was scared she wasn’t loved as much by her father. Family - home - should be a place where we feel safe and loved: and sadly she didn’t feel that. (This of course, could trigger something genuine in any of the children, that could be important to spot.) • So, was Manyara kind to her sister or not? Not! She made fun of her for being kind. • Was Nyasha kind to her sister? Yes. We could say, not only did she forgive, but she had a forgiving heart: she was always looking to help make things better. • Was Manyara more interested in being queen or being with her family? Being queen. • Was Nyasha more interested in being queen or being with her family? Being with her family. Yes, just being with our family is really important. • Nyasha lived with her father and sister - is her family the same as your family? Probably no for most. • Does that matter? No. All families are important, whatever shape they are. • Manyara thought being queen would make her happy: do you remember, we talked about outside journeys and inside journeys? Which journey was she on? An outside journey or an inside one? An outside journey. Yes, she thought that what happened to her made her happy. • On her journey, was she kind to the boy and woman or not? Not - she was rude and nasty. She was unhappy, and she made others unhappy too. • Was Nyasha on an inside or outside journey? An inside one - she knew that being kind and loving makes us happy. • Because of this, was she kind to the boy and the old woman? Yes - she didn’t even need to be asked for food, or for the sunflower seeds: because she was thinking of others, not herself, she saw that the boy was hungry, and she was thankful for the woman’s help. Who do you think grew in this story? Nyasha, and everyone she was kind to. But not Manyara. Having a kind and forgiving heart helps us grow and helps others grow. Having a mean, unforgiving heart stops me growing, and doesn’t help others grow. • Manyara was a bit of a bully to her sister. What do we mean by a bully? Someone who keeps being horrible to someone else. Bullying is the opposite of being kind and forgiving. It is horrible. It can stop the bullied person growing. It does stop the bully growing. • How did Nyasha not let the bullying hurt her? She always remembered that she was loved by her father, and that protected her from believing what Manyara told her. She ignored what Manyara said, and concentrated on being kind and helpful. She could have also told her dad, or someone else she trusted, like you always can if it ever happens to you. But also, Nyasha was very good at not believing Manyara’s nastiness. Watch: Forgive One Another (2:39), that we saw after the parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Maybe remind the children where the ‘seventy times seven’ times comes from.

Example Activities 1. Look up on school computer, what ‘sorry’ and ‘I forgive you’ are in different languages. (Good luck at pronouncing the Zulu one!) 2. Write a letter of apology from Manyara to Nyasha, showing that she realised she had made bad choices and focusing on the positive impact of giving/receiving forgiveness. 3. Children to write two questions they would like to ask each sister. Choose children to role play the sisters, and answer the questions.

“Any bitterness or bad temper or anger, or shouting or abuse, must be far removed from you - as must every kind of malice. Be generous to one another, sympathetic, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.” Ephesians 4: 31-32

Mission Tell each of your family that you love spending time with them.

2e3 To know we are all loved sinners

Actually admitting we sin and receiving forgiveness is very liberating. It can remove Lesson all the effortObjectives we make to show that we are not guilty - and actually unites us in a very powerful bond: we are all loved sinners. Explain: At the heart of Jesus’ message is that God forgives us, so we should forgive each other. Let’s pray the Our Father and remember especially the words about forgiving our trespasses… Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Recap - watch: Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant (1:41). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • How much did the servant owe the king? 10,000 talents - which is about £7 billion! • Is there any way the man would ever be able to pay this debt? No. That’s true of us and God also. There is no way we could repay what we owe him. • How much did the second servant owe the first servant? 100 denarii - which is about £10,000. • Is this a lot of money? Yes. So, God doesn’t ask us to forgive each other because it doesn’t matter what they did - it does! Everything always matters to God. He simply asks us to forgive because we have been forgiven. Recap: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe. • Both daughters were beautiful on the outside: who was beautiful on the inside? Nyasha. • What made her beautiful on the inside? She knew she was loved by her father, she was kind and forgiving. And we find it easier to forgive if we know we are loved by God our Father. • Who grew in the story: Manyara or Nyasha? Nyasha. Who helped others grow in the story? Nyasha. • Who was happy in the story? Nyasha. Who made others happy in the story? Nyasha. Having a kind, forgiving heart helps everyone grow. It can be hard sometimes, but if we choose to have a forgiving heart, then it is easier for us to choose to forgive others when they hurt us.

