Liturgical Unit: I wonder about Advent

Notes for this ResourceThis resource is intended as a unit of work which allows the students to explore and become familiar with the liturgical season of Advent until the celebration of Christmas.

Teachers are reminded that this Advent Unit is an exemplar resource that models the linear teaching of content according to the Achievement Standards for all Levels.

As always, you are expected to engage with the suggestions this resource contains, make choices and adapt and apply the activities to suit your own school situation.

There are several activities listed in this unit for students in year levels from Prep-Yr. 10. Teachers are invited to talk with their colleagues to choose which activities are most appropriate for students and year levels.

In determining the content to teach you must first decide on the Achievement Standard you wish to demonstrate and choose teaching and learning activities that will teach the content required for achievement of the Standard.

When time is limited, your guiding principle is, as it is with all good education, less content, taught more richly and deeply.

Quantity should never supersede quality1.

1 Dr Margaret Carswell 1 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

The time of Advent is the four-week period of preparation for the season of Christmas. Advent begins the cycle of the Liturgical Year and focuses on the coming of the Lord. The first weeks offer a vision of the future, looking to the end of time when Christ will come again. The final weeks point more specifically to the birth of Christ. Christ, the promised one, is awaited with joyful expectation. The First Sunday of Advent follows the final Sunday of Ordinary Time and the

season concludes on Christmas Eve.

Colour: VioletDuration: 4 weeks

Start: First Sunday of AdventFinish: 24th December

Themes: preparation, waiting, anticipation, joy.

There are several activities listed in this unit. Teachers are invited to talk with their colleagues to choose which activities are most appropriate for students

and classes.

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Suggestions for staff on the content and focus of this unit.Using the Worlds of the Text with 3 keys for Meaning.

Begin with the text - World of the Text➔ Read the text from the bible and identify its literary form. Knowing its literary form directs you to the kind of truth it carries

and, therefore, how you are to interpret what you read.2 ➔ look at where the story occurs in the whole of the Gospel.

Look behind the Text - Worlds behind the Text ➔ when reading the text identify words, practices, places etc that will help develop an understanding of the time the author

wrote and the time the author was writing about.Use three keys for meaning - World in Front of the Text

➔ 3 Keys for Meaning➔ What is the author trying to say about:

◆ 1 God◆ 2 People◆ 3 Our ideal world 3

Keys can be purchased from: https://www.frenchknot.com.au/products.php?c=&p=5344 or any other home décor outlet.

Resources Note:The website Liturgy Help, www.liturgyhelp.com has the readings for the feast day as well as commentaries and worksheets.

Please see APREs for the username and password.Dr Margaret Carswell has two valuable websites that also have a lot of valuable and helpful resources and information.The Bible Doctor http://www.thebibledoctor.com/ and Teach scripture http://www.teachscripture.com/ The Bible Project https://thebibleproject.com/ also has a number of useful resources.

2 Dr Margaret Carswell3 Carswell3 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Activities taken from:Caritas Australia Advent teaching resources, https://www.caritas.org.au/ Catholic Education , Archdiocese of Brisbane, (n.d.) A- Z Teaching Strategies , retrieved from http://rokreligiouseducation.com/resources/?k=&resource-category=teaching-strategies&resource-type= Loyola Press https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/advent

2019 : Yr A Term: 4 Weeks: Years: Prep-yr10Knowledge & Understanding…

Prep-Yr 2Students know:Jesus is the central person in the Gospels.He was born in Bethlehem.He lived in a family.Mary was Jesus’ mother.Joseph and Mary cared for and looked after Jesus.Mary is the Mother of JesusCCC485The Church celebrates Jesus through special seasons of theliturgical year.CCC1194

Yr 3 -Yr6The Christian scriptures teach about Jesus (the New Testament particularly the Gospels).Knowledge of the cultural contexts of the Gospels assists the reader to better understand the life and teaching of Jesus. Jesus was a Jew.CCC531-533The Bible is the inspired Word of God and it should be treated with respect.Narratives about Jesus are found in the Gospels.CCC101-104Jesus is present in the Scriptures.

Skills…

Prep-Yr 2.Students can:Recall simple key concepts about Jesus' family

Demonstrate their knowledge that Mary is the mother of Jesus.She made loving choicesCCC 273, 492.508

Explore the meaning of giving gifts.

Yr. 3-Yr 6.Identify people from the New Testament and from their own lives who live the Word of God.Begin to analyse gospel stories by drawing on a growing knowledge of the cultural context in which the Gospels were written. e.g. Village life in first century Palestine Social structure – women, men, the poor…Geography – Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth

Name significant people, places, events and stories in the New Testament.Show reverence when reading and handling the Bible.Identify by name the four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Identify some features of text organization namely book, chapter, verse.

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CCC124-125The Bible’s referencing system is structured according to book, chapter and verse.The structure of the Bible.The geographical, social, and religious elements in first –century Palestine help to gain an understanding of Jesus’ life on earth.Honour Mary as Mother of Jesus and our mother.CCC488, 495Honour and celebrate Mary through prayers, feasts and season of the Church’s liturgical year.CCC971

Yr.7-Yr.10Jesus is the Son of God, who offers hope to the world.Jesus was a Jew, who lived and grew within the Hebrew tradition. CCC 577-594The Incarnation is Jesus, present in the world, truly human and truly God.The Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus are foundational beliefs of Christianity.This is understood and portrayed in many ways in the rich history of the Christian tradition

Name the two testaments of the Bible.

Become familiar with typical structural stages and language features of various texts in the New Testament.Locate geographical places associated withJesus and the Holy Land.eg Jerusalem, Sea ofGalilee, Samaria, Judea, Nazareth…Wonder on scripture passages that tell about Mary.

