Dear Teachers,
May is a special month dedicated to Our Lady, Mother Mary. We also join the
world in its observance of World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Fourth Sunday
of Easter, 3 May. This issue contains a variety of the journeys missionaries
take.
Mary in her lowliness accepted God’s invitation to be the mother of His Son.
Difficult as it seemed, she simply submitted to the will of the Father holding
on to the knowledge that she knew her sole purpose.
On the verge of these modern times, many of our young are caught unaware of
their purpose in life. They are like confused floating souls in the vastness of
the earth as unguided searchers.
Be convinced that you should lead your students to the way that is God’s. You
may not be able to bring all of them but at least you can save even just a
single soul by serving through your profession. Just do your task and offer
everything to God.
Be like Mary, be humble and make yourself available for God’s divine purpose.
May Mary and her loving Son bless each and every one of us!
OUR COVER
Our cover shows a poor man’s hand offering a very simple santan flower to the
picture of Our Lady of Lourdes. The caption taken from Song of Songs 6:10, ‘Who
is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the
sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?’ is a description of Mary, also
used as part of the Legion of Mary prayers.
With this picture, ask your students how they relate to Mary. Do you also
remember Mary on her feasts and in your prayers?
As a motivation, invite your students to write in a piece of paper the line
‘____________, Saan ka Pupunta?’ putting their name on the blank line. Allow
them to reflect on this.
Then present to the class the story
Seminarista, Saan ka Pupunta? It tells of
how a young man found himself in the vocation God chose for him despite the many
conflicts.
After a short discussion, ask them to draw their own reflection of the line
previously asked. Allow them to present their drawings and share their
reflections in their small groups.
The two articles are reflections on how God manifests Himself to humans as His
most loved creatures.
With the aid of these articles, let the students reflect:
a. Do you find time to reflect on the purpose of things around you?
b. Do you also reflect on your own purpose in life?
c. Make a one-week journal entitled ‘Everyday with God.’ At the end of each day,
write your reflection on the aspect of creation that captured your attention.
d. Have you felt God’s presence through that aspect of creation?
e. After doing the activity, let your students express how they feel doing the
one-week journal. What are your realizations?
You can also make use of the music
‘Everyday God’ by Bernadette Farrell as your
class’ theme song.
To Search is to Find tells of the importance of the Mass that many Catholics
take for granted.
Father Joeker, though in a funny way, shares the experiences
of a missionary.
Peace by Peace includes quotes and pieces of items that talk
about peace.
a. Given these articles, choose the one that struck you most.
b. What are you reminded of? Relive in your memory that experience.
Every experience we have no matter how simple it is tells of a part of our
being. Share it with your companions.
c. On a piece of paper, write the line that captures the experience that you are
reminded of.
d. As one big class, one community, allow each student to give that piece of
paper to the classmate he wants to share it with.
e. Let each express in a few lines why he chose that person.
f. Allow the other then to express gratitude for being entrusted with that piece
of the person’s life.
End the session as one community with a prayer of thanksgiving concluding with
Glory be.
A person who is alive might not have lived at all. It is only when one
identifies oneself to God that one can truly live. The nun in the article
Flight 306 – SMR Delayed… Waiting in Hope… had been into three death rehearsals but
always found herself in God’s refuge.
Death may seem a taboo but it pays to think of it once in a while to check how
prepared we are for this important thing that often comes suddenly.
Have the students read the above article.
a. Imagining the last day of your life, how do you want to spend it?
b. If today is my last day, am I ready to die?
c. To quote from
Tuesdays With Morrie, ‘Learn how to die and you learn how to
live.’ After your personal reflection on death, how do you feel about it?
Journalize your realizations.
God the Father sent His only Son Jesus to fulfill the mission of bringing
humanity in communion back to Him. Recognized as part of this big community of
God, we are commissioned to continue the mission which Jesus started. The
missionaries responded to this call to mission through their vocation.
Divide the class into two groups, distributing one article to each group. Let
them present the story assigned to them as a ‘news report’ or by means of some
other creative presentation.
Learning from the stories, let them reflect and answer the following questions.
This serves as their assignment.
a. Have I participated in the saving mission of Christ?
b. Little efforts done with the heart are great in the eyes of God. What little
effort am I willing to do as a response to God’s call to
mission?
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