Spirit of Truth

REASONS TO BELIEVE

Lesson 5

The Big Bang

Theory

79

Reasons to Believe: The Big Bang Theory

Lesson 5 at a Glance

Learning Goals

• Faith and science do not contradict one another; rather, science can enhance and deepen

our faith.

• The universe is everything that exists, a fundamental truth of both faith and science.

• The nearly universally accepted, evidence-based theory of the origin of the universe

requires a definite beginning in the past.

• Anything that has a definite beginning requires a creator.

• God communicates to us through His creation.

Lesson Plan Chart

DAY 1 TEACHER’S GUIDE PAGES STUDENT WORKBOOK PAGES

Warm-Up: Teacher-guided activity

• You will need: the video titled “How Do We

Know the Universe Is Expanding?” found at

SophiaOnline.org/UniverseExpanding

pg. 82

N/A

Activity: Creation and The Big Bang Theory

• You will need: a white or clear balloon, five to ten

stickers for each student, and rulers

pg. 83 pg. 40

Formative Assessment: Hidden God pg. 89 pg. 44

Connections to the Catechism in This Lesson

CCC 159, 279–354, 2293–2294

80

Reasons to Believe: The Big Bang Theory © Sophia Teachers

Vocabulary Your Students Will Learn

• The Big Bang theory, developed by astrophysicist Fr. Georges Lemaître in 1927, holds that

the universe is expanding outward from a specific point in the past. Galaxies are not

moving through a fixed empty space, but rather the space between the galaxies is itself

stretching and growing. Fr. Georges Lemaître’s discovery strongly suggested that the

universe had a definitive beginning.

• Red shift is the phenomenon observed as distant galaxies move away faster, the

wavelengths of light are stretched out (from our perspective on earth), making the light

shift towards the red end of the spectrum. The discovery of red shift gives strong evidence

in confirmation of the Big Bang theory.

• Cosmic microwave background radiation is a special form of heat radiation that

originated at the Big Bang and is evenly distributed through the entire universe. Its

presence everywhere in the universe strongly supports the Big Bang theory of the origin

of the universe.

Prayer for This Lesson

All creatures of our God and King,

lift up your voice and with us sing,

“Alleluia! Alleluia!”

thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise Him, O praise Him!

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Spirit of Truth, Grade 5

81

Lesson 5

Lesson Plan

Teacher’s Note

You will need one white or clear balloon, five to ten stickers and a ruler per student

to complete this lesson’s activity, and one balloon and a set of stickers for yourself to

demonstrate. You may also wish to have a couple hand balloon pumps for students who may

struggle to blow up a balloon and extra balloons on hand to replace any that might pop.

Warm-Up

A. Begin by leading your students in prayer by singing the first verse of the hymn “All Creatures of

Our God and King”:

All creatures of our God and King,

lift up your voice and with us sing,

“Alleluia! Alleluia!”

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise Him, O praise Him!

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

B. Next, write on the board the following question and direct your students to wonder about it:

What is the universe?

C. Give your students a few moments to contemplate the question, then ask for responses. Allow

for reasoned discussion. Consider prompting your students by asking whether certain things

are part of the universe or not, such as plants, animals, human beings, planets, stars, light,

gravity, time, space, and so forth.

D. Then explain that the universe is all that has existed, currently exists, and ever will exist

There can be nothing — aside from God Himself — that exists outside the universe, because

the universe is all that exists. And all that exists means absolutely everything: time; space;

energy; all the laws and forces of physics; all physical/material things, such as stars and

planets and every last thing on every planet including earth; all spiritual realities such as

Heaven, Hell, and angels. Everything means everything.

E. Then ask your students to recall what they have learned about what our faith tells us about

what God created. Allow for reasoned responses, which should include reference to the fact that

we believe that God created everything that exists, visible and invisible, at the beginning of time.

There is nothing that exists, aside from God Himself, that God did not creation. We profess belief

in this fundamental doctrine of creation in the very beginning of the Nicene Creed, which we

typically pray at Sunday Mass.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5

Lesson 5

Directions: Read about the Big Bang theory. Then answer the questions.

Contemporary Science

The Big Bang

There is a common modern

For most of human history, there was

Though he was at first skeptical, Einstein

evenly distributed throughout the

misunderstanding today that science no scientific evidence as to whether

eventually accepted Fr. Lemaître’s theory

entire universe. It has been dated

and faith are opposed to one another. the universe had a beginning at all.

that the universe had a beginning,

to be about 13.8 billion years old

This belief could not be further from the That all changed in 1927 when Fr.

even saying of Lemaître’s theory, “This

— the same age as the beginning

truth. In fact, modern science helps us Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest and

is the most beautiful and satisfactory

of the universe predicted by Fr.

to discover the presence of God in His astrophysicist, developed the Big Bang

explanation of creation to which I have

Lemaître. The only explanation

creation and it gives us many kinds of theory. Scientists had already observed

ever listened.”

for the presence of this radiation

evidence that God exists. Albert Einstein, that the further away a galaxy was from

everywhere in the universe is that

Supporting Evidence one of the most famous scientists who us, the faster it was moving away. Fr.

it is leftover heat from the Big Bang.