Name the liturgical seasons and the liturgical colours used by the Church.Advent - Violet

Yr.7-Yr.10 Examine some political, social, historical and religiouselements in first–century Palestine.Present the key teachings and practices of Judaism in the time of Jesus

Year Level Achievement Standards:

PrepStudents know who Jesus is and recall simple key concepts and stories about Jesus’ life.Students recognise that the Bible is a special book that is treated with respect.

By the end of year One,Students demonstrate their knowledge of Mary as mother of Jesus.Students recall scripture stories of Jesus' birth

By the end of year Two, Students compare and contrast some of the cultural and social background of the Gospels with oursStudents demonstrate an understanding of the life of Mary.

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By the end of Year Three, Students name significant people, places, events and stories from the Gospels

By the end of Year Four, Students locate texts within the Bible by book, chapter and verse. By the end of Year Five, Students locate the lands of the Bible and name some significant geographical locations in Jesus’ time.Students recognise aspects of Marian spirituality through liturgical feast days, Marian prayers and images

By the end of Year Six, Students compare different understandings of Mary in scripture, images and titles.Students demonstrate understanding of symbols, seasons and feasts of the liturgical year.

By the end of year Seven,Students examine some of the social and cultural practices of Judaism in the time of Jesus

By the end of year Eight,Students express an understanding of how Mary and the disciples are models for Christian life.

Scripture that will be the focus: Readings taken from the Liturgical feast of Advent Year A, B, C

Week one Year A: Mt 24:37-44 Year B: Mark 13:33-37 Year C: Luke 21:25-36Week two Year A: Mt 11:2-11 Year B: Mark 1:1-8 Year C: Luke 3: 1-6Week three Year A: Mt 3:1-12 Year B: John 1:6-8, 19-28 Year C: Luke 3: 7-18Wek four Year A: Mt 1:18-24 Year B: Luke 1:26-38 Year C: Luke 1: 39-45

Year A: World of the Text Year A: World Behind the Text Year A: World in Front of the TextWeek one: The gospel reading is a lesson on the character of the parousía or future coming of the Son of Man. It addresses the sudden nature of this imminent time of fulfilment and of the need to be ready at all times for its dawning. In order to explain this, Jesus draws an analogy

The Liturgical year has turned full circle and we begin the new year with the first Sunday of Advent. In Year A we will read from the Gospel of Matthew which was written sometime in the 80s, approximately fifty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Each of the four Gospels

In the twenty-first century our struggles are different to Matthew’s community: climate change, terrorism, global economic rationalism and its consequences, continuing wars, drought, genocide, and the personal daily struggles in families, relationships, work. While our world is vastly

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with one of the stories of ancient Jewish tradition, and then sketches two very ordinary experiences of life as demonstrations. He concludes with a kind of parable that teaches a lesson. All of these teaching devices follow the same twofold pattern: 1) the people had no idea of what was in store for them; 2) calamity befell them because they were unprepared. The message here is clear: ‘Stay awake!’ ‘Be prepared!’

Week two: John’s baptism was neither one of incorporation, undergone by proselytes to Judaism, nor the repeated ritual cleansing practised by the Essene community of Qumran. It was a devotional rite with eschatological significance, accompanied by an acknowledgment of sinfulness and a resolve to live an ethical life. John accuses religious leaders of coming to him because they seek to flee from the wrath of God associated with the coming of the eschatological age. They considered their identity as children of Abraham as a privilege that protected them from this wrath. John admits his subordinate role when compared with Jesus. Though he precedes him in time, he follows him in importance. John’s baptism is a preparation. Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with cleansing fire.

Week three: Jesus’ words to John’s disciples are really intended for John himself. John had heard of the works of ‘the Christ’ (the Greek equivalent for messiah). That he sent disciples to find out whether Jesus was indeed this person, suggests that Jesus did not exhibit all the eschatological signs that John had expected. In response, Jesus links some of his own wondrous deeds with prophetic allusions to eschatological visions of fulfilment (cf. Isa 29:18; 35:6; 26:19; 61:19). Jesus then points out the excellence of John the man. Still, from an eschatological point of view, John stood on the threshold of the new age; he did not cross over into it. On the other hand, anyone who accepted Jesus’ invitation into the reign of heaven belonged to the new age.

Week four: The gospel reading describes how Jesus, though not the natural son of Joseph, can through him be legitimately considered a son of David. Mention of the Holy Spirit is probably less a question of Trinitarian theology than of eschatological fulfilment. The name ‘Jesus’ is the Greek form of the Hebrew YehÇšua, which means ‘YHWH is salvation’. Regardless of how the tradition of Mary’s virginity eventually developed within Christian theology, the content of this passage indicates that the concern is less with Mary’s actual perpetual virginity than with the origin of Jesus in

provides us with a portrait of Jesus, and a glimpse into the life and concerns of one very early Christian community. To really hear the ‘good news’ Matthew offers, it will be helpful to step inside Matthew’s community, to get a sense of the colours and textures used in his portrait.

The first thing to note is that it is a Jewish world where believers in Jesus are just one particular form of Judaism in the first century alongside other Jewish parties – the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, the Essenes, and the ordinary ‘people of the land’. What is remarkable about this particular group of Jews is their belief that the long-awaited hopes of their people have begun to be realised in Jesus of Nazareth. For this group Jesus is the one the prophets promised, God’s anointed one (in Hebrew this is the Messiah, in Greek it is the Christos). In the year 70CE a cataclysmic event happened for the Jewish world. Following a four-year revolt, the Roman legions laid siege to Jerusalem, eventually capturing it and destroying the Temple. This event was the end of the Jewish sacrificial system and also the end of some forms of Judaism. Two groups survived – the Pharisees, who put more emphasis on the Jewish Law (Torah) than Temple sacrifices, and the followers of Jesus. This is the Jewish world in the final decades of the first century when Matthew’s Gospel takes its written form – possible around the years 80-85CE.

