Scope & Sequence

Junior High, Creed & Prayer

Unit One: The Revelation of God

1. We Believe. Our search for happiness; the quest for God; coming to know God; Saint Augustine; Saint Albert the Great; theologians; the search for truth; faith and reason; divine revelation; the gift of faith; faith seeking understanding; the mystery of God; the learning and teaching Church; getting in touch with God.
2. The Word of God. The Bible, or Sacred Scripture, the inspired word of God; the canon of Sacred Scripture; literary genre; the covenant in the Old Testament; Noah, Abraham, and Moses; the promise of a New Covenant; the Church and interpreting the meaning of the word of God; Sacred Tradition; deposit of faith; the Table of the Word of God; praying the Scriptures; communication skills.
3. The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-10:18): A Scripture Story.
4. The Mystery of Creation. God the Creator; learning by analogy; attributes of God: one, eternal, truth, omnipresence, love; divine nature; Divine Providence; creation of humankind: male and female, body and soul, in the image and likeness of God; original justice; angels; new creation in Christ; peer ministry, recreating all things in Christ; building relationships.
5. God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The mystery of God and the Holy Trinity; revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament; the distinction between nature and person in the teachings of the councils of the fourth and fifth centuries; Arius and Saint Athanasius; the dogma of the Trinity; the divine missions, the work of the Trinity; the Christian family; balancing relationships.
   

Unit Two: Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God

6. The Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:2-13): A Scripture Story.
7. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The promise of the Savior; the Immaculate Conception; Blessed Mary, ever-virgin; John the Baptist; the Incarnation; Jesus: true God and true man, the Word of God, Lord, two natures, one divine person; the infancy and childhood of Jesus; the public life of Jesus; the announcement of the kingdom of God; symbols for Jesus; respecting and accepting differences.
8. The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-8, 10-12): A Scripture Story.
9. The Paschal Mystery: Jesus' Passion and Death. Adam and Eve; the serpent-tempter; original sin; Jesus, the new Adam; the problem of moral evil; redemption, salvation, expiation; Christ, the Anointed One; the death of Jesus; Jesus' descent to the dead; the Stations of the Cross; dealing with sadness and hope.
10. The Paschal Mystery: Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension. The Resurrection, the work of the Trinity; testimony to the Resurrection; the Ascension, Jesus' return to the Father; the meaning of the Ascension for our life; life after death: heaven, hell, purgatory; the particular judgment; the Last Judgment; the resurrection of the body; the kingdom of God, a new heaven and new earth; Saint Philip Neri; renewing our efforts and perseverance.
11. Breakfast at the Lake (John 21:1-14): A Scripture Story.
    

Unit Three: The Church

12. The Gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity; the Spirit of God at work in God's plan; the Spirit of the Covenant; the Giver of Life; the Annunciation; the Spirit and Jesus; the promise to send the Spirit, the Advocate and Helper; the Spirit in our lives; Pentecost; the Spirit, the life-force of the Church and source of unity of the Church; charisms; the temple of the Holy Spirit; the fruits of the Spirit; Christian art; living the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
13. The Church: The People of God. The Church, sacrament of salvation; origin of the Church in God's plan; the promise of the New Covenant; the new People of God; laypeople; ordained ministers; the consecrated, or religious, life; Christ, the Good Shepherd, and the Twelve; the primacy of Peter; the ministry of the pope and bishops; the election of a pope; discerning one's vocation in life.
14. The Church: The Body of Christ. The Church as mystery; images of the Church: the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit; the marks of the Church; apostolic succession; the pope and the college of bishops; the Magisterium; infallibility; parish councils; working in groups.
15. The Shipwreck of Paul (Acts of the Apostles 27:9-12, 22-25, 33-37, 41-44): A Scripture Story.
16. Your Kingdom Come! The communal life in the early Church; the communion of saints; patron saints; the meaning of physical death: life is changed, not ended; the Church's ministry of forgiveness of sins; life everlasting; Mary, the mother of the Church; the beatific vision; heaven; the kingdom of God, a new heaven and a new earth; the canonization of saints; Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of the Americas; Mary Immaculate, patron of the United States of America; living our values.
    

Unit Four: The Prayer of the People of God

17. God Is Our Shepherd (Psalm 23): A Scripture Story.
18. The Call to Prayer. The nature of prayer; prayer as covenant and communion; obstacles to prayer; the prayer of Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets; the prayer of Jesus; the prayer of the Church; forms of spirituality: monastic, Dominican, Franciscan, lay; writing in a journal as a form of prayer.
19. The Church: A People of Prayer. The Church as a praying community; the Christian rhythm of daily prayer; vocal prayer; meditation; lectio divina; the rosary; contemplation; Forty Hours devotion; the prayer of Mary; sources of Christian prayer: Scripture, liturgy, theological virtues; Christian prayer to the Father; doxologies; Christian music; learning the steps in a prayer of meditation.
20. The Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer, a summary of the Gospel; the Lord's Prayer in Matthew's account of the Gospel; the petitions of the Lord's Prayer; temptation; Catholic Relief Services; dealing with consumerism.
    

