Unit IV

Lesson 16
We Are Called to Become Followers of Jesus

True happiness can only be found in God

Contentment

A bishop who was contented and cheerful through a long period of trial, and was asked the secret of his
contentment, said: “I will tell you. I made a right use of my eyes.” “Please explain.” “Most willingly,” was
the answer:
“First I look up to Heaven and remember that my principal business is to get there. “Then I look down upon
the earth and think about how small a place I shall occupy when I am dead and buried. “Then I look around
and see the many that are in all respects much worse off than I am. Then I learn where true happiness lies,
where all our cares end, and how little reason I have to complain.”

Activity
Answer the questions that follow.

1. What two words are used to describe the bishop?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. What question is asked of the bishop?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the bishop’s answer to the question?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What happens when the bishop:

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 looks up? ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

looks down upon the earth? __________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Looks around? _____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

5. Why do you think the story has the title, “Contentment’?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrated Gods Word

I Will Give You Rest

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart,
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

The Beatitudes
The word beatitudes direct us how to attain happiness. The word “beatitudes” got its name
from “beatus,” which means “blessed.” Jesus told us specifically that eternal blessings are based in
our following of Him with a pure heart. The Beatitudes are the “promise of happiness made by
Christ to those who faithfully accept His teaching and follow His divine example.

The Beatitudes, based on the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 5:1-12), are the following:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called son of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, or there is the
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 kingdom of heaven.

Looking carefully at the Beatitudes, we will notice that they are the opposite of what world may tell
or show us about being happy. God’s promises are more than the riches the world can offer. We should
follow His words.
The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence, the ultimate end of human acts: God call us to
His own beatitudes. This vocation is addressed to each individual personally, but also to the Church as a
whole, the new people made up of those who have accepted the promise and live from it in faith.

We Celebrate Holiness
St. Vincent Liem de la Paz

If God is with us, there is nothing more we shall want. This is the message of the life of St.
Vincent Liem de la Paz. He grew up to be a Christian because he lived in a place where Dominican
friars preached the Catholic faith. He was later brought by his parents to a missionary center where
he learned catechism. The Dominican fathers decided to let Liem and four other Tonkinese study in
the Philippines. After finishing his studies and having been ordained he went back to Tonkin there
he spent time telling the people about the love of God. His actions however were not allowed by the
authorities.
On October 2, 1773, he and his two assistants were arrested beaten up and were thrown to a
cage for a night. While under detention, they still manage to preach Catholicism to the people. They
were then sentenced to beheading. The execution occurred on November 7, 1773.

My Faith Words

Meek - to be meek means to be humble

Persecuted - to be persecuted means to be treated badly because of one’s
political or religious belief
Lesson 17

We Trust God Completely

Jesus teaches us how to put our complete trust in God in good and bad times

We Celebrate Life

God is always ready to help us when we are in danger or when we are having a hard time.
The story that follows shows how God helps those who are in danger through the people He sends
to save them.

British-led Mercy Mission Frees Sailors

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 In a news item written by Colin Freeman published in the Telegraph on October 22, 2016, he
narrates how a British – led mercy mission succeeded in taking to Somali pirates to free the 26
hostages they have been holding in captivity for almost five years. During the 1,673 days in
captivity, Freeman narrates that two of the hostages died due to illness caused by malnutrition, while
another was killed when pirates first entered the ship.
According to the article of Freeman, the team that worked to save the hostages was led by
Col. John Steed, a former UN official and military attaché to the British Embassy in Kenya. Col.
Steed began a program to secure the release of “forgotten” hostages in Somalia back in 2013. In the
case of 26 hostages, he persuaded the pirates to accept a payment for the “expenses” incurred in
hijacking and guarding the ship. The payment was a much lower amount from the ransom that the
hostages were demanding.
The 26 hostages were the third group rescued by Mr. Steed, whose work is supported by the
charity Oceans Beyond Piracy. The money that he uses to help victims of the pirates is thought to
have come from private charitable donations.