“If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; if we confess our sins, he is trustworthy and upright, so that he will forgive our sins, and will cleanse us from all evil.” 1 John 1:8-9

Loved. Blessed. Forgiven.

Explain: It’s a great feeling to know I am forgiven and healed by God. It’s even better when we all realise it together - that we are one forgiven family! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO-2fm7IKcU You Forgive Me (2:47). Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Being forgiven by God, and knowing that we are forgiven by God, are so important that we start every Mass with a ‘sorry prayer’. Let’s pray the start of one, together… “I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned... through my own fault…”

We need healing on the outside. We need healing on the inside.

• What does ‘confess’ mean? It sort of means ‘admit’ - or ‘admit out loud’. But when we say this prayer, we are ‘confessing’ two things: that I have sinned, and also that I trust in God that he forgives me. This is a very powerful prayer: we can waste time trying to be better than each other but this is the opposite - this is telling a church full of people that I failed and it was my fault. But, at the same time, everyone else is telling me that they’ve failed too! We are sorry together. That’s a great way of knowing we are family - a loved family.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Being sorry and being forgiving both heal hearts.

• Can you remember what stopped Manyara being happy and forgiving? She wasn’t sure her father loved her as much as her sister. But if we all ‘confess’ that we are sinners, and that we’ve all been forgiven by God, then we are all also confessing that we are all loved equally. • When the first servant in Jesus’ story was forgiven, was he actually sorry? Or just didn’t want to be thrown in prison? He didn’t say sorry, and he didn’t say thank you afterwards - so maybe he wasn’t really sorry. • And did he end up happy and forgiving and kind? No! So, confessing that we are sinners out loud, and confessing our trust in our forgiving Father help us know that we are all loved, and all be happy. We can say that Christians know they are loved sinners - a family of loved sinners. And when our journey to heaven is complete, we will be a family of loved saints! (Maybe mention the Sacrament of Reconciliation here.) Explain: Remember, saying I’m a sinner is saying I’m good, but that sometimes I do wrong, and I would like to not do wrong in the future. There is an important blessing we receive when we can admit that we are sinners. We need God. I need God. Who created me? God. Who is guiding me in my growing? God. Yes, so without God, I wouldn’t exist! There wouldn’t be a ‘me’. And without God, I wouldn’t grow. I’d stay the same. So, I need God to give me life and guide me. I know this, but it isn’t easy to feel it. We could say that I know it in my head, but it is harder to know in my heart. But when we know we have done wrong, we know we need forgiving - and we know that in our mind and our heart. • What happens at home if you fall and hurt your knee? Mum or someone else will help us. She will clean it and maybe put a plaster on it. She will help make it better. When we are made better, we call that healing. • What happens when we are more poorly - where might we go to get better, to get healing? The doctor. • And if we’ve broken a bone or are very ill, where might we go for healing? The hospital. All these are ways of bringing healing to our body and we know we have been helped. We have talked, before, about inside us and outside us. Are these ways of healing, healing us on the inside or outside? In our body or in our soul? Outside. Body. Of course, some illnesses affect the inside of our body - but when we say inside us, we mean affecting our soul. • Remember Nyasha didn’t just forgive Manyara, she had a forgiving heart which helped Manyara grow. Her forgiving heart helped heal Manyara. But did her forgiving heart heal Manyara on the inside or the outside? Inside. • Did it heal her body or soul? Soul. • So does God’s forgiving heart heal us on the inside or the outside? Inside. Yes, so knowing God forgives us in our mind and heart helps us always remember his love for us, and our need for him.

