Module for Lenten recollection PDF

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Summary

This module contains:- Theological reflections- First week of Lent lessons and worksheets- Holy Week lessonsRefer to the Teacher Booklet and the Timor-Leste module at caritas.org to see how this module can be used during Lent in 2018.LET US GO TOGETHER:####### Journeying to Peace and Hope in Timor-L...

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LET US GO TOGETHER: MAI ITA BÁ HAMUTUK: Journeying to Peace and Hope in Timor-Leste

This module contains: •

Theological reflections

•

First week of Lent lessons and worksheets

•

Holy Week lessons

Refer to the Teacher Booklet and the Timor-Leste module at www.caritas.org.nz to see how this module can be used during Lent in 2018.

Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey. – Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, #127

Introduction: Our Lenten Journey for 2018 Lent is the Church’s season of repentance; a time to reflect on our relationships with God and with each other. We recall Jesus’ forty days in the desert and preparing for his ministry. We take time out during Lent to think about our own lives, and to face those things in our lives and in our world that are not as they should be. The theme in 2018 is about journeying together. We are personally called to go on a journey – with each other and with God. In the course of the journey we are changed and we change the world around us. The people of Timor-Leste have had a difficult journey and have been working together to build peace and stability after decades of Indonesian occupation, political unrest and ongoing conflict. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has journeyed with HAFOTI, a self-managed community-based organisation in Timor-Leste, since 2004 and supported their growth into a well-regarded organisation creating high quality products. The members of HAFOTI, who are all Timorese women living in rural areas, have chosen to journey together to ensure that they have hope and a sustainable future for their families. This Lent we invite you and your students to learn about the people of Timor-Leste, about their turbulent past and their challenging present. We hope that students will develop a greater understanding of the difficulties facing people in developing countries such as Timor-Leste. They may also feel inspired to contribute to the work of HAFOTI through making a donation to Caritas. Let us go together…

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

module focused on Timor-Leste. Teachers and students are encouraged to use the Lent module for the first and last week of Lent. The Timor-Leste module is designed to be used through the middle of Lent with four lessons provided at each learning level. It is important to note that it has also been designed so that it can be used at any other time outside of Lent as well.

Introduction to Lent Lesson

Lesson

Lesson 1 - 4

[LENT MODULE]

Week 1

Holy Week

Timor Leste Module

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

[LENT MODULE]

Week 5

Week 6

Inspiring Voices Suzanne Aubert The life of service and compassion of Venerable Suzanne Aubert (1835-1926) inspired the title of this year’s resources. Her whole life was a journey: from her native France to Auckland, to Hawkes Bay, the Whanganui River, and finally to Wellington. As with any journey, Suzanne Aubert’s life story involved encountering and overcoming obstacles, such as adapting to a new country and culture, and working hard to gather material support for her work with the poor, sick and underprivileged. Her life teaches us that as often as we show compassion to the brothers and sisters we encounter along the way, we are showing compassion to Christ. As we share this Lent season together, let us remember the words of Suzanne Aubert, “Let us benefit by the experience of one another.”1

‘The Journey’ in the Scriptures The journey motif is perhaps one of the strongest themes in scripture. The Hebrew people of the First Testament were on a journey to the promised land. It took generations before the promise to Abraham was fulfilled and the people of God entered the land of Israel. Along the way the Hebrew people met many trials and challenges. They struggled to remain faithful to God when their journey led them to spend forty years in the desert. In the New Testament, Jesus too was on a journey. The Gospels of Mark and Luke particularly reflect the notion of Jesus’ whole life finding its ultimate meaning in the journey to Jerusalem, where his true identity as God’s Son was revealed. We know that Jesus suffered fear and anxiety on his journey, but he took comfort from the companions that travelled with him. Jesus might have chosen to make this journey alone – but he didn’t. Instead he invited the 12 apostles and numerous other disciples to travel with him. Along the way Jesus stopped many times: for the leper, the paralytic, the demoniac, the woman with a hemorrhage, the deaf man, the rich man and the children – just to name a few! Jesus’ journey teaches us about the importance of journeying together and leaving no-one behind. 1

