Religion - 7th Grade

TASK OF CATECHESIS 1 – KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAITH: Students explore, profess and reflect on our Catholic faith, which is the content of God’s revelation found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and lived out in the Creed and Church doctrine.

TASK OF CATECHESIS 2 – LITURGICAL EDUCATION: Students recognize the presence of Christ and enter into communion with Him through active, full and conscious participation in the Liturgical celebrations and Sacraments of the Church.

TASK OF CATECHESIS 3 – MORAL EDUCATION: Students develop a moral conscience that is informed by Church teachings and conformed to Christ, as modeled in a personal life of virtue and demonstrated in service of the Gospel’s demands for society. Essential Concepts Seventh Grade New Testament Eighth Grade 

TASK OF CATECHESIS 4 – TEACHING TO PRAY: Students experience and engage in Catholic expressions of prayer to deepen their relationship with God and the Church.

TASK OF CATECHESIS 5: EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY LIFE: Students study and participate in the life and mission of the church, the Body of Christ and the community of believers, as expressed in the Church’s origin, history, ecclesiology, the Communion of Saints and their family, the domestic church. 

TASK OF CATECHESIS 6: THE CHURCH’S MISSIONARY LIFE AND SERVICE: Students acquire and demonstrate skills to recognize their gifts from God and their vocation to share the good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed in the world.

REVELATION [36-141, 290-315, 325- 354] Scripture: Jn. 1:1-18 Gal. 3:23-29 Rom. 1:19-20 Eph. 1:7-10 

 Sacred Scripture [101-141] 

Salvation History [50-73] Scripture Acts 2:1-42 

Christology [74-100] Scripture Mt. 1:18-2:15; 13:3-9 Lk 1:26-38; 2:1-20; 2:41-52; 24:1-53 Mk.15:16 John 1:14 John 3:16-18 1 Cor. 15:3-6 Acts 1:6-12

TRINITY God the Father, Creator God the Son, Redeemer God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier [249-324] Scripture Mt. 3:13-17 Acts 2:1-42 Ex. 3:1-17 

 CREED [185-1065] Scripture: Heb. 2:4-14 

EUCHARIST Who, How, When, and Where the Mass is Celebrated [1135-1167, 1322- 1419] Scripture: Mt. 26:25-30 Mk. 14:12-26 Lk. 22:14-20 Jn. 6:32-58 Act 2:42-47 

CELELBRATION OF THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS [1210-1666] 

Sacraments of Initiation [966-977, 1212-1419] Scripture: Lk 3:21-23 Mk. 1:9-11 Mt. 3:13-17 Jn. 1:29-34; 3:5-8 2 Tim. 1:6 1 Jn. 2:20

Sacraments of Healing [979-987, 1420-1484] Scripture Mk. 2:1-12; 18:15-20 Lk. 7:36-50 Jn. 5:1-18 2 Cor. 1:21-22 

Sacraments at the Service of Communion [1533-1666] Scripture 1 Peter 2:9 Mk. 12:28-34 Act 6:1-6 

LITURGICAL RESOURCES:

Liturgical Calendar [1163-1173] 

Liturgical Symbols and Sacramentals [1179-1199, 1667- 1679] 

Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours [1174-1178] Scripture: Psalms 8, 90 Lk. 1:68-79 (Canticle of Zechariah Lk 1:46-55 (Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat 

Liturgical Rites: Weddings, [1621-1637] Funerals, [988-1029, 1680-1690] and Blessings [1671- 1673] 

THE HUMAN PERSON [1691-1876] Scripture Mt. 5:7 

Made in the Image of God – Foundation of Human Dignity [355-368,1004,1700- 1876] Scripture Gen. 1:27 Mt. 7:12; 10:24 

Made for Happiness with God, Beatitudes [1218-1229, 1716- 1717] Scripture Gen. 12:1-9; 15:1-21; 22:1-8; 37:1-36; 45:1-28; 6:9-9:17 Dan. 6:1-23 Mt. 5:3-10 Lk. 6:20-26

Human Freedom and Conscience Formation [1030-1037, 1730- 1802] Scripture Mt. 5:1-12 Mk. 2:1-12; 4:1-20 Rm. 2:12-15

Covenant and the Ten Commandments [2052-2557] Scripture Ex. 19:16-20:17; 24:1-12 Mt. 22:34-40 Mk. 12:28-34 

Virtues – Cardinal and Theological [1803-1845, 2656- 2662] Scripture Lk. 15:11-32 Ph. 4:8 1 Cor. 13:1-13 