Example Activities 1. Write prayers of forgiveness, and thanksgiving for being forgiven, to be shared in class collective worship. 2. Using the downloadable template, create a ‘forgiving hearts’ display in class: children to decorate them with words/pictures to illustrate how we can be more forgiving and loving towards one another.

Were there no forgiveness of sins in the Church, there would be no hope of life to come or eternal liberation. Let us thank God who has given his Church such a gift. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 983.

Mission In your night prayers, say sorry to God for anything you’ve done wrong - and enjoy receiving his hug of forgiveness.

In the Mass, we try and express all we have learnt today in one simple phrase: Lord have mercy; Christ have mercy. This reminds us that we are a family of forgiven sinners, all loved by our Father, and that we all need Jesus to heal us on the inside with his forgiving heart. Let’s listen to a simple ‘Lord have mercy’ song. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlVj8ERS8CY Lord, Have Mercy from Mass of a Joyful Heart (0:50). And/or watch: Kyrie eleison, Lord have mercy, Ginoo Kaloy-i, kaawaan mo kami (2:04). Being hugged by God in prayer gives us peace.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

God helps me be kind but careful Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To learn what leads us away from temptation. Lesson 2: To learn how to help God keep us safe. Lesson 3: To know nothing can truly stop my journey home in God.

Teacher Notes Our last Y2 module focuses on ‘and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’. This introduces two topics which we would all rather avoid: that there is a devil who can tempt us in a similar way to how he tempted Adam and Eve; and that there is human evil, which we do our best to protect our children from through safeguarding. We do have to mention the devil - as the snake - but seek to do so in a way that is undramatic, and focuses completely on resisting temptation: choices that lead us away from or into temptation. This should curtail interest in the snake, rather than encourage it. Ultimately, sin and temptation are boring. Your school will already have appropriate safeguarding lessons in place throughout the years. The context of A Fertile Heart is not the right one to offer the children specialised safeguarding lessons - that is not our forte and should be left to experts to guide the school on this. What we do offer is a foundation for such lessons, based on what our faith teaches us about healthy and unhealthy relationships. In particular it teaches us that trust in God gives the children confidence to seek appropriate help and to learn appropriate skills, so that they can still learn to be kind, but in a careful way; or as we say in KS2, so that they can be ‘safe but not scared’. We seek to finish the module and the year on a positive note - that ultimately, God will always protect us, even if the difficulties can be deep and real on the way. Hopefully this will help give the children the hope they need to grow, without any sense of complacency. The Bible story we use to help us with all this is the story of Joseph and his brothers - focusing on Joseph’s troubles, how he responds to them, and how it turns out well for him in the end.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and loved by God: 1.1.1.4, 1.1.2.1, 1.1.2.2, 1.1.4.2, 1.1.4.3, 1.1.4.4, 1.1.4.5. Theme 2: Created to love others: 1.2.1.3, 1.2.1.6, 1.2.2.5, 1.2.3.1, 1.2.3.6, 1.2.3.7, 1.2.4.1, 1.2.4.2, 1.2.4.3, 1.2.4.5, 1.2.4.6, 1.2.4.7. Theme 3: Created to live in community: 1.3.1.3, 1.3.3.2, 1.3.3.4.

Bible Text Genesis 37 - Joseph and His Brothers | Genesis 39-41 - Joseph in Egypt We first meet Joseph as one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel). Sadly, because Jacob gives Joseph, his favourite, a multi-coloured coat, and because of Joseph’s dreams, the other brothers get more and more angry and jealous - leading to them selling him into slavery in Egypt. While in Egypt, he does his best for Potiphar, his master, and earns his trust - until Potiphar’s wife lies about him. He is jailed for this, but even then his situation improves because he does what he can - and eventually helps Pharaoh and becomes his second-in-command.

