AIMS:

1. To understand that the consequence of Jesus’ death and resurrection is the gift of the Holy Spirit for everyone
2. To understand that flowing gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit unite us in Jesus with each other
3. To understand the concept of COMMUNION, COMMUNITY, CHURCH and BODY OF CHRIST expressed visible way through the parable of the True Vine
4. To understand that we became part of the True Vine through the Baptism
5. To understand the concept of FREEDOM expressed visible way through the parable of the True Vine
6. To understand what means to REMAIN in the True Vine.
7. To understand the meaning of the Communion Epiclesis, and the Sign of Peace during the Eucharist
8. To understand the gesture and the prayer of Doxology as offering ourselves to God through, with and in Christ
9. To understand that the Mass is a sacrifice offered for COMMUNION, unconditional self-giving initiated by God
10. To know and understand the sequence of rites during Eucharist
11. To understand the Baptismal rites

• During the last session we had learned about Jesus’ Last Supper, Death and Resurrection. We know that it is made present during Mass. We had also learned the parts of Mass.

• What happened after Resurrection? Did Jesus stay with the Apostles?
  No, he ascended to heaven.

• Why did Jesus have to go?
  He promised that he will send a Gift; a gift of the Holy Spirit for everyone. In the past the gift of the Holy Spirit was only given to chosen prophets and kings.

• Where do we know the Holy Spirit from?
  (Make a sign of women’s belly when she is pregnant… )Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The angel told her that she will have a baby, the son of God. She asked how this would happen since she does not have a husband. What did the angel answer?

• One day after Jesus’ Ascension Mary and Apostles gathered in the Upper Room. Apostles were afraid. They were scared that the same way Jesus was crucified they would be too. They were hiding. Suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
  Read the Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-13

• What was the effect of receiving the Holy Spirit?
  The Apostles were able to communicate with understanding with people who spoke different languages, they were united…They were not afraid anymore…

• We can learn from the book of Isaiah 11 : 2 what are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord (wonder).
  We can learn from the book of St Paul to Galatians 5: 22 what are the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

• Read together the Parable of the True Vine. You can find it in the Bible, Gospel according to John 15. Pay attention: Which word is repeated most often? Read the parable.
  
  Jesus said in the end that he told us this parable so we are happy. “I told you this that you have a joy…” What word is used most often?

• How do we REMAIN in Jesus? Listen what children answer.
  Take the laminated sheet with the events on the way from slavery to freedom and ask with reference to these events:

• What flows in the regular vine? Vine has a sap with lots of nutrients flowing inside.  What happens to the branch that does not REMAIN?
  

  It dies.

• What flows in the True Vine – Jesus’ Body?
  

  Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• When did you become the part of the True Vine?
  When you were BAPTISED, your parents made a choice for you to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• What you see in front of  you is visual representation of Communion – being ONE with God and with each other.

• Do we keep these gifts to ourselves? No! They flow! We share them! We go to doctor when we are sick; he/she share with us his gifts and help us to be well. We go to the bus stop and the bus comes on schedule driven by a driver who shares his gift. We go to school teachers, their assistants, cooks, cleaner share their gifts. We too recognise our gifts, thank God for them and develop them so we can share them with others and become a part of the True Vine.

• We celebrate becoming ONE in the Holy Spirit during the Mass. There is a second Epiclesis – calling down the Holy Spirit -  so we can become ONE. Look at the other side of the card with the parable of the True Vine. Lets read together what does the priest say.

• Sometimes we think that to become FREE we need to become INDEPENDENT. What happen to the branch when is separated? First is limited to itself, but then it dies. True freedom is to be connected to the endless flow of gifts; to be in relationship through God with each other. That is also COMMUNION. 

• How do we want to respond to God’s self-giving? We would like to say “THANK YOU” and that what the word Eucharistia in Greek means. But we actually want do more! We want offer ourselves back to God. Priest does this during Mass. He picks the bread and wine with the drop of water, lifts it up and says, lets read together:
  
  “THROUGH CHRIST, AND WITH CHRIST, AND IN CHRIST, O GOD ALMIGHTY FATHER, IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ALL GLORY AND HONOUR IS YOURS, FOR EVER AND EVER.”

To the Holy Mass Puzzle we add a card with the Communion Epiclesis, card with the Doxology, card with the Sign of Peace and paten and chalice.

FOR PARENTS:

"God is Love" (1 Jan 4, 8. 16) and love is his first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5,5) CCC 733

Because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit (2Cor 13,13) in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin. CCC 734
He, then, gives us the "pledge" or "first fruits" of our inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as "God [has] loved us."127 This love (the "charity" of 1 Cor 13) is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received "power" from the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1, 8) CCC 735

By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the fruit of the Spirit: . . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Ga 5, 22-23) "We live by the Spirit"; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we "walk by the Spirit." (Ga 5, 25)