Unit 1: God Helps Us to Love

Lesson 1: God Makes Us Pleasing to Him

God loves us, that is why He always helps us. He makes us brave when we are afraid. He
makes us strong when we are weak. The help that God gives us is called grace.

We Celebrate Life

There are many wonderful things we can do that give joy to us and to the people
around us.

Activity 1
Direction: Answer the following questions in a complete sentence. (5pts. each)
1. What wonderful deeds are shown in the picture?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you agree that those are wonderful actions? Why yes? Why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. What wonderful deeds can you do? Write on the line provided?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrate God’s Word

There were many wonderful deeds that Jesus did when He was still on earth. One wonderful
deed is shown in the story from the Gospel of Matthew.

pg. 1
 Jesus Heals a Sick Man
When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him. And then a leper
approached, did Him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out
His hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift
that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
Matthew 8:1-4

Homework:

Direction: Answer the following questions.

1. Based on what I have learned, my own definition of grace is

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

2. I will show that the grace of God is alive in me by doing the following.

a. _________________________________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________________________
c. _________________________________________________________________________
d. _________________________________________________________________________
e. _________________________________________________________________________

The Angelus Prayer

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
pg. 2
 And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R. Be it done to me according to thy word.

Hail Mary. . .

V. And the Word was made flesh.

R. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary. . .

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation
of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

He was very young when he began teaching poor children about Jesus. He also spent his time
learning the lives of saints.

Aloysius’ father wanted him to be a soldier but he wanted to be a priest. He joined a group of
priest called the Jesuits at the age of 18 even if his father did not want him to serve in a hospital when
so many people got sick because of a plague. He also died because of the plague when he was 23.
Adopted from www.catholic .org

pg. 3
 Saint Aloysius de Gonzaga, was an Italian aristocrat who became a member of the Society of
Jesus. While still a student at the Roman College, he died as a result of caring for the victims of a
serious epidemic. He was beatified in 1605 and canonized in 1726.

beatified - to announce formally in the Roman Catholic Church that someone who

is dead has lived a holy life, usually as the first stage in making that person a saint.
Canonized- officially declare (a dead person) to be a saint, sanction by Church authority.
Sacraments - are visible rites seen as signs and efficacious channels of
the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper disposition. The sevenfold list of
sacraments is often organized into three categories: the sacraments of initiation (into the Church,
the body of Christ), consisting of Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation; the sacraments of healing,
consisting of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick; and the sacraments of service: Holy
Orders and Matrimony.

The seven sacraments

1. Baptism
2. Eucharist
3. Reconciliation/ Penance
4. Confirmation
5. Matrimony
6. Holy orders
7. Anointing of the Sick

The seven sacraments

1. Baptism
For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong
journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as
infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting
the embrace of God.

2. Communion
Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a
meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we
receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and
brought closer to God.

3. Penance

pg. 4
 The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance, or Penance and
Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's
unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others.

4. Confirmation
Confirmation is a Catholic Sacrament of mature Christian commitment and
a deepening of baptismal gifts. It is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation
for Catholics. It is most often associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

5. Matrimony
    For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy
Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is
also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of
family values and also God's values.

6. Holy Orders
In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest
being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments
(especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other
means to holiness.

7. Anointing of the Sick

The Catholic Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last
Rites or Extreme Unction, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for
physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness.

Unit 1
Lesson 2 God Helps Us Avoid Sin
God loves us and He wants us to be happy always. We can be happy if we will do what He tells us.
Doing what God tells us is the true meaning of freedom.

pg. 5
 Have you experienced riding on a train? In our country there are two kinds of train one is
found above the ground and another is on the ground. No matter where trains are found, they all work
in the same way. Can you tell how? Look closely at the picture.
A train is a form of transport consisting of a series of connected vehicles that generally runs along
a rail track to transport cargo or passengers. The word "train" comes from the Old French trahiner,
derived from the Latin trahere meaning "to pull" or "to draw".[1]

We celebrate God’s Word

God’s commands, our “tracks,” can be summarized in one statement.

Follow and Be Free

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use you freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love, serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by
one another.

We Celebrate God’s Message

As followers of Jesus, we also have “tracks.” They guide us on how we should run our lives.
These tracks are the commands of God. In the Old Testament, God gave His people the Ten
Commandments. Until now, we still follow these commands. In the New Testament, Jesus summarized
the Ten Commandments into two: “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind
and love your neighbor as yourself.” (cf.MK 12: 30-31)If we obey these, we stay on track. If we are on
track, we will fall into sin and we fail to live as children of God. Sin makes us slaves to what we want,
not what God wants us to do. Sin destroys our freedom. Freedom means obedience, God-given power
to be able to act of one’s own accord.