2f1

To learn what leads us away from temptation

Explain: Today we look at the last lines of the Our Father: lead us not into temptation, Lesson Objectives but deliver us from evil. We heard the word ‘temptation’ in the story of Adam and Eve - the snake tempted them to do wrong. We have also talked about times we are ‘tempted’ to do wrong. We know that Jesus is our guide, but, like Adam and Eve, as well as learning to be guided by God, we have to learn to not be guided by temptation. We also have to learn how to help Jesus keep us free from bad things happening to us. We know he will always protect us, but he often does that through others and with our help. So, let’s pray the Our Father together, and especially those last lines.

“So I find this rule: that for me, where I want to do nothing but good, evil is close at my side.” Romans 7:21

Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Explain: In these lessons we are looking at part of the story of Joseph. In it, things don’t go well for Joseph at all - with his brothers and then in Egypt, but all the time God was with him, and he trusted. Watch: Joseph and His Coat Genesis 37 (3:17). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • Joseph lived in Canaan, with his family: what family did he have? His dad and mum, Israel (Jacob) and Rachel, and his eleven brothers! • Did Jacob love all his sons equally? No - he loved Joseph more than all his other 11 sons. Oh dear - this is where things started to go wrong. • What did Jacob give Joseph to show his love? A multi-coloured coat. • When the brothers saw the coat, how did they feel? They hated Joseph. • Joseph had a dream - what was his first dream? That his brothers’ bundles of grain bowed to his. • How did the brothers feel after hearing this? They hated him even more! • Joseph had another dream - what was his second dream? That the sun and moon and 11 stars all bowed to his star. • What did Jacob and the brothers believe this meant? That Joseph would become more important than them. • How did Jacob and the brothers feel about that? They were very angry. • What was the difference between Jacob and the brothers? Jacob thought about it and stopped being angry; the brothers didn’t think about it and stayed angry. • One day the brothers were looking after sheep, and Joseph went to see them, wearing his coat. What did they plan to do? Kill him. • What did Reuben suggest instead? They should throw him down a well. • Why did he suggest this? He wanted to save Joseph later. • Just then, some men from Midian arrived: what did the brothers decide to do instead? Sell Joseph to them. • What did they do with his coat? Showed it to Jacob, their dad. • What did Jacob think that meant? That Joseph had died. • Where did the Midianites take Joseph? Egypt. Explain: Hearing about bad things happening to people is a bit sad and scary. If we trust in God, it stops us worrying too much - and instead we can think and learn.

Jacob and his 12 sons.

Joseph’s coat annoyed his brothers.

The same snake tempts us too.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlJU3te81Dg I will trust in you (4:07 though maybe stop after 2:05). Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Like Adam and Eve, we are tempted. But, unlike their story, we don’t have a big snake hissing into our faces that makes it obvious. So, unless we learn, we will often give into temptation, without realising it has happened! We all know this feeling, don’t we? 54