THE HUMAN COMMUNITY [1877-1948, 2204- 2213] 

Personal and Social Sin [1846-1876] Scripture Ps. 9 Mt. 13:50 Lk. 10:25-37 Jn. 4:5-42 

Catholic Social Teachings – Consistent Ethic of Life, Love of Neighbor, and Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy [2419-2449] Scripture Ex. 22:20-26 Mt. 25:31-46 Lk. 4:1-22 

UNIVERSAL CALL TO PRAYER, IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER [2558-2758] Scripture Mt. 6:9-13; 11:25-26; 14:23 Mk. 1:35 Lk. 6:12; 22:41-44 Jn. 17:1-26 

FORMS OF PRAYER (Blessing, Adoration Petition, Intercession Thanksgiving, Praise) [2623-2649] 

EXPRESSIONS OF PRAYER (vocal, meditation, contemplation, personal and shared) [2700-2724] 

OUR FATHER: A Summary of the Gospel [2746-2865] Scripture Mt. 6:5-15 

DEVOTIONAL PRACTICES (e.g. rosary, stations of the cross, novenas) [1200-1209, 1674-1679, 2683-2696] 

PRAYERS WE KNOW BY HEART, EXPERIENCE AND SHARE AT MASS 

THE CHURCH IN GOD’S PLAN [748-780 Church History [758-780] Scripture Epistles Acts 2:1-42 

MODELS OF THE CHURCH: [781-810] LCH-MC.1. People of God [781-786] 

People of God [781-786] Scripture Acts 10:34-35 1 Pet. 2:9 1 Jn. 3:3-5 1 Cor. 11:25 

Body of Christ [787-796] Scripture Mk 1:16-20; 3:13-19 Mt. 13:10-17; 28:20 Lk. 10:17-20; 22:28-30 Jn. 6:56; 14:18; 15:4-5 Acts 2:33 

Temple of the Holy Spirit [797-801] Scripture Eph. 1:4; 2:21-23;5:25- 27 Mt. 19:6 2:Cor 6:16; 1 Cor 3:16- 17 

THE MYSTERY AND MARKS OF THE CHURCH: ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC [811-870] Scripture Mt. 16: 13-20 

CHRIST’S FAITHFUL – HEIRARCHY, LAITY, CONSECRATED LIFE: [871-945] 

Church Order: The Hierarchy - Magisterium and Infallibiilty [874-896] 

The Laity: Rights and Responsibilities [897-913, 2041] 

The Domestic Church [1655-58, 1666, 2204- 2257, 2685] 

The Universal Call to Holiness [2013-2014,2028,2813] Scripture Mt. 5:48 2 Tim. 4: 1-8 Rm. 8: 28-30 

Vocation: Marriage, Priesthood and the Religious Life [914-933] Scripture Mt. 9:10-13 Mk. 1:16-20 Jn 1:35-51 2 Cor. 4:4 

COMMUNION OF SAINTS [946-962] Scripture Mt 25:31-46 

MARY AS MODEL OF CHURCH [148-149, 963-975, 2673-2682] Scripture Lk 1:26-38; 39-45; 46-55 Mt. 1:18-2:15 Jn. 19:25-27 

BAPTISMAL CALL AND DISCIPLESHIP (the mandate to go forth) [816,849] Scripture Mt. 5:11-12; 28:16-20 Lk. 11:1 Jn. 13:15

CALL TO STEWARDSHIP AND SERVICE: Catholic social teaching about the common good [2419-2422] 

CALL TO ECUMENISM, INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION [848-849,927- 933,905,2044,2472]

Locate and cite passages in the New Testament that highlight God’s desire to reveal Himself to us. 

State the meaning of divine inspiration, magisterium, authentic interpretation of Scripture, canon and inerrancy. 

Understand that God reveals Himself over time and in human history.

Describe how God’s Natural Law helps us listen to our own sacred story to follow Jesus Christ. 

Understand and explain the structure and organization of the New Testament. 

List the twenty-seven books in the New Testament and where to find them. 

Describe the distinction of the books of the New Testament separated into four categories: Gospels, Acts, Letters and Revelation.

Differentiate between divinely inspired truth and literal fact when interpreting Sacred Scripture. 

Find characteristics of God’s Kingdom in the New Testament. 

Cite different teachings from the New Testament concerning the Paschal Mystery and discipleship. 

