Vocation education resources for teachers, catechists & those working with youth and young adults

Religious Life Unit – Day One Appropriate for grades 9-12 Time: One 50-minute class period Purpose: To allow students the opportunity to consider the universal call to build the Reign of God through the gifts given to us by God and the particular call of the Marianist Family. Objectives: Students will be able to: 1. Consider the mission of Jesus’ earthly ministry. 2. Demonstrate how one’s baptism connects him or her to the mission of Jesus. 3. Articulate the Marianist understanding of mission. 4. Discover the gifts they have been given to build the Reign of God.  5. Reflect on how their gifts could be utilized. Activities: 1. Opening Activity – 5 minutes Ask students to brainstorm people they know who they think have a mission. What do they believe these people’s missions are? 2. Discussion – 20-25 minutes Discuss as a class the following points: Jesus’ mission was to Build the Reign of God He described it in many different ways, but especially through the proclamation in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 4:18-19) Before Jesus could make this proclamation he prayed in the desert (discernment) and was baptized in the Jordan (affirmed as the beloved of God) We, through of our baptism, are affirmed as “beloved of God” and called to participate in Jesus’ mission Each person has different gifts for participating in Jesus’ mission  It is not by accident that some people are good public speakers, others are good organizers, or artists, great at math or science, good listeners… those are gifts from God to be used for building the Reign of God (Note: It is important that students understand that “building the Reign of God” does not necessarily mean working for the Church, but bringing Jesus into all we do in whatever career we choose.) That is the mission of all baptized people – the overall, broad mission of the Church.