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Let’s learn four lessons from today’s story: 1. What do we know about Jacob’s love of his sons? He loved Joseph more than all the others. Not just more than each of the others, but all of them together! • Do you sometimes like some children you meet more than others? Yes. • But should we love each other the same? Yes. That’s important to get right! We can’t spend play time with everyone else at school. But if we will only play with the same people, if we start treating others differently because we like them less, that can hurt others on the inside. We can be tempted to have favourites. Choosing to love everyone ‘leads us away from temptation’ - like how we pray in the Our Father. 2. How did the brothers feel when they saw Joseph’s new, special coat? Jealous and angry. • And after his first dream? Angrier and more jealous. • And after his second dream? Even angrier and even more jealous. That was understandable - it’s not easy when you think you’re being told that your brother is more important than you. Even Jacob got angry after the second dream. • What was the big difference between what the brothers then did, and what Jacob did? Jacob thought about it and stopped being angry; the brothers didn’t think about it and stayed angry. This is very important. Anger and jealousy are very strong emotions. We feel them very strongly. Strong emotions make it easier for the snake to tempt us; thinking and being calm make it easier for us to listen to Jesus. Sharing how we feel, and finding time to reflect and calm down help us make good choices. They help us to love and grow. 3. When Joseph woke his brothers up to tell them his dreams, was he thinking of them or himself? Himself. • And when he showed off his coat: them or himself? Himself. • Did this make things better or worse? Worse. Yes, he was tempted to show off - and he did. Remember, we only tend to think of one person at a time: me or you. Choosing to think about others ‘leads us away from temptation’. Only thinking about myself ‘leads me into temptation’. 4. Lastly, let’s think about Reuben. Who was Reuben? One of the brothers. Yes, in fact he was the oldest brother. • The brothers wanted to kill Joseph: did Reuben agree? No. • Did he say he disagreed? No. • What did he suggest? That they threw Joseph down a well - planning on saving him later. • Was he right to do this? No and yes. He was right to try and change things so that Joseph could be saved; maybe he could have said that what they were planning was wrong as well. This is important for us. Sometimes other people, other children, ask us to do things that are wrong - and we can feel a ‘pressure’ to agree. This can feel like a very big temptation. Sometimes we should say we disagree. Always, we should not do it. Knowing right is right and wrong is wrong can ‘lead us away from temptation’; worrying that I might not be liked, that I might be left out, ‘leads me into temptation’. Recap the four points: loving everyone the same; reflecting and calming down; thinking of others; and knowing that right is right all lead us from temptation.

Example Activities 1. Hot seat Jacob, a brother, Joseph, and Reuben about the story and especially about our four points one for each character. 2. In a small group, create a short drama where one child is pressured to do something they shouldn’t and how they stand up to it. E.g. children in playground, one child wants to join in the game, others start to say no and make fun of them, one child includes them in the game. Maybe freeze frame and discuss different feelings, thoughts and possibilities at various points.

It is difficult to translate the Greek verb used by a single English word: the Greek means both “do not allow us to enter into temptation” and “do not let us yield to temptation.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2846, on the word ‘lead’

Mission Try and notice times when you are being led into temptation, and times when you are led away.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlkcoAfLU4 Love one another (2:43 - heard before in Modules 1f2 and 2b1).

2f2

To learn how to help God keep us safe

Explain: God promises to deliver us from evil, but he needs us to trust in him and to Lesson Objectives help him. Today we are thinking more about how we can help him - so that we can be kind but careful. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Explain: we have been following the story of Joseph and his brothers. Last lesson we learnt how he got sold and had to go to Egypt. Not very nice at all! This time, we will hear how things actually got better to start with, when he was bought by an important man called Potiphar, but then things went very wrong... Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SCAXrEmRRA Joseph in Egypt Genesis 39-41 (3:15).

“It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea, with a millstone around his neck, than to be the downfall of a single one one these little ones.” Luke 17:2

Check understanding. The following questions may help. • When Joseph arrived in Egypt, who took him as a slave? Potiphar. This was wrong - having slaves is wrong - but Joseph didn’t have any say in it. • Although it wasn’t fair, Joseph tried to make the best of things. Potiphar was so impressed with Joseph what happened? He put him in charge of all his house. • What did God do because of this? He blessed Potiphar’s house so that everything went well. • But then Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to do bad things. What did Joseph do? He ran away from her. • What did she then do, because she was annoyed? She lied to Potiphar, saying that Joseph had been naughty. • And what did Potiphar do? He put Joseph in prison - he was so angry with him. • Not good! But what did the prison guards soon do? Put Joseph in charge of the prison, because he was so helpful. • Then, what happened to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt? He had dreams that he didn’t understand and that worried him. • Who was able to understand these dreams? Joseph. • Pharaoh was very impressed! What did he think of Joseph? That he was a wise man whom he could trust. • And what did Pharaoh do to Joseph? He put him in charge of all of Egypt.

