Just Teach Sheet Teen September Week 3

Teen Track – Just Teach Sheet

September Week 3
Theme: Faith & Belonging to the Church
Audience: Teens (13–18) – Faith Formation / Confirmation Prep
Focus: Belonging to the Church means gathering at Mass. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life, where Christ unites us as His Body.

Weekly Goal

Teens understand that Sunday Mass is not optional but essential — it is the heart of Catholic life, where Christ feeds us with His Word and His Body, and sends us on mission.

What You’ll Need

This sheet

Bible

Journal / notes app

Opening Prayer (Daily)

Lord Jesus,
You gave us the Eucharist as the source of life.
Help me to see the Mass not as a duty but as a gift,
where I hear Your Word, receive Your Body,
and become part of Your mission in the world.
Amen.

Day 1 – Why Mass?

Teaching:
Some people say: “I can pray at home or in nature. Why go to Mass?”
Because at Mass, we don’t just pray — we encounter Christ Himself in the Eucharist.

Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
CCC 1324 – “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.”

Mini Homily Reflection:
The first Christians always gathered on Sunday. If we love Christ, how could we stay away from His gift?

Ask yourself:

Do I treat Sunday Mass as optional, or as essential?

What happens when I miss Mass?

Day 2 – Listening to God’s Word

Teaching:
The Liturgy of the Word is God speaking to His people now. The homily helps us apply Scripture to life.

Luke 11:28 – “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Reflection:
At Mass, we are not just hearing ancient words. Christ Himself speaks through His Word proclaimed.

Challenge:
Next Sunday, listen for one phrase from the readings or homily. Write it down. Carry it through the week.

Day 3 – The Eucharist: Jesus’ Real Presence

Teaching:
At the Last Supper, Jesus didn’t say, “This is a symbol.” He said: “This is My Body.” In the Eucharist, Christ is truly present — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

John 6:51 – “I am the living bread… If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever.”
1 Corinthians 10:16 – “The cup of blessing… is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?”

Apologetics Note:
Some Christians deny the Real Presence, but the Church has always believed it. The earliest Fathers, like St. Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107), called the Eucharist “the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Reflection:
If Jesus gives Himself fully in the Eucharist, how should I prepare to receive Him?

Challenge:
Before your next Communion, pray: “Jesus, make me worthy to receive You.”

Day 4 – Mass is Heaven on Earth

Teaching:
The Mass is not just a gathering. It is participation in Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, made present sacramentally, and a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy.

Revelation 5:11–12 – “I heard around the throne… the voice of many angels, saying, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.’”

CCC 1326 – “The Eucharist is a pledge of the glory to come.”

Reflection:
At every Mass, heaven and earth meet. Angels and saints worship with us.

Ask yourself:

Do I realise I am stepping into heaven when I go to Mass?

Would I behave differently if I remembered that?

Day 5 – Sent on Mission

Teaching:
Mass does not end with Communion. Christ sends us out: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”

Matthew 28:19–20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… I am with you always.”

Reflection:
The Eucharist changes us. We carry Christ into school, work, friendships.

Ask yourself:

Who in my life needs me to bring Jesus’ love this week?

How can I witness to my faith after Mass?

Challenge:
Do one intentional act of witness this week (crossing yourself in public, sharing faith online, or inviting someone to Mass).

Weekend Wrap-Up – Mass is Essential

Reflect:

Why do Catholics go to Mass every Sunday?

What makes the Eucharist different from just “praying at home”?

How does Mass strengthen me to live as a Catholic?

 Journal Prompts

“When I go to Mass, I feel…”

“The Eucharist matters to me because…”

“This week I will live the Mass by…”

Apologetics for Teens

“I can be close to God without going to church.”
Answer: Yes, you can pray anywhere. But only at Mass do you receive Jesus’ Body and Blood — the gift He commanded at the Last Supper.

“The Eucharist is just symbolic.”
Answer: Jesus never said “symbol.” He said, “This is My Body… This is My Blood” (Matt 26:26–28). The early Christians all believed in His Real Presence.

“Why does missing Mass matter?”
Answer: Because Mass is not just a gathering — it is an encounter with the living Christ. To miss Mass deliberately is to turn away from the gift He gave us.

Catechism Extension

CCC 1324 – “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.”

CCC 1382 – The Mass makes present the sacrifice of the Cross.

CCC 2181 – Sunday Mass obligation.