As you might expect, these two groups within Judaism now needed to redefine their identity without the Temple and both groups claimed to be the true Israel. This struggle between the heirs of the Pharisees, the Rabbis who focus on Torah, and the third generation of Jesus’ followers, gives Matthew’s gospel its particular focus. From a common birth in Judaism, two groups were now emerging at the end of the first century – what we now call Rabbinic Judaism, and Christianity. Both groups cherished their heritage in the Scriptures of Israel and the Law, but conflict emerged around the issue of who had the right to interpret the Law of Moses. The Jews looked to the rabbis and their traditions, while Christians believed that Jesus, God’s anointed one and Son, had an authority even greater than Moses. Another aspect of Matthew’s world is that this community was opening out to the non-Jews, the Gentiles – again seen as the fulfilment of the prophecies that in the last days all nations would come to worship God. For Matthew, the last days had arrived in the person of Jesus.

So how could Matthew portray Jesus in a way that reflected

different, we still need to hear the good news that God is with us.

Two people are referred to in today’s Gospel, Noah and the Son of Man. Both are meant to urge Christians to live with an alertness to God’s reign. People were not ready for the flood in the time of Noah. According to the book of Daniel, at the end of time when all the powers of evil have been overcome, one ‘like a Son of Man’ will be given all authority in God’s new world. The early Christian communities related this image to Jesus. Matthew is therefore urging his community to be alert and ready for the day when Jesus will return. This is the same message that Paul writes to the community in Rome – ‘wake up now’.Amidst the signs of Christmas and toys we too need to be reminded that the focus of this time is Jesus. He can be lost amidst the glitter and excitement if we are not attentive.

Emmanuel; God-is-with-us – that’s what we celebrate through Christmas and that’s what we’ve been preparing for during Advent. We celebrate God-with-us in a particular time and place through our celebration of the birth of Jesus. But we remember it every year because we also use the Christmas celebration to remind ourselves that God continues to be with us. That is what is so remarkable about the Christmas season: that God-is-with-us now, not just in a stable in Palestine so many years ago, but now! Advent is the time to remind ourselves of this incredible truth and prepare ourselves to acknowledge it once again.6

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God. He comes from God; he is the salvation from God; he is the presence of God; the new age will be born through him.4

and cherished his community’s Jewish origins, while at the same time argue against the Synagogue leaders of his time? One way was to project back into the time of Jesus the type of conflict about the teachings of Moses that Matthew’s community was currently facing. The struggles taking place in the 80s give this gospel its sharp sense of conflict and hostility between Jesus and the Pharisees, reflecting the struggles between later Christians and the rabbis.

Even in the struggles with emerging Rabbinic Judaism, and within the Roman Empire, Matthew’s ‘good news’ is that Jesus is ‘God with us’ – Emmanuel. This is the name announced at his birth, and the final promise Jesus leaves his disciples, ‘I am with you always.’5

Year B World of the Text Year B World Behind the text Year B World in Front of the Text

Week one:A thrice-repeated command, ‘Watch!’ surrounds a parable that emphasises the need to be ready at all times, because Christians do not know when the Lord will return. The Greek word for ‘time’ (kairos) refers to a special time, more than mere chronological or sequential time (chronos). Kairos is uncommon time and uncommon events occur within it. Waiting for the Lord’s return is like the situation of servants who remain behind when the householder goes abroad. Each servant is given a certain authority within the household. The gatekeeper is singled out and told to be on the watch. The parable highlights the uncertainty surrounding the householder’s return and the vigilance required of the servants as they wait.Week two:

Wake Up!This year B we will hear the earliest written Gospel, that of Mark, written around the year 70 CE. These were years of conflict for the early Christians. The Emperor Nero had begun to persecute Christians in the year 64 and they were considered to be practising a new and superstitious cult. In Palestine things were no better for there had been a Jewish uprising against Rome in 66 that led to the destruction of Jerusalem. Mark's community was under threat and beside all these external factors, Jesus had not returned to them as they were expecting. For forty years they had kept faith but as time passed the waiting became harder.Mark uses popular images associated with the end of time according to first century Jewish imagination. There was an expectation that the Messiah would return before the end; that the

Living the Gospel – Stay Awake!The vestments change, the Gospel changes as the Church moves into a new cycle recalling and celebrating God's coming to our world in Jesus.By the time the Church begins to celebrate Advent as a period of preparation towards Christmas, the stores have been filling with Christmas paraphernalia for weeks. It starts out small with a few decorations and wrapping paper and eventually takes over every retail outlet. In the midst of this excess of Christmas consumerism, it is often difficult to draw attention to the season of Advent and the need to prepare spiritually for the celebration of Christmas. It is important to stay awake, as we are cautioned in this