Activity

1. Who is Col. Steed? What mission does he have?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. What charity supports Col. Steed? How is he able to have money to continue his mission?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrate God’s Word

The Poor in Spirit and Those Who Mourn

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

We Celebrate God’s Message

To trust in God means to believe that He will help us always, especially when we are in great
need. In the story of the hostages at the beginning of the lesson, we learn that there are people who
are willing to face dangers and spend their time and effort in order to save those who are in danger.
For us who believe in God and who put our trust in Him, Col. Steed, his team and those who make
donations to support his mission are sent by God. In the New Testament, Mary is the best example
of putting all her trust in God. When the Angel announced to her that she will be the mother of
Jesus, she did not know how this could be possible but she said, “ I am the handmaid of the Lord, be
it be done to me according to your word.”
The Beatitudes given by Jesus to His followers is not a set of do’s and don’ts. It does not tell
us what to do or what not to do. It tells us what our attitude should be. The first of the Beatitudes,
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 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” tells us to put our complete trust in God. It teaches us not to give
importance to money or to possessions because we know that these will not give us the happiness
we need; only God can.
Being “poor in spirit” means total surrender to God. It does not tell us to hate material wealth
but it tells us to learn how to put in order our values. This means we should always put God first
before anything else. Pride goes completely against what Jesus teaches. Pride will destroy our
relationship with God because it makes us, instead of God, the center of everything. It makes us
greedy. We should humble ourselves before God and admit our sinfulness. If we trust God
completely, He will open the doors of heaven for us.
The second beatitude is, “Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Those
who mourn are full of sorrow, but they do not lose hope because they know that Jesus is close to the
broken – hearted. They are blessed not because they are suffering but because they have faith in
Jesus who comforts them.
Like Mary who, as mother of Jesus suffered when her Son was put to death but continued to
put her trust in God, we are called in the Beatitudes to trust him
Completely because only He can comfort us, only He can give us true and lasting happiness. The
Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray His charity. They express the vocation
of the faithful associated with the glory of His Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the
actions and attitudes characteristics of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that
sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured,
however dimly, for Christ’s disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the
saints.

Homework
Write down what you have learned about:

1. being poor in spirit.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. being sorrowful

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

My Faith Words

Pride - exalting oneself beyond what is due and true

Poverty - the poverty that the beatitudes require is no simply the lack of
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 material possessions, Rather, it is simplicity and detachment from material
things.

Lesson 18
We grow in Mercy
God is merciful and full of compassion. Let us follow Him.

The story below illustrates that we should be merciful to those who have wronged us. See
how Pope St. John Paul II forgave his assassin.

Pope John Paul II Forgive His Assassin

Near the start of his weekly general audience in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, Pope John Paul II
was shot and seriously wounded while passing through the square in an open car. The assailant, 23
year old escaped Turkish murderer Mehmet Ali Agca, fired shot, one of which hit the pontiff in the
abdomen, narrowly missing vital organs, and another hit the pope’s left hand.
On May9, 1981, Agca took a plane from Majorca to Milan and entered Italy under an
assumed name. He took a room in a hotel near the Vatican and on May 13 walked into St. Peter’s
Square and shot the pope.
Four days after being shot, the Pope offered forgiveness to his would be assassin from his
hospital bed. The pontiff spent three weeks in the hospital before being released fully recovered
from his wounds. He came to see his murderer: he came to forgive, not to harm.
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Activity

1. Who was Mehmet Ali Agca? What did he do to Pope John Paul II?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

2. What was Pope John Paul II’s attitude toward his would-be assassin?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

3. What did you learn from the story?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Homework

1. Was there someone who had hurt you or done you wrong? What had he or she done to you? Did
you forgive that person or did you try to get even at him or her? Tell about it.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrate God’s Message

The story of Pope St. John Paul II tells us what we should do. Just as he forgave the man
who hurt him, we should do the same. Our God is forgiving but we should have the humility to
say sorry for our sins, promise not to sin again, and to make up for what we have done. We do
these in the Sacrament of Confession. When we do these, God will forgive us and our loving
relationship with Him will be restored.

