We all know that Jesus is no longer physically with us. He lives on through creation, through others, through scripture, and most importantly, through each of the seven sacraments. Before we move on to learning about the sacraments of Commitment (Matrimony and Holy Orders), take a look at the video below.

It is the remarkable story of a young girl whose calling is to enter the sisterhood.

Reflect on Sister Allison's thoughts and remarks. You must include at least one quote she speaks within your reflection. Due Friday.

Today we shared the events of Jesus' Passion, but more in particular, The Agony in the Garden. Put yourself in Jesus' sandals. What is going on through your mind? What leads you to pray? According to this awesome website, the author makes his reader think of the following items after reading about the Agony (which happens to be one of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary).

1. The way of the cross was far more costly for Jesus and his Father than we can possibly imagine,
2. It is quite appropriate to state to the Father our own will in a given situation,
3. Even strong men and women must learn to voluntarily bend their wills to the Father's, and
4. We disciples must learn to watch and pray so that we, too, may resist temptation.

Interesting, huh? Below I posted a moving clip from The Passion of the Christ, in which Jesus is praying in the garden. he accompanying song is by Barbara Streisand... seemingly fitting. The questions below will be discussed tomorrow. No need to reply to this post unless you want to share some wisdom like Jesus did.

1. What is the "cup" that Jesus prays about? Why does he pray that it may be removed? (22:42)
2. Is Jesus' prayer to have the "cup" removed an indication of his weakness? Yes or no? Explain your answer.
3. Why do we avoid seeking what the Father's will actually is? Why do we take control over our own wills so much? 
4. Have you ever been "exhausted from sorrow"? What was it like? 
5. In what ways does alert prayer keep us from temptation? (22:46)

Homework: Whether or not Jesus's prayer to his Father was longer than our memory verse or not, it would be interesting to know what his thoughts were. In a one page reflection, compose the prayer Jesus might have prayed to God. You must incude the memory verse within your writing and either highlight, underline, or bold it. Proper formatting rules apply. Watch the formatting video below for proper instructions.

By the way, I have not forgotten about the movie form. The office was out of them, so I will maj

Watch the video below. Keep in mind that I shot this first thing in the morning, so you know how crazy I look when I wake up. Don't judge too harshly.

Oh, and I do have a life. I'm just testing out some awesome editing software that we will use next year in my language arts class. Enjoy. Again, don't judge too harshly! Morning face... yucky poo.

As we continue reading all the stories surrounding Christ's suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension (the Passion), we look deeply into our own lives and the sins we make as well.

A guilty man set free on the account of another..... Barrabas, an insane murderer set free while Jesus was brutally crucified. Watch this video below and reflect on several of its messages. How many times have we acted like Peter who denied Jesus or Barrabas, who got away with murder while someone else (maybe even Jesus) took the blame for the corruption we ignited?

For full credit, I need at least 5 fully thought out sentences written with proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Have a beautiful Easter break. I hope this Lenten season made you a stronger and better person than you were on Ash Wednesday. 

May God continue to bless you.

Here is your topic list to review for tomorrow's test:

- All notes and highlighted material surrounding Chapter 8
- Focus on the four Gospels and their different beginnings
- Be able to place the order of the stories from the infancy narratives in order
- Know your memory verse from John
- Know at least one promised message from God from the Old Testament and how it was fulfilled in the New Testament (You do not need to memorize anything, but you need to be specific in your stories. The following example is not enough and would not count: "The promise from the Old Testament is that a Messiah would come and the New Testament fulfillment is Jesus' birth."

Good Luck!

Now watch the videosbelow and tell me you're not inspired. I leave these as both the ending to Chapter 8 and the beginning for the REST of the year. Amen.

Good afternoon!

Today in class, we discussed different things since 215 is ahead of 208 due to buddies and field day meetings. Here's a quick recap of a few important notes regarding Chapter 8:

- The infancy narratives include some similar, yet different stories.