We can help God protect us.

Explain: we are going to be thinking about ways of being careful, so as to keep safe unlike Joseph. Let’s start with a song. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM7vApixaPw Oh Be Careful Little Eyes Be Careful Little Eyes Song (2:45). The song is a little simple - but has verses about mind and heart - and also could be learnt for a KS1/school assembly.

Surprise secrets.

Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene. Explain: Joseph did really well in every situation he found himself in - because he trusted God and tried his best. But, he would have preferred not getting in the bad situations in the first place. If you remember, things went badly when he went to visit his brothers in the field. And they went badly when Potiphar’s wife wanted him to do things he shouldn’t. What made it harder for him was that both times, he should have been able to trust the people he was with. Sadly, we have to learn from him to spot when things aren’t quite right. • If someone asks you to do something you know you shouldn’t, what do you do? Not do it. Probably, like Joseph, run away. • If someone you trust asks you to do something you know you shouldn’t, what do you do? Not do it. Probably, like Joseph, run away. It doesn’t matter who it is - if they’re big or small - if something is wrong, it is wrong.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Bad secrets.

• If someone starts talking to you - and what they are saying confuses you about right and wrong, what should you do? Not listen, and tell someone you do trust. You can always tell me. This is hard, but sometimes we are just shy about people talking to us - that’s not the same: we are talking about when what they are saying confuses you, or makes you feel uncomfortable. • Should we keep secrets? Yes and no. If telling the secret might spoil a nice surprise for, say, your brother, then it is good to keep it a secret from him. But if someone asks you to keep a secret about you, or about a chat the two of you have had - then that is a bad secret. No one who talks to you should want you to keep it secret from everybody. As children, ‘surprise secrets’ are about not telling a particular person; bad secrets are when we don’t tell anyone - and they are wrong. It was very bad of Potiphar’s wife to lie to Potiphar about Joseph - and wrong of Potiphar not to believe Joseph, but don’t worry, if you tell us anything, we will listen to you, and always help you. So, if anyone tells you that they will get you in trouble, or you will get in trouble unless you do bad things it is not true - they are being naughty, not you. Tell us. There are organisations that can help, like Childline, but whatever you decide, tell someone you can trust. (Teacher Note: please check with school SLT if the above needs to be added to, or expressed in a different way.)

Example Activities 1. Role play two scenarios: firstly where the child feels uncomfortable because a visitor asks them a question in class (okay discomfort); secondly, when a stranger talks to the child by themselves and then asks the child to lie to the teacher when they come back (not okay). Discuss ways of responding. 2. Role play two more scenarios: firstly Dad tells you about a birthday surprise for your brother (surprise secret); secondly, an adult talks to you about being friends, then tells you it is best to keep it a secret - your special secret (bad secret). Discuss ways of responding.

I know you are only young, and small, but none of us should do anything with someone without their permission, and no one should do something with you without your permission. Remember, you are a child of God - that makes you important - and that gives you the right to stand up for what is right. So, if you are finding it hard to find the courage to do the right thing, or say the right thing, fold your arms, puff your chest up, and remember that God loves you as his child, and that makes you important. (We’re just trying to communicate a way for them to move from trusting God to finding courage - you might have another way of saying it.) Activities: two role plays. Ask: If you did tell me the first secret, what would happen? Nothing really. And that’s important - telling someone you trust a secret isn’t going to hurt anyone; not telling someone you trust a secret might hurt someone, so if you are not sure, tell. Teacher note: You could introduce something about internet safety here, too. But you might feel that we’ve covered enough in one lesson, and that it is best covered another time. Explain: It’s sad that we’ve had to talk about these things today, but bad things can happen, and God will always protect us, but he wants us and others to help him. Remember, knowing he is our loving Father gives us courage - and that’s why we pray the Our Father. And if he is our Father, then we are all his children, and that makes us feel special and brave.