Georges Lemaitre (center) and Albert Einstein (right) along with Robert A. Millikan (left), at California

ever lived, once said: “The more I study Lemaître theorized that galaxies are not

Fr. Lemaître’s conclusion Institute would of Technology, be January 1933. • Public In 1998, domain it was photo discovered by Caltech that employee.

science, the more I believe in God.”

moving through a fixed, empty space.

supported by several other scientific

distant super novae appeared

billion years ago — when everything in in His creation Rather, for he man believed to discover. the actual He space

discoveries over the following The years: very first pages of the dimmer Bible give than us expected. This

the universe was squeezed into one very said: between the galaxies is stretching and

an ancient account of the discovery creation of provides the strong evidence

• In 1929, Edwin

hot

Hubble

and very

observed

dense single particle. It was

growing.

universe. The Book of Genesis that the tells universe us that As far is expanding, as I can see, just such a theory

something called

from this

red

singular

shift. As

God created point everything that everything out as Fr. of Lemaître nothing. remains predicted. Think entirely of a outside polka-dot any balloon being

distant galaxies

in the

move

universe

away

began

faster,

That basic truth by exploding — the doctrine forth. of creation metaphysical inflated. or The religious space question. between the dots will

the wavelengths

Hence

of

the

light

name,

are

— tells “Big us a Bang.” lot about Conclusion God, His almighty It leaves stretch the materialist and the dots free will to deny move further

stretched out (from our perspective

power, the relationship In sum, between the best God scientific and any transcendental evidence apart. Significantly, we Being . more . . For distant the dots will

on earth), making Impact the of light the shift Big Bang Theory

His creation, and God’s have love shows for that us. physical believer, reality move removes must further any away attempt a faster at rate, just as

towards the red end of the color

Scientists had never considered have anything had a beginning. familiarity And a distant beginning, with galaxies God. . . It are is observed consonant to do.

spectrum. This observation Incredibly, in the last century or so,

like Fr. Lemaître’s theory of the especially creation a beginning of with out Isaiah of nothing, speaking of the hidden

confirms Lemaître’s conclusion modern science that has made amazing

Why is Fr. Lemaître’s theory so important?

the universe before. Though requires Fr. Lemaître a Creator. The God, scientific hidden even in the beginning of

distant galaxies are moving discoveries away about the origins of

If the universe is truly expanding, it must

did not prove that the Big Bang discoveries was the about the the origin universe. of the

from us more quickly. the universe. These findings, rather

have been less expanded in the past. The

beginning of the universe, his universe theory — everything that exists — give

• In 1965, radio

implied

astronomers

than conflicting with our faith, are One thing further is for certain: back into the Big the Bang past we go, the

that it could be. And us his powerful theory reasons to stand in awe

accidentally

certainly

discovered

opportunities

existed

cosmic

to support and deepen theory it. drastically smaller changed the universe the field would of be. We would

in harmony and with wonder the before the mystery of God’s

microwave

biblical

background

understanding

radiation

natural science. eventually The equations reach a moment for the Big — about 13.8

of creation. almighty Fr. power and the care with which

— a special

Lemaître

form of heat

humbly

radiation

Bang would even give Albert Einstein

viewed his He discovery has made all things.

the missing information he needed for

as an encounter between the physical

his General Theory of Relativity to work.

universe and the mystery of God hidden


Lesson 5

F. Ask them to recall what there was before God created all that exists. Nothing. We express

this belief with the Latin phrase ex nihilo, which means, “out of nothing.” We believe that God

created all that exists in the heavens (spiritual realities) and the earth (all physical, material

realities) out of nothing.

G. Explain that the phrase “all that exists,” which we use to describe what God created, is what

we mean when we say the “universe.” That is to say, when God created all that exists, He

created the universe. And, before God created the universe, there was nothing. The universe

— all that has existed, currently exists, and ever will exist — did not exist before it did.

H. Continue to explain that in this first unit of this course on the Sacraments, we have spent

a lot of time talking about how God is creator of all things and that He uses physical

material things as signs and symbols to communicate important truths to us about invisible,

spiritual realities. It is important for us to keep in mind that the physical, material world

is not somehow separate from the spiritual. God is the Creator of both. Incredibly, the last

century or so of scientific fields of astrophysics, cosmology, and astronomy, have made

astounding discoveries about our universe that give significant support to the Christian,

biblical understanding of the origin of the universe and provide important reasonable

evidence for God’s existence. Perhaps the most significant of these discoveries is the Big

Bang theory, which was first put forth by a Catholic priest and astrophysicist named

Georges Lemaître.

I. Show your students the PBS video titled “How Do We Know the Universe Is Expanding?”

found at SophiaOnline.org/UniverseExpanding. Note that the red shifting of galaxies is

evidence of the universe’s expansion, not its beginning.

+1

Creation and the Big

Bang Theory

40 The Big Bang Theory © Sophia Teachers


41

Activity

A. Have your students turn to Creation and the Big Bang Theory on pg. 40 in

the Student Workbook and read independently about the Big Bang theory

and what we can learn from it about our faith. Then have them answer the

questions.

