Theme 4: The Holy Family - Grow In Love Grow In Love

Theme 4: The Holy Family1: The Holy Family lived in Nazareth p. 1082: The Holy Family visited Jerusalem p. 114From the CurriculumCatholic Preschool and Primary Religious Education Curriculumfor Ireland (2015)During this theme of work, the children will engage with the following knowledge and concepts:Christian FaithMystery of the Church Jesus, Mary and Joseph are the Holy Family of NazarethWord of GodBible Jesus listened to Scripture when he was a child We learn about Jesus from the Bible Jesus, God’s own Son, is the most important person in the BibleSacred Scripture: God’s Loving Plan of Salvation Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Dn 6:16-23)Liturgy and PrayerPrayer: Formal Prayer Night PrayerPrayer: Additional Prayers Prayer to the Holy FamilyTheme 4: The Holy Family From the Curriculum/Core Syllabus105

IntroductionJesus grew up in a Jewish household, in a society where the extended family wasimportant and the women took care of the children. At around the age of eight,he would have been introduced to the wider world, where he experienced theauthoritarian role that was customary for men at that time. It was in this contextthat his views about life and his values were formed – from his mother Mary and herhusband Joseph, and from the other families in the neighbourhood. It is interesting tonote that Jesus would later come to criticise the domination of patriarchal authority,seeking to replace dominion over others with mutual service (cf. Matthew 23:9). Healso challenged the situation of women. They were very much second-class citizens.Every woman belonged to someone and ownership was passed on from father tohusband. Later Jesus stood up against such discrimination, recognising the inherentdignity of women (cf. Luke 13:16) and counting them among his disciples.The Gospels do not tell us anything about Jesus after the story of the ‘Finding in theTemple’ until he emerges about eighteen years later, as an adult. We can only imaginethat in the intervening period, Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Joseph helped him togrow in his own sense of identity as the Son of God.The Holy Family provides a model for how we ought to live: they loved God andone another. Families are ‘schools of love’. In them, we learn the art of how to receiveand share love. God’s love is mediated to us through the love of our families, in themessiness and ordinariness of family life. The family is, then, the Church in microcosm– a place of encounter with God.Teacher ReflectionThe Holy Family ofNazareth [is] the model andexample for the Christianfamily. The mystery of theWord of God’s becomingincarnate within a familyreveals how it is theprivileged place forGod’s revelation tohumanity. In fact, thefamily is acknowledgedto be the ordinary andeveryday place to encounterChrist.Synod of Bishops, The PastoralChallenges of the Family in theContext of Evangelisation106Grow in Love Junior Infants/Primary 1 Teacher’s Manual

Prayer sPacePlace the following items in the prayer space as youbegin this theme: Green cloth (Ordinary Time) Bible, open at Luke 2 CandleAs the theme progresses, the following items shouldbe added to the prayer space:1: The holy Family lived in nazareth Pictures of the children’s homes (Let’s Look ArtActivity)2: The holy Family visited Jerusalem Poster 6: The Holy FamilyTeacher nOTesFaith WordsJerusalem, Nazareth, Passoverlearning Through PlayA station based on family/home life:a doll’s house, play kitchen, dolls andcots, etc.Inter-religious linkDid you know?In this theme, children are introduced tothe Scripture story, ‘The Boy Jesus in theTemple’. This story describes how Jesus,Mary and Joseph went to the templeduring the week of the Passover festival.Jews today still celebrate Passover,beginning with the Seder Meal, whichcommemorates the liberation of theIsraelites from slavery in ancient Israel.DifferentiationChildren who are gifted and talentedmay enjoy researching more aboutIsrael at the time of Jesus using websitesor library books. You will find someweblinks for this purpose on the Grow inLove website.6Theme 4: The Holy Family Introduction107