4 Dianne Bergant 2019 https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec22/0/ComDiBer accessed Oct 2019Dianne Bergant CSA was a Professor of Biblical Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where she taught from 1978 to 2014. She holds a BS in Elementary Education from Marian College, Fond du Lac, WI; an MA and PhD in Biblical Languages and Literature from St Louis University. Amongst other things, she served as President of Catholic Biblical Association of America (2000-2001) and has been awarded honorary doctorates from several other universities. She was an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue (1988-2017) and sat on the editorial boards of The Bible Today (1979-2005), Biblical Theology Bulletin (1990-2014), Catholic Biblical Quarterly (1992-2001), New Theology Review (1997-2003), Teaching Theology and Religion (2003-2005), and Chicago Studies (2003-2009). She has taught and lectured in many places in the United States and abroad and has written numerous books, articles and chapters in books.5 Mary Coloe 2019, https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec01/0/ComMaCol accessed Oct 2019.Dr Mary Coloe PBVM is a Presentation sister and teaches in the field of New Testament studies at the Yarra Theological Union. She was Associate Professor in New Testament at the Australian Catholic University and has taught at Boston College, the Jesuit School of Theology Berkeley, and at the Ecce Homo Biblical Institute Jerusalem. Her specialist research areas include the Gospel of John and early Jewish Christian relationships. Dr Coloe has written numerous books, essays and journal articles on these and other topics and is a member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas and other biblical associations. Her home page is http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/macoloe/6 Greg Sunter 2019 https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec22/0/RefGreSun* accessed Oct 2019Greg Sunter has worked in Catholic Education (Brisbane) for many years, most recently as a member of the Religious Education team and Mission and Formation team. He has extensive experience of praying with young people and forming others to lead prayer with young people. He is the author of books on adolescent faith, is a regular speaker at youth and evangelisation conferences, and is a retreat and reflection facilitator and presenter. His areas of interest include religious education, theology, scripture, spirituality, Catholic ethos, prayer, and ministry with young people.

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The Gospel, Mark 1:1-8, takes us to the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, which, omitting any account of Jesus’ earlier life, begins the story of Jesus simply with the ministry of John the Baptist. For Mark – and for the early Christian tradition generally – the appearance and proclamation of John follows the ‘script’ indicated by the passage of Isaiah quoted as the First Reading. There is a slight difference in that, whereas (Second) Isaiah had a voice crying, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord’, in Mark (as already in the Greek translation of Isaiah [LXX]) ‘the voice’ (John) cries out in the wilderness: that is, the wilderness is the location, rather than the object, of the cry. Nonetheless, John’s appearance and his voice indicate the fulfilment of what Isaiah had foretold: the ‘good news’ (‘gospel’) of the coming of the Lord, for whom ‘a way’ must be prepared.‘The Lord’ is, of course, Jesus himself, Messiah and Son of God (1:1) and the ‘way’ that has to be prepared for him is no longer a path through the desert but a way constructed in human hearts. The ‘way’ is the conversion from sin called for in John’s message, enacted in the water baptism that he celebrates for the crowds. John’s appearance – his clothing and his diet – portray him in the guise of Elijah, the great prophet traditionally expected, on the basis of Mal 3:1; 4:5-6, to return to earth to preach repentance before the coming of the Lord.7

Week four:Returning to Luke’s Gospel, the mention of Gabriel is a major clue to Luke’s theology since Gabriel is the angel found in the book of Daniel who announces to Daniel the coming of the end-times.

Messiah would lead a war against the Kingdom of evil; this moral struggle would be felt by the whole cosmos with earthquakes and famine. Mark also points to the reality that Christians were experiencing; no longer welcome within Judaism because they were saying the Messiah had come in Jesus; being brought to trial before Roman courts for not worshipping Caesar. This was the life and death struggle for Mark’s community.

Baptism, immersion in water, was a common Jewish practice as a way of purifying oneself before participating in major religious festivals. John applies this ritual to a desire for repentance as preparation for the coming Kingdom. John was remembered as a great and holy man of God. He too attracted disciples and even Jesus came to him seeking his baptism. These historical facts must have puzzled the early Christians, particularly if some of John's disciples were now part of the Jesus group. How were they to speak about John, recognising his greatness while acknowledging that Jesus was even greater? In trying to understand John's role in Jesus' story, Mark looks back to the Jewish Scriptures and uses the prophets Malachi and Isaiah to clarify that John's role is one of preparation for another greater figure who is on the way.8

Present the Christmas scenes to adults as a rich, theological tapestry proclaiming who Jesus is, by the power of God, even from his birth. If you look at the first Gospel – Mark 70 CE – it has no infancy narrative. Mark presents Jesus as ‘Son of God’ from his baptism as an adult. This possibly reflects an early stage in Christian thinking and making sense of who Jesus was. The next two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, written in the 80’s, take Jesus’ origins back further and they both introduce the narrative of Jesus’ adult life with two, very different, infancy narratives that introduce Jesus to the reader, before they meet the adult Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke proclaim Jesus is ‘son of God’ even before his baptism, in fact from the moment of his conception, he is to be called ‘son of the most high’ (Luke 1:32). In this we see a gradual development of the early understanding of Jesus’ identity. Finally, the Gospel of John, written towards the end of the first century, pushes Jesus’ divine origins back – ‘in the beginning was the Word’. And in John, we have two clear declarations of Jesus’ divine status, ‘the Word was with God and the Word was God’ (1:1), and Thomas’ declaration, ‘My Lord and my God’ (20: 28).

week’s gospel. Awake to what is happening around us in the world and awake to what is happening within us.Questions for AdolescentsQ. In what ways does our society need a call to ‘Stay awake’?Q. How is it possible to challenge attitudes of complacency in society?Q. How can you demonstrate that faith is an important aspect of life?Q. How do you nurture your spirituality and faith?Questions for AdultsQ. What does the call to ‘Stay awake!’ mean for your life?Q. What appear to be the things that challenge the importance of religious belief in society today?Q. How do you nurture your spirituality and faith?Q. During this time of Advent, how can you encourage others to properly prepare for Christmas?9

As we draw near to Christmas, and are beginning to think about the gifts we want to give, and perhaps the ones we want to receive, it might be a good time to consider the deeper gifts we have, the gifts within our lives and how we are allowing these to flourish and to put them to use for others, our family, our communities, our co-workers. I had a poster once that said something like: who we are is God’s gift to us; what we make of ourselves is our gift to God.10

7 Brendan Byrne 2019 Liturgy help https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2020Dec06/0/ComBreByrNew 8 Mary Coloe 2019 Liturgy Help https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2020Dec06/0/ComMaCol 9 Greg Sunter 2019 Liturgy Help 10 Mary Coloe 2019 Liturgy Help 9 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Returning to Luke’s Gospel, the mention of Gabriel is a major clue to Luke’s theology since Gabriel is the angel found in the book of Daniel who announces to Daniel the coming of the end-times.