B. When they have finished, call on students to share and discuss their

responses.

C. Next, explain that Fr. Lemaître theorized that galaxies were not moving through fixed

empty space, but rather that the space between them was stretching. If space itself is

stretching (growing like the elastic of a balloon), then the further a galaxy is from us

(the observer), the faster it will be moving away from us. Why? Again, because the space

between the galaxies is stretching and growing like a balloon. Thus, the more space there is

between our galaxy and another galaxy, the more space there is to stretch and grow. So, we

should expect that there would be more space between our galaxy and a far distant galaxy

than between our galaxy and a nearer one. We can easily demonstrate this basic effect.


83

Lesson 5

D. Distribute to each student a white or clear balloon (reserving one balloon for yourself) and five

to ten stickers. Lead them in doing the following:

• With their balloons uninflated, have your students place their stickers on the balloon (while

you do the same as a demonstration). Have them take out a ruler and measure and record

the distances between the stickers. (These distances should be fairly small at this uninflated

scale.)

• When they have finished, have your students blow up their balloons a little bit and hold

the end without tying it off. (Note: you may wish to have a balloon pump or two on hand

for any students who might struggle to blow up their balloons. You may also wish to have

additional balloons ready to replace any that might pop.)

• Have your students observe their partially blown-up balloons, taking note again of the

observable distances between the stickers. Once again, have them take out a ruler and

measure and record the distances between the stickers they measured previously.

• Next, have your students blow up their balloons all the way (without causing them to pop)

and tie them off.

• Again, have them observe their balloons and measure and record the distances between the

stickers with a ruler.

E. Ask your students the following:

• What did you notice about the stickers and the balloon from the beginning to the first

observation? What did you notice once the balloon was fully inflated? Students should

notice that, as the balloon was inflated, the stickers moved further apart from one another,

and the space between the stickers (the balloon itself) grew as well. The stickers themselves,

however, did not grow: they remained the same size.

• What do you think would happen if the balloon could continue to be inflated without

popping? The balloon would continue to grow and the stickers would move further and

further apart.

F. Explain that, as we can observe (though, it was unlikely that you noticed it as you were

focusing on blowing up the balloon), the stickers that were closest together at the

beginning have grown less further apart than the stickers that had more distance between

them in the beginning. Thus, if space as a whole is growing like a balloon, the farther away

a galaxy is from our own, the more it expands as time goes on. The farther a sticker is from

the starting point on the balloon, the faster it is moving away in the same amount of time.

The starting point represents the Big Bang and the dots represent galaxies. If the expansion

were reversed, all the matter and energy of the universe would converge in one point at a

specific moment in the past (about 13.8 billion years ago).

84


Lesson 5

Activity and Assessment Worksheet

(page 40 in the Student Workbook)

Lesson 5

Creation and the Big

Bang Theory

Directions: Read about the Big Bang theory. Then answer the questions.

Contemporary Science

There is a common modern

misunderstanding today that science

and faith are opposed to one another.

This belief could not be further from the

truth. In fact, modern science helps us

to discover the presence of God in His

creation and it gives us many kinds of

evidence that God exists. Albert Einstein,

one of the most famous scientists who

ever lived, once said: “The more I study

science, the more I believe in God.”

The very first pages of the Bible give us

an ancient account of the creation of the

universe. The Book of Genesis tells us that

God created everything out of nothing.

That basic truth — the doctrine of creation

— tells us a lot about God, His almighty

power, the relationship between God and

His creation, and God’s love for us.

Incredibly, in the last century or so,

modern science has made amazing

discoveries about the origins of

the universe. These findings, rather

than conflicting with our faith, are

opportunities to support and deepen it.

The Big Bang

For most of human history, there was

no scientific evidence as to whether

the universe had a beginning at all.

That all changed in 1927 when Fr.

Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest and

astrophysicist, developed the Big Bang

theory. Scientists had already observed

that the further away a galaxy was from

us, the faster it was moving away. Fr.

Lemaître theorized that galaxies are not

moving through a fixed, empty space.

Rather, he believed the actual space

between the galaxies is stretching and

growing.

Think of a polka-dot balloon being

inflated. The space between the dots will

stretch and the dots will move further

apart. Significantly, more distant dots will

move further away at a faster rate, just as

distant galaxies are observed to do.

Why is Fr. Lemaître’s theory so important?

If the universe is truly expanding, it must

have been less expanded in the past. The

further back into the past we go, the

smaller the universe would be. We would

eventually reach a moment — about 13.8

40

The Big Bang Theory © Sophia Teachers


85

Lesson 5

Activity and Assessment Worksheet, continued


Lesson 5

Georges Lemaitre (center) and Albert Einstein (right) along with Robert A. Millikan (left), at California

Institute of Technology, January 1933. Public domain photo by Caltech employee.

billion years ago — when everything in

the universe was squeezed into one very

hot and very dense single particle. It was

from this singular point that everything

in the universe began by exploding forth.

Hence the name, “Big Bang.”

Impact of the Big Bang Theory

Scientists had never considered anything

like Fr. Lemaître’s theory of the creation of

the universe before. Though Fr. Lemaître

did not prove that the Big Bang was the

beginning of the universe, his theory

implied that it could be. And his theory

certainly existed in harmony with the

biblical understanding of creation. Fr.