1: The Holy Family lived inNazarethBefore You BeginThe Holy Family refers to Jesus, Mary and Joseph.The Church asks us to remember this familyin a special manner on the first Sunday afterChristmas, the Feast of the Holy Family. Maryand Joseph cooperated with God’s plan for theworld. They were invited and they said ‘yes’ toplaying their part in the birth and rearing ofJesus, the Son of God.We often think of Jesus as divine and awondrous miracle worker. This is true, but it isimportant to remember that he was also human– a baby and then a boy. Like other children, hehad to learn to walk, to sleep through the night,to share his toys, to say his prayers, to make uphis mind and to forgive others. He learned thesethings, and more besides, from Mary and Joseph.We celebrate and honour the Holy Familybecause they give us an example of how torespond to God’s love and how to share that lovewith one another.This week we hope the children willunderstand more fully the family context ofJesus’ life. He grew up in a family in Nazareth andwas loved by Mary and Joseph.ObjectivesLearning Objectives Understanding:»» Identify Jesus, Mary and Joseph as the HolyFamily of Nazareth»» Compare their home with the house thatJesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Communicating and Participating:»» Describe some of the things that the HolyFamily did togetherFaith Formation GoalsThat the children would also: Recognise God’s presence in their own families Ask God to bless their familiesyou will need The template on p. 121 photocopied for each child (Let’s Look Art Activity) The prayer card template on p. 122 photocopied, so that there is one for each child (Let’s Live ArtActivity)at a glanceLet’sLookChatting About HomesArt Activity Our HomesPrayer Night PrayerLet’sLearnChatting About Jesus’ HomeSong ‘When Jesus Was a Boy’Slideshow The Holy FamilyChildren’s Book In School, p. 24 At Home, p. 25Scripture ‘Daniel and the Lions’Let’sLiveArt Activity Prayer CardsPrayer108Grow in Love Junior Infants/Primary 1 Teacher’s Manual

Let’s Look chattingAbout HomesBegin by recalling the three families from the story‘Saturday’ (Theme 1). You might like to re-readthe story. Then tell the children about the homesthat each of the families live in: Tom and Liam livein a house on a farm; Sophie and Nana live in anapartment; and Adom and Ama live with theirmum in a housing estate. Chat with the childrenabout this aspect of the story using these or similarquestions: Are any of the homes in the story the sameas the home that you and your family live in?Which one? What other types of homes dopeople live in? Do you know the name of the place where yourfamily lives? Tell us. What comes into your mind when you think ofyour home? Who comes into your mind whenyou think of your home?Art ActivityOur HomesTeacher Tip:Just as weemphasised thatevery family isdifferent, we alsowant to recognisethat every homeis different. Try,therefore, tobe as inclusiveas possible innaming thedifferent typesof homes thatfamilies live in,and to use theterm ‘home’rather than theterm ‘house’.Teacher Tip:Photocopy thetemplate on p.121 for eachchild in advance.Distribute the template on p. 121 to each child.Ask children to draw a picture of their home on it.Then, using the Artist’s Chair technique, choose somechildren to show the class their picture and to talkabout their home.Prayer Space:Display all thepictures nearthe prayer spaceusing the caption‘God bless ourhomes.’prayerNight PrayerSign of the CrossT: This week, we are going to learn the beginning ofa new prayer. We can say this prayer when we areleaving school and when we are getting ready togo to bed. It helps us to say ‘thank you’ to God forhis love, for our family and for our friends. Youcan say each line of the prayer after me:Teacher Tip:Pray this part ofthe Night Prayerevery day thisweek.God our Father, I come to sayThank you for your love today.Thank you for my family,And all the friends you give to me.Sign of the CrossTheme 4: The Holy Family The Holy Family lived in Nazareth Let’s Look 109

let’s learn chaTTInGabout Jesus’ homeIntroduce the picture of Jesus’ home using Poster 6. Chat aboutit using these or similar questions: Does anyone remember the name of the town where Jesusgrew up? Do you remember his mother’s name? What was herhusband’s name? Does Jesus’ home look like your home? What’s different?What’s the same?sOnG‘When Jesus Was a Boy’Introduce the song ‘When Jesus Was a Boy’ (Track 9, p. 120) to the children and chat about the words.You can sing this song throughout the week.slIDeshOWThe holy FamilyBegin by drawing the children’s attention toPoster 6, and help them to name the ways in whichJesus’ home was different to their homes. Thentell the children that Jesus, Mary and Joseph werecalled ‘The Holy Family’ because they were veryclose to God. In fact, they were closer to God thanany other family who ever lived or ever will live,because Jesus was not only Mary’s son, he wasGod’s Son too.Then show the children the slideshow of theHoly Family at home in Nazareth. Chat about eachof the pictures using these or similar questions:Picture 1: The holy Family works together What job do you think Joseph had? What are he and Jesus doingtogether in this picture? Did you ever help a person you live with to do a job? Tell us about it.Picture 2: The holy Family plays together What is Jesus playing with in this picture? What are Mary and Josephdoing? Why do you think they are laughing? Have you ever made anything using blocks? Tell us about it.Picture 3: The holy Family eats together What is the Holy Family doing in this picture? What are they eating?What are they drinking? What is your favourite food to eat?110Grow in Love Junior Infants/Primary 1 Teacher’s Manual