Homework

If you make the saint assignments a few days ahead of time, students could be asked to bring in food from their saint’s region and time period for the “dinner.”

Activity I (20 minutes)

A. Copy, cut out, and laminate sets of Saint Cards. Make each set on a different color paper.

B. Make enough sets so that every student in your class can receive one card. Have students familiarize themselves with the information on their card,and prepare to “become” that saint for next class. Variation: For younger students, select 3 or 4 saints and read their stories aloud. Then distribute cards for just those saints among students. Older students could be given cards as the basis for a longer biography or creative writing assignment.

C. Now encourage students to stand up and “mingle” as though at a dinner party with the other saints. (Keep students within color groups so they avoid “meeting” the same saint they are playing.) In their persona, they should introduce themselves; share a little bit about their lives, and so forth.

Activity II (20 minutes)

A. Have students now settle into groups of 4-8 for “dinner.” If you had students bring in food for their saint, have them serve it now.

B. As students share a meal together, they should discuss some of the following questions. Write them on the board:

• Who are you and where are you from? When did you live?
• What gifts and talents did God bless you with, and how did you use them to serve God and your neighbor?
• What was your biggest challenge?
• What can people learn from your life?

Additional ideas:

• • Sophisticated students could create and add new cards into the mix for individuals such as Cain, King Herod, Judas, Pontius Pilate, or others, and plan discussion questions that would bring to light differences in morality and discussions of good vs. evil.
  • Prepare a Saint Card for yourself ahead of time, and act as a “surprise visitor” for dinner.
  • Have all the St. Monicas come to the front of the room (or all the St. Pauls, all the St. Peters, etc.). Give the audience of students a chance to ask questions, and allow the students up front to confer on their answers.
  • Have students write skits that tell the stories of their saints.
  • Have “fishbowl” conversations between unexpected pairings of saints. For example, put St. Stephen with Bl. Miguel Pro. What topics of conversation arise?

Activity III ( 10 minutes )

Still in their dinner groups, have students begin Handout A: Saintly Dinner Party and finish it for homework.

Extension Options

A. Have students read Handout B: Three Saint Stories and complete the chart that follows.

B. Have students learn about the miracles attributed to their saint’s intercession. They should report on what they find in a brief oral presentation.

C. Have students use their Bibles to look up the Scripture references that formed the basis of the Saint Cards for Sts. Paul, Peter, and Stephen. Have them draw a picture for each reference, or create a comic strip-type panel on poster board. A list is below:

St. Paul

Acts 9:1-20 — Paul’s conversion

Acts 16:22-33 — Paul imprisoned and the earthquake

Acts 21 — Paul preaching in Jerusalem and accused

Acts 25:10-12 — Paul appeals to Caesar

Acts 27 — Paul’s voyage and shipwreck

Acts 28 — Paul preaches in Rome

Paul’s Letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

St. Peter

John 1:39-42 — Andrew introduces Peter and Jesus calls him Matthew 16:13-18 — “You are Peter”

Matthew 17:1-8 — Transfiguration

Matthew 26:36-45 — Agony in the Garden

John 8:10-11 — Peter cuts off slave’s ear

Matthew 26:31-35 — Jesus predicts Peter’s denial Luke 22:54-62 — Peter denies Jesus

John 21:15-17 — “Feed my Sheep”

Acts 1 — Peter speaks on Pentecost

Acts 3:1-8 — Peter’s first miracle

Acts 15 — Council of Jerusalem

Acts 12:1-11 — Angel frees Peter

1 and 2 Peter — Peter’s 2 Letters

St. Stephen

Acts 6 and 7

Bulletin Board Option

On large, different colored strips of paper, write out each of the Beatitudes. Post them at regular intervals on the bulletin board. Then make copies of the Saint Cards, and challenge students to match up saints with particular beatitudes. (For example, for “Blessed are those who mourn,” students might select St. Monica.) They should write at least 3 or 4 sentences explaining how that particular saint lived the beatitude they chose. Display the saint pictures and student paragraphs.