Chapter one: Our Heavenly Father

Aims:
1) Learn that God is their Father, who loves them very much. God is in Heaven, is all good and holy,
and He created each of them with many gifts.
2) Discover that God gave each of them a special gift called a soul, the invisible part of them that
lives forever. Learn that their souls give them life and allow them to think and to choose freely
to do good or bad.
3) Learn that God is in Heaven and also everywhere. Discover that God is all knowing and the he
watches over mankind. See that God is the Father and people are His Children.
4) Learn that the Bible is God’s Word, telling us much about God that we could not otherwise
know. Know that the Bible has two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Begin:

- Do you know how to do the sign of the cross? - If yes, do it; - If not, open your books on page
175 and show how to do the sign of the cross
- Do you know who is God and what God did? (Ask one by one and wait for the answers)
- Now, let’s have a look on our books, page 6 (Who do you think is he?) God. Any of you know
who God is?
- Read first two paragraphs of the page 7 of your books
- What your fathers do for you? Wait for answers
- All of you have told me are examples of God’s love. God, our father, love and cares for every one
of us.
- Do you know well your fathers? How they look like? Tell some characteristics of your fathers
(calm, agitated, funny, serious, talkative, quiet, etc.) How did you know these characteristics?
Living with him, spending time together, talking… We need also to know God our father in
heaven better. How can you do that? Praying to him, listening, learning about him here and at
Mass. We can spend time with him praying and doing works of charity.
- How to you resemble your fathers? You may have the same eye color, same smile, same sense
of humor or same likes or dislikes. You are different, but have some similarities. Just as you
resemble your earthly fathers, they are all different, and your differences are a gift from God.
You too have something the same as your Heavenly Father.
- Give them balloons and ask them to inflate them. Look inside the balloons. What is inside? Air.
Even though you cannot see the air that fills the balloons, they are very real. Without air, the
balloons are not the same, because air makes the balloons so much better.
- The same way balloons are made big by invisible air, our bodies have souls hat cannot be seen,
but are very real. Is our soul that gives our body life and without soul our body is dead. This is
what happens when someone dies, the soul leaves the body.
 - The human soul is very special because is like God and rational. This means that we can think
and also we can choose to do good instead of bad. The soul is what allows us to be able to laugh
or cry. Our soul is needed for our bodies to do what they do.
- Read paragraph 3 of your books.
- Our souls allow us to love. It allows us to choose to love God, other people, and all of God’s
creation. We are made to be in relationships – that is why we are born into families. When we
are baptized, we entered into God’s family – so we can love, just as God loves us.
- The soul will never die, will live forever. If we stay close to God, when we die our soul will go to
be with God forever. This is the greatest gift He could give us. Heaven is the most wonderful
place, because there we will love and be loved by God forever.
- How do you think we can take care of our souls? Prayers, rest, good friendships, avoiding sin
- Read paragraph 4 and 5 of your books.
- Can you tell me some places where we can find God? It can be anywhere
- Do you feel sometimes alone? You don’t need to feel alone, because God is always with you.
How many persons are in the room now? Did you count God? God is always present.
- God also watches over us. This is called His providence. This means He cares for each and every
one of us with much love.
- God knows what you are doing and what you are thinking. He is all good and He is all that is
great and pleasing.
- God is our friend. Friends are faithful, loves us for who we are and want for us only what is
good.
- God is our Father – He created us and loves us as His children.
- God wants you to be His child and to live someday with Him in Heaven.
- Now, read the paragraph 9 of your book.
- Show the students your Bible. Open the Bible and let the children see the maps, pictures and
the texts. Show them the two parts of the Bible: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Did
you notice how big the Old Testament is in comparison to the New Testament?
- Why do you think we have the Bible? God wanted us to know about Him and how we can be
with Him forever in Heaven. The Bible is God’s Word. He is the author and told men what to
write. They wrote only what God wanted.
- Read again the last paragraph of the book. Let’s find on the Bible this Sunday readings? Show
that the first reading is from the Old Testament (in some occasions, can be from the New
Testament), the Psalm is from the book of Psalms, the second reading from the New Testament.
The first four books of the New Testament are called Gospels. The books of the Gospels are
called: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (write on the board as explain)
- Because the Bible is the Word of God it is the best book because it tells what God wants us to
know.

Assess:
- If there is still time left, ask them to do the Quiz 1 in class (otherwise, homework)
- Homework:
1) Write in your notebooks the four questions from page 8 of your notebook and try to
memorize the answers
2) Copy in your notebook “Our Father” and pray everynight before bed, doing after the sign of
the Cross.