Year C World of the Text Year C World behind the Text Year C World in Front of the Text

Most translations use the word ‘kingdom’ to translate the Greek term basileia. This image is no longer helpful as there are very few ‘kingdoms’ in our world today, and even the idea of ‘kingship’ is not sufficient to describe what is meant by basileia. It comes closer to the Hebrew word ‘shalom’, peace, or wholeness. It is an image used to speak of a world as God desires it to be. I will use the word ‘reign’ of God, and sometimes leave the Greek term, basileia.11

Week ThreeIn place of a responsorial psalm from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, this Sunday offers us a New Testament psalm, namely a portion of Mary’s ‘Magnificat’ that Luke has her proclaim on the occasion of her visit to her cousin Elizabeth. It is thought that Luke drew on the song of Hannah in 1 Sam 2:1-10 for this composition; the parallels are evident. Mary’s Magnificat and Hannah’s song also reflect the structure of psalms of thanksgiving in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Mary begins with a two-line announcement that she is going to praise the Lord and then provides the reasons why (as thanksgiving psalms do). She then recounts what God has done for her and proclaims this as another manifestation of God’s mercy ‘from age to age’. The final stanza provides two examples of God’s mercy to support her proclamation in the preceding stanza. The first is that God reverses the unjust order that human beings entrench and then take for granted, particularly when it is to their advantage. The poor remain poor while the rich become richer. As part of God’s purpose to bring justice to the world, this ‘disorder’ is turned upside down. Thus God has transformed Mary from an insignificant subject of the vast Roman Empire (‘her nothingness’) into one whom all ages and all empires will call blessed. What human beings regard as the periphery

‘Come to the Party’

The father in one of Jesus’ parables offers this invitation to his older son, ‘Come, celebrate my joy with me, my lost son has returned.’ These words sum up one of the major themes of Luke’s Gospel, which we read this year. Jesus begins his ministry with the announcement in Nazareth that the year of ‘God’s favour’ has arrived, the year of jubilee, of liberation. Joy and celebration are characteristics of this Gospel. So often this year we will read of Jesus at meals or talking about meals – it is as if Jesus is at one long party as he invites all to come and celebrate God’s gracious love. The message is: all are welcome at his table. Of course, his behaviour and his teaching is scandalous to the religious authorities of his time, who had strict rules about who could come to the table or not, about who was sufficiently pure, or morally acceptable. Jesus welcomed all – but not all wanted to come. Jesus might have been acceptable, but his table companions definitely were not.13

Similar issues face our communities today, just as they faced Luke’s community towards the end of the first century. What conditions do we place on God? What rules do we make about who is acceptable and who not? Scholars think that Luke’s community were mainly non-Jews, and in the early church this was a dilemma. All Jesus’ original disciples were Jews and, at first, it seemed that Jesus’ message was only for the children of Israel. It seemed that non-Jews (the Gentiles) would first need to join the Jewish covenant in order to become Christian. Guided by the Spirit, the early believers came to realise that they had no monopoly on God’s Spirit and that God was inviting Gentiles also into a new community where barriers between Jew and Gentile were to be broken down. Luke is writing in the 80’s when that issue had been resolved (although not completely) and so he emphasises that the reign* of God is inclusive, and that those considered poor and outcast are particularly welcome.

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becomes the centre of God’s attention. The second example is Israel: God’s choice of Mary to be the mother of Jesus is another manifestation of God’s unswerving mercy towards Israel the chosen people (‘his servant’).12

Week four

Phase of

InquiryActivity/Experience/Differentiation

ResourcesICLTs

Tuning In Prep-yr. 2 Have you ever waited for a long time for something to happen?What are some of the things you wait for – your birthday, school holidays, a party, Christmas?How do you feel waiting for something important to happen?Have you ever waited for the birth of a baby brother or sister?How did you feel when the baby was born?How do you feel waiting to celebrate Jesus’ birthday?Engage students in talking, drawing and writing about how they might get ready for Christmas. Students complete the stem: I will get ready for Christmas by…. Make into scrolls and display around a banner “Advent - We are waiting for Christmas”Prep-yr. 6Read a story that has the theme of waiting…Explore scenarios of waiting for something. Students placed into groups of three or four and role play times of waiting and anticipation, e.g. waiting for a bus, waiting in line at the tuckshop, waiting for food to cook, waiting for the birth of a baby, waiting for a holiday, waiting for school to break up, waiting for a birthday or special celebration, waiting at the doctor’s surgery.

Appropriate children’s literature books on waiting.