We Celebrate God’s Word

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 The Healing of Two Blind Men
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed (Him), crying out, “Son of David,
have pity on us!”
When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe
that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord”, they said to Him.
Then He touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes
were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of Him through all that land.

Mercy in Words and Actions

We have seen from the story of God and His people in the Old Testament that God our Father is
truly merciful. This is the reason why Jesus said, “Be merciful just as your Father in heaven is merciful
(Lk 6:36).” He even said that we shall receive mercy from God if we ourselves are also merciful to
others. This is the main message of the beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall mercy.” God
is merciful to us but if we refuse to be merciful to others, He will not give us the mercy we are asking
for. If everyone will be merciful, there will be no hatred in the world. But this beatitude does not only
tell us to forgive those who have hurt us but also to show loving kindness to those in need.
Jesus taught us to be forgiving through His teachings and His actions. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus
taught us to pray to the Father: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
this means we should forgive so that we may also be forgiven. God is a merciful God and as His children,
we should be merciful as well.
While on the cross, about to breathe His last breath, Jesus shouted, “Father forgive them, they do not
know what they are doing.” Jesus in His own life showed forgiveness even to those people who put Him to
death. He forgave them even if they did not ask for forgiveness.
By his actions, Jesus shows us that mercy also means helping those who are in need. He tells us that
to be merciful or compassionate means to feel the suffering and hardships of others and to do something
about them. In the story from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus did not only take pity on the two blind men, He
healed their blindness and they were able to see.
We show in our actions that we are merciful through the corporal works of mercy and the spiritual
works of mercy. The corporal works of mercy are the help that we give to those who have material or
physical needs. On the other hand, the spiritual works of mercy are the kind acts we do for those who have
spiritual and emotional needs.

Corporal Works of Mercy

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Visit the imprisoned
5. Shelter the homeless
6. Visit the sick
7. Bury the dead
Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. Admonish the sinner
2. Instruct the ignorant
3. Counsel the doubtful
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 4. Comfort the sorrowful
5. Bear wrongs patiently
6. Forgive all injuries
7. Pray for the living and the dead

We Celebrate the Teachings of the Church

To receive His mercy, we must admit our faults. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Activity
What are the two ways of showing mercy?

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

Homework
How will you show that you are merciful? List down some ways.

______________________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrate Holiness

St. Catherine Laboure

No matter how young or simple our life may be, we can still show mercy to those who are in need.
Zoe Laboure was poor but this did not stop her from giving her best in serving others. At an early age, she
wanted to enter the convent but her mother died and she needed to do the chores at home. She was able to
become a sister of the Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul when she was 24. She took the name of
“Catherine” after entering the convent.

Sister Catherine was blessed with an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An angel appeared to
her one night telling her to go to the chapel where the Virgin Mothers waits for her. In one of the
apparitions, Blessed Mother gave her a direct order: “Have a medal struck as I have shown you. All who
wear it will receive great graces.” She told her confessor, who later told the bishop. The medal was called
the “Miraculous Medal”. Soon many people all over the world were wearing it.

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 Sister Catherine spent the remaining 45 years of her life doing ordinary convent tasks like looking
after the hens that provided food for the nuns and taking care of the sick and elderly. Before she died in
1876, Mother Mary gave her permission to reveal her secret, which she shared with her Sister Superior.
After she died, many miracles were reported at her tomb.

Lesson 19
We work for Peace
If We Want Peace

If we want peace
In our own home and family
We can start by loving and obeying
Our mommy and daddy.
If we want peace
When we’re with our friends
We can start by being kind
And by helping with open hands.
If we want peace
In our trouble world
We can walk the way justice
Even without being told.