In regards to Jesus in the Temple, reflect on ALL these questions but select one to reply to this post (please restate the question, with your answer below it). Please read each other's responses.

1. Since Jesus was already the Son of God, why did he have to "grow" in understanding and wisdom? (2:40, 52)

2. How do you evaluate Jesus' carelessness in not going home with his parents when they left Jerusalem? (2:43-44) Was Jesus at fault or his parents?

3. Why was Jesus so engrossed in the Temple? (2:46-49) How was this interaction with Jerusalem's top teachers important for his own development? How did this represent something that was absolutely necessary for him to do? How did this relate to his calling?

4. Why was it important for Jesus -- and for us -- to grow "in favor with God and men" (2:52)? How is our relationship with people vital to our spiritual growth?

Homework:
1. Complete the top of the chart from the Infancy Narratives worksheet.
2. Watch the short video below for discussion tomorrow. (You do not need to reply to this post). You need to know what "contradict" means ahead of time. Look it up.
3. Reply to this post by Thursday (midnight) reflecting on one of the four questions above.
4. Create a timeline of all the stories from the Matthew and Luke narratives. First, it's best to prewrite/ brainstorm your list before you actually begin charting it so you know the order. Below you will see just three examples of some timelines I found online (not related to the infancy narratives). They are boring and don't include pictures, but the format is for you to get the idea. The fourth example would get extra credit for going over and beyond my expectations. You do not need dates, just the order and labeling of the Gospels.

To get an "A", here's what I'm looking for:

1. All twelve stories from both Gospels (the Canticles, the circumcision, and the geneology do not need to be included).
2. An icon that represents each event (no two icons can be the same).
3. Clear labeling of each story that it either belongs to Matthew or Luke
4. NEATNESS and color! No pencil. God didn't create the world in black and white.
5. A creative and logical format that is easy for the reader to follow the events.
6. All fit on one page.
7. Effort and care.

Here is an online quiz to help you review for this unit. Click here.

This week, we have spoken a bit about the prophecy of the Messiah's coming. You may wonder why this is important. He already came here! We aren't in need of a Savior like the Israelites were! Our world isn't needing someone to save us from eternal damnation; Jesus is here!

While that may be true, make sure you, yourself, are not turning away from Him like they did thousands of years ago without even knowing it. Check out Tamara's Lowe's message. It's a rap. You may need to view it 2-3 times to soak it all in.

Repond to this post with your favorite line(s) AND give me some thoughts, interpretations, or insights to that message.

Today, we began our lesson on Advent. Much of the information is a bit repetitive, but here are the new pieces we learned.
- During Advent, we remember the Israelites and their centuries-long anticipation for the coming of the Messiah.
- Imagine the destruction and misery Cubans (in Cuba) have experienced for only decades (and are still experiencing). Their unending suffering, oppression, and enslavery makes them long for hope, much like the Israelites hoped and anticipated for the coming of the Messiah. Imagine their feelings!
- Messiah means "Anointed One" or holy, blessed one.
- In the Old Testament, the prophets wrote about the Messiah bringing peace, justice, and freedom to the people of Israel.

Are you still remembering to de-clutter and make spacein your heart/ life for Jesus?

HW- Contiue editing your commercial. Here's the criteria:
    - include pictures of your season (you must properly cite each one)
    - include the main purpose of your season
    - include 3 facts about your season
    - incorporate the color in some way.
    - The length is 30 seconds to two minutes long.

Please test it on more than one computer before submitting it. All names must be at the end of the commercial.

Study for Thursday's test.

Post to the December 2nd post if you weren't able to last week. I will close it Wednes

Below is the video from class. Stay warm!

(You do not need to respond to this post).

Click below to track the order. It should arrive on the 16th. You can check the boxes' progress online!

Scholastic order

The video's message speaks for itself. Share this with your family!

Due Friday at midnight: How is this Advent going to be different for you than in years past?
Are you going to let the season slip away like previous years?