Yrs 7-10 https://

12 Mark O’Brien ,2019, Liturgy Help, https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2020Dec13/0/ComMaOBr 13 Mary Coloe, 2019, Liturgy Help https://liturgyhelp.com/calendar/events/weekA1/N01ADSUC/ComMaCol 11 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Introduce the season of Advent by watching this video https://youtu.be/eC0FGQLBp7w Busted Halo – Advent in 2 minutes youtu.be/eC0FGQLBp7w Busted Halo

Prep-yr. 2Make a beautifully wrapped parcel with a bright bow containing enough holy cards, bookmarks or other appropriate gifts to be shared by the students. Ensure the parcel is wrapped in several sheets of paper in a similar fashion to when playing ‘Pass the Parcel’. You could add messages such as ‘You’re getting closer’, ‘nearly there’, or ‘one more to go’ in between each layer. Attach a card to the parcel which reads: ‘This is for Year _. It is a special parcel to say Thank You for being great kids. This parcel must be opened slowly and carefully making sure to unwrap only one layer of paper at a time. Wait for half an hour before unwrapping the next layer.”Put the parcel in a prominent place in the classroom, possibly in the prayer place ready for morning prayer. Make sure it is there ready for the beginning of the school day. When several children have noticed it and wondered about it, pick it up and bring it to the attention of the whole class. Read the attached card and say, ‘I wonder what it could be?’After a brief time of wondering, invite one of the children to come and carefully unwrap the first layer of paper. Put the parcel back in its place and promise to unwrap the next layer later.Every half an hour or so invite one of the children to unwrap another layer of paper. Encourage the children to continue wondering about the parcel or share how they are feeling about what might be in the parcel.Continue unwrapping throughout the day until the final layer is reached. Use your own judgment for how long to keep the experience happening.After the contents of the parcel are finally revealed and shared, encourage students to wonder about the experience of waiting using ‘I wonder’ statements such as: ‘I wonder how you felt when you first saw the parcel this morning?’ ‘I wonder how you felt as you had to keep waiting for each layer to be unwrapped?’ ‘I wonder how you felt as we got closer to the gift?’ ‘I wonder how you felt when the parcel was finally unwrapped?’Students could journal about the experience of the special parcel.

Materials to play ‘Pass the Parcel’Paper, ribbon, holy cards, bookma5ks

Yrs 7-10Begin the class with a discussion of the act of waiting. Ask the young people: What kinds of feelings do you have while waiting for a special event or celebration? (excitement, eagerness, nervousness) What kinds of things do you do to prepare for the event? (Clean the house, buy special food, decorate, make sure that everything is ready for the event.) Then say to the young people: The people of Israel waited many centuries for a special event—the birth of the Messiah. During the Advent season we can learn from their experience of hope.Divide the young people into small groups and give each group one of the following readings. Tell them that these are the first readings from the four Sundays of Advent in each of the three liturgical years.

Isaiah 2:1–5 Isaiah 40:1–5 Zephaniah 3:14–18Isaiah 64:3–7 Baruch 5:1–9 Isaiah 7:10–14Jeremiah 33:14–16 Isaiah 35:1–6 2 Samuel 7:8–11Isaiah 11:1–10 Isaiah 61:1–2 Micah 5:1–4

Ask each group to pick the most hopeful lines from their readings and proclaim those lines in unison to the group. After each group proclaims their lines of hope, have them make banners with the lines they selected written on them. Use these banners to decorate the room during Advent.

Bibles

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Yrs 3-yr 10Read the scripture passage for week one from the appropriate liturgical year (A, B, C) Ask the students to sit comfortably, feet flat on the floor, hands in laps, shoulders relaxed. Explain that you (or someone in the group) will read the Gospel and they are asked to really listen to the words and think about what the Gospel is saying to them.Open the conversation by inviting students to share what they feel the Gospel is saying to them. Alternatively, you can use the guided reflection questions below.Guided Reflection Questions:• This week the Gospel tells us to ‘stay awake’. What is Jesus asking of us when he says this?• Can you recall the advice Jesus gives to help his disciples, when he asks them to ‘stay awake’? How can we follow this same advice in our own lives?• Advent is a hopeful time where we wait patiently. Identify a time in your life that you have struggled to wait patiently? How did you overcome this hurdle?• This Advent, how can we prepare as people of hope and faith?• Choose a symbol that comes to mind that summarises the true meaning of this Gospel passage.• Identify your greatest hope for the future of our world.• Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. Describe why and how new beginnings can be important and can bring hope to people?14

Bible

Prep-Yr6As a reminder of Mary’s expectation of giving birth to Jesus, the Light of the World, decorate a candle with white or blue ribbon. Place it before her statue or picture. Light the candle during prayer. Remember to check with the proper authority regarding local regulations for using candles in a classroom setting.

CandleBlue White ribbon

Finding Out

Prep-Yr. 2 Discuss expressions, words and feelings associated with waiting. Display associated words - anxious, excited, hopeful, nervous, frustrated, eager, energized, keen, restless, keyed up, confident, expectant, optimistic, positive, heartened, encouraged. Dramatise each word with body movements and facial expressions. What do our hands do when we are ……………? What do our faces do when we are ……………?Prep-Yr. 6. Invite an expectant mother to come in and talk about waiting for the birth of her baby.

Yrs. 3-6Collect a variety of calendars or ask the class to bring in calendars from home. Ask the children to be detectives and see if anyone can find the word Christmas on a calendar.Ask the children to be detectives and see if anyone can find the word “Advent” on a calendar. Hopefully on a Catholic calendar, they will find the word Advent several times. Ask how many Sundays the word Advent have written on them. Count how many days have the word Advent. You could make a large class calendar for Advent to count down the days. The picture on this site can be cut up into 24 pieces. They could number each piece of the puzzle on the back and then each day the student could glue one more piece onto the puzzle

Old calendars

14 Caritas Australia Education Advent resources https://www.caritas.org.au/advent 13 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Prep-yr6To help the children identify symbols of Advent in their parish church.Arrange a time to take the students to church.Walk the children around the church looking for symbols of the Advent season like the Advent wreath, purple banners, and any other changes in the church environment.Make a list of what you see.Back in the room, do an oral review. Write the symbols on a piece of cardboard.Keep the cardboard in view for sessions held during Advent. Remind the children to look for the symbols in Church every Sunday and to notice if they change through the season.

