Term 1 Feedback and Impact

Check out the impact that our learning in RE has made on pupils across the year groups! These statements are taken from our new online PLPs.

 

S1- Me and My Community (Image of God)

The unit has reminded me on the faith that I do and how important it is

I have learnt about the importance of God in every day life.

I have learned more about what God wants for me

I understand how to treat others

I feel closer to God

I have learned about sin and all types of things and It makes me proud.

I know why I am made in the image if god and that I have my life planned before I was in the womb.

I have learned about the Holy Trinity and I now know how I am made in the ‘Image of God’.

The impact of the unit has helped me understand myself and God more than before.

In this unit , I have learned that me and everyone else I made in the image of God and god new us before we were born , I’ve learned about the effects of sin and how it separates you from God.

It has taught me that God is made up of three persons- the Father,  Jesus and the Holy Spirit it has also taught me that God has had a special plan for us even before we where in our mother’s womb and just like Jerimiah we are set out for a special purpose

This has had an impact on how I treat others with respect

I can now understand how my actions and attitudes affect others around me .

to follow god more and sin less

I have learned that god has created me in his image and that he will forgive my sin

That it has been a really good thing to learn and to learn about god

That I should treat others the way I want to be treated and make the right decisions

It impacts me a lot as I want to get closer to god and learn to be like him

This has made me find out how class I can be to god and the different ways I could be more like god and be closer to god.

It has shown me how much of a difference my life has experienced by knowing about the marvellous works of God

I feel like l know more about god and how l was built in his image l also know more about the holy Trinity

I now understand about being made in the image of God and the Holy trinity. I understand more about our faith

To get us to know about how god wants us to be

I have learnt that god gives us gifts to use

During this unit, I have learnt that we are not made in the image of god on the outside, it’s on the inside. Also, this has taught me that God will forgive you no matter what you have done but all you have to do is ask for forgiveness. I have enjoyed learning about the image of God because it’s helped me to understand and be grateful for what I have.

I’ve learned that through my faith I have a choice on the decisions that I make, I hope that with having a strong faith I can make good decisions.

I have learned how to treat others with respect and that I am made in the image of god, on the inside and outside.

The impact of this unit of my learning and faith is that I know about The Image of God, how he  gave us free will and my relationships with him and others.

The impact that this unit has had my learning and faith is that I reflected on how God has made me and that I always have free will and choice but I should use it responsibly.

The impact of this unit on my learning & my faith has been quite big. It made my faith become clearer and stronger. In learning i now know a lot more and I can easily tell others facts about sins etc.

I have realised that I’m made in the image of god on the inside. I’ve also learned what my gifts are.

 

S3 Belief in God

It has impacted my faith by helping me understand how God really exits and helped me link faith and science to give examples of why God exits

it has helped me believe in god a bit more and has helped me realise the connection between scientist and the church they are both searching for the same thing but in different ways

This unit has impacted my faith by giving me different views about the existence of God and has made me think about the different possibilities that God is real or not.

Though this unit has not affected my view on god I thoroughly enjoyed it and it had to be my favourite topic I’ve done.

I believe in God in a different way than before and I now realise the church is more open minded to science than I originally thought.

It has helped me realise that faith and science look both look for the truth

 

S6- The Introductory Rites & Caritas Award

In my faith life I have been able to acquire a deeper understanding of the nature of the Holy Mass, through the ‘Four Ends of the Mass’; Adoration, Atonement, Thanksgiving and Petition. I learned the Introductory Rites of the Mass, including the opening of the Mass and the Penitential Rite, where we ask for Gods mercy and forgiveness from sins of commission and omission. Furthermore the topic on sin has allowed me to reflect and appreciate Gods mercy and justness.

I learnt how the Love of God which is shared Between the three persons (Trinity) is applicable on our lives and how we humans are made for love.

I now know so much more about my faith especially about truth. I understand everything a lot better now and in more detail

It has given me more learning and insight into how God reaches us and how I can better pray to him, I learned better the meaning of Mass and understand more how it helps my relationship with God.

Overall, I think this course has helped me become more self-aware – I use the knowledge I’ve learned on what makes a good person , and now use these values in daily life to improve myself and how I treat others . It has also motivated me to want to give back to my community as I’m always looking up to very generous people in the catholic community who influence me majorly.

Resources for August Learning

Welcome back!

 

It has been brilliant getting to see all of our young people again and we are all looking forward to another year of academic and spiritual formation in RE!

Starting this year, each time we begin a new topic, the resources will be uploaded to glow and linked right here on our blog. This means that if anyone would like to look ahead or revise anything, the course materials are easier to find. A general outline of our curricula can be viewed using the menus at the top of the blog.

