Gather. Grow. Go. with Christ
Last year, our theme was “Powered by Prayer!” We hoped that students used prayer as a path to become closer to Jesus. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us simply that prayer is a “personal relationship with the living and true God” (no. 2558). At its heart, prayer is a relationship. And like all relationships, it has its ups and downs, its different expressions, even its battles and obstacles, all of which students (and you!) learned about and even had the chance to experience. Like any relationship, prayer isn’t always easy. It takes work, commitment, and communication. It requires us to listen, to speak up, to try again and again, and never to give up” (The Power of Prayer). Because we need to ever deepen our prayer relationship with God, we will continue to pray before each class using the traditional prayers included in the binder. An “ACTS” prayer sheet will be included monthly in the student’s journal for a more concrete way to pray.
This year, our theme will be “Gather. Grow. Go. with Christ.” In meeting with Father Derek, we decided to base our theme on the vision, strategy, and pathways for our Mary, Seat of Wisdom parish. This pathway is based on Jesus’ Mission Process. During his three years of active ministry, Jesus chose to devote the majority of his time and attention to a small group of followers. He discerned and invited the twelve.(Gather) He formed and trained them by living with them, loving them, and apprenticing them individually.(Grow) He sent them out to proclaim the good news of the kingdom in word and deed.(Go) And after he sent them, he remained with them to shepherd them. This cycle created the early church and continues through us today. (The Evangelical Catholic)
This theme builds upon the divine intimacy pillar we focused on last year through our “Powered by Prayer” theme. Building on the pillars of authentic friendship and relational evangelization, we continue on this discipleship pathway. We learn discipleship isn’t a one time decision. It is a lifelong process, all of us need to gather, grow, and go repeatedly throughout our journey of discipleship, encountering Christ along the way.
All of us are called to a vocation as disciples of Christ. The word disciple comes from the Greek word “mathetes” which means learners, students, or apprentices. It’s not just about knowing facts, but about knowing and imitating. We are called to be imitators of Christ. This year we will provide opportunities for students and faculty to discern, think, and pray about how God is calling us to serve him.
As we have learned in previous Catholic Identity themes, the highest form of prayer and the ultimate way to gather, grow, and go is participating in mass and the Eucharist. The Catechism states that the Eucharist is, “the source and summit of our Christian life” (no.1324) As such, “What better way to be in a relationship with Him than actually to be with Him [in the Eucharist]” (The Power of Prayer).
This year our theme will be carried out by trimester.
- Trimester 1: Gather - September, October, November
- Trimester 2: Grow - December, January, February
- Trimester 3: Go - March, April, May
Our monthly lesson will include…
- An example of sacred art
- A scripture passage with discussion questions
- A song based on the scripture passage
- A model of discipleship
- A journal entry
- A service/outreach opportunity
- The all school song
Our visual display is a circular design directing us to gather, grow, and go as disciples of Christ. The circular design helps us to know we are on the discipleship pathway. We gather to create engagement and belonging. On the display it is represented in the circle with a group of people. We grow in our faith building up our relationship with God and each other. On the display it is represented in the circle with the leaves. We go forth boldly to be Christ to others. On the display it is represented in the circle with the footprints. In the center is a cross to remind us that Christ is the center and focus of this journey. This pathway is not ordered steps or a strict sequence, but is a continual encounter with Christ along the way. Discipleship is not a one time decision. It is a lifelong process. Religion teachers will add blue and purple strips during Advent and Lent to display symbols that coordinate with the Sunday Gospels in those seasons.
