This Issue

The Four “J’s”—Journey, Joy, Justice, and Jerusalem
For Principals and School Boards
For Educators
For Parents
Forming Adult Faith
Compendium Corner

The Four “J’s”—Journey, Joy, Justice, and Jerusalem

Good pedagogy often dictates that we creatively find ways to remember important information on a particular subject. The Advent Sunday readings provide a good pneumonic device—the four "J's" to help us educators and our students hone in on the tone for and themes of Advent.

Journey

All four weeks of Advent focus on a journey. In the gospels, we learn how to prepare ourselves as we journey forth in time toward the coming of the fullness of the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist speaks plainly about what we are to do. Mary travels to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who greets her with blessings and in joy. For many, religious men and women in our schools and parishes were the models for the journey of faith. On December 10, the Church asks us to affirm their ministry and support them in their retirement through the Retirement Fund for Religious collection.

Joy

The Cycle C readings for Advent are filled with a sense of expectant joy. We are commanded to shout for joy, cry out with joy, be filled with joy, and rejoice always. This underlying tone of joyful preparation is picked up in other readings that speak of the glory of God. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are opportunities to create a sense of joy in the school, parish, and home.

Justice

Jeremiah reminds us that the one who is to come will be called "The LORD our justice" who will act justly and righteously. The prophet Baruch cries out to the people to be wrapped in the cloak of justice while St. Paul hopes that we may be found rich in the harvest of justice. We have numerous opportunities in December like World AIDS Day to address and act on justice issues including life and poverty.

Jerusalem

Throughout Scripture, Jerusalem embodies the covenant between God and his people. We hear how the prophets beckon to Jerusalem to rejoice because God has fulfilled his promise. Then we listen as Paul reiterates that the second covenant—Jesus—replaces the first covenant. The Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land includes resources and information on how to promote a just peace in the Middle East. This interreligious campaign among Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders seeks to resolve the continuing conflicts in the land of our shared religious heritage.

For Principals and School Boards

Plan and host a prayer vigil on November 30 or a service in your school on December 1 to remember those who have died from AIDS and for those still fighting HIV/AIDS. For more information on the World AIDS Day from the U.S. bishops.
Prepare a school-wide celebration to honor and thank the religious men and women who support your school now and those who have retired.
With other religious leaders in your community, sponsor a school-wide walk for peace for students (and/or parents) that includes stops at a synagogue, church, and mosque.
Invite leaders from the Jewish and Muslim community to speak to your students, faculty, and parents on what they can do to promote peace in the Middle East. Background resources from the bishops are available including the book, Revelations: Catholic and Muslim Perspectives.
Begin staff, school board, or PTA/PTO meetings with one of the prayers for peace in the Middle East.
Open your December staff meeting with the appropriate prayer from A Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty.
Host a “fair trade fair" at your school to build awareness about fair trade and give your students a chance to buy fair trade Christmas gifts.
Incorporate the intercessions and reflections on the Gospel of Life at the start of the school day on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Encourage parents at the December PTA/PTO meeting to think of concrete ways to model joy during the Advent season, especially in the home.

For Educators

Distribute copies of the World AIDS Day prayer card which includes general intercession that can be used at Mass on that day and concrete action steps your school or parish can take to combat HIV/AIDS.
Research and prepare a monthly budget with your students that includes the typical costs of a retired person, especially one who lives in a nursing home or care facility. Use the materials from the National Religious Retirement Office on "Why We Ask" or the 2006 Fact Sheet as resources for some of the typical cost information.
Take up a collection for retired religious men and women that equals a week’s worth of the cost of a favorite food, drink, or activity, and donate it to the Retirement Fund for Religious. Have your students design “thank you" cards for some of the retired religious men and women in your area. Contact your parish office or religious orders in your area to coordinate this activity. (Names of convents, monasteries, and religious homes in your area can be found in the Official Catholic Directory, a Catholic reference that is available at most libraries.
In small groups, have your students research the history of the current conflicts in the Middle East using newspaper and magazine articles and the Internet, especially the remarks and statements from the Catholic bishops. Invite each group to share what they have learned.
Teach your students the seven themes of Catholic social teaching, focusing in on the preferential option for the poor and solidarity with the poor. Using pictures from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, decorate a bulletin board with images of those who are poor throughout the world, then write or draw pictures of the ways that we can help them and post them as well.
Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas with your students by sharing the story of his life and filling their shoes with “fair trade candy".
Lead your students in a novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Start the novena on November 29, nine school days before the feast day on December 12. Show any of the video clips on the Church in Latin America to your students. The video clips can be downloaded and viewed on a computer or through a computer and projector on a screen. Ask them to learn one fact for each of the nine days to share about Catholics in Latin America.

For Parents

At grace before meals on December 1, pray for those who have died from AIDS and for those still fighting HIV/AIDS. For more information on the World AIDS Day from the U.S. bishops.
During the week of December 3, share stories in your family about the religious men and women that you know, especially those that made an impact on your life. With your children, decide on an amount to donate to the Retirement Fund for Religious. Base it on how much it would cost to feed a retired person for one week, to buy a month’s worth of medicine, or one week’s housing cost in a nursing home or care facilitiy.
Use one of the prayers for peace in the Middle East as a part of prayer at meals or before bed.
Use the appropriate prayer from A Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty each Sunday as you light the next candle in your Advent wreath.
Make a commitment in your family to only purchase products that are “fair trade certified" during December, especially as you buy Christmas presents.
Include the intercessions on the Gospel of Life during family prayer on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12).
Mark the journey through Advent by using the three blessing prayers for Advent/Christmas—of the Advent wreath, Christmas tree, and Christmas crèche—in Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers.

Forming Adult Faith

"Forming Adult Faith" is a new feature of To Teach. It includes suggestions from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA) on how to promote ongoing faith formation among the adults in your school community.

There are two chapters from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults that touch on themes of Advent.

Chapter 7. The Good News: God Has Sent His Son
Chapter 12. Mary: The Church’s First and Most Perfect Member

Both individuals and groups—a full staff or a grade level gathering—can use the following suggestions. Most suggestions can be completed in 10-15 minutes.

Select one day to focus on chapter 7 as the starting point for reflection.

In the morning, start with the first prayer on p. 87.
Then read the story of Pierre Touissant and the section entitled, “Gospel Portraits of Jesus.”
At noon, read the section, “True God and True Man.”
In the evening, read the last section, “Jesus is the Savior of All.”
Then write down your responses to the discussion questions in a journal.
Either end your evening session or before bed, read the meditation and conclude with the prayer from Pope Paul VI.

Dedicate Tuesday, December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to reflecting on chapter 12. Pray the Magnificat, Memorare, and Hail Mary at different times during the day.

Compendium Corner

"Compendium Corner" is also a new feature of To Teach. It provides a list of questions and answers in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that are related to this month’s topic. (The number before the question is the question number in the Compendium.)

Review the questions and answers in preparation for your class.
Consider how to use appropriate questions and answers as part of your lesson plan.
Develop learning activities that help the youths and young adults learn this information by heart (memorization).

95. “. . . Born of the Virgin Mary”: Why is Mary truly the Mother of God?
96. What does the “Immaculate Conception” mean?
196. In what sense is the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of the Church?
197. How does the Virgin Mary help the Church?
198. What kind of devotion is directed to the holy Virgin?
411. How does society ensure social justice?
412. On what is human equality based?
413. How are we to view social inequalities?
414. How is human solidarity manifested?

To obtain a copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, visit www.usccbpublishing.org or call 800-235-8722.

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