Here we go with the first topics for each year group

S1- Me and My Community (Made in the image of God)

S2- The Sacraments of Vocation

S3- Belief in God

S4- The Beatitudes

S5- The Introductory Rites

S6-The Introductory Rites

To view the materials, follow the links and log in with your usual glow details.

 

How to share your faith…

Something that is always on my mind when creating lessons or retreats is how we link robust learning about the faith (Catechesis) with living and sharing our faith (Evangelisation).

In our lesson plenaries we often apply our learning by creating responses to critiques of Catholic teaching (Apologetics) and often reflect on ‘why is this Good News for the world?’ but I wanted to share some memorable bullet points for how to SHARE the Good News (Gospel) with those who have not encountered the Lord Jesus.

Use these points and add your own examples. This is called your ‘testimony’ and gives a witness to what God has done and is doing in your own life.

 

Find more info on our Prayer and Discipleship Page

Tune in to God…

At the moment, our staggered break times make it difficult for us to gather for prayer. During this time, why not experiment with some of the apps that are recommended on our Discipleship Page

Holy Week Videos 2021

We have come to the holiest week of the year and it is so frustrating not being able to spend it together in learning and prayer.

It’s not much, but I have collected some videos for each day of Holy Week so that you can engage with each one more deeply.

Don’t forget:  Liturgy is not just remembering. The sacred liturgy makes the realities and events that we commemorate present to us. We don’t just remember Holy Week. We walk through it in real time. Churches are open. Book places if you can. Otherwise make definite plans of how you are going to pray through the days of the Triduum (Holy Thursday- Easter Sunday). None of us will forget about the eggs! Let’s make sure that we don’t forget about Our Lord and what he has done for us. 🙂

Holy Week

Palm Sunday 

Spy Wednesday 

Introduction to the Triduum 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ccc-nGGn0E

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

Easter Vigil 

Easter Sunday

Solemnity of St Joseph

Happy Feast of St Joseph- a Solemnity, the highest grade of feast day. Be sure to relax your Lenten penances today and pray to St Joseph.

St Joseph is a role model to us all, and in a particular way to men and boys, showing us many virtues. Under the care of Our Lady and St Joseph, Our Lord Jesus grew in grace and wisdom before God and men. Similarly, if we devote ourselves to the maternal care of Mary and the paternal care of St Joseph, we to will grow in union with Jesus.

St Joseph is also patron of the Universal Church and Pope Francis has made this year a special Year of St Joseph.

Here are some devotions to St Joseph that you could use with your families today. May our families become increasingly like the Holy Family- cloisters of virtue, a domestic church centred around the Lord.

St Joseph, light of patriarchs, Pray for us!

St Joseph, glory of home life, Pray for us!

St Joseph, pillar of families, Pray for us!

Heart of Jesus, I adore thee,

Heart of Mary, I implore thee,

Heart of Joseph, pure and just,

In these three hearts I place my trust

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEhLN5QPsgA

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior life. After your example may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.

The Grotto at St Dominic’s – A Focal Point for Faith

The Grotto at St Dominic’s – A Focal Point for Faith

The Grotto has been a gathering point at St Dominic’s for 5 years now but has grown significantly in importance since the presence of lockdowns. Since COVID hit in the UK in March 2020, places of worship have been closed and parishioners have been unable to gather as a community to practice their faith, so the Grotto has been a focal point for people to stay connected to their religion. The grotto has been a peaceful place for parishioners to safely visit in these times and provides an outlet to reflect, pray and seek the intercession of Mary. There is a serene atmosphere surrounded by plants and benches to allow people to sit and worship the statue of Our Lady. It allows people to feel secure in an environment surrounded by faith in a time when gathering in solidarity is exceedingly difficult.

 

The focal point of the Grotto is the statue of Our Lady, so anyone that comes to the grotto stops to worship and appreciate it. Many people visit every day, each with individual reasons. Some people visit the grotto whilst out a walk with family or friends and sit together to pray whilst adoring the statue of Mary. This gives people a holy destination to visit together and encourages families to take time out of their day to unite in faith. Others visit the grotto alone to pray the rosary at the foot of Mary, or to say their own prayers which hold importance to them. When asked about the impact of the availability of the grotto to people in these times, Fr Monaghan, Parish Priest of St Dominic’s, said “When people are unable to come to Mass the Grotto has become a focal point for prayer and also a mini pilgrimage place when people are out for their walks. People desire to be close to Jesus and by faith we know Mary takes us to her son, so they readily come to pray to Mary whom the Grotto is dedicated to.” It has been clear that the Grotto has encouraged people through these difficult times and the community have clearly appreciated and valued having a place to go to be close to God, whether they quickly stop and pray whilst passing by, or sit down and fully indulge in the serenity of the surrounding nature and presence of Mary.