Found in Seasons of Reflection (Kilian de Lacy) based on Suzanne Aubert’s quotes

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference Just as Jesus was committed to embracing every person he met on his journey to Jerusalem, so the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference is often reminding us that in our own journey of life, we should be aware of those whom society may overlook. If some New Zealanders are living easy lives of wealth and luxury, while others are barely making ends meet, then we have a society that falls short of the Christian vision of community. ‘For our society to truly prosper, we all need to embrace the understanding that the advancement of the poorest members of our society is the advancement of our whole society. The goods of the earth were created by God for all of us to share. Let us work to make that a reality.’ – NZCBC, Poverty in an Affluent Society, 14 Sep 2008 The call to creating a more equal society transcends our own shores. We are also called to be concerned for all members of our global family. In 2015, The Extraordinary Year of Mercy, the Bishops reminded us that the world can sometimes have a hard heart, especially for ‘the poor, minorities, those who do not conform to social norms [and] are often seen as a nuisance, or are oppressed or even despised.’ – Pastoral Letter for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, 6 Dec 2015 Our call, as always, is to go out to the most vulnerable and the most marginalised. It is also pertinent to recall here that an inclusive global community is not just one in which the material needs of the financially disadvantaged are met. A Christian approach to reaching out to others also means overcoming obstacles of prejudice and unforgiveness which may be contributing to social exclusion. The people of Timor-Leste have had to struggle with reintegrating members of their communities who harmed others during the Indonesian occupation and the violence following the 1999 referendum. In their journey to reconstruction and nationhood, Timorese have learned the importance of forgiveness as a means of enabling fractured communities to begin to journey together again. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops speak of the importance of this kind of forgiveness which can heal and reinvigorate communities to continue walking the path ahead. ‘Be generous with compliments and do not withhold your forgiveness when the path to forgive is open to you. Knowing the peace that comes with being forgiven, welcome every opportunity to bring that peace to others.’ – NZCBC, Be Merciful, 3 Apr 2016

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

Pope Francis Pope Francis has a lot to say about the Christian life as a journey. In his 2013 encyclical on the joy of the Gospel, he said, Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey. – Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, #127 Pope Francis’ position is that we should be prepared at any time on our journey to see and respond to the needs of those around us. Today, we need a Church capable of walking at people’s side, of doing more than simply listening to them; a Church which accompanies them on their journey... Pope Francis – Meeting with the Bishops of Brazil, July, 2013 The following anecdote is also a beautiful reflection from the Pope on the nature of life as a journey, best walked with others. It is paraphrased from an article in the American Publication, National Catholic Reporter: On one occasion when Pope Francis was addressing a group of students in Italy and Albania, he decided to forego his prepared speech, and asked instead for questions from the audience. One teenage boy told the pope that he was trying hard to believe in God and be faithful, but that he often struggled with doubt. “What can you say to help me and others like me?” he asked the pope. To this Pope Francis answered, ‘The life of faith is a journey… Journeying is an art because if we’re always in a hurry, we get tired and don’t arrive at our journey’s goal,’ he said. ‘If we stop, we don’t go forward and we also miss the goal. Journeying is precisely the art of looking toward the horizon, thinking where I want to go but also enduring the fatigue of the journey, which is sometimes difficult. ‘What matters in the art of journeying isn’t not falling but not staying down. Get up right away and continue going forward. This is what’s beautiful: this is working every day, this is journeying as humans. ‘But also, it’s bad walking alone: It’s bad and boring. Walking in community, with friends, with those who love us, that helps us. It helps us to arrive precisely at that goal, that ‘there where’ we’re supposed to arrive.’ – National Catholic Reporter, Oct 22, 2013 There is much to be gleaned from these words and to be reflected on as we begin the journey of Lent 2018.

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

lessons focused on life in Timor-Leste found in the Timor-Leste module online at www.caritas.org.nz Refer to the Teacher Booklet for more information.

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

Y1-3

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students are learning to… • • •

Recognise Lent as a season leading up to Easter when Christians try to live more like Jesus lived Reflect on ways we can be like Jesus and help others Understand the importance of peace

STARTER Remind students that we have different seasons during the year. Explain that the Church has different seasons too with special celebrations. Introduce Lent as a time to remember God and others. DISCUSSION Show students the main poster for Lent and ask them to share words that come to mind as they look at the picture and the quote. Tell them that they will hear stories from people in Timor-Leste (like those in the poster) this term. VIEW Show students Poster 1 – Life in Timor-Leste from the picture pack set showing Alda, an 18-year old girl, who lives in Timor-Leste. Share answers to the various questions on the poster: What stands out about Alda’s backyard? How does this compare to your neighbourhood? What do you think Alda may be using the water for? How do you wash and dry your clothes? Where can you get water from in your home? DISCUSSION Remind students that many people around the world (including those in Timor-Leste) do not share the same privileges we do (including access to food and water and enjoying peace). Get students to share what peace means to them and why it may be important.

ACTIVITY Ask students to colour in the words for PEACE in Worksheet L1 – Peace and write down their plan for how they will be more like Jesus, the Prince of Peace, during Lent this year. Good ideas can be found in the Keep it Simple for Lent Calendar. Once completed, these could be displayed or shared with others. ACTIVITY Hold your own Ash Wednesday liturgy and get students to reflect on ways they may help others and be more like Jesus during this season of Lent. On this day introduce the Caritas koha box and how it can be used this term. PRAYER Use the Prayer for Peace in the Lent 2018 Prayer Booklet to help inspire students to be people of peace as Lent begins.

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

Y4-5

Students are learning to… • • •

Recognise Lent as a season leading up to Easter when Christians try to live more like Jesus lived Reflect on ways we can be like Jesus and bring God’s reign to earth Understand we have many journeys and opportunities to help others

STARTER Remind students about the different seasons we experience during the year. Explain that the Church has different seasons too with special celebrations. Introduce Lent as a time to remember God and others. DISCUSSION Introduce the theme for Lent this year as ‘Let us go together’. Ask students to share what they think this means. What is the challenge that we can take away from this theme? VIEW Take time to show students the Keep it Simple for Lent Calendar and choose a place to display it where everyone can see it for the rest of the term. Explain that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are popular actions during Lent and some of the actions in the calendar reflect this. DISCUSSION Ask students to think about the times when they spend time with others and share journeys. These could be at school, at home, around their neighbourhood, and even online. Perhaps in small groups the students could complete a brainstorm or word web.

