Our Response to God's Gifts: Grade 6: Parish Edition (Finding God 2005, 2007) - Softcover

Barbara is Vice President for Catechesis and Faith Formation for Loyola Press. Her role involves her in the development of faith formation resources and services designed for the benefit of parishes and schools. Prior to accepting her position at Loyola Press, Barbara served as the Associate Executive Director of NCEA's Department of Religious Education, working primarily in service to members of NPCD, NCEA's national membership association serving parish catechetical leaders. Her experience also includes diocesan and parish work in Religious Education and Youth Ministry as well as extensive teaching experience at high school and college levels. She completed her Doctor of Ministry degree at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. She also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO.

Jim Campbell is Staff Theologian for Loyola Press. His role includes planning and development of catechetical and faith formation materials to be used in parishes and schools. Jim also reviews material from the text editorial and trade divisions. Jim has been a teacher, writer, and administrator in the field of catechesis for over 30 years. He has served as Consultant for Curriculum Development for the Office for Catechesis in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He was Director of the Orange Catechetical Institute, the adult ministry formation program for the Diocese of Orange, California. Jim has taught religious studies courses at Chapman University, Orange, California and the Aquinas Institute of Theology, Dubuque, Iowa. Jim was the General Editor for Harper’s New American Bible Study Program. He has written Mary and the Saints: Companions on the Journey, Understanding Scripture: The Genesis Creation Story; Stories of the Old Testament: A Catholic’s Guide  and Serving the Catechetical Mission of the Church, all for Loyola Press. Jim has a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Education and Master of Arts in Theology from the Aquinas Institute of Theology. He also has a Master of Arts in European History from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Unit 1
Creator and Father

Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome translated the entire Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. He is the patron saint of librarians.

Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome was born about A.D. 345 in what is now northern Italy. As a young man, he traveled and studied in the great European cities of Rome and Trier. He then went to live in the desert. While there, he said that he had “no other company but scorpions and wild beasts.” He began to study Hebrew. He found the language difficult to learn, but his great effort was worth it. His knowledge of Hebrew made it possible for him to become a biblical scholar and translator.
In 382 Jerome began a huge task. He began to translate the entire Bible from the Hebrew and Greek texts into Latin. His endeavor took many decades and eventually produced a version of the Bible in the ordinary language of that time. Jerome’s Latin translation of the Bible became the standard for use in the Church.
Jerome traveled to many places while working on his translation. He lived in Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Bethlehem. Yet he knew that translating the Bible was not the only important task; so when war broke out and many refugees came to Bethlehem, Jerome took action. He gave up his work and study for a time to help people in need. He  said, “We must translate the words of the Scriptures into deeds; and instead of speaking saintly words,we must act them.” His feast day is September 30.

Session 1
The Bible, God’s Story

Think of Bible stories you know. Share your favorite with the group.

PRAYER
Loving God, help me to appreciate your word in the Bible. Keep me faithful in praying from it so that I can come closer to you.

How the Bible Came to Be
The Bible is the Word of God, but it is not just one book; it is a collection of many books. These books were written by different authors using different styles. However, all of these authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit. That is, although human beings wrote the Bible, the Holy Spirit guided them.
The Bible is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament
Jews who lived hundreds of years before Jesus wrote the Old Testament. It tells the story of the Hebrew people and their faith in God. For example, the book of Exodus tells the story of how Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt and across the Red Sea.

The New Testament
Just as the Old Testament is the story of the Jews, the New Testament is the story of the early Christians. It was written because Christians wanted to explain their new faith and teach others how to experience salvation through Jesus. Some of the books are actually letters written by leaders such as Saint Paul. The most important books in the New Testament are the Gospels, which tell us about Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. Although some of the books tell the same stories, each is written from a different point of view.

Did You Know?
The Old Testament is made up of 46 books. The New Testament is made up of 27 books.