Never be afraid to tell us the truth.

Mission Tell mum and dad what you have learnt about good and bad secrets. There are possible pitfalls here - and you may prefer to go for a simpler mission but there are also potentially really good spin-offs too. If you do go for this mission, a school text home would be good.

Watch: We are Children of God - Monica Scott (2:22), which we began our year with, as a way to finish a hard lesson on a lighter note.

2f3

To know nothing can truly stop my journey home in God

Explain: When we pray the Our Father, we pray ‘and lead us not into temptation, but Lesson Objectives deliver us from evil’. This reminds us of the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The snake led them into temptation, but God delivered them from evil. He did it two ways: he protected them from the snake making things even worse, and even better, he promised to send Jesus to deliver us from all evil. But they had to wait a long time for Jesus to completely deliver them - and us - from evil. And we are still waiting, though we know it is going to happen. Let’s pray the Our Father, and especially those words. Watch: Tomkin - The Our Father (0:40), and pray with him. Introduction Explain: Let’s remind ourselves of the story of Adam and Eve and the snake. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuLRzlMtcpU Tell Me the Story: Adam and Eve Disobey God (2:34). Check understanding. The following questions may help. • God made the world. He loved the world. He loved the people he made. What did God and Adam and Eve do together? Talked and were friends. How lovely. • What did God tell them about the fruit of the trees in the garden? They could eat any fruit apart from just from one tree. It was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - eating of it meant choosing that they could decide what was right and wrong, not God. • Who tempted Eve? The snake. Who lied to Eve? The snake. Yes, temptations are always, always lies. Eve believed the snake, and she and Adam ate of the tree. • How did this make Adam and Eve? Sad. How did it make God? Sad. Yes, sins make everyone sad. God still looked after them though - he gave them clothes and protected them - but they still had to leave the Garden. • Had the snake won then? No. God punished him and also promised Eve that one of her descendants (do we remember what that means?) would save us all from the snake - and he has: Jesus. So, when they had to leave the garden it looked very, very bad for them - but God did deliver them from evil. Explain: We have been hearing the story of Joseph, and twice things went really badly for him. The worst was probably when he got sent to prison when he hadn’t done anything wrong. There was a musical film made about Joseph, and this is the song Joseph sings from prison, when things aren’t going well at all. (Teacher Note: apologies for any ensuing embarrassed giggles.)

“For I am certain of this: neither death nor life; neither angels nor demons; neither the present nor the future; nor any power; neither height nor depth, nor any created thing whatever, will be able to come between us and the love of God, known to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

My journey with God is secure.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w4maOLUfFk Close Every Door - 1999 Film Joseph (4:50). • What did you feel, listening to Joseph sing? Maybe sad, feeling sorry for him, but also hope. • What words do we remember from the song? Probably some of: close every door; hide; bar windows; no light; hate; laugh at; darken; alone, etc. Not exactly happy words! But sometimes we don’t feel happy. Sometimes people have good reasons not to be happy. • What was the best moment in the song? Maybe when all the children joined in - and he wasn’t alone, and the candles lit up the darkness. This is all important, because every adult - and some children - will have had difficult times, and they are sad. Jesus doesn’t always take away our sadness, but he does always give us hope and light in the darkness. Jesus saves the whole human family from evil, but he also saves each one of us - because he loves each one of us.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Candles in Christ’s prison cell - light in the darkness.

Example Activity

Good, bad, very good - the pattern of life.

Respond and teach Circle Time: use relaxing music to help set the scene.

1. Using downloadable template of candle and holder: get children to write in the holder, “I want to help Jesus light up the darkness.” and then decorate the candle however you think best. You could make a silhouette of a prisoner with all the candles around - echoing the scene from Close every door to me.