Describe the distinction of the books of the New Testament separated into four categories: Gospels, Acts, Letters and Revelation. 7-KF-R-1 Compare and contrast the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. 

Identify the “Catholic Letters” in the New Testament: Letter of James, Peter 1 and 2, John 1, 2, and 3, Jude

Define the term “tradition” as it is used in the Catholic Church. 

Locate and cite passages in the New Testament related to key events in Salvation History. 

Define the Incarnation.

 Exhibit an understanding that Jesus fulfills the promises made in the Old Testament. (typology) 

Understand the importance of the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1. 

Understand the role of John the Baptist as precursor to Jesus. 

Compare the accounts of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus found in the Gospels. 

Retell stories from the New Testament in which Jesus is acknowledged as both divine and human. (hypostatic union) 

Explain the meaning of “synoptic” and how the synoptic Gospels differ from the Gospel of John.

Trace and compare the stories of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus found in the Synoptic Gospels. 

Review and understand the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection found in the Gospels and in Acts. 

Understand the purpose of parables in the ministry of Jesus. 

Use the Gospels to understand Jesus’ ministry as one who teaches, forgives, and heals in the name of the Father. 

Articulate that the central mystery of the Christian faith is the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Begin to recognize we can know characteristics of God, but our understanding of God will always be limited as our human words can never explain the mystery of God. 

Recall that although God is named Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each is wholly and entirely God. 

Describe how through the love and life of Jesus Christ we have been redeemed by God’s mercy and love of the Holy Spirit. 

Name and define the characteristics of God: eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. 

Describe the resurrection of the dead as essential to Christianity: We have risen with Christ in Baptism and participate in the life of the Risen Christ. 

Identify the actions of the Holy Spirit in the prayer of the Early Church. 

Locate and cite passages in the New Testament that include all the person(s) of the Holy Trinity, e.g. Baptism of Christ; sending of the Paraclete. 

Cite New Testament verses that are included in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. 

Recognize the statement, “He descended into hell,” confesses that Jesus did really die and through his death for us conquered death and the devil “who has the power of death” (Heb 2:14).

Articulate as a statement in the creeds the belief in the Trinity, the One God of the Old and New Testament, Father, as the creator of all; Jesus, as living, dying and rising to save us from our sins, and the Holy Spirit as the ongoing presence of God living in the Church and each of us.

Articulate and demonstrate the meaning of full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy. 

Review and understand that the synoptic Gospels makeup the Cycles A, B and C of the readings during Sunday Mass and the use of John’s Gospel annually. 

Define Lectionary, Sacramentary and Book of Blessings. 

Experience the different Eucharistic prayers and cite New Testament scripture passages that pertain to the Eucharist. 

Associate transubstantiation to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. 

Associate the Last Supper with the Mass. 

Articulate how sacraments help us live a life of faith. 

Recognize and give examples of how the Sacraments are rooted in the New Testament. 

Locate a New Testament passage that describes the Sacraments of Initiation. 

Recognize Jesus’ baptism wherein the Holy Spirit anoints and God the Father proclaims Jesus as the “beloved” who will fulfill the mission of salvation

Find evidence of anointing and healing in the New Testament. 

Prepare and participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and relate the importance of this sacrament now and throughout life. 

Understand and explain that Catholic marriages are called to witness to the Trinitarian love of Christ. 

Recall the Sacrament of Holy Orders as a vocation through the Sacrament at the Service of Communion for God and his people. 

Cite and explain the passage in the Acts of the Apostles describing the ordination of the first deacons. 

Identify the liturgical seasons and the cycle of readings in the Catholic Church. 

Make connections between New Testament events and the Liturgical Calendar. 

Explain how the Triduum liturgies deepen their understanding of the Passion of our Lord. 

Identify some of the solemnity, feasts and memorials in the Liturgical Calendar. 

Understand the meaning of sacramentals. 

Identify and use sacramentals to encourage faith in Jesus. 

Recognize the scriptural roots of some sacramentals we use today. 

Describe the Liturgy of the Hours as the public prayer of the Church and know that it is prayed across the globe every day. 

Antiphonally pray psalms from the Liturgy of the Hours including those learned in previous grades and Psalm 8. Pray and reflect on the Canticle of Zachariah from the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Experience the Liturgy of the Hours using Shorter Christian Prayer format for morning prayer, lauds or evening prayer, vespers. 

Compare the funeral rite with the Paschal mystery. 

Associate New Testament passages with Jesus blessing people, weddings and dying people. 