Lemaître humbly viewed his discovery

as an encounter between the physical

universe and the mystery of God hidden

in His creation for man to discover. He

said:

As far as I can see, such a theory

remains entirely outside any

metaphysical or religious question.

It leaves the materialist free to deny

any transcendental Being . . . For the

believer, it removes any attempt at

familiarity with God. . . It is consonant

with Isaiah speaking of the hidden

God, hidden even in the beginning of

the universe.

One thing is for certain: the Big Bang

theory drastically changed the field of

natural science. The equations for the Big

Bang would even give Albert Einstein

the missing information he needed for

his General Theory of Relativity to work.


41

86


Lesson 5



Lesson 5

Though he was at first skeptical, Einstein

eventually accepted Fr. Lemaître’s theory

that the universe had a beginning,

even saying of Lemaître’s theory, “This

is the most beautiful and satisfactory

explanation of creation to which I have

ever listened.”

Supporting Evidence

Fr. Lemaître’s conclusion would be

supported by several other scientific

discoveries over the following years:

• In 1929, Edwin Hubble observed

something called red shift. As

distant galaxies move away faster,

the wavelengths of light are

stretched out (from our perspective

on earth), making the light shift

towards the red end of the color

spectrum. This observation

confirms Lemaître’s conclusion that

distant galaxies are moving away

from us more quickly.

• In 1965, radio astronomers

accidentally discovered cosmic

microwave background radiation

— a special form of heat radiation

evenly distributed throughout the

entire universe. It has been dated

to be about 13.8 billion years old

— the same age as the beginning

of the universe predicted by Fr.

Lemaître. The only explanation

for the presence of this radiation

everywhere in the universe is that

it is leftover heat from the Big Bang.

• In 1998, it was discovered that

distant super novae appeared

dimmer than expected. This

discovery provides strong evidence

that the universe is expanding, just

as Fr. Lemaître predicted.

Conclusion

In sum, the best scientific evidence we

have shows that physical reality must

have had a beginning. And a beginning,

especially a beginning out of nothing,

requires a Creator. The scientific

discoveries about the origin of the

universe — everything that exists — give

us powerful reasons to stand in awe

and wonder before the mystery of God’s

almighty power and the care with which

He has made all things.

42



87

Lesson 5



Lesson 5

Focus and Reflection Questions:

11

What

common misunderstanding about science and faith exists today?

That they are opposed to ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

each other or contradict each other.

21

Who

31

Why

was Fr. Georges Lemaître? What famous theory did he develop?

He was a Catholic priest ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

and astrophysicist who developed the Big Bang

theory — the theory that ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

we live in an expanding universe with a definite

beginning.

is Fr. Lemaître’s theory so important to our understanding of the

universe?

If the universe is truly expanding ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

as a whole, it must have been less

expanded in the past. The ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

further back into the past we go, the smaller the

universe would be. We would ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

eventually reach a moment when everything

in the universe was squeezed ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

into one single particle — and from this

singular point everything ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

in the universe must have begun by exploding

forth. Though Fr. Lemaître ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

did not prove that the Big Bang was the

beginning of the universe, ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

his theory implied that it could be. The Big Bang

theory drastically changed ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

the field of natural science.

41

Albert

Einstein once said: “The more I study science, the more I believe in

God.” What do you think this tells us about the relationship between faith

and reason?

Accept reasoned answers. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


43

88


Lesson 5

What do

faith

you

and

think

science:

it means

“It is

that

consonant

“God is

[compatible]

hidden” in the

with

things

Isaiah

He

speaking

created? How

of the hidden God,

can we

hidden

“find” Him?

even

What

in the

might

beginning

happen

of the

when

universe.”

we do “find”

Fr. Lemaître

the “hidden”

was referring

God?

to a passage

from the Book of Isaiah that says:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Truly with you God is hidden,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

the God of Israel, the savior! . . .

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For thus says the LORD,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The creator of the heavens,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

who is God,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The designer and maker of the earth

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

who established it,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not as an empty waste did he create it,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

but designing it to be lived in:

The Astronomer by Johannes Vermeer (ca. 1668).

Lesson 5

Directions: Reflect on Isaiah 45:15; 18–19 and journal a response to the reflection question.

Fr. Lemaître once said about the impact of his theory on the relationship between

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret

from some place in the land of darkness,

I have not said to the descendants of Jacob,

“Look for me in an empty waste.”

I, the LORD, promise justice,

I declare what is right.

(Isaiah 45:15; 18–19)


Lesson 5

Formative Assessment

A. Discuss the following prompt with your students:

Hidden God

• How do the Big Bang theory and other discoveries by modern science about the universe

demonstrate how God uses physical, created things to communicate invisible, spiritual

truths to us? How do these things help us come to deepen our knowledge of God Himself?

