Page 14 - Venture - Program Preview

Lesson Theme: God prepares a feast for all.
Teaching This Week’s Lesson
Share Experiences
Objectives ● The children will:
● Learn basic facts about hunger in the United States and around the world.
● Read the story of a young man’s service in honor of his late friend.
Gather in a prayer circle. Play and sing “Yes, Lord, I Believe” (CD-2, #14).
Gathering Prayer Tell the children that today we will gather prayers for children who regularly do not have enough to eat. We will carry them in our hearts during this class. Begin by saying,“We pray for hungry refugee children.”Ask the children to continue with names of countries or cities in need or shelters or food pantries in their own area. Conclude by asking Jesus to care for all these people and to help us find ways to share with them.
Cover Activity ● Jesus Cares for Everyone (page1) WorldFoodDayisMonday,October16,2023.This Sunday’s Gospel is about God’s great banquet for us. All are invited. God depends on us to make it possible for everyone to attend. The quiz raises children’s awareness of the hunger problem in America and around the world. Give the children time work on their own
or in pairs to answer the quiz questions. Answers: 1. A. True (worldhunger.org); 2. A. more than 60 percent of senior citizens who use food pantries report that they must choose between paying for groceries and medical care; nearly 5.5 million seniors in America face hunger (feedingamerica.org); 3. A. while access to nutritious, affordable food is a greater challenge in urban and rural areas,
the number of hungry families is growing fastest in the suburbs
(U.S. Department of Education, frontiergroup.org); 4. C. hunger and malnutrition make children more vulnerable to contracting diseases; they are also likely to be more adversely affected by disease (worldhunger.org, UNICEF); 5. C. 34 million Americans, including
9 million children, experience food insecurity (USDA, feedingamerica. org); 6. A. (though all of these items are commonly on the “wish” lists of many pantries); most food pantries publish a list of most-needed items; 7. A. (hungerfreeamerica.org)
Article ● Cynthia’s Kitchen (pages 2—3) Share with the children that this week’s article is really two stories in one. The first is the story of Mary’s Meals, an organization that provides a good daily meal to two million children around the world. The other story is that of Carlin and his friend Cynthia. Take turns reading the article aloud.
Discuss the Think questions on page 3. Answers: 1. This meal can remind us of what we have—and what others don’t. It can teach gratitude and offer awareness. 2. Carlin was sad
about his friend’s death; it was the opportunity to raise money for Mary’s Meals that made Carlin feel that God was calling him. 3. Open-ended; this Sunday’s Gospel is about Jesus’ inviting us to a feast. Carlin insists that he did not raise the money for Cynthia’s Kitchen alone. It was the result of many people’s efforts. 4. Open-ended. Prayer can give you the courage and to do something that may seem too big or too hard.
5. Open-ended.
Discover Gospel and Doctrine
Objectives ● The children will:
● Recognize that Jesus calls everyone to share his family table.
● Connect sharing meals with family and friends to sharing the
Eucharistic meal.
Gospel Ritual Gather in the space you have reserved for proclaiming the Gospel. Play and sing “Word of Truth and Life” (CD-1, #1).
Sunday Gospel ● Jesus Invites Us to a Feast (page 4) Ask for volunteers to take the parts of Narrator, Jesus, and King, and read the Gospel aloud.
Discuss the Think questions on page 4. Answers:
1. Refusing means that a person regards the invitation as unimportant or that they don’t care for the host or others who
have been invited. The king wants to share his joy and have a full house.
2. Jesus uses parables to help people recognize their own poor choices.
By not accepting Jesus as the Messiah, the chief priests and Pharisees are rejecting God’s invitation. 3. A party, specifically a wedding, is a time to welcome people, share food with them, and make sure everyone has a good time. A party creates community. 4. He is the one who is not ready to accept God; he is unprepared. It’s a warning to us, that we should live our lives in preparation for life with God.
Connecting Gospel and Doctrine ● God Invites Everyone to His Feast (page 4) Read aloud the doctrine associated with this Sunday’s Gospel.
God invites us to gather at the Eucharist. As Christians, it is our duty to share that invitation with others.
Discuss the Think questions on page 4. Answers:
1. Open-ended; attending Mass, praying, and helping others are all ways we can respond positively to God’s invitation.
2. Open-ended; some share their faith and their Church community easily with others; others may feel unsure or hesitant. Discuss how you
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