Identify and use prayers from the Book of Blessings.

Locate and cite passages from the New Testament where people expressed a capacity and desire for God. 

Understand how God’s Natural Law is perfected in the Sermon on the Mount and leads us to what we must do and what we must avoid. 

Identify how we are created in God’s image. 

Identify how we are called to know God and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by the way we live and act. 

Explore ways of being models of Christian love in everyday life. 

Name New Testament people who demonstrated authentic love – to will the good of other people. 

Cite New Testament passages that demonstrate the importance of human dignity.

Name the characteristics of God’s Kingdom found in the Beatitudes as the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments. 

Associate the Beatitudes with current events and people in society who are building and discovering God’s Kingdom. 

Use the Beatitudes as a tool for conscience formation. 

Define conscience and provide examples of how your conscience helps guide moral decision making. 

Define morality and understand the three sources of the morality of human acts: object, intention, and circumstances. 

Locate New Testament passages that provide examples of Jesus helping to form the consciences of believers: Matthew 5. 

Identify and cite examples of Jesus’ reaction to sin and sinners in the Gospels. 

Cite New Testament examples of sin and forgiveness, and explain how turning away from God affects their lives and relationships. 

Understand the belief that the Church has the power to forgive sins through the Sacraments. 

Identify the communal impact of sin and explain how sin can be both commission and omission. 

Integrate the meaning of the Christian morality with Jesus’ teaching, the dignity of the human person and the Incarnation. 

State the meaning of the maxim that the end does not justify the means. 

Describe and use a moral decision making process that reference both Scripture and the Church’s moral teaching. 

Identify how the Ten Commandments are a guide for moral living. 

Review how the Old Testament covenant between God and Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus as He institutes the New Covenant. 

Define and find scriptural examples of the Cardinal and Theological Virtues as modeled by Jesus and others in the New Testament. 

Understand one’s responsibility and ways to serve other people, especially those in most need. 

Find New Testament examples of persons responding to God’s call to serve God and others. 

Describe the effects of Original Sin.

Identify society causes of hunger, disease, poverty. 

State how personal sins have social consequences. 

Associate and explain heaven, hell and purgatory with states after death. 

Retell a Gospel account in which Jesus’ teaching confronted the current culture such as the Woman at the Well or the Good Samaritan. 

Using scripture stories from the New Testament, identify rights and responsibilities to care for God’s creation, the poor and vulnerable (the right to life and the preferential option for the poor.)

State the importance of Christians taking an active part in public life building the Kingdom of God and promoting the common good. 

Give examples of stewardship from their own lives. 

Participate in service projects that involve giving of time and talent to others, articulate how service is essential to being a disciple of Christ. 

Find scriptural examples of Jesus practicing the Works of Mercy. 

Identify faith responses to questions about suffering and promise in the New Testament and in the world today

Use their study of the New Testament to develop an awareness of current events regarding human suffering and actions that promote social justice. 

Retell a Gospel account in which Jesus’ teaching confronted his current culture. 

Locate and explain New Testament passages which contain Jesus’ command to love.

Identify Scripture that reflects themes of Catholic Social Teaching, and reflect on the Scripture using the model of encounter, disturbance and response. (Resource: Maryknoll Missionaries) 

Describe how and when Jesus prayed by citing passages from the New Testament. 

Know Jesus hears our prayers. 

Experience Lectio Divina as a way of praying the Gospels. 

Explain how prayer can help express their deepest needs, in times of temptation, and as an act of self-surrender to God. 

Understand how and when Jesus prayed. 

Identify forms of prayer in the New Testament and understand their relationship with our Church prayers today. 

Engage in and/or lead a prayer service incorporating one or more of the forms of prayer using the “You, who, do, through” model. 

Identify expressions of prayer in the New Testament and understand their relationship with our Church prayers today. 

Explain how prayer expresses their relationship to God.

Recognize meditation as important form of prayer. 

Engage in and/or lead a prayer service incorporating one or more expressions of prayer. 

Explain how the Our Father is a summary of faith and a model for Christian prayer. 

Connect the Seven Petitions in the Our Father with other passages from the New Testament, making connections between Gospel themes and Jesus’ actions. 

Know, identify in the New Testament, and explain the Sorrowful Mysteries: Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowing with Thorns, Carrying the Cross, Crucifixion and Death. 

Describe that the Church prays the Liturgy of the Hours at special times of the morning and evening. 

