This month’s Heavenly Hall of Fame focuses on St. John Paul II and his 2002 Message of the Holy Father to the Youth of the World at World Youth Day. His message to young people that year was that they should take seriously the call to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” Indeed, this call is as important today as it was years ago, and as it was when Jesus first spoke the words to us in the Sermon on the Mount.
Grade Level: High School, Middle School, Elementary
Subject: Religion, Core USCCB Curriculum, Life in Jesus Christ
Learner: Traditional Classroom, Advanced Placement, Homeschooled Students, CCD/Parish-Based Education, Classical Education , Gifted Learners, Struggling Readers, English Language Learners
Tagged as: world youth day, st. john paul ii, primary sources, heavenly hall of fame
Directions:
Offer younger students the Salt and Light handout. Have them work on it in pairs, or go over it as a class. You may wish to bring in a salt shaker and a candle, small lamp, or flashlight to use as visual aids.
Have students read the excerpt of St. John Paul II’s message in preparation for World Youth Day 2002.
You may wish to have students underline the places where St. John Paul refers to “salt” as a metaphor, and circle places where he uses “light.”
Have students answer the questions that follow, and discuss answers as a class.
Optional extension: saint research
Answer Key
Salt and light
From Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew.
Salt seasons and preserves. Light guides and fills us with hope. Just like salt we must flavor and preserve society, and just like light we must shine the light of Christ in dark places. We are called to spread love and hope in a world that is broken. We must take up the task of sharing Christ with others. Salt and light are very appropriate images for effect the Gospel can have on society. Accept additional reasoned answers.
Young people will be missionaries in all that they do and say, and will everywhere be signs of God’s love, credible witnesses to the loving presence of Jesus Christ.
To Evangelize! We MUST share Christ with others. Evangelization is a moral obligation. If those of us who know Christ don’t share Him with those who don’t know Him, then who will? We should radiate love, season, preserve, and enlighten the world like the Jesus does. The answer to all of the world’s problems is Jesus. If we don’t share Christ, we fail to be salt and light to the world.
He desires that all young people will steer clear of the mediocrity and conformism so widespread in our society, and that they will have a deep and personal relationship with Christ which then propels them to transform the world. He desires young people to be saints. Accept additional reasoned answers.
He was passionate, loving, holy, had a passion for the youth, etc. Accept additional reasoned answers.
Accept reasoned answers.
Accept reasoned answers.
Praying for courage to be able to share our Faith, defending the Faith when someone attacks it, talking with others about Christ and His Church, striving to live moral lives, sacrificing for others, receiving the Sacraments, etc. Accept additional reasoned answers.
