To Know, Worship and Love: Book 5

The key theme in Year 5 is the Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. The ethical emphasis characterises this year. Chapter 2 is thus broken into three moments for each of the virtues, which are related to the life of a child or 10 or 11. Chapter 3 focuses on Lent and prayer, fasting and giving to the poor. The Seven Sacraments, chapter 4, provides an overview of the sacramental economy, leading to Reconciliation and Healing, chapter 5. Holy Week and Easter are covered in chapters 6 and 7. The Sacrament of Confirmation and the gifts and fruits of the Spirit are presented in chapter 8, The Spirit Alive in Us, for years 5 and 6 are levels when the sacrament may be celebrated in various dioceses.

Post-Pentecost solemnities are reflected in chapters 9, The Holy Trinity, and 10, A Heart to Love, on the Sacred Heart. More textured stories appear under the heading Living the Gospel: an Irish tale The Island of Mysteries and Old Man Grumps, set in the 21st century. Chapter 11, Our Church Community, leads into the first exercise in Church history in the series, on the beginnings of the Church in Australia.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders, chapter 13 is followed by two chapters on the Eucharist, 14 on receiving the Eucharist, and 15 on Eucharistic adoration.

The older child is introduced to pro-life action in contemporary Catholicism in chapter 17, Respect Life. A pro-life theme will be found in subsequent high school books in the series. The need to respect others runs through all the primary texts, and prepares for fidelity and sexual morality in adolescence and later life. This book concludes with a chapter on Our Lady and one on Advent and Christmas.

The text for level 5 is written so it could be used also at level 6, upper primary or elementary education. In some countries these levels are blended.

The Shape of a Chapter

In Books 3 to 6 the chapters are written to help each child “to know, worship and love”. To Remember is doctrinal points taken from the Doctrinal Overview that covers the seven primary/ elementary school levels. This should be learnt by heart. An essay sums up the content of the chapter. This is followed by The Word of God, both in Scripture and in Tradition, according to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum 10. Our Prayer is the heart of the chapter. Living the Gospel applies the theme to the daily experiences of children. Did You Know? cultivates cognitive skills and Reflecting Together At Home and At School relates parents as the first teachers in the domestic church to learning at school or CCD class.

Our Prayers, pp. 196-201, builds on the basic Catholic prayers the child should learn by heart, adding more prayers appropriate to the age group.

Summaries of Christian Teaching, pp. 202-205 is particularly useful for memory work, including the Creeds, the Ten Commandment and Precepts of the Church, the Beatitudes, Virtues and Vices, etc. A Map of Palestine at the time of Our Lord appears on p. 207.