Science confirms that the universe had a beginning. Thus, if there was a time when the

universe did not exist — when nothing at all existed — then something or, better, someone

had to create it, because nothing can only produce more nothing. Therefore, by the very fact

that God created all things, He communicates to us through what He created — He tells

us that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, beyond (transcendent) His Creation, and at the

same time intimately involved with it, and so forth. We can even come to recognize that God

must love us because He did not need to create the universe, or fine-tune it in such a away

that each of us exists. Accept additional reasoned answers.

B. Then have your students turn to Hidden God on pg. 44 in the Student

Workbook and spend a few minutes journalling in response to the reflection

question.


45


89

Lesson 5

Formative Assessment Worksheet


Lesson 5

Hidden God

Directions: Reflect on Isaiah 45:15; 18–19 and journal a response to the reflection question.

Fr. Lemaître once said about the impact of his theory on the relationship between

faith and science: “It is consonant [compatible] with Isaiah speaking of the hidden God,

hidden even in the beginning of the universe.” Fr. Lemaître was referring to a passage

from the Book of Isaiah that says:

Truly with you God is hidden,

the God of Israel, the savior! . . .

For thus says the LORD,

The creator of the heavens,

who is God,

The designer and maker of the earth

who established it,

Not as an empty waste did he create it,

but designing it to be lived in:

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret

from some place in the land of darkness,

I have not said to the descendants of Jacob,

“Look for me in an empty waste.”

I, the LORD, promise justice,

I declare what is right.

(Isaiah 45:15; 18–19)

44


90


Lesson 5

Formative Assessment Worksheet, continued


Lesson 5

What do you think it means that “God is hidden” in the things He created? How

can we “find” Him? What might happen when we do “find” the “hidden” God?

God is invisible and spiritual; ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He is pure spirit. We human beings experience reality

in and through our physical ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

bodies. Thus, God, who is the Creator of all things,

makes Himself known to ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

us through the material (and spiritual) things He has

created. We encounter God’s ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

presence “hidden” in the created world, just as one

might encounter the artist ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

of a beautiful painting by discovering his brushstrokes

left in the paint, or a fingerprint ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

left on the canvas. All of creation is available to

us to mine and discover, leading ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

us deeper into contemplation and understanding

of the mystery of God. When ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

we seek knowledge of the universe, we are, in fact,

seeking and finding God hidden ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

in His creation. When we “find” Him by some

new discovery or understanding ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

of what He has made, we continue to enter more

deeply in relationship with ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Him. Accept additional reasoned answers.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Astronomer by Johannes Vermeer (ca. 1668).


45


91

REASONS TO BELIEVE

Lesson 25

Eucharistic

Miracles

487

Reasons to Believe: Eucharistic Miracles

Lesson 25 at a Glance

Learning Goals

• Eucharistic miracles are rare external signs of Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist.

• Recent Eucharistic miracles have occurred in Tixtla, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and

Sokółka, Poland.

• While evidence alone will not move us to Faith, it can enhance our Faith and love for the

Lord.

Lesson Plan Chart

DAY 1 TEACHER’S GUIDE PAGES STUDENT WORKBOOK PAGES

Warm-Up: The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Caravaggio

• You will need: an image of the painting The

Incredulity of St. Thomas found at SophiaOnline.

org/Gr5Unit5Lesson25

Activity: Three Eucharistic Miracles

• You will need: poster board or large pieces of

butcher paper and markers and/or colored

pencils

Formative Assessment: The Miracle of the Eucharist

• You will need: access to a chapel for a class visit

to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

pg. 490 pg. 257

pg. 490 pg. 259

pg. 491 pg. 262

488

Reasons to Believe: Eucharistic Miracles © Sophia Teachers

Vocabulary Your Students Will Learn

• A Eucharistic miracle is a rare external sign of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist that

includes bleeding consecrated hosts or a host becoming a piece of heart tissue. They have

occurred throughout the 2,000-year history of the Church and continue still today.

Prayer for This Lesson

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if you were already there,

and I unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.


489

Directions: Reflect on the painting. Then discuss the questions with your group.

Conversation Questions

11 What

21 How

31 Who

41 How

51 Read

61 Read

71 After

Lesson 25

do you notice first about this painting?

does this painting make you feel?

are the people in this painting?

would you describe the way Jesus looks?

John 20:24–25:

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus

came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said

to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into

the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

What do we learn about St. Thomas in this Scripture passage?

John 20:26–29:

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.

Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said,

“Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my

hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving,

but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus

said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are

those who have not seen and have believed.”

How does Jesus respond to St. Thomas’s doubt?

Lesson 25

reflecting on the painting and Scripture story, what can we learn about how Spirit of Truth, Grade 5

God responds to us if we ever struggle to believe in Him?

Lesson 25

Lesson Plan

Warm-Up

A. Begin by leading your students in the prayer for this lesson:

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if you were already there,

and I unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

The Incredulity The Incredulity of St. Thomas of St. Thomas

by Caravaggio • 1602

258 Eucharistic Miracles © Sophia Teachers

257

B. Next, arrange your students into pairs or trios and have them turn to The

Incredulity of St. Thomas on pg. 257 in the Student Workbook. You may

also wish to project the image, which can be found at SophiaOnline.org/

Gr5Unit5Lesson25. Ask them to take a few minutes to look at the image.