We Celebrate God’s Word

The Meek, the Righteous, and the Peacemakers

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

We Celebrate God’s Message

Peace Is the Fruit of Justice

There are events in our world and in our country that show the absence of peace. There is fighting
between countries, there is terrorism, there is fighting between Filipinos in the south and even our homes
are not spared from fighting. There are many homes today without a father or a mother because of conflicts
between married couples. Knowing there is absence of peace in many areas in the world, in our country,
and even in our own home, what can we do?
The poem at the beginning of the lesson lists down some actions we do: by being obedient and
loving to our parents, there will be peace at home; by being kind to our friends, we will have peace with
them; and by being just, there will be peace in the world. We can see from the poem that having peace does
not only mean putting an end to fighting but also doing good actions.
When we are kind, obedient and just, we give what our parents, friends and even people whom we
may not know what they deserve as human persons. Our parents care for us and they do what is best for us
that is why they deserve our obedience and love. On the other hand, each person is a child of God therefore
they deserve to be treated with kindness. If we give each person the love and kindness they deserve as
God’s children, there will be understanding and harmony. If we give each person what they deserve, we
practice justice and justice gives way to peace.
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Meekness, Righteousness, and Working for Peace
Jesus tells us that those who are meek shall inherit the earth. People who are meek are humble and
lowly. They are gentle, forgiving, and does not easily give in to anger. They are not violent; they do not
take revenge on those who hurt them. They do not boast of what they have and instead they use all they
have to be able to do well. They see God in all people, especially those who are poor and suffering. If we
see God in all things and persons we encounter we will always do good and be reminded of how lowly we
should be before God. Being good and lowly also leads to peace.
Jesus also tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be blessed. To be
righteous is to be upright and to do what God commands. They are those who will obey the command of
God even if others make fun of them or even if others may hurt them. They defend those who are being
treated unfairly. If we do what God wants us to, no matter how hard it may be, He will bless us.
The peacemakers are those who look at other people as sons and daughter of God who must be
loved and respected. By looking at others as God’s children, we will not do them harm, instead we will
defend and protect them from those who want to do them harm. Those who work for peace are called
children of God because they treat others as their brothers and sisters. They look at the human family as
God’s family where all are united under one Father. These are the reasons why Jesus in the Beatitudes tells
us that the peacemakers shall be called children of God.
While Jesus was on earth, He was made fun of, punished for a crime He did not commit, and was
put to death. In all His sufferings, He remained meek, righteous, and never violent. And when He rose
again from the dead, one of the gifts He gave His followers was peace. He greeted them, saying, “Peace be
with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you”(Jn 20:21). As followers of Jesus, we spread the same
peace that Jesus gives us. The sacraments, especially the Eucharist, help us become meek, righteous, and
peacemakers.

Activity
What do these concepts means? Explain
1. Why will the peacemakers be called children of God?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

2. What does it mean to be meek and righteous?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Homework
As a fourth grader, how will you show that you are:

 Meek

________________________________________________________________________________
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 _______________________________________________________________________________
 Peace-loving

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

 Righteous?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

My Faith Words

Fraternity- brotherhood

Harmony- the state of being in agreement

Righteous- morally right or virtuous

Meek- quiet and gentle

Justice- giving what is due; the quality of being fair and reasonable

Lesson 20

We Are Faithful
A Close Encounter with Fatima Soriano

MANILA, Philippines – As I watched 16-year-old, born-blind Fatima Soriano at the Shrine of the
Divine Word inside the Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City recently, singing Panginoon
Patawad Po, I felt nostalgic when I heard her on radio some years ago for the first time. She was known to
have a gift of healing when she prayed over a man and all of a sudden he got healed.
I had the opportunity to visit her in Kawit, Cavite, where her family lived for many years.
According to her mother Fely, a nurse to work in London noticed that her eldest daughter Fatima was blind
at five months old. Fatima entered a learning center in Kawit, says Fely. But a nine years old, she
underwent dialysis for kidney failure. “in God’s time, naniniwala po ako na makakakita ako”,( I believe
that I will be able to see) she said.
I was truly amazed how she conversed with me. She talked like an adult. Something she said still
lingers in my mind: “Wala ka bang trust kay Lord okay Mama Mary. Don’t worry too much. There’s
Someone who is much powerful than you… What’s wrong is that we create God out of ourselves. Just
believe and trust that nothing is impossible with God.”

