Good News For Living Years 11 & 12 Syllabus

Module 3 is oriented towards students disposing themselves as “missionary disciples of Jesus” (Evangelii Gaudium : Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (24 November 2013) | Pope Francis), empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

Church as the Body of Christ; Pentecost Fire of the Holy Spirit, impetus for mission; kerygma; examination of God’s action in one’s personal life; personal testimony; missionary project as a group; Saint Benedict of Nursia; the Gospel creates culture: work as co-creation. 

• Why Church? 
• Why did Jesus establish his Church?
• What is the Church?
• What are we ‘called out from’ and ‘called into’?
• Who is the Holy Spirit?  
• How can I be holy?
• What does it mean to be a witness to Christ?
• What significance does the Holy Spirit make for my life? 
• How can the Church be holy and at the same time always in need of purification? 
• Why should I work? 

Module 3 emphasises the missionary identity of the Church established by Jesus Christ as “one, holy, catholic and apostolic” (Nicene Creed), and which, provided impetus by the fire of the Holy Spirit, “exists to evangelise” (Evangelii Nuntiandi (December 8, 1975) | Paul VI). 

Students will learn that Jesus came “To set fire upon the earth” (Luke 12:49); a fire which “burned” within the hearts of the disciples as they listened to the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus and encountered him in the Eucharist; inflamed them with joy, new hope and vitality to give witness to all they had seen and heard; was poured out upon the whole Church at Pentecost; and which draws all believers into the Trinitarian communion at the heart of the Church in the midst of brothers and sisters (cf. Luke 24:13-35; Acts 2:1-47).

Centred on the kerygma, students will be inspired and equipped to: 

• recognise God’s action in the key events, people and places of their lives
• identify how God’s grace works in and through personal strengths and weaknesses, and thus how to become an effective witness to the Gospel in daily life and work
• articulate and deliver their personal testimony offering “Reasons for your hope” (1 Peter 3:15) 
• create a missionary experience as part of a team

The teacher will be continually mindful that “If the world listens to teachers it is because they are first witnesses” (Evangelii Nuntiandi (December 8, 1975) | Paul VI). 

Making a focused inquiry on the life and historical influence of Saint Benedict of Nursia, students will examine the role of prayer and work (ora et labora) in one’s personal call to holiness and in how the Church transforms the world, with particular emphasis on the development of culture, learning and peaceful civil order. Saint Teresa of Calcutta, whose incredible life of service to the poor was fired by a priority for Eucharistic adoration, will also feature, inspiring students to do “something beautiful for God.”
 

During this Module students will undertake to develop a project for evangelisation in small groups, to be executed within the duration of the Module. The student will undertake, produce, and deliver the following:

• Work as a member of a small group to plan, prepare and deliver the project
• Reflect on, plan and write a Personal Testimony based on the kerygma
•  Execute, within the group, the delivery of the project
•  Produce a Written Reflection on the project including: i) the rationale, goals, approach, areas of responsibility; ii) evaluate the effectiveness of the group’s process and delivery; iii) a personal reflection of the work of the Spirit throughout the project.

Size: (words) Personal Testimony of 300 - 400 words; Written Reflection of 800 words.

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Barron, R. (2021). And now I see: a theology of transformation. Word On Fire Academic.
De Wohl, L. (1991). Citadel of God: a novel about St. Benedict. San Francisco, Ca.
Pope Francis. Evangelii Gaudium : Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (24 November 2013) | www.vatican.va. 
          https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-

          gaudium.html
Pope Benedict XVI. (2004). Introduction to Christianity. Communio Books (Ignatius).
Pope John Paul II. Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) (14 September 1981) | John Paul II. www.vatican.va. 
           https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html
Pope Paul VI. Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern World) (December 8, 1975) | www.vatican.va.    
           https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html
Muggeridge, M. (2009). Something beautiful for God : Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Lion.
Nicene Creed. (n.d.). Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/library/various/the_nicene_creed_/nicene_creed.htm
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Spitzer, R. J. (2015). The Soul’s upward yearning : clues to our transcendent nature from the experience and reason. Ignatius.
Spitzer, R. J. (2016). God so loved the world : clues to our transcendent destiny from the revelation of Jesus. Ignatius.
Spitzer, R. J. (2017). The light shines on in the darkness : transforming suffering through faith. Ignatius Press.
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 1603 by Caravaggio. (2009). Caravaggio.org. 
             https://www.caravaggio.org/the-incredulity-of-saint-thomas.jsp
Weddell, S. A. (2012). Forming intentional disciples : the path of knowing and following Jesus. Our Sunday Visitor.

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