C. Then have each group discuss the painting using the conversation questions.

During this time, focus on keeping students’ attention on the artwork and the

questions, letting their conversations go in unexpected directions.

D. When they have finished, reconvene the class and discuss the conversation questions as a large

group.

E. Ask your class if they ever feel like St. Thomas did. In what ways do we as Catholics believe in

things we cannot necessarily see with our own eyes? Accept reasoned answers. If students do

not mention it, offer the example of how, when we receive Holy Communion, we receive Jesus

Himself under the appearance of bread and wine.

490


Lesson 25

Directions: Read about three Eucharistic miracles. Then complete the activity as

instructed by your teacher.

committee in New York (whose members

Lesson 25

Tixtla, Mexico (2006) were not told of the source). • The They blood type of the sample was

concluded:

In October 2006, in the small town of

AB

week later, the safe was opened Tixtla, and Mexico, the a priest clinging led to a retreat the • linen The for sample fabric on was •

which a piece The Host

it of human contained human DNA.

room filled with the smell of his bread. parish. The While celebrating had been laid. Mass This heart with relic muscle. still looks • the Incredibly, the blood came from

Host had not yet fully dissolved. another Part priest of for same about today. 600 people, • The a blood type of the within sample the was Communion Host, not

it was covered by a red stain nun that distributing looked Communion discovered AB.

from outside of it!

The archbishop had the Host studied by

like blood. Yet the water in the a consecrated vase Host stained with

two scientists. •

blood.

They White found: blood cells were present in

remained clear.

It had a moist, crumbly texture, and

the

a

Buenos Aires, Argentina (1996)

sample. This means the heart

small fragment had come • The off Host it by contained human DNA.

A few days later, the archbishop came to

was

gently In August 1996, in Buenos Aires, Argentina,

alive when the tissue fragment

touching it. The parishioner • The who sample had was heart tissue taken

see the Host. He told the parish priest

was

been a woman found a dirty and dusty

taken. It also means the heart

about to receive Communion from saw a living person.

to use a small spoon to separate the

had

the consecrated Communion Host behind a

undergone great stress, as if the

same thing. • The heart tissue bore signs

candlestick

of severe

on the altar of her church. She

mysterious red clot from the water and

person’s chest had been severely

stress caused by intense

alerted

pain.

the parish priest. He had the Host

lay it on a small corporal, (a small The second cloth priest, Fr. Rayito, loudly beaten. spoke

immersed in water so it would dissolve

used during Mass). The corporal out, was “This then is a miracle!” • He The showed heart • The the tissue sample was intermingled

itself should not have

and could be properly disposed of later. It

placed in a monstrance and kept Host stained the with fresh blood with unleavened to the lasted in Host water bread. for three Both years.

was then locked in the tabernacle.

tabernacle. By early 2009, the Church. mysterious He began singing show “Que no viva signs The mi white of decay. blood cells should have

material was fully dried out Cristo, and tightly que viva mi Rey,” a hymn well dissolved within Later, a it few was minutes. noticed Any that the Host had

known to all Mexicans. Some people other human not cells dissolved should as have it should. been Instead, it was

applauded and some people wept. unrecognizable. transforming into something red in color.

Suspecting a possible miracle, the priest

In the following weeks, the bishop

Sokółka, Poland (2008)

Photo of Pope Francis

informed officials at his diocese. Bishop

interviewed witnesses of this miracle. He

In 2008, in the small Jorge town Mario of Sokółka, Bergoglio (the future Pope

ordered scientific investigations into the

redder and redder. A red cloud-like

Poland, a woman found Francis), a consecrated

one of the four auxiliary bishops

Host itself. These tests all concluded the

substance appeared along with darker,

Host dropped on the of Buenos first step Aires of the at the time, told him to

same thing:

jelly-like clumps. It had turned into bloody,

altar. The priest picked have professional up the dirty photos Host taken of the

clotted tissue. After about • The a month, Host contained it was fresh and placed human it in a container Host. of water

transferred to a closed bottle blood. of distilled

to dissolve and be

Over

properly

time,

disposed

the dissolving Host and the

water.

• The blood came from of human later. heart After Mass,

water

he locked

in which

it in

it

the

was placed became

After three years, the bloody tissue. tissue had tabernacle.

not decomposed. The now Archbishop

Bergoglio asked that a sample of the

tissue be examined by a scientific

Later that day, the Host was transferred


to a larger glass vase and more water was

added to it. It was then locked in a safe. A

St. Anthony's Church, Sokolka, Poland. Photo by Piotr Widerski, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons,

CC-BY-SA-3.0-PL.


Lesson 25

Lesson 25

Activity

A. Begin by asking your students what happens at every Mass when the priest says the words of

consecration. The bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The

Church calls this miraculous process Transubstantiation.

B. Next, ask your students to summarize what they have learned about Transubstantiation in this

unit. Transubstantiation is a term that describes the change of substance that occurs when, at

Mass, the bread and wine become, in substance, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ — His Real

Presence — while keeping the accidents — the non-essential characteristics of a thing that can

change without that thing no longer being what it is — of bread and wine. Accept additional

reasoned answers.