Activity 2 Direction: Answer the following questions.

1. What is unique about trains that make them different from other types of vehicles?

________________________________________________________________________

pg. 6
 ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think trains have tracks?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. What will happen if trains will not follow their tracks?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

4. Do persons also have “tracks”? What do you think are this tracks”?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrate Holiness

St. Blaise
St. Blaise is known as the saint we call on if we have problems with our
throat. In celebrating his feast day, there is sometimes a blessing of throats. This
may sound funny but a doctor named Aetius Amidenus spoke of St. Blaise’s aid
in treating objects caught in the throat.

Very little is known of St. Blaise except that he was a bishop of

SebasteaIn Armenia. He was put to death by Emperor Licinius in the early fourth century when he did
not want to give up his Christian faith. Aside from being the saint we call on when we have throat
problem, he is also known for treating animals with kindness in the same way that he treats people.

pg. 7
 When St. Blaise said no to the emperor who wanted him to deny his faith, he was practicing his
freedom. Thus even if he was threatened with death, he was not afraid because he knows that following
Jesus will lead him to his true destination – heaven.

We Celebrate the Teachings of the Church

In the text from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians, we learn that our freedom comes from
God and that we should use it properly. To use our freedom properly means to use it to serve others and
not to hurt them. When we say we are free to hurt others by our actions or words, we are not using our
freedom properly, we are abusing it.
To be free is to choose what is good, and to stay away from what is bad. Choosing to do good
sets us free from fears, from punishment, and from sin. Sin makes us slaves to what we want, not what
God wants us to do. Sin destroys our freedom.

My Faith Words
beatitudes - blessing
freedom - it means doing what God commands us to do and not doing - what we
want to do

Unit 1
Lesson 3: God Makes Us Strong and Faithful
When we always do what is good, it becomes easy for us to do. Doing good always develops in
us good habits. These good habits are called virtues.

We Celebrate Life
There are actions we do almost automatically because we always do them. The Moreno twins
show us what they always do the moment they wake up to the time they go to bed.
Habits

Gary and Richard are twins. They share the same room and both are in Grade 4. They almost
look the same, talk and move in the same way. But there is something very different between them-
their habits.

pg. 8
 Gabby goes to bed early everyday so that he will wake up early and will not be late for his class.
Upon waking up, Gabby says a prayer of thanks to God for watching over him. He eats his breakfast,
brushes his teeth afterwards, then takes a bath. When the school service comes he is ready for school.
In school, Gabby is active and alert.
Richard stays up late playing computer games. It is very hard to wake up, he hardly has time to
say his prayer. He often hurriedly eats his breakfast, because he can hear the honking of the school
service. He dresses up without taking a bath and brushing his teeth. In school, Richard hardly
participates because he is too sleepy to recite or do the class activities.

Activity 1 Direction: Answer the following

1. What activities does Gabby do to prepare for school?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

2. What good effects do Gabby’s activities have on him?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. Why is it hard for Richard to participate in school?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Who has good habits between Gabby and Richard? Explain your answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
pg. 9
We Celebrate God’s Words

How do we develop good habits? The text from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians tells us
how

Doing What Is Good

Finally, brethren, whatsoever thing are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things. The things which ye both
learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shell be with you.

Phil 4:8-9

Virtues: Good Habits

All of us have habits, some of these habits are good while some are not so good. St. Paul teaches
us to choose what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and good. How do we know what is true,
honorable, just, pure, lovely, and good? Just like St. Paul we look at Jesus and see how He spoke and
acted. Jesus always says what is true and does what is honorable. He is always says what is true and
does what is honorable. He is always just, He treats everyone fairly and his heart is pure and loving
because it contains only love for God and for others.

If we follow the example of Jesus, we will always do what is good. If we always do what is
good, we will develop good habits. These good habits are what we call virtues.

The Good Effects of Virtues

Good habits produce good effects. If we develop these good habits or virtues we will become
true children of God. There are some virtues that we need to develop to make our relationship with
God really strong:
a. Faith - help us believe in everything that Jesus teaches
b. Hope - help us believe that Jesus is always there to help us
c. Love - help us love God above all and our neighbors like we love
our self

pg. 10
 Some virtues that we need to develop to make our relationship with the people around us
strong:
a. Justice - it help us give respect, love and care
b. prudence - it will help us know the right thing to do at the right time
c. temperance - help us to have self-control
d. fortitude - make us brave even if we are facing hardship

Activity 2
1. What is virtue?
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. How will you develop good habits or virtues? List some ways.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Homework: Answer: How will you show that you have the following virtues?