Visit to local Catholic church

All Year levels Read Luke 1:39-44Guided Reflection Questions:• Elizabeth describes Mary as ‘blessed’. Explain why she would think this.• Elizabeth felt honoured to be visited by Mary, the mother of our Lord. Imagine how Mary would have felt to hear this. Recall a time when you have felt honoured by something someone has said to you. How did this make you feel?• Mary demonstrated her commitment to God and believed in him. How can you continue to follow God and believe in God’s love?• List Mary’s qualities that help her to be a committed and loving disciple of Jesus. Compare these qualities to those you believe that you have.• The scripture tells us of two strong women of great faith who encounter each other. To pay respect to these brave and faithful women, identify two brave and faithful women in your own life that you can celebrate this Advent.• In the modern world where digital communication between our loved ones is more prevalent than ever before, how can you defend the need to meet and communicate with friends and family face to face?• Think of a way that you can share the love within your local community.15

Bible

Yrs 3-yr 10Use the following Scripture hunt game to help the children get acquainted with the people who prepared in a special way for the coming of Christ.16

WHO AM I? READ to find ANSWER

The father of John the Baptist Luke 1:13 Zechariah

The angel who told Mary she was to be the mother of Jesus Luke 1:26 Gabriel

A famous ancestor of Jesus; a king Luke 1:27 David

15 Caritas Australia Education Advent resources http://caritas.org.au/advent

16Loyola press n.d. https://www.loyolapress.com/ 14 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Went to visit Elizabeth to help her Luke 1:39–40 Mary

Husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus Luke 1:27 Joseph

The wife of Joseph and mother of Jesus, the Son of God Luke 1:26–27 Mary

Sorting Out

Yrs 3-6Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. Describe why and how new beginnings can be important and can bring hope to people?

Using the three keys to unlock the selected scripture passage from the relevant liturgical year.• What do you think the Gospel author is trying to say to you about God? About Jesus?• What do you think the Gospel author is trying to say to you about people?• What do you think the Gospel author is trying to say to you about the world he thinks God wants?Can you ‘unlock’ this passage?

Keys and treasure box

Prep-yr 6 Learn a hymn such as ‘Christmas is Coming’ or ‘Wait in Hope’

As One Voice For Kids

Yrs 3-10Create an advent wreath. Teacher information on the Advent Wreath can be found herehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=je4V1Hl4H-E Make an Advent Wreath using a circle of greenery, three purple candles and one pink candle. Decorate it with berries or ribbons. Ask:How does an Advent wreathe help us to prepare for Christmas?Collect photos of Advent wreathes in churches or homesExplain that one candle is lit each week leading up to Christmas with the pink one being lit on the third week of Advent as a sign of hope that Christmas is nearly here. The lighting of the candles of the Advent Wreath reminds us of the coming of Jesus who was the “light of the world”.Use the Advent Wreath for morning prayer. Light candles each day according to the weeks of Advent and use a prayer. Each day as you light the appropriate candles you might also recall some of the people who waited for the coming of the Jesus.There are some prayers on this site:http://www.loyolapress.com/prayer-for-lighting-the-advent-wreath-candles.htm Students could make their own Advent Wreath to take home or a 2D version where they add a flame to the candle each week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=je4V1Hl4H-E

http://www.loyolapress.com/prayer-for-lighting-the-advent-wreath-candles.htm

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All year levelsBe an agent of peace and help others in your school or local community enjoy the spirit of Christmas this year.• Commit to participating in mindfulness exercises to build inner peace, such as: meditation, yoga, mindful walking, breathing exercises and mandala colouring.• Create a set of affirmation cards, that could include quotes, scripture, proverbs and ideas to promote peace in your community.• Live more simply this Christmas, use the money saved to buy a Global Gift from Caritas, to create sustainable livelihoods forcommunities.All Year LevelsSuggested song/video clipBen Harper and Jack Johnson: With my own two hands.

Song:Ben Harper and Jack Johnson: With my own two hands.

All Year Levels Explore ways you can be generous in spirit.Identify ways you can support vulnerable families (hampers, gifts, food).Prep-Yr6Talk about John the Baptist and his call to do good deeds.Talk about using Advent to follow the message of John the Baptist.Show the children the strips of paper. Tell them for every good deed they do, they can add a purple or pink link to the group's Advent chain.Encourage the children to come to each session during Advent and write their good deeds on a paper link and then add it to the chain.As the chain grows from week to week, keep it on the prayer table or in view of the group.At the last session before Christmas, take your chain of good deeds and put it on the parish Christmas tree or another available space so the children can show it to their families during the Christmas season.

Purple an pink paper chains

Yrs 7-10Advent BingoIn Advent Bingo participants will be able to recall their liturgical experiences of Advent and deepen their understanding of the Church’s celebration of this season. The focus is Advent practices and symbols found in Catholic liturgy.

Overview and facilitator's guide

Download Bingo cards

Playing the GameA facilitator will ask a series of Advent-related questions. Each square of the Bingo cards contains an answer to one of the questions. As the questions are asked and answered, players will mark the answers on their cards. When a player has five marked squares in a line, he or she will call “Bingo!” and win a small prize. Play will then continue using the same cards.As each question is asked and answered, players should take time to discuss the subject of the question. The facilitator will have a handy resource sheet that he or she can use to find information to spark and enrich the discussion.Because there is no limit on how many players can win, the game can last as long as it takes for every player to win, or it can end at a specified time. You can also vary the length of the game by increasing or decreasing the length of the discussions surrounding

Advent Bingo resources from:Loyola Press

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each question and answer.Decide in advance how many players you would like to have per session and whether you want to have players mark directly on the cards or not. We have provided 30 unique cards, and you may print out or photocopy them as many times as you need.Choose a facilitator to call the questions and lead discussions of the answers. You may also want some older children (junior high to high school) available to help beginning readers play the game.