C. Explain that Transubstantiation is a miraculous event we are privileged to witness at every

Mass! But the term Eucharistic miracle refers to a rare external sign of Jesus’ presence in

the Eucharist. Examples of Eucharistic miracles include bleeding hosts, or a consecrated

host becoming a piece of heart tissue. They have occurred throughout the 2,000 year history

of the Church. Today, we are going to learn about three modern Eucharistic miracles that

have occurred in the last thirty years.

Three Eucharistic Miracles


261

259

D. Next, arrange your students into pairs or trios and have them turn to Three

Eucharistic Miracles on pg. 259 in the Student Workbook. Assign each

group one of the Eucharistic miracles and have them read about it together

from the worksheet.

E. Then distribute to each group a piece of posterboard or large piece of

butcher paper and make markers and/or colored pencils available. Have

each group work together to create a four-to-six-panel comic strip on their

poster board or butcher paper illustrating what happened in their assigned

Eucharistic miracle.

F. When they have finished, have students present and discuss their comic strips with the class.

G. After all groups have presented, explain that these three Eucharistic miracles are a small

sample of miracles from throughout the centuries. They are recounted here because they

have been subject to considerable scientific investigation by experts who are believers and

non-believers. These miracles give evidence to the truthfulness of the Christian Faith, the

Risen Jesus, and His Real Presence in the Eucharist. But, ultimately, this evidence is not

necessary for faith. Remember that Christ told St. Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not

seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). Our hearts must be open to belief. If we are not open, no

amount of evidence can move our hearts to faith.


491

Lesson 25

Warm-Up Worksheet


Lesson 25

The Incredulity of St. Thomas

by Caravaggio • 1602


257

492


11

What

21

How

31

Who

41

How

51

Read

61

Read

71

After

Lesson 25

Warm-Up Worksheet, continued


Lesson 25

The Incredulity of St. Thomas

Directions: Reflect on the painting. Then discuss the questions with your group.

Conversation Questions

do you notice first about this painting?

does this painting make you feel?

are the people in this painting?

would you describe the way Jesus looks?

John 20:24–25:

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus

came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said

to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into

the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

What do we learn about St. Thomas in this Scripture passage?

John 20:26–29:

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.

Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said,

“Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my

hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving,

but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus

said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are

those who have not seen and have believed.”

How does Jesus respond to St. Thomas’s doubt?

reflecting on the painting and Scripture story, what can we learn about how

God responds to us if we ever struggle to believe in Him?

258

Eucharistic Miracles © Sophia Teachers

Answer Key

1. Accept reasoned

answers.

2. Accept reasoned

answers.

3. Jesus, St. Thomas,

and other Apostles.

4. Students may say

He looks open,

welcoming, or to be

offering Himself.

5. Thomas doubted.

The Risen Jesus had

appeared to the

Apostles, but St.

Thomas was not with

them at the time.

Thomas said unless

he saw and touched

Jesus, he would not

believe He had risen

from the dead.

6. Jesus offers to let

Thomas see and

touch him.

7. If we struggle to

believe, Jesus does

not look passively

on our struggle.

While he noted that

those who believed

without seeing the

proof were blessed,

Jesus was not

angered or impatient

with Thomas. We

also can ask Him to

strengthen our Faith.

Accept additional

reasoned answers.


493

Lesson 25

Activity Worksheet


Lesson 25

Three Eucharistic Miracles

Directions: Read about three Eucharistic miracles. Then complete the activity as

instructed by your teacher.

Tixtla, Mexico (2006)

In October 2006, in the small town of

Tixtla, Mexico, a priest led a retreat for

his parish. While celebrating Mass with

another priest for about 600 people, a

nun distributing Communion discovered

a consecrated Host stained with blood.

It had a moist, crumbly texture, and a

small fragment had come off it by gently

touching it. The parishioner who had been

about to receive Communion saw the

same thing.

The second priest, Fr. Rayito, loudly spoke

out, “This is a miracle!” He showed the

Host stained with fresh blood to the

Church. He began singing “Que viva mi

Cristo, que viva mi Rey,” a hymn well

known to all Mexicans. Some people

applauded and some people wept.

In the following weeks, the bishop

interviewed witnesses of this miracle. He

ordered scientific investigations into the

Host itself. These tests all concluded the

same thing:

• The Host contained fresh human

blood.

• The blood came from human heart

tissue.

• The blood type of the sample was

AB

• The Host contained human DNA.

• Incredibly, the blood came from

within the Communion Host, not

from outside of it!

Buenos Aires, Argentina (1996)

In August 1996, in Buenos Aires, Argentina,

a woman found a dirty and dusty

consecrated Communion Host behind a

candlestick on the altar of her church. She

alerted the parish priest. He had the Host

immersed in water so it would dissolve

and could be properly disposed of later. It

was then locked in the tabernacle.

Later, it was noticed that the Host had

not dissolved as it should. Instead, it was

transforming into something red in color.

Suspecting a possible miracle, the priest

informed officials at his diocese. Bishop

Jorge Mario Bergoglio (the future Pope

Francis), one of the four auxiliary bishops

of Buenos Aires at the time, told him to

have professional photos taken of the

Host.

