School Year  2023-2024
                                             

                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                    Religion Class

 


                                



                                                                                                         

                                                                                                          Grade 6                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The Healing of a Deaf Man 

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark                                                                                                                                         7:31–37
                                                                                                                                       
Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Focus Questions
1. How did the deaf man come to meet Jesus? What was asked of Jesus?
2. What physical actions and materials did Jesus use to heal the deaf man? What words did Jesus use?
3. What was the result of Jesus’ actions and words?
4. What did Jesus order the people who witnessed the healing to do? What did they actually do?           




                                                                                                      Grade 7   

                                                                                                           
                                                                                        Marriage and Divorce        
           

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark                                                                                                                                                                             10:2-16

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Focus Questions

1. What reason does Jesus give for why the law under Moses allowed divorce?
2. What was God’s original intention for marriage?
3. What reason does Jesus give for why divorce is not acceptable?
4. What does Jesus teach about adultery?
5. How does Jesus’ teaching about adultery make sense in the context of Jesus’ teaching about marriage and divorce?
6. Why does Jesus allow the children to come to Him?        

 

                                           Grade 8
                                  
                                                 

                               The Parable of the Tenants
     
A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew                                                                                                                                              21:33–43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.” They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”

Focus Questions

1. What does the landowner do after he plants a vineyard, digs a winepress, and builds a tower?
2. What does the landowner do when vintage time draws near?
3. What do the tenants do to the servants that the landowner sends them?
4. Whom does the landowner finally send to the tenants and why? What do the tenants do to the person the landowner sends them?
5. What do the chief priests and the elders say the landowner will do to the wretched tenants?
6. What will happen to the stone that the builders rejected?
7. To whom will the Kingdom of God be given?      

                                                                                                                                                         
Date Posted: October 3, 2023

Due Date: October 10, 2023

N.B.
Please submit your work to:  kcavaness@stjosepheo.com, rignacio@stjosepheo.com, to your parents and to yourself as well.  Two points deduction for each day of delay, and failure to submit  five days after due date will get  a zero.