Copying the Bible
From the time the Bible was first written until the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, copies of the Bible were written by hand. Saint Jerome worked with handwritten copies of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek and wrote his translation by hand in Latin. This Latin translation is called the Vulgate version of the Bible.
Writing out a whole Bible took a long time. Because of this, not many copies were in existence. For about a thousand years, monks and nuns in scriptoriums, places where writing took place, made copies of the Bible by hand so that more people could use it for prayer and worship.
The monks and nuns wanted the Bibles to be easy to read, so they developed a clear kind of handwriting that is the basis of the writing we use today. They also wanted the Bibles to be as beautiful as possible, so they “illuminated” them. This meant that they added large, colorful letters and pictures of plants, animals, and scenes from everyday life.

Be an Illuminator
Choose one of the following verses and illuminate the first letter on a separate sheet of paper.

Noah was six hundred years old when the flood waters came upon the earth.
Genesis 7:6

The LORD is my Shepherd;
   there is nothing I lack.
Psalm 23:1

Let the children come to me and do not prevent them.
Luke 18:16

Understanding the Bible
Sometimes the Bible is hard to understand. Some passages are about events and people that we know little about today. Other passages describe things that are difficult to understand because we don’t think the same way people did long ago.
God has given the authority to interpret the Scriptures to the Catholic Church and the Magisterium, the pope and the bishops teaching together. Their interpretation helps us avoid confusion and leads us to a better understanding of God’s word. Reading the Bible with the guidance of the pope and the bishops also makes it easier to learn about God’s intention for us and for the salvation of the world.
When we read the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Church, we learn the meaning of God’s revelation for our lives. This is especially true when we read about the words and actions of Jesus. The Church encourages us to read the Bible in order to learn about God, to grow in our relationship with God and others, to understand God’s message of love and forgiveness, and to teach a new generation what the Church believes.

Reading God’s Word
Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.
2 Peter 1:20-21

The Second Letter to Timothy
Saint Timothy was a pastor in the early Church. The Church was having problems at that time with teachers who were not teaching the truth. Besides that, the Church was just starting out, and Christians often were persecuted, so the future seemed uncertain to Timothy and the people he was trying to lead.
A leader of the Church wrote Timothy some advice:

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Locating a Scripture Passage

2 Timothy 3:16–17
BOOK CHAPTER:VERSES

Solving a Problem
Think of a time when you, like Timothy, were confused or troubled and asked an older, more knowledgeable person for advice. How did that person help you?

PRAYER
Spend some time now praying to the Holy Spirit. Think about how the Holy Spirit has inspired and guided those who wrote the Bible and the popes and bishops who have helped us to understand it. Begin with this traditional prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

You have asked the Holy Spirit to fill your heart. The Spirit that renews the face of the earth can renew you as well. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in understanding the Bible as you study it this year. Thank God for the gift of the Spirit and the grace and guidance always available to you. Rest quietly in God’s presence, aware of his great love for you.

Living My Faith

Faith Summary
The Bible is God’s revelation. By reading it, especially the stories of Jesus, we learn what God has done for us and how we can help others.

Words I Learned
inspired   interpretation   Magisterium   scriptorium   Vulgate

Ways of Being Like Jesus
Jesus was a Jew, and he studied the writings that now make up the Old Testament. To understand what Jesus read and studied, read one or more of the following psalms from the Old Testament: 8, 84, 98, 114, 150.

With My Family
A family Bible often contains a list of family members and information about the birth, Baptism, marriage, and death of each one. It also records other events. You can learn about the history of your family by reading this list. If your Bible does not contain this information, begin collecting it. Start by asking an older relative to tell you about your grandparents, great aunts and great uncles, and relatives who died before you were born. Write or type the information neatly and keep it in your family Bible.

PRAYER
Thank you, God, for the Bible and all the ways it helps me learn about you.

My Response
What will you do this week that reflects what you have learned from the Bible? Write your answer on a sheet of paper.

RAISING FAITH-FILLED KIDS: A Parent Page

Focus on Faith
God’s Story and Ours
We all love stories. Telling stories about our personal and family lives is the foundation for teaching fundamental values to our children. Popular entertainment also tells stories and teaches values. During the hours in which our children play video games, watch television, and listen to popular music, th...