Page 14 - Visions - Program Preview

Lesson Theme: God sets a table for all people.
Teaching This Week’s Lesson
Share Experiences
Objective The young people will recognize that sharing meals expresses friendship.
Gather in a prayer circle. Play and sing “Yes, Lord, I Believe“ (CD-2, #14). Lyrics are available to download and print at gospelweeklies.com/lyrics.
Gathering Prayer Remain in the prayer circle. Ask the students whether they pray before meals. If they do, ask what prayer they say. Many Catholics say the Blessing Before Meals (see page 54 in What the Church Believes and Teaches) but some have other traditions. Instruct the young people to listen as you offer the following prayer. Leader: Loving God, you invite us to your table to celebrate Eucharist each Sunday just as families gather
at their dinner tables to nourish each other with food and stories. We gather to talk about Jesus’ story in the Gospels. You are always with us. Thank you. All respond: Amen.
Cover Activity ● We Share Meals Together (page 1) In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus talks about how we
are all invited to join God at a great feast. All are invited. Read aloud the title and directions for this week’s cover activity. Give the young people time to talk together, and then list or draw the people with whom they share each kind of food. Ask: With whom do you enjoy dining? Share that meals are important as they gather us together into a family. In this lesson, we will also learn about the Eucharist—a sacred celebration in which we gather with God's family.
Story ● The Table of Plenty (pages 2–3) This week’s story is a true description of Sunday night supper at the O’Connor home. Ask students what their best family mealtime is. Read aloud the story together.
Discuss the Talk questions on page 3. Answers:
1. Guests bring new food, ideas, poems, fun. 2. The dinners build connection and belonging. 3. Being able to help cook and participate. The O’Connors like making room for more people. 4. Open-ended.
Discover Gospel and Doctrine
Objectives ● The young people 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 Move to the area you have reserved for proclaiming the Gospel. As you prepare the young people to listen to this Sunday’s Gospel, play and sing “Word of Truth and Life” (CD-1, #1).
Sunday Gospel ● Parable of the Wedding Feast (page 4) To introduce this Sunday’s Gospel, ask the young people how they have felt when they have not been invited to a party or when they may have turned down an invitation. Invite two or three volunteers to share their experiences. Have three students take the parts of Narrator, Jesus, and King and proclaim the Gospel. Ask the young people who are not reading parts to put down their Visions lessons and listen.
Discuss the Talk questions on page 4. Answers:
1. Open-ended. 2. The king wants guests, wants to gather together all who will come. 3. The king invites all kinds of
people to his party, not just people who are of his social standing. Luke’s family invites people from all parts of their lives—people they meet at church, an international student who attends a nearby college, and neighbors and friends of neighbors.
Connecting Gospel and Doctrine ● God Invites Everyone to His Feast (page 4) Ask the young people what it means to say no to an invitation
from Jesus. If we don’t attend Mass or pray, we prevent having a strong relationship with God. We say yes to God by going to Mass, praying, and by showing love and hospitality to everyone. Read the doctrine together.
Discuss the Talk questions on page 4. Answers:
1. Open-ended. 2. We can reduce time spent on cell phones or on social media; we can choose to keep a reasonable
schedule to avoid being overly busy or tired. Encourage everyone to share their responses.
Distribute the What the Church Believes and Teaches handbooks.
TG1-18