Participate in a variety of traditional devotions, and experience different prayer forms. 

Identify the four movements of Lectio Divina. 

Employ the Lectio Divina model for reflection using: the Letter of James, Peter 1-2, John 1-3 and Jude.

Prayers By Heart

Prayers to Experience

Prayers to Recite and Lead

Shared at Mass - Mass Responses: 

Review the structure of the Church and identify how this structure originates through Jesus with the Apostles. 

Explain how and why the Apostles had a special responsibility to the Church. 

Identify the significant role of St. Peter as the first Pope. 

Explore the lives and describe the special responsibilities of the apostles and early Church Fathers. 

Understand and explain how the Catholic Church is worldwide and includes many cultures and ethnic groups. 

Cite examples from the New Testament in which the Early Church acted as a model community, catalyst, and support for its members. 

Locate the Epistles and explain New Testament passages that describe the gifts given in the Early Church.

Recognize how People of God represent people throughout the world who are united with God. 

Identify gifts present in the Church today. 

Read the Pauline passages and identify themes of the early Church in building the Body of Christ. 

Name and explain situations that do and do not honor chaste living – honoring our bodies as Temples of the Holy Spirit. 

Review the structure of the Church and identify how this structure originates through Jesus with the Apostles. 

State that the Rites of the Catholic Church derive from one profession of faith, celebration of the seven sacraments and one hierarchy.

Identify New Testament leaders and describe Apostolic Succession as it was established in the New Testament. 

Describe the organizational structure of the parish including bishop, pastor/canonical leader, principal, teacher/catechist. 

Identify the roles of the laity in the Precepts of the Church. 

Articulate how the life of Jesus calls us to live in community and how membership in the parish is important to my life. 

Identify how Jesus was Priest, Prophet and King in the New Testament and associate this with lay ministries today. 

Identify the important components of the domestic church in Jesus’ family and in our families.

Identify qualities and explain how the Holy Family is the model for all families. 

Identify and describe qualities of holy people from the New Testament as models for our lives.

Pray to discern one’s life vocation and how their parents, parish priests, deacons, and vowed religious can help them to discern about their vocation. 

Name people in the New Testament who chose to follow God’s call (vocation) in their lives (e.g. Apostles, Paul, Timothy.) 

Describe how apostolic religious orders provided teachers and catechists for parishes in the United States for over 150 years. 

State the call to religious life in the Church is identified in two forms - active and contemplative. 

Celebrate the feast day of the parish patron saint. 

State the belief that all the faithful in Christ, living and dead, form the Communion of Saints.

Give examples of saints in the early Church who lived out their covenant relationship with God. 

Locate and cite passages about Mary in the New Testament, share how Mary is a model for prayer and discipleship.

Describe how the Holy Spirit worked through Mary to prepare the way for the incarnation. 

Explain the titles of Mary, the New Eve, Handmaid of the Lord, Mother of Christ. 

Recognize Mary as a model of prayer and faith for today. 

State how the Magnificat shows God’s power and justice.

Identify people in the New Testament who both resisted and answered God’s calling to discipleship. 

Recognize the Church is missionary by nature. (See mission.) 

Identify in Scripture, recite and understand the implications of the great commission given us by Jesus “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” 

State how stewardship is important to the spiritual life of the parish.

Name talents and gifts from God that holy people in the New Testament used to serve God’s people, and identify ways to serve God using the principles of the common good and peace.

Understand the call and the implications of the New Evangelization. 

State the importance of respecting the religious beliefs of others, while also sharing our beliefs with them in word and action. 

Identify Islam as a religion that shares the Jewish and Christian belief in one God, monotheism. 

Sorrowful Mysteries

Angelus

Hail, Holy Queen

Act of Love

Silent Prayer

Meditation

Lectio Divinia

Rosary

Stations of the Cross

Th Examen

Prayers of blessing, adoration, praise, intercession, thanksgiving, petition

One or more decades from the Rosary 

Invitatory, Psalm(s) antiphonal style, Doxology - Psalm 8 and Canticle of Zechariah (Lk 1:68-79) from Liturgy of the Hours 

Spontaneous Prayer using “You, Who, Do, Through” sequence 

Sign of the Cross

And with your spirit

Confiteor

Gloria

Alleluia

Responses after Scripture readings and Gospel

Creed (Nicene and/or Apostles)

Invitation to Prayer

Preface Dialogue

Sanctus

The Mystery of Faith

Sign of Peace

Agnus Dei / Behold the Lamb of God