Unit 4: Jesus Gives Us the Gift of Himself

Goals

• The children will be familiar with the parts of the Mass and be able to join in.
• They will be prepared to receive their First Communion.

Chapter 15: Jesus Promised the Gift of Himself
Jesus Christ is the Living Bread, the Bread that gives us God's life and love. The children see Jesus multiplying food for the crowd. They hear him inviting them to receive bread from heaven that is broken and shared for the salvation of the world.

Chapter 16: We Celebrate God's Love
God's people celebrated his saving love at the Passover meal. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave the Church the means to join with him in joyful praise of the Father. The Mass makes Christ's sacrifice of himself to the Father present for us in a sacramental form. The children learn how to offer themselves with Jesus at Mass and how the Bread of Life helps them live in Christ and be united both with God and with one another.

Chapter 17: Jesus Invites Us
In this chapter, the children learn how the Introductory Rites of the Mass create a sense of anticipation and set the spirit of the celebration. They learn that Christians gather in Jesus' name to publicly proclaim that Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father, is Lord of all creation.

Chapter 18: We Listen and Pray
In the Liturgy of the Word, we hear God inviting us to live more completely in love. The children learn that if they are receptive to God's Word, they will hear God speak to them personally and call them to proclaim the Gospel with their lives. They learn that the Creed summarizes our beliefs and moves us to turn to God with confidence and to pray for the needs of all.

Chapter 19: We Prepare Our Gifts
The gifts of bread and wine that we present at Mass are signs of ourselves. The children learn that during the Preparation of the Gifts, they prepare to offer the gift of themselves along with Christ's perfect offering to the Father.

Chapter 20: Jesus Offers Himself
The Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass joins our praise and thanks to the Father with Christ's sacrifice. In this chapter, the children learn that during Mass, Jesus becomes present among us in a special way.

Chapter 21: We Receive the Bread of Life
During the Communion rite of the Mass, we receive the Body and Blood of the Lord. In this chapter, the children are guided to prepare for Holy Communion and to receive Jesus reverently by meaningfully participating in each part of the Communion rite. They learn that in Holy Communion, they are united with Jesus and through him with the Father and the Holy Spirit and also with his Body, the Church.

Chapter 22: We Share God's Love with Others
At the conclusion of the Mass, the priest or deacon dismisses us, sending us out to love and serve the Lord. The children learn that gratitude for God's gifts is best shown by trying to serve the Lord by serving others and sharing his love with them.