In times of social distancing, face masks and staying at home, the feeling of solidarity is more difficult to find than ever, but also more important. Even though St Dominic’s church may not be open, the Grotto outside can give people a feeling of familiarity and consistency as it can be a place for people to visit daily, to remind them that although the world is full of uncertainty right now, God will always be constant in their life. Another aspect of the grotto that helps to achieve this feeling of unity, is the online devotions that Fr Monaghan leads from it.

Fr Monaghan has been leading online devotions from the Grotto which has helped to allow people to practice as a community and be together virtually to engage in prayer. This also means people can visit and appreciate the grotto without physically visiting it, if they are unable to for any reason. The online devotions are a new addition to the practice of the church but have been valuable and brought a more fruitful experience of the faith during these unprecedented times. Fr Monaghan has received a lot of positive feedback regarding the online devotions, “Parishioners tell me that when they get the message on their phones that there is a livestream they stop what they are doing and join in the prayers. It also gives a moment for the parishioners to greet each other online and in the messages.” This makes it evident that the people joining in the live streams appreciate the extra efforts of Fr Monaghan to keep the faith alive during the lockdowns and to make everyone feel like they are practicing together as a community united in faith, and also gives people hope that they will get to be together physically in church again one day.

 

Fr Monaghan offers different services online from the grotto, or from home if necessary, and people are eager to join in. He livestreams Mass which people can watch real time or can watch later on. He also leads a decade of the Rosary from the grotto which people can join in, a different mystery of the rosary is usually prayed each session to allow people to follow along easily and clearly, in the midst of their daily lockdown life. Other relevant prayers are often said too, such as prayers for the Faithful Departed. These devotions are often done on feast days, for example a rosary was led from the grotto on the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. Fr Monaghan also added prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the month of June as this is the traditional devotion for this month. All of these different services contribute to the quality of the practice of faith from home, and each one brings parishioners closer to God.

Overall, the Grotto has kept people connected to their faith during these lockdowns and has provided a central area for people to dedicate their time for reflection and prayer in a time when maintaining a strong relationship with God is so important.

By Rachel and Rose, S6 Caritas Award

Stations of the Cross 2021

Listen to a podcast of this blog post here. Stations of the Cross Blog 2021

 

When you think of Lent, often the first thought is ‘What have you given up!’ From our Lent 2021 post, you now know that fasting is part of a bigger plan of becoming holy.

Hopefully when you think of Lent, you also think of the Stations of the Cross. Prayed especially on Fridays during Lent (but not only then), the stations of the cross go all the way back to Our Lady, the Apostles and the early Christians who visited the various sites of Jesus’ suffering and death in order to pray and meditate on them. (St Alphonsus)

Over time, people began to travel to the Holy Land to visit them too. As this became more difficult, pictures of each stage of the account of Jesus’ suffering (passion) were set up closer to home so that people could visit the places in their soul without the physical traveling.

Image result for via dolorosa holy land photos

Eventually a set of 14 stations of the cross became a standard feature of Catholic church buildings and various sets of prayers have been written to help us to contemplate each one. This enables us to accompany Jesus as he suffers to bring about our salvation.

The stations of the cross are such a powerful prayer that the Church has given a special blessing attached to them called an indulgence. Where confession takes away the eternal consequences of sin, indulgences take away the temporal consequences of sin- making up to God what we have taken through our sins. We can even offer indulgences for others, especially the Holy Souls in purgatory!*Image result for catholic stations of the crfoss

 

To help you to pray the stations of the cross at home, I have put together a couple of options. (These are always on our Prayer and Discipleship page)

Praying the  Stations of the Cross (1) – A powerpoint that you can use as a family. (Click ‘notes’ at the bottom of each slide to see the prayers.)

Praying the Stations of the Cross (2) – A guided YouTube version with beautiful music.

If you find these a bit daunting, why not use the images in the PowerPoint to think about that station and just say a Haily Mary or Our Father.

 

*To gain indulgences we must fulfil the following conditions.

  1. Pray for the intentions of the Pope (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be)
  2. Have a hatred for all our sins and desire to not sin again
  3. Receive Holy Communion within 8 days
  4. Go to confession within 8 days

It is not possible to receive Holy Communion when the churches are closed so we just place our trust in God who knows our situation and wants to bless us.

Ash Wednesday 2021

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent. Because we are unable to be together we are happy to pass on two options for how you can mark this at home.

 

  1. Fr Monaghan will be live streaming Mass at 10am on his parish Facebook Page for you to pray along with if your timetable/schedule allows. This is a public page so you do not need a Facebook account to access the live stream.

 

  1. The Bishops of Scotland have authorised an Ash Wednesday liturgy that can be used in the home. This can be accessed here.

For more information on how to enter into Lent this year, see our recent blog post on Lent 2021

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