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Activity

1. Describe Fatima. How did she accept her sickness and disabilities?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. In what way did Fatima show her purity of heart?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the effect of her faith in God on the people she encounters?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

We Celebrate God’s Word

The Pure of Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Mt. 5:8
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart, and the evil man brings evil
things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
Lk 6:45

The Clean Heart

The Beatitudes are guidelines for the followers of Jesus. As His followers of Jesus, the beatitudes
serve as the standards that show us how to become faithful to Him. They are the footpaths that lead to
eternal happiness with God, our Father. The Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God” gives us a condition on how we can attain eternal happiness with God.
What does it mean to be pure or clean of heart? To be clean or pure of heart means to put our
complete trust in Him. The “heart” in this beatitude is symbolic and does not refer to the physical heart that
we have. “Heart” in the Bible means our inner self or that “place” inside of us where we can find what is
that we love or treasure the most. The clean of heart therefore are those people who put God at the center of
their life; they are those who consider Him their most precious treasure, the One they love the most.
The same meaning of heart as the innermost part of our self is presented in the text from the Gospel
of Luke. “The good man has nothing but evil in his heart.” Whatever is in our heart will show in our actions
and words. If our heart is clean, our words and actions will also be clean.
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“They Shall See God”
We can see how purity of heart is shown by Fatima Soriano, who, despite her sickness, puts her
complete trust in God. She has not for a single moment doubted the love of God for her. She speaks of
nothing except the love of God and how to put complete trust in Him. We are all called to do the same. Our
trust in God will take good care of us because He loves us.
If we want to be pure in heart, loving God should be the most important thing in our lives and our
behavior and way of life should show it. If we do not allow anything to get in the way of our love of God,
we shall be free from whatever may hurt God. It may not really be easy to be pure in heart especially in our
time now when there are many temptations around us. But God helps us to be faithful to Him through the
sacraments. If sin stops us from being pure in heart then we should, in humility, ask for God’s forgiveness
in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Those who are pure in heart will see God. If we do not allow anything
or anyone to keep us from being faithful to God, we shall be rewarded with the beatific vision, that is we
shall see God face to face.

We Celebrate Holiness

St. Mother Theodore Guerin

Mother Theodore Anne Therese Guerin knew even at a young age that she wanted to be a nun when
she grows up. When she received her first communion at the age of 10 and, she told the parish priest about
this wish. True to her dream, she entered the Sisters of Providence, a young community of women
religious, at age 25. She and the other members of her community provided education to children and
cared for the poor, sick, and dying.
While teaching and caring for the sick in France, she was asked to lead a small group of Sisters to
go to the United States of America, to establish a motherhouse, to open schools, and to share the love of
God with the people of the Diocese of Vincennes in the State of Indiana. At first, she was hesitant to go
because she believes that she was not worthy to be a missionary. Besides, she was also not very healthy.
Nevertheless, after hours of prayer and long consultations with her superiors, she accepted the mission. She
was afraid that if she did not, no one would go to that strange place to share the love of God.
Mother Theodore’s holiness was seen clearly by the people she served. She loved God, God’s
people, the Sisters of Providence, the Roman Catholic Church, and the people she served. She accepted
trials, troubles, and occasions when she was treated unjustly as part of her life. In all the sufferings she
went through, she remained a faithful woman of God, truly a woman with a pure heart.

My Faith Words
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Faith- firmly believing in God and in all the truths He has revealed

Steadfast- firm; unwavering

Implore-ask earnestly

Providence-God’s nature as provider

Supernatural-unnaturally or extraordinary great

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