Unit Overview

This unit focuses on Mary as a faithful disciple and model for the Church. Students will explore female saints and women within Scripture who lived lives of faith, courage, and trust in God. Students will recognise how the Church honours Mary by exploring significant Marian feast days. This unit will explore expressions of Mary as a model of faithful discipleship through art and music.

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Objectives

Enduring Understanding

The Church honours Mary as a woman of faith and celebrates her as a model for all believers.

A student will

value and appreciate and become aware of their religious identity and their spiritual heritage; appreciate the richness of the tradition and the need for community; be open to participation in the mission of the Church
develop an understanding of the nature and mission of the Church, both local and universal, and its history and teachings from its beginning to the present
analyse and communicate informed viewpoints on the nature and mission of the Church; review their experience in the light of its teachings; evaluate their participation in its undertakings

Outcomes

A student

appreciates the qualities of Mary that make her a faithful disciple. (RECVB6)
describes some of the key Church teachings and beliefs about Mary. (RECKB6)
demonstrates an understanding of how the Church honours Mary. (RECSB6)

Essential Questions

Who are some significant women who have been faithful models for the Church?
How is Mary, Mother of God, a faithful disciple and model for the Church?
How does the Church honour Mary, Mother of God?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

Students recognise some significant women who have modelled lives of faith, courage, and trust in God

- identifying the qualities of female saints.
- Research female saints who demonstrated faith, courage and trust in God, considering the social and cultural context. Include St Mary MacKillop, St Mother Teresa, St Catherine of Siena, St Clare of Assisi, St Hildegard and St Josephine Bakhita.
- exploring women within Scripture.
- Research women within Scripture who demonstrated faith, courage, and trust in God, considering the social and cultural context. Include Ruth, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus.
- examining the concept of discipleship.
- Explore the concept of discipleship using the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1816 and John 13:34-35 The New Commandment.
  ○ “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it” (CCC 1816).
  ○ “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
- Identify the qualities of a faithful disciple, referring to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1816 and John 13:34-35 The New Commandment.
- identifying the qualities of modern female disciples.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 17 Our Heritage p162-163 and explore Irene McCormack as an example of a modern-day disciple.
- Research modern women who demonstrated faith, courage, and trust in God. Include Caroline Chisholm, Eileen O’Connor and Dorothy Day.
- Identify women in students’ families and communities who demonstrate discipleship and explain how they show faith, courage and trust in God.

Students deepen their understanding of Mary, Mother of God, as a faithful disciple and model for the Church by

- recognising the qualities of Mary.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 14 Mary, the Faithful Disciple p131-133 and Living the Gospel p136 and explore the qualities that Mary demonstrated as a faith-filled woman.
- exploring stories of Mary in Scripture.
- Explore Scripture passages that demonstrate Mary as a faithful disciple. Include The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), The Visitation (Luke 1:39-45), Birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25), Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7), Flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21), The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52), Wedding of Cana (John 2:1-12), Mary at Calvary (John 19:25-27).
- exploring Mary’s role in salvation.
- Define ‘salvation’.
- Explore Luke 1:46-56 The Magnificat and interpret how Mary is a model of faith.
- Explore Luke 2:22-40 Anna and Simeon (storytelling).
- Explore Mary’s role in salvation.

Students recognise how the Church honours Mary, Mother of God, by

- exploring Marian feast days.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 14 In Tradition p134-135 and explore the tradition and beliefs associated with Marian feast days. Include the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the Annunciation of the Lord; Mary, the Holy Mother of God; Our Lady, Help of Christians; the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- exploring Marian prayers and devotions.
- Define ‘prayer’ and ‘devotion’ and identify different ways that Catholics express devotion to Mary.
- Explore the tradition and beliefs associated with Marian prayers:
  ○ Explore our belief that Mary intercedes for us as our Mother in heaven.
  ○ Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 14 Our Heritage p137-138 and explore the mysteries of the Rosary.
  ○ Explore the Angelus, the Hail Mary, Hail, Holy Queen, the Memorare, Litany of Our Lady, the Litany of Mary of Nazareth and the Regina Coeli.
- exploring expressions of Mary through art and music.
- Explore and identify how art and music represent Mary as a model of faithful discipleship.
- Explore how musical and artistic representations of Mary are inspired by Scripture, Church beliefs, culture and/or historical contexts.
- Celebrate a prayer service using Marian based Scripture, prayer, music and art as an expression of devotion to Mary.

Compulsory Scripture

Unit Content 1:
John 13:34-35 The New Commandment
Unit Content 2:
Luke 1:26-38 The Annunciation
Luke 1:39-45 The Visitation
Matthew 1:18-25 Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-7 Birth of Jesus
Matthew 2:13-21 Flight to Egypt
Luke 2:41-52 The finding of Jesus in the Temple
John 2:1-12 Wedding of Cana
John 19:25-27 Mary at Calvary
Luke 1:46-56 The Magnificat

Storytelling

Unit Content 2
Luke 2:22-40 Anna and Simeon

Church Documents

Catechism of the Catholic Church

489 – Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve; despite her disobedience, she receives the promise of a posterity that will be victorious over the evil one, as well as the promise that she will be the mother of all the living. By virtue of this promise, Sarah conceives a son in spite of her old age. Against all human expectation God chooses those who were considered powerless and weak to show forth his faithfulness to his promises: Hannah, the mother of Samuel; Deborah; Ruth; Judith and Esther; and many other women. Mary “stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from him. After a long period of waiting the times are fulfilled in her, the exalted Daughter of Sion, and the new plan of salvation is established.
967 – By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a “preeminent and wholly unique member of the Church”; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus) of the Church.
971 – “All generations will call me blessed”: “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship”. The Church rightly honors “the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. … This very special devotion … differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.” The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
973 – By pronouncing her “fiat” at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body.

2619 – That is why the Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat (Latin) or Megalynei (Byzantine) is the song both of the Mother of God and of the Church; the song of the Daughter of Zion and of the new People of God; the song of thanksgiving for the fullness of graces poured out in the economy of salvation and the song of the “poor” whose hope is met by the fulfillment of the promises made to our ancestors, “to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

1816 – “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it.”

Redemptoris Mater: On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church Paragraph 44

44. Mary’s relationship to the Church is a model for all believers. The Church is close to her and seeks to become like her: “Imitating the Mother of her Lord.” Mary is not only the model and figure of the Church; she is much more. The Church’s motherhood is accomplished not only according to the model and figure of the Mother of God but also with her cooperation. She cooperates, and trusts in God’s plan.

KWL

Unit Content 1
Book 6 Chapter 17 Our Heritage p162-163.

Unit Content 2
Book 6 Chapter 14 Mary, the Faithful Disciple p131-133 and Living the Gospel p136.

Unit Content 3
Book 6 Chapter 14 In Tradition p134-135.
Book 6 Chapter 14 Our Heritage p137-138.

Prayer

Prayers of Tradition
The Angelus
The Rosary
The Hail Mary
The Memorare
Litany of Our Lady
The Regina Coeli
Hail, Holy Queen

Praying with Scripture
The Magnificat Luke 1:46–55

Other Prayer Forms
Prayers of Thanksgiving

General Capabilities

Australian Curriculum
Cross Curriculum Priorities		The General Capabilities
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures		Critical and creative thinking
	Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia		Ethical understanding
	Sustainability		Information and communication technology capability
Other important learning identified by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA):			Intercultural understanding
	Civics and citizenship		Literacy
	Difference and diversity		Numeracy
	Work and enterprise		Personal and social capability

B6 – Mary, Woman of Faith