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Teaching Guide
October 28, 2012 • 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 31.7-9; Hebrews 5.1-6; Mark 10.46-52
Gospel Theme: Christians
call on Jesus with faith.
In this Sunday’s Gospel the blind beggar Bartimaeus calls out
to Jesus in faith before he sees Jesus with his eyes. He is the
ideal disciple in Mark’s Gospel who follows Jesus as soon as
he can see. Visions celebrates the 50th anniversary of the
Second Vatican Council with the story of the council; its three
main documents on the Liturgy, the Church, and the Church
and World; and its renewing vision for Jesus’ followers in our
world today. The issue includes a special anniversary treasury
of Vatican II teachings from the three major council documents
for the young people to assemble and complete.
Share Our Life Stories
Objective: The young people will explore the meanings of
the word seeing.
Opening Prayer/Cover: What is Seeing? Begin with your
regular gathering ritual. Distribute Visions. As you play “What
Is Our Service to Be?” from the Visions CD, have the young
people look around the room to see people or things for which
they are thankful. Afterward, invite them to mention what they
are thankful for in prayer. For each person or thing mentioned,
invite the group to respond, “Thank you, all-seeing God.”
Objective: The young people will explore ways Vatican II
continues to renew the Church.
Article: What Happened at Vatican II? (pages 2-4) The
photos under the title shows all the bishops assembled in St.
Peter’s Basilica. Look closely at the icon of John XXIII and the
words on the scroll he holds. Look at the photo and read the
cutline about Paul VI. Read aloud the three key words and
their definitions, page 3, upper right.
• Invite volunteers to take turns reading the article aloud
from one subtitle to the next. Discuss the TALK questions on
page 3. Answers: 1. It changed the liturgy by creating a 3-
year lectionary cycle; the priest now faces the congregation;
the Mass is said in every community’s native language instead
of Latin. It opened up dialogue between Catholics and other
faiths. It connected the Church and the modern world.
2. Both councils were about trying to create standards and
unity in a changing Church in a changing world. The first
council was about not keeping Jewish laws. The second
council was about making the Church more accessible and up
to date. 3. Open-ended. 4. Open-ended. 5. The Church
cares about the well-being of the entire human race.
6. Open-ended.
WCBT, page 5-6, Believe. Read the introduction, which
reminds students they belong to the Church. Nicaea is an
example of another council, page 6.
Listen to the Gospel
Objective: The young people will connect seeing and
believing.
Gospel: Jesus Cures a Blind Man (page 4) Have three young
people proclaim the Gospel dramatically while the rest of the
class acts as the crowd who tries to quiet Bartimaeus. Discuss
TALK. Answers: 1. Many people in Jesus’ time thought
disabilities were signs of God’s disfavor or punishment; they
might have thought a blind man was sinful and should stay away
from a holy man like Jesus; they may have been ashamed of
him or embarrassed that Bartimaeus called attention to himself.
2. Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus as the Son of David and one
who can heal his blindness. Faith helps us see people’s inner
humanity, their values and individual qualities; faith sees what
oneself or others can be and do. 3. Jesus sees a man asking
for help who believes Jesus can indeed heal him. Jesus says
Bartimaeus’s faith heals him.
Definition: Discipleship (page 4) Have a volunteer read the
definition to the class.
Our Catholic Faith: We Speak With Jesus at Eucharist
(page 5) Read this feature with the class. It connects the
Gospel and the Eucharist. Jesus reaches out to us in the
Eucharist as he once reached out to Bartimaeus. Hand out
missals so the young people can find additional dialogs
between priest and people.
Build Christian Community
Objective: The young people will explore key teachings
from Vatican II.
Living the Gospel: My Treasury of Teachings from Vatican
II (pages 7-8) Have your students separate pages 7-8 from
the issue, fold the page in half, cut along the fold, and nest
booklet pages 4-5 inside pages 2 and 7, and fold in half to
make the booklet. Have your young people work in threes or
fours.
• Open to booklet page 2-3, Liturgy. Ask the student
what the visuals show is part of the liturgy. Explain liturgy is
the public worship of the Church; it includes the sacraments,
liturgical year, divine office, sacred music and art. Read aloud
the four key quotations—how worship builds the Church,
how we are an Easter people at our Baptisms, how we should
participate actively in liturgy, and how Christ is present
among us. Lead the young people in doing each activity.
• Booklet page 4, Church. Talk about each image of
Church. Have the students circle their favorite and share
why. Read aloud the quotation about the Holy Spirit. Have
the young people underline the verbs as you read. Talk about
each verb and give examples.
ALERT: THE GUIDE CONTINUES ON PAGE 12, COLUMN 1.
TG1-8