Spring 2024 Catalog

RELIGION Hands-On Religion Resources

NEW expanded edition!

The Virtue Tree Sandra Garant & Elaine Woodfield Sandra Garant’s character-building course is powerful!

Using the Marianist way of living as a guide she speaks directly to the maturing student about living a life of virtue. This is the same

course previously included in CHC Lesson Plans for Seventh Grade . This new edition is printed in full color and has been expanded to include 11 inspiring stories of the saints by Elaine Woodfield that demonstrate how the saints put the virtues into practice. Each of the lessons are easy to understand and conclude with “Good Ideas” to put into practice. Throughout the year the student is directed to make Virtue “Key” Cards which serve as personal, hands-on reminders of the key points that have been learned. Makes an excellent preparatory course before beginning formal Confirmation classes! In CHC Lesson Plans for Seventh Grade , The Virtue Tree is scheduled two days a week for 36 weeks. Full color, 160 pgs. Spiral-bound for ease of use. 8½"×11" Pages are not reproducible; each student will need his own book. TVT $26.95

Growing up to be a better person on the inside . . .

Contents

Blue Sky and Our Altars

Introduction: Growing, Growing, Grown!

1 5 6 7

God’s Image & Our Self-Image

Virtues & Bad Days

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON

complaining and always teaching and helping His people. He was loyal to His Father’s will. The kingdom of Jesus is based on love, meaning love for God and love for everyone else. Humility gives us the power to love because it frees us from thinking only about ourselves. When we think only of ourselves, we cannot love others. Some unhappy people have no idea who they are or what they are supposed to be doing, and they think they must search until they find

themselves. But God tells us that we must lose ourselves with the grace of humility. We lose ourselves by knowing, loving, and serving God. Once we have lost ourselves in God, we finally wake up and really become aware of God and others. Humility very often produces joy in us and makes us a joy to be around. We don’t have to worry about who we are anymore when we are humble. We know that we belong to God and that He is always taking the best care of us. 1

Part I: Preparing to Grow Good Fruit

Good Words Good Signs

10 12 14 16 18 20 21 23 25 28 35 38 54 57 64 66 69 76 79 83 86 98

Read the following story to see how St. Elizabeth Ann Seton faced difficult decisions with trust in God. T he young woman hurried into the Episcopal church and took her seat in a pew near a window. It was her favorite place. She was dressed all in black, which in 1804 was a sign of mourning for a recently deceased family member. The young woman was small, with large dark eyes, and the black bonnet that she wore couldn’t quite hide all of her curly dark hair. Except for the kindness that shone in her face, she looked ordinary. Who could ever guess by merely looking at her that she was living one of the most exciting adven tures in the history of the Church in America? The worship service started, and the young woman turned her face to the front of the church and struggled to pay attention. The preacher that day was Reverend Hobart, who was well-known for his forceful preaching. He was also an advisor to the young woman and a friend of her family. Usually she would listen eagerly to his sermons, but ever since she had returned to New York City from her long trip overseas, she knew that she had changed. She had a hard time paying attention

Good Thoughts Good Energy

A Good Imagination All Together Now!

Recollection

Good Ideas

Part II: Accepting What You Cannot Change

Obedience

1. Read these Bible verses about humility: John 5:30, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6–7, and Psalm 103:1–2. 2. Think about gifts that God has given you. Why does God give us so much?

A Picture from Heaven: St. Juan Diego

Courage & Suffering

Always in the Master’s House: St. Josephine Bakhita

Weakness

3. Do you know a grateful person? How does this person show gratitude?

Following in the Footsteps of Christ: St. Francis of Assisi

“Virtue demands courage, constant effort, and above all, help from on high.”

Leaning Toward Evil Living with Doubts

H U M I L I T Y

4. How do you show your gratitude?

Blue Sky and Our Altars: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Patience

The Girl with a Mission: St. Catherine Labouré

—St. John Vianney

5. What helps you wake up to God?

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Suggestions to Give Up

Humility is often misunderstood. Our first step toward this virtue is to get a clear idea of what it is and what it isn’t. Being humble does not mean walking around while drooping like a weeping willow tree. It is not a sad virtue.

Apostle of Life: St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Temptation to Despair

Greater Love Than This: St. Damien of Molokai

101 109 111 113 119 122 125 128 134 136 153 155

Part III: Consummation Virtues

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” —C.S. Lewis

Humility is like waking up and shaking off a dream. When you first wake up, you are sometimes a little confused because you aren’t thinking or even seeing very clearly. When you are asleep, you aren’t doing very much. You are unaware of yourself and what is happening around you. When you wake up, you are free to do good things. Humility is looking up and understanding how much God has given us. This can be confusing at first because God works quietly within us. When we are humble, we are also grateful for all the wonderful gifts God has showered upon us. We realize that God is in control, and that makes us joyful. The only droopy part about humility is our self-image as it wilts and disappears to make room for God’s image of us. I was discussing this chapter with a friend when she mentioned that we are God’s children and that God is the King of kings. So we are all like princes and princesses, but our claim to royalty is a gift. We haven’t done anything to earn the title of prince or princess. We can boast about the wonderful things our Father the King has done, but we ourselves don’t have anything to boast about. Jesus had the virtue of humility. He was a king, but He never demanded to be treated like royalty. He did not live in a palace or wear a golden crown, but He always behaved like royalty, never

Humility

The Queen’s Good Works: St. Elizabeth of Hungary

112

Modesty

Death, But Not Sin: St. Maria Goretti

Living for God

The Love of God Is Everything: Bl. Solanus Casey

Detachment from Material Goods

To Know Christ Jesus: St. Katharine Drexel

The End

Directions for Virtue “Key” Cards

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