ACTIVITY Hold your own Ash Wednesday liturgy and get students to reflect on ways they may help others and be more like Jesus during this season of Lent. On this day introduce the Caritas koha box and how it can be used this term. PRAYER Read together the prayer, Love Transforms, in the Lent 2018 Prayer Booklet to help inspire students to share love and be more like Jesus during Lent.

ACTIVITY Ask students to complete Worksheet L2 – My Many Journeys and write down all the journeys they experience in their lives. Beside each journey, they can draw the people that they ‘go with’ to understand who they may be able to help during Lent this year. At the bottom of the worksheet students have an opportunity to write down a challenge for themselves during Lent.

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

Y6-8

Students are learning to… • •

Recognise Lent as a season leading up to Easter when Christians try to live more like Jesus lived Reflect on ways we can share our God-given gifts

DISCUSSION Ask students to share what Lent means to them and reflect on their past experiences. Write up any key words to refer to later. If you need to, explain to students that Lent is a time to remember God and others in the lead up to the events at Easter – particularly Christ’s sacrifice. Introduce the theme for Lent this year as ‘Let us go together’. Ask students to share what they think this means and how it relates to the words listed from the initial brainstorm. VIEW Take time to show students the Keep it Simple for Lent Calendar and choose a place to display it where everyone can see it for the rest of the term. Explain that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are popular actions during Lent and some of the actions in the calendar reflect this. Get students to identify a few tasks that they are keen to achieve from the calendar during Lent. Perhaps these specific dates could be noted somewhere. ACTIVITY DISCUSSION Challenge students to think of ways that they could share their gifts or help others as they ‘go together’ during this season of Lent. Perhaps a good starting point is to get students to share ways in which they have done something nice for someone in the past. Refer to the worksheet below to help with this discussion. ACTIVITY Get students to complete Worksheet L3 – Past, Present and Future to reflect on ways they have used their gifts in the past and how they could do something special for Lent this year.

Hold your own Ash Wednesday liturgy and get students to reflect on how they have chosen to help others during this season of Lent. Introduce the Caritas koha box and how it can be used this term. PRAYER Read together the prayer, Love Transforms, in the Lent 2018 Prayer Booklet to help inspire students to share love and use their God given gifts to make the world a better place.

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

Y9-11

Students are learning to… • • •

Appreciate how creation stories from various cultures explain the beginnings of the universe and life (Y9) Develop an understanding that human freedom enables people to shape their own lives and to grow in truth and goodness (Y11) Reflect on Lent being a time to think of others in need

SETTING THE SCENE This Lent we invite you and your students to learn about the people of Timor-Leste; about their turbulent past and their challenging present. We hope that students will develop a greater understanding of the difficulties facing people in developing countries such as TimorLeste. READ Read Story G – The Legend of Timor-Leste about a boy and a crocodile. NOTE: This activity will be particularly relevant to the Y9 Creation and Co-creation topic. DISCUSSION What is the message or value expressed in this story? READ Read Fact Sheet E2 – HAFOTI in Focus to find out more about HAFOTI. DISCUSSION Compare life in rural New Zealand with life in rural Timor. What are some of the advantages that rural New Zealanders have over rural Timorese? What are the benefits of an organisation like HAFOTI for rural Timorese women and their families?

VIEW Watch Video D – HAFOTI in Action to find out more about how products are made by the HAFOTI members. ACTIVITY Difference to show the many benefits through the work of HAFOTI. PRAYER Read together the prayer, Journey Together, in the Lent 2018 Prayer Booklet to help inspire students to think of those they meet each day and how they can share love even through simple actions.

C A RI TA S A O T E A RO A N E W ZE A LA N D LET US G O TOG ET HER: J OURNEYI NG TO PEA CE A ND HOPE I N T I M OR-LEST E

Y12-13

Students are learning to… • •

Develop an understanding of the Christian vision of tika – justice Reflect on Lent being a time to respond to others in need

SETTING THE SCENE This Lent we invite you and your students to learn about the people of Timor-Leste; about their turbulent past and their challenging present. We hope that students will develop a greater understanding of the difficulties facing people in developing countries such as TimorLeste. READ Read Fact Sheet E2 – HAFOTI in Focus to find out more about HAFOTI. DISCUSSION With 60 percent of the population under 25 years of age, Timor-Leste is one of the youngest countries in the world.2

ACTIVITY Complete Worksheet L4 – HAFOTI Making a Difference. PRAYER

Why is having such a young population a huge challenge for Timor-Leste? Find out the percentage of New Zealand’s population that is under 25.

E Te Ariki,

ACTIVITY Compare life in New Zealand with life in Timor-Leste.

We pray particularly for people in developing countries struggling to make enough money to provide for the needs of their families.

Go to www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/NZ/TL . What surprises you about ...