Over time, the dissolving Host and the

water in which it was placed became


259

494


Lesson 25

Activity Worksheet, continued


Lesson 25

committee in New York (whose members

were not told of the source). They

concluded:

• The sample was a piece of human

heart muscle.

• The blood type of the sample was

AB.

• White blood cells were present in

the sample. This means the heart

was alive when the tissue fragment

was taken. It also means the heart

had undergone great stress, as if the

person’s chest had been severely

beaten.

• The sample itself should not have

lasted in water for three years.

The white blood cells should have

dissolved within a few minutes. Any

other human cells should have been

unrecognizable.

Photo of Pope Francis

redder and redder. A red cloud-like

substance appeared along with darker,

jelly-like clumps. It had turned into bloody,

clotted tissue. After about a month, it was

transferred to a closed bottle of distilled

water.

After three years, the bloody tissue had

not decomposed. The now Archbishop

Bergoglio asked that a sample of the

tissue be examined by a scientific

Sokółka, Poland (2008)

In 2008, in the small town of Sokółka,

Poland, a woman found a consecrated

Host dropped on the first step of the

altar. The priest picked up the dirty Host

and placed it in a container of water

to dissolve and be properly disposed

of later. After Mass, he locked it in the

tabernacle.

Later that day, the Host was transferred

to a larger glass vase and more water was

added to it. It was then locked in a safe. A

260



495

Lesson 25

Activity Worksheet, continued


Lesson 25

week later, the safe was opened and the

room filled with the smell of bread. The

Host had not yet fully dissolved. Part of

it was covered by a red stain that looked

like blood. Yet the water in the vase

remained clear.

A few days later, the archbishop came to

see the Host. He told the parish priest

to use a small spoon to separate the

mysterious red clot from the water and

lay it on a small corporal, (a small cloth

used during Mass). The corporal was then

placed in a monstrance and kept in the

tabernacle. By early 2009, the mysterious

material was fully dried out and tightly

clinging to the linen fabric on which it

had been laid. This relic still looks the

same today.

The archbishop had the Host studied by

two scientists. They found:

• The Host contained human DNA.

• The sample was heart tissue taken

from a living person.

• The heart tissue bore signs of severe

stress caused by intense pain.

• The heart tissue was intermingled

with unleavened Host bread. Both

show no signs of decay.

St. Anthony's Church, Sokolka, Poland. Photo by Piotr Widerski, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons,

CC-BY-SA-3.0-PL.


261

496


Lesson 25

Directions: Read the reflection. Then write a note to Jesus as you sit in His loving

presence.

In today’s lesson, you learned about three

Eucharistic miracles that have been

studied and verified scientifically. You

may or may not be convinced by what you

read. Does this mean your Faith is weak?

No! It is important to remember that Faith

will not come from evidence alone. Faith is

a gift God offers us. But we must be moved

to believe in our hearts.

Dear Jesus,

If our hearts are open, then the evidence

can help move us to Faith. God wants us

to know and freely choose to love Him.

He has revealed Himself to us. He has

given us the freedom to choose to believe

in Him. He is always waiting for us to

approach Him, especially in the Holy

Eucharist, and speak to Him.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 25

Formative Assessment

A. Explain to your students that most of us will likely not witness a Eucharistic miracle like

the ones in these accounts. But we all have the chance to behold the Lord Himself! We can

do this at every Mass, and in Eucharistic adoration. The Catechism tells us, “Because Christ

himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of

adoration. ‘To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love,

and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord’” (1418).

B. Then, if possible, take your class to visit Our Lord in an Adoration chapel or before a tabernacle

in your parish Church or school chapel for 10–15 minutes of silent prayer. Remind them that, if

they ever feel like St. Thomas, they may ask the Lord to strengthen their faith. If you cannot

take them to a chapel, create a prayerful atmosphere and consider projecting an image of Our

Lord and/or playing some sacred music.

The Miracle of the Eucharist

C. When students are settled and in a prayerful disposition, either in the chapel

or in the classroom, have them turn to The Miracle of the Eucharist on pg.

262 in the Student Workbook, read the short reflection, and write their own

personal note to Jesus. Encourage them to speak with Him as a close friend

and take their burdens to Him. Remind them that Jesus dearly loves each of

them and desires to hear their hopes, joys, struggles and sorrows!



497

Lesson 25

Formative Assessment Worksheet


Lesson 25

The Miracle of the Eucharist

Directions: Read the reflection. Then write a note to Jesus as you sit in His loving

presence.

In today’s lesson, you learned about three

Eucharistic miracles that have been

studied and verified scientifically. You

may or may not be convinced by what you

read. Does this mean your Faith is weak?

No! It is important to remember that Faith

will not come from evidence alone. Faith is

a gift God offers us. But we must be moved

to believe in our hearts.

If our hearts are open, then the evidence

can help move us to Faith. God wants us

to know and freely choose to love Him.

He has revealed Himself to us. He has

given us the freedom to choose to believe

in Him. He is always waiting for us to

approach Him, especially in the Holy

Eucharist, and speak to Him.

Dear Jesus,

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

_____________________________________________________________________________ _ _

262


498


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