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Objective
Objective: As part of the Easter Season and through Pentecost, students will EXPLORE how they can become pilgrims or messengers of hope during this Jubilee Year of Hope. The students will DEMONSTRATE an understanding of the “Paths of Mission” by listing practical ways that they can carry out the paths in their own lives. Using the USCCB video, the students and their families will DISCUSS and COMMIT to putting love into action in their daily lives.
Step 1: Pray
The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-26 are at the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They describe as “blessed” those who are poor, mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, clean of heart, peacemakers, and persecuted. (USCCB) The Beatitudes promise hope in difficult times. They are a guide for all messengers of hope.
USE the Maryknoll Beatitude posters Found Here as your prayer and as an inspiration to consider where God is calling you to walk the path of mission. Formation | Immersion – Resources
After the praying with the Beatitudes, SHARE with a partner the following questions:
- Which of the Beatitudes either the words, pictures, or both, spoke to you?
- How can you be a messenger of hope in the world today?
- Who do you know that is struggling that could use your help? What can you do to help them?
Step 2: Personal Connections
MISSION STORY
My name is Emmanuel Boniface, I am 29 years old. I live in Mwanza, Tanzania, Africa. My mom’s name is Albentina Mhoni Mnyama. I believe the best football, or soccer as people say in the US, is Yanga Sports Club. It is one of the major football clubs of Tanzania. One of my favorite things is to watch the games.
Until recently it was very difficult for me to go to the public halls where they show the games on a big screen. I have mobility issues and I am not able to move on my own. My mom has to help me get out of bed and move around. I am so grateful every time she picks me up and helps me to the couch or to go to the restroom. I know it is hard for her and all the others who end up helping me. I also have difficulties speaking and asking for help or saying thank you. But I learned a long time ago that if I express myself anyway that I can, people seem to understand. Maryknoll Father John Siyumbu visits my family and has given me anointing of the sick. He said, “Emmanuel does not let his difficulties with speech get in the way of his enthusiasm to converse. He has a way of speaking to my heart. His eagerness to talk cannot help but draw you in. In the midst of the many challenges that I see around and about him, I see glimpses of joy that comes from beyond what one possesses materially.”
When Father Siyumbu visited us, I heard him talking with my mom. She told him that I could get around so much better if I had a wheelchair. Father Siyumbu said he was going to talk with Anna Johnson, a nurse who is a Maryknoll Lay Missioner and lives here in Mwanza with her family. Anna came to visit me and my mother. The next time she came to visit she brought me a brand-new wheelchair. It is amazing because now I can get around so much better. I can go outside, and visit lots of places I could not before, the best one being the hall where they show the best team ever football games.
I like it when Father Siyumbu visits because he listens to me even though I know it is hard to understand me. My mom and I showed him around our house including the outhouse. He saw how hard it was for me to navigate everything in our house and how embarrassing it was to use the outhouse. Father explained to the people at our church, “It struck me that Emmanuel’s desire to live a dignified life is rooted in the collective human desire to live in dignity. Something needs to be done for Emmanuel. His living space needs to be renovated. This is an invitation to participate in God’s Mission and in Maryknoll’s mission.” So, the people at my church, my relatives and the people who give money to Maryknoll all pitched in and renovated my house. Now I have a bathroom I can use right off of my bedroom. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me and my family.
ANSWER the following questions:
- Who were the messengers of hope in this story? How did they bring hope?
- How would you have felt if you faced all the challenges Emmauel did? Would you have shared your story?
Why or why not? Why do you think Emmanuel told his story? How do you think he felt afterwards? - How does Emmauel’s story invite you to look at things differently in your life or inspire you to do something differently?
STEP 3: EXPLORE SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION
READ the following scriptures. REFLECT on the questions.
Old Testament: Isaiah 6:8
Life of Jesus: Luke 4:16-30
Christian Living: James 2:15-16
Maybe James 2:15-16 as an alternative?
ANSWER the following questions:
- Isaiah asks God to send him, are you ready to be sent as a messenger of hope? Where might you go that needs hope?
- In Luke, Jesus tells the people that the Spirit is leading him to bring good news to those on the margins of society. How did they react? How do people react today to others who work to promote peace, love, and hope?
- How does James remind us that our actions must match our words?
WHAT DOES THE CHURCH SAY?
WHAT DOES THE CHURCH SAY?
Catholic disciples on mission are called to put Two Feet of Love in Action! This foundational tool describes two distinct, but complementary, ways we can put the Gospel in action in response to God’s love: social justice (addressing systemic, root causes of problems that affect many people) and charitable works (addressing immediate needs and providing emergency assistance). USCCB
WATCH the US Catholic Bishops video Two Feet of Love in Action. Then ANSWER the following questions with a partner or in a journal:
- What are some examples of the two feet of love in action?
- Which foot do you lean more on? Where do you currently spend most of your time, or where would you like to spend time, in working to change the systems through social justice, or doing charitable actions to help others?
- What is one thing that you can do to take the next step to put love into action for the poor & marginalized?
STEP 4: TAKE ACTION
Pope Francis has invited us all in this Jubilee year of 2025 to be Pilgrims of Hope. Asking us all to work toward universal friendships and to refuse to ignore the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity.
As pilgrims we are to be people moving toward a goal of being messengers of hope. This path has been traveled many times, and the Catholic Church has many guides to help us on our journey.
Each week for 7 weeks READ one of the steps and definition of the Path of Mission Found Here. Follow the links of the examples andRESEARCH the examples.
Each week divide into groups and have the groups CREATE a large butcher paper (maybe shaped as a stone for fun) where they WRITE the definition of the path and DRAW or WRITE some of what they learned from the examples. Have each group include examples of ways that they can live out this step on the path this week. BUILD the path of mission by CREATING a path with the steps the students have designed.
(if you do not have 7 weeks to complete this lesson use it as one lesson. Divide the group into 7 groups or pairs and ASSIGN them one step on the path).
At each step encourage the students to select one thing they can do today to implement this step. On the 7th week EVALUATE what you learned and ways that each person was able to bring hope to others and creation.
RAISE YOUR VOICE
SHARE the US Bishops (USCCB, Catholic Campaign) video on YouTube called theWeb of Poverty with your school or church community.
Put up three butcher papers up and WRITE the following on each.
Sheet 1: What I learned from the video was:
Sheet 2: Common causes of poverty I see in our community are:
Sheet 3: To be a messenger of hope and create opportunity for my neighbor I will:
INVITE those that watched the video to WRITE or DRAW on the sheets of paper and complete the sentences. If possible leave the sheets up for a couple of months, a term, or whatever works for your group.
At the end of the time you have set put up two more sheets and WRITE:
Sheet 4: I put love into action by:
Sheet 5: I will continue to be a messenger of hope and love by:
Share those comments with everyone.
BE A GLOBAL NEIGHBOR
Partner with Father John Siyumbu, M.M. in Mwanza,Tanzania. Make a card or write a letter of encouragement to Emmauel that Fr. John can share with him. Consider a financial donation you can help the Maryknoll Missioner provide assistance similar to the renovation of Emmaual’s house. Find out more by visiting Maryknoll Society’s website at this link.
ENGAGE YOUR FAMILY
WATCH the US Catholic Bishops video Two Feet of Love in Action as a family. Set a time each day or each week for the next month to gather as a family and discuss the following:
- What is one thing I did today/this week to show love in action?
- Was this an action that was charitable or did it work to change systems?
What is one step I would like to take tomorrow or this week to bring love and hope to someone else?