1. Justice
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Temperance
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. Fortitude
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Prudence
_____________________________________________________________________________

pg. 11
 _____________________________________________________________________________

5. How do virtues affect our relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters?
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

St. Catherine of Genoa

Catherine belonged to a rich family and when she was old enough to
marry, her parents arranged for her marriage to a rich man who was a gambler.
She slowly began to influence by her husband but deep inside she was not
happy.

One day, she went to confession and her life changed. She felt God’s
love and mercy in her heart. She began to realize how sinful she was and how
good and loving God is. From that time on, she changed her life and because of
her hood example, her husband changed, too.

Catherine and her husband spent their life taking care of poor and sick people in a hospital. After
her husband died, she spent her life and the money that she had for the sick people in the hospital.
The story of St. Catherine shows that she had the virtues of faith, hope, and love. These virtues
made her do what is good and loving towards others.

My Faith Words

Disposition - the kind of mind and character a person has

Virtue - an action that we repeatedly and consistently do which makes
our relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters grow deeper.

Lesson 4: God Guides Us

To put order in our life, at home, and in our community, there are laws that guide us. When we
obey them, we will have peace in our life.

We Celebrate Life
Our body follows an order. There are rules we must follow if we want our body to work well.
What are these rules? Let us find out.
Body Order

pg. 12
 Our body needs sleep Our body needs exercise
So that it can rest. We need to stretch and bend
That’s one rule we must If we move and walk everyday
follow Our body will be our
If we want to be our friend
best. There are rules we must follow
Our body needs to eat For us to be healthy
For it to be strong. The easiest of these
If we are always hungry Is to take care of our body.
Surely, things will go wrong.
We need to keep our body
Clean and smelling nice
It will help us a lot
If we follow this advice.
Activity 1
1. Why must we give our body enough time to rest?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

2. What will go wrong if we do not eat?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think will happen if we follow the advice to keep our body clean?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you agree that the easiest way to be healthy is to take care of our body?
Explain your answer.

pg. 13
 _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Celebrating God’s Word

When we follow the laws of the lord, wonderful things will happen to us. This is the message of
the text taken from the book of Psalms

Following the Ways of the Lord

Blessed those whose way is blameless,
who walk by the law of the Lord.
Blessed those who keep His testimonies,
who seek Him with all their heart.
They do no wrong; they walk in His ways.
You have given them the command
to observe your precepts with care.
May my ways be firm in the observance of your statutes!
Then I will not be ashamed to ponder all your
commandments.
I will praise you with sincere heart
as I study your righteous judgments.
I will observe your statutes; do not leave me all alone.
Ps 119:1-8

We Celebrate God’s Message

Everything that God made follows a set of rules. These rules are meant to put God’s creations in
order.

Our body is created by God. He puts rules in our body so that it will be in order. Some of these
rules are listed in the poem at the beginning of the lesson. Following these rules will make our body
healthy and strong.

When God created the world and everything in it, including human persons, he put order in
them. God gives us the power to continue the order He has put in all His creations. He gives us the
power to obey the laws that put order in our world. If we will continue to obey these laws, His order
will remain.

Law Bring Us Blessings

Laws are commands or rules that tell us what we should do and what we should not do.
pg. 14
 The Law that come from God, we call them divine law, show us how to be good children of God
and how we can show respect to others.

Homework: What will you do to show that you:

1. love God above all?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

2. Love your neighbor as yourself?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

St. Edith Stein

As children of God, we are to obey His laws. If there are laws formulated
by human persons that run against God’s laws, we have to choose God’s laws. If
we do, we shall be blessed with never-ending happiness with God. This is the
message of the life story of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross whose real name is
Edith Stein.

Edith was a very intelligent woman. She used to be Jewish when she was
young. When she grew up she discovered the beauty of the Catholic Faith and had
herself baptized. Eleven years later she became a Carmelite Sister and had her
name changed to Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. During that time, there was trouble in Germany and
many people were being put to death. Teresa, and her sister, Rose, were arrested and sent to the
concentration camp at Auschwitz. Teresa and her sister died in the gas chambers.

Teresa obeyed God’s law. She loved Him above all. She suffered and died but God crowned her
with the honor of being a saint. She is now with God, enjoying the happiness only God can give.

pg. 15
My Faith Words

divine law - the law that comes from God. Specific examples are the Ten
Commandments

moral law - the moral is summarized in the rule, “do good, avoid evil”

LESSON 5: God Tell Us What to Do

We hear God’s voice inside us, telling us to choose and do what is good and avoid what is evil.
This voice of God in us is our conscience.

There are many questions in life that need answers. There are things we do not understand.
Sometimes, we just do not know what to do in a difficult situation. The story that follows tells us that
we do not need to be worried or afraid because God is always with us.