Get the children to think of some of their favourite films/stories and choose some of them to briefly go through what happens. Help them see that there is a similar pattern in every story: it starts off well, it goes very badly wrong, it looks like evil is going to win, then good triumphs in the end! (You might have done: setting, problem, resolution with them in English.) Explain: The reason our hearts like this pattern is that it is the pattern of our story: Of the human family: God creates a beautiful Garden of Eden; the snake and sin spoil everything; then Jesus saves us from sin and death; he comes again in glory to make it all perfect.

“Thine be the glory, Risen conquering Son; endless is the victory thou o’er death has won.” Easter hymn

In Jesus’ life: as an adult Jesus is preaching the Good News and healing everyone who is poorly; then he is arrested and killed; then on the third day he rises from the dead and destroys death forever. And I don’t know what will happen in the story of your life, but a similar thing will happen: good things, bad thing, good wins. So, we have learnt from Joseph how to help bad things not happen, and how to be led away from temptation, but we also know that whatever bad things do happen, Jesus will deliver us from evil. For ever. For good. And knowing that gives us hope. Explain: God our loving Father wants to make everything better, every day, until we are all happy forever in heaven. He could make everything right himself - but he prefers to work as a team! So he asks each of us - like he asked Mary - to trust him and help him.

Morning prayer with the Our Father.

Mary said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘Here I am, Lord’. And we can do the same. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhTpjdrLf0s The Lord of sea and sky by National Youth Choir of Scotland (3:46). We picked this version because it is sung at a brisk pace and hopefully the children could join in the chorus - and it’s always good for them to see older children singing songs of faith.

Mission Every morning, pray the Our Father in bed as soon as you wake up.

Activity and Mission, then: Explain: We have learnt a lot this year about how Jesus guides and heals us on our inside journey to heaven. We have learnt that he feeds our body, mind and heart, with food, truth and love; that forgiveness is very important, and that we can help God keep us all safe. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwvBtcwPQS8 Our Father Lord’s Prayer (2:34): as a way of rounding off the whole year.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

A Fertile Heart Receiving & Giving Creative Love

It’s a great privilege to help a young child grow in understanding anything; doubly so when it means them understanding themselves. We are all created in love, to live and grow - but maybe that’s particularly obvious though the wonder of a child’s eyes. A Fertile Heart seeks to help you communicate - in a joyful, life-giving way - the truth behind healthy living and good relationships. It firmly links it all to our faith, and then to reason, so that over the course of their school life, the children don’t only learn the externals of good practice, but gradually understand and own the reasons behind it. We provide detailed lesson plans and colourful, interactive powerpoints so that as much of the ‘spadework’ as possible is done for you - allowing you to focus on the actual teaching and discussion. In Reception, we focused on being loved, happy, beautiful children of God - whom God calls to grow in body, mind and heart, and invites us to help. In Year 1, through the Hail Mary, the children learn more of God’s love for them, helping them love themselves, each other and the whole human family more. In Year 2, the Our Father helps the children to understand their journey from earth to heaven. The story of Adam and Eve teaches them about our turning away from God, and Jesus’s saving us in love. The Good Samaritan teaches them the importance of service. Jesus’ Calming of the Storm helps them trust in God when it is hard. The parable of the Talents helps them see that God gives us what we need, when we need it, and encourages them to help God feed themselves and others in body, mind and heart. The Unforgiving Servant helps them understand the importance of having a forgiving heart. And the story of Joseph and his brothers helps them be led away from temptation, and to help God keep them safe - by being kind but careful. All this helps them grow in relationship, and is backed up by contemporary stories, songs, prayer and diverse activities. A Fertile Heart is so called, because we all long to be fertile in the deepest sense - to grow, to help others grow, to make a difference: and ultimately it is love that achieves this. So we invite you to add your fertile hearts, as parents and teachers, to ours, and to Jesus’ and Mary’s - so that we can all help our children’s fertile hearts grow too.

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Version 7 | September 2021