Unit Five: Church History

21. Apostolic Age to A.D. 325. The Council of Jerusalem; the Council of Nicaea; the persecution of Christians; martyrs: Agatha, Lucy, and Agnes; paganism; Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan; the social encyclicals of Pope John Paul II; dealing with stress and distress.
22. A.D. 325 to the Fourth Lateran Council 1215. The rise of Christendom; the Patristic Era and the Fathers of the Church; the Golden Age of Christianity; the catechumenate; monasticism; the papacy; Saint Augustine of Hippo; Saint Monica; Saint Bernard of Clairvaux; Saint Hildegard of Bingen; Pope Saint Sylvester I and Emperor Constantine; Pope Saint Leo III and Charlemagne; Pope Innocent III and the Crusades; National Conference of Catholic Bishops; developing Christian leadership qualities.
23. A.D. 1215 to the Second Vatican Council. Lateran IV to Trent; mendicant orders; Saint Thomas Aquinas; Trent to Vatican I; Saint Charles Borromeo; religious orders and the Catholic Counter-Reformation; Vatican I to Vatican II; Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton; the vision of the world as a sacred universe and the world as a global village; Saint Rose of Lima; Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini; Saint Thérèse of Lisieux; dealing constructively with conflict.
24. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) to the Present. Announcement and preparation for the Second Vatican Council; the sessions; the documents; Pope John XXIII; Pope Paul VI; Pope John Paul II; aggiornamento; The Church in the Modern World; the teachings of Vatican Council II; Catholic social teaching since Vatican II; World Youth Days; developing virtues to live as a Christian in the modern world.

The Church Celebrates

The Liturgical Year. Solemnities and Feasts of Jesus; Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ordinary Time.
The Season of Advent. The four Sundays of Advent.
The Season of Christmas. Christmas Day and Epiphany.
The Season of Lent. The five Sundays of Lent.
Holy Week. Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion; Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter.
The Season of Easter. The six Sundays of Easter and also the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost.

Catholic Prayers and Practices

Sign of the Cross
Glory Prayer
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord's Prayer
Benedictus
Nicene Creed
Apostles' Creed
Act of Contrition
Rosary
Mysteries of the Rosary
Hail Mary
Hail, Holy Queen
Magnificat
A Vocation Prayer
The Divine Praises
Grace before Meals
Grace after Meals
The Great Commandment
The Ten Commandments
Precepts of the Church
Beatitudes
Stations of the Cross
Moral Virtues
Seven Sacraments
Corporal Works of Mercy
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Celebrating Reconciliation
Celebrating Mass
The Books of the Bible

Scripture Chapters

Unit 1, Chapter 3
The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-10:18). The four accounts of the Gospel; the Gospel according to John; the Book of Signs; the story of the Man Born Blind; faith in Jesus; Baptism, new life in Christ; children of the light; Christian initiation; overcoming obstacles to seeing with eyes of faith.

Unit 2, Chapter 6
The Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:2-13). Mountains in Sacred Scripture; the feast of Tabernacles; the prophet Elijah; Mount Carmel, Mount Tabor, Mount Hermon; the Transfiguration; the Messiah; the significance of a theophany; Moses and Elijah; the passion and death of Jesus; Mother Teresa of Calcutta; seeing with eyes of faith.

Unit 2, Chapter 8
The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-8, 10-12). Prophets in the Bible; Isaiah the Prophet; the suffering Servant; the servant songs; the fourth servant song; Jesus, the suffering, sinless Servant of God; the suffering Church; the Good Friday liturgy; Archbishop Helder Camara; dealing with suffering and loss.

Unit 2, Chapter 11
Breakfast at the Lake (John 21:1-14). The New Testament resurrection stories; the account of the appearance of the Risen Jesus to the seven disciples at the Sea (Lake) of Tiberias; understanding the symbols used by John: the number seven, light and darkness, the breaking of bread; stained-glass windows; sharing faith through word and actions.

Unit 3, Chapter 15
The Shipwreck of Paul (Acts of the Apostles 27:9-12, 22-25, 33-37, 41-44). Saul's trip to Damascus and conversion; Paul the Apostle and missionary; the sea adventure literary genre; the account of Paul's shipwreck while traveling to Rome; the missionary Church; the missionary spirit today; Church youth on mission; living with zeal and optimism.

Unit 4, Chapter 17
God Is Our Shepherd (Psalm 23). The psalms; the Psalter; types of psalms: hymns, laments, thanksgiving psalms; biblical images for God: Lord, Shepherd; the Church's expressions of prayer: prayers of blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise; Pope John XXIII; developing the qualities of a good leader, a true shepherd.