We Celebrate Life
A Child’s Angel
Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. He had many questions and fears. Let us
see what they are.

CHILD: They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so
small and helpless?

GOD: Among the many angels, I choose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care
with you.

CHILD: But tell me, here in Heaven, I don’t do anything else but sing and smile, that’s enough for me
to be happy.

GOD: Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your
angel’s love and be happy.

CHILD: And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don’t know the
language that men talk?

GOD: Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much
patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.
pg. 16
CHILD: And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?

GOD: Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.

CHILD: I’ve heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?

GOD: Your angel will defend you even if it means risking her life.

CHILD: But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.

GOD: Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to
me, even though I will always be next to you.

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard,
and the child in a hurry asked softly:

CHILD: Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel’s name

GOD: Your angel’s name is of no importance, you will call your angel: “Mommy”.

We Celebrate God’s Word

The story that follows shows some men who tell Jesus what to do when they brought to Him a
woman they accuse of sinning. Did Jesus follow them? Let us find out.

Be the First One to Cast a Stone

Jesus arrived again in the temple area early in the morning, and all the people started coming to
Him, and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had
been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was
caught in the very act of committing sin. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?” They said this to test Him, so that they could have some charges to bring against
Him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger. But when they continued
asking Him, He straightened up and said to them,” Let the one among you who is without sin be the
first to throw a stone at her”. Again He bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went
away one by one, beginning with the elders. So He was left alone with the woman before Him. Then
Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She
replied, “No one sir”. Then Jesus said,” Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin
anymore.”
cfJn 8:1-11
pg. 17
We Celebrate God’s Message
God talk to us through our conscience. At the beginning of the lesson, God talks to an unborn
baby who has fears and questions about being born. God answers all his questions and removes all his
fears. God talks to us in different ways. He talks to us through the things around us that he created.

God talks to us through the people who care for us. In the story, God told the unborn baby not to
worry when he is born because God will give an angel who will care for him. This angel is the baby’s
mother. God talks to us when we pray to Him. He talk to us through the Bible. When we participate in
the Mass, the priest reads from the Bible and explains to us the message of God in his homily. It is God
talking to us through the priest in the Mass.

God talk to us through our conscience. Conscience is God’s voice inside us. When we are in the
situation where we do not know what to do, God tells us what to do through our conscience. He tells us
to choose what is good and avoid what is not good. It is our conscience that commands, allows, and
advises or forbids us from doing something. It Judge an acts even after we have done an act, it either
approves or disapproves what we have done.

Conscience always tells us to love God and avoid evil. It is the voice of God that speaks to our
hearts telling us “do this, shun that.” It is a law written by God in our hearts and to obey it shows our
dignity as human persons and according to it we will be judge.

Forming Our Conscience

In the story from the Gospel of St. John, Jesus told the men to look deep into their hearts and see
if they do not have any sin. If they are sinless, then they should stone the woman. No one threw a stone.
This means that their act of bringing the woman to Jesus comes from conscience that is not clean,
therefore when they told Jesus that she should be stoned, he did not follow them. Instead, Jesus
followed His own conscience. Jesus’ conscience is pure and clean because of this He was able to show
forgiveness and compassion to the woman.

It is important that we form a correct conscience because it is what we follow when making
decisions about right or wrong actions. To form a correct conscience, we must read the Bible, pray
always and receive the Body of Christ in Holy Communion.

We Celebrate Holiness

St. Francisca Salesia Aviat

pg. 18
 To form our conscience is our responsibility and to follow it is our obligation. St. Francisca
formed her conscience well and she obeyed when it told her to do what is good. What are the good
actions that her conscience told her to do?

First, St. Francisca founded the Sister Oblates of Saint Francis of Sales in Troyes, France,
together with Father Louis Brisson. Second, she and the other sisters in her congregation dedicated
their lives to helping young and poor women who were made to do really hard work during a time
called the Industrial Revolution.

Third, St. Francisca opened homes and schools for working class girls. These girls, because they
were poor, did not have money to go to school so they worked at an early age. She gave them a home
to stay in and while there, she taught them the important things that they should know. At that time,
those who believed in Jesus were given a hard time so Francisca was exiled from France and went to
Italy. There she continued to do the good things she used to do in France because her good conscience
told her so.

My Faith Words

Dignity - our worth, value, or importance as human persons

Conscience - is the voice of God that speaks to us and tell us to

‘do this, shun that”

true or correct conscience- the kind of conscience that tells us to do what is good and avoid
what is evil

erroneous conscience - the kind of conscience that does not follow the moral law. It is
opposite of a true or correct conscience.

forming a conscience - is to strive to make our conscience follow God’s law so it will
become pure like the conscience of Jesus

pg. 19
pg. 20