Prep-Yr2.

John the Baptist Song

These lyrics should be sung to the tune of “Frère Jacques.”

Verse One: John the Baptist

John the Baptist

Was his name!

Was his name!

He paved the way for Jesus, He paved the way for Jesus.

God be praised!

God be praised!

Verse Two:

Bugs and honey

Bugs and honey

Did he eat!

Did he eat!

Preaching in the desert,

Preaching in the desert,

“Be baptized!”

“Be baptized!”

Sorting Out

Yrs 7-10Arts and faith - Advent Year A, B C.

Prepare for Christmas and deepen your experience of the Advent season this year with Arts & Faith: Advent. Each week Loyola Press provide a video commentary about a work of art inspired by the Sunday Scriptures. Use these videos to take a new look at this season of hope and preparation through the lens of sacred art.

For your convenience, video transcripts are included. Commentary is by Daniella Zsupan-Jerome, assistant professor of liturgy, catechesis, and evangelization at Loyola University New Orleans. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from the University of

Loyola Press website

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Notre Dame, a master’s degree in liturgy from St. John’s University in Collegeville, a master’s degree in religion and the arts from Yale Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in theology and education from Boston College. Her unique background in faith and art brings to life a new way of celebrating Advent and understanding the season on a more personal level.Prep-yr6Follow the Hungarian custom of planting blessed wheat for Advent. Prepare small flower pots decorated with Christmas symbols. Have the young people pledge to perform secret acts of virtue. Instruct them to plant a grain of wheat for each promised act. By Christmas, wheat shoots should begin to appear. The pots can then be placed at the crèche as gifts for Jesus.

Flower pots

Communicating

All Year levels Bring joy to vulnerable communities this Christmas by supporting food hamper appeals.

Yrs 7-10Pass out Student Handout A, O Antiphons, and lead a discussion of the images found in the O Antiphons. Then ask the young people: What are some of the hopes expressed in these prayers? (to be set free, to be shown the way to salvation, to be led to freedom) In the first Antiphon we ask God to show us the way to salvation. What did Jesus tell us to do to be saved? (Keep the two great commandments—love of God and love of neighbor.) Continue by asking the young people: When we ask God to set us free, from what do we need to be set free? (selfishness, anger, pride, whatever leads us away from God) Conclude by asking: We also ask God to shine on those who dwell in darkness. What can we do to bring the light of Christ to others? (pray for them, seek justice, reach out to them in love)Then lead the young people in the Prayer Service, Student Handout B. Have the young people pray using the O Antiphons.

Prep-Yr6The children will be able to express an appreciation for the season of Advent.Begin the activity by asking the children to explain the meaning of the word Advent. (The time we wait to celebrate Jesus' birthday.)Next, ask the children if they can recall some of the ways we celebrate the season of Advent. (We make Advent wreaths.)Allow a few moments for the children to share what they know about Advent and the making of Advent wreaths. If necessary, remind them that the wreath helps us count the weeks that we wait for Jesus.When you feel the children have a clear understanding, tell them that they will be making their own wrapping paper that will be used at the end of Advent in celebration of Jesus' birth.Encourage the children to think of the special colours and special events that are significant to the season of waiting. Write their ideas on a large poster paper for all to refer to as they illustrate their papers.Provide the children with large sheets of butcher paper and colouring utensils.If possible, have available a sample of your self-made wrapping paper.As the children draw, say: During the season of Advent, we prepare for Jesus' birth by letting him know that he's welcome in our lives and in our hearts. We can use this special wrapping paper for the gifts that we wrap in anticipation of Jesus' birthday.Prep-Yr6Make you own Advent wreath directions

Yr3-Yr10.Create an Advent Calendar of ideas to help others on a daily/weekly basis.

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Yrs 3-Yr6Choose a symbol that comes to mind that summarises the true meaning of one of the relevant Gospel passages for the appropriate liturgical year.Yrs Prep-Yr6Intergenerational Event—Advent: Waiting for Jesus ChristIn this Activity participants will make and decorate cards to show appreciation for all those who have helped to pass on thefaith and have guided us in our faith development. This activity can be as simple or as fancy as you wish.download advent card activity instructions

download card template Yrs 3-10What was it like to hear John the Baptist announce the coming of a Messiah? This activity gives students a chance to be creativeby acting out a news report about the story of the prophet who proclaimed Jesus’ arrival.Remind the children of how the Old Testament tells the history of the People of God as God prepared them to receive the Messiah.Then ask the children to form groups of three or four and provide each group with a Bible.Ask the groups to open their Bibles to a passage about John the Baptist in Mark 1:2-8.Allow time for the children to read the passage aloud with their groups.When the children are familiar with the story, ask them to create TV news reports, reporting John's message about the coming of a Messiah.Suggest to the children that two group members can act as reporters, taking turns telling the story. The other group member(s) can introduce the report, act as eye-witnesses to the event, or act as John the Baptist.When the groups are ready, invite them to present their news reports to the entire group.

Bible

All year levels

Our Jesse tree activity

Lesson objective: To identify the Advent season as a time of hope and joyful anticipation.

TEACHER EVALUATIONAs a religion teacher:Did I spend time reflecting upon the unit and the significance of its implications for my own life and faith? What did I learn about myself and my relationship with God? Was I able to identify and articulate, for myself, the relationship between life and faith? Students’ Understanding How well did activities allow students to come to understandings related to the focus of the unit? How well did activities allow students to come to understandings related to the general focus on life within theunit?

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Accessibility Were the chosen activities accessible to all students? Student involvement and interest Were students as fully involved and interested as possible? Highlights of unit What were the highlights of this unit? Improvement Can you identify practical ways to improve this unit?

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