Saint in the Making Lesson Plan
1. Opening Prayer
2. Introduction
3. The Making of a Saint ACTIVITY
4. CHOOSING YOUR PATRON SAINT Activity
5. Saint in the Making - Jacob and Matthew - Official Video
6. Closing Prayer
7. Complete and submit Google Form


1. Opening Prayer
“Lord, you have made me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts, my words, my actions and my plans.  My journeys and my rest you see, with all my ways you are familiar with me.  Truly you have formed me to be my best.  I give you thanks that I am wonderfully made and am grateful for your grace and love you give me today."
 
Amen


2. Introduction
Have you ever heard of St. Amanda of Anaheim or St. Bill of Bellflower? How about St. Lynn of Long Beach or St. Joe of Downey? Probably not, since they’re not canonized, or “known,” saints of the Church … at least, not yet.

Did you know that you are called to become a saint? You were born to be a saint.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born to be a saint. Each person was born to be a saint.  Are these strange thoughts?  God creates human life—each human life—to know him, to love him, to serve him, and to be happy with him in this world and the next.  That means God creates each person to be a saint.  That is our goal and destiny.

The Catholic catechism begins, “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man.  He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength.” (CCC 1)

Many often speaks of this process as being a “saint in the making.”  You were created by God to be a saint, but, may or may not be there yet. Until you heard the term “saint in the making” you may have never have thought of myself as called to be a saint.   Many of us are not Mother Teresa.  But our Catholic catechism BEGINS with the end in mind for each of us:  WE ARE ALL CALLED TO BE SAINTS.  That is why God created each of us.

In today’s class we have an opportunity to see glimpses of people who made it to sainthood. We also get to see how someone journeys through the process to become a saint. Finally you will pick your Patron Saint to emulate.



3. The Making of a Saint
This week, we are exploring how and why the Church recognizes men and women as Saints.  

The word saint comes from the Latin word “sanctus,” which means holy or set apart. St. Paul first said it (Philippians 4:21) to mean all of the faithful early Christians. Our Church teaches that the saints occupy a hallowed (holy and special) place in heaven. Their place is in the presence of what’s called “the Beatific Vision”—it’s basically front row center in God’s heavenly throne room.

The Church does not "make" Saints.  Saints are those who are face-to-face with God in heaven.  Naming Saints does not glorify the Saint- they are in heaven, and it doesn't get any better than that.  Naming Saints does not glorify God- He is God, and nothing we do can add to Who He is.  Naming Saints helps us here in the Church to strive for holiness by looking to their example and asking for their intercession.

The steps that lead to the Church recognizing someone as a Saint was outlined in this video:
https://youtu.be/lUGRdpRJWYA

After watching the video go over the four different stages of the road to Sainthood. I have attached a picture of the canonization process and a blank PDF you can work on at home.



4.CHOOSING YOUR PATRON SAINT
The saints are like us! They are our ancestors, our teachers, our friends, our siblings. They are real, truly human. They are sinners, they are repentant children of God. The saints lived on this earth and experienced suffering, joy, pain, broken promises, peace, frustration, war, injury, heart-break… they know our hearts. But mostly, they know what it takes to be united with God here on this messy earth. They know what it takes to live well for Him.

What is enduring about the saints’ is their earthly legacies of accomplishments done with love. They are saints not because of impressive resumes; they are saints because they held nothing back. They are saints because they served God and his people with their whole hearts. That is the legacy we celebrate. Everything they did in God’s name would be empty without their love for him (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

God desires to make you a saint, too. The question is will you let him?

Take a moment to consider your child’s personalities, interests, strengths, and weaknesses, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your choice. white down your answers to the following questions:

Step One: List Characteristics
For this step, I list the three words I most associate with the child I’m addressing. I try to focus on the aspects of their personality that are distinct to them alone, and write them down as they come:
• DD 1: thoughtful, sensitive, caring
• DD 2: gregarious, social, charming
• DS 1: cuddly, playful, active

Step Two: Consider Family Constellation and Role
Where does this child fall in line with his/her siblings? What role does he/she play in the home? Is he a peacemaker? A motivator? Mischievous? A Goof?

Step Three: Write Down Your Child’s Strengths
In what ways does your child shine? Does she have strong interpersonal skills? Does he have a strong devotion to his faith? Does she love math? Science? Does he enjoy sports? Theater? Music?

Step Four: Be Realistic About Areas for Growth
What special concerns do you have for this child? Are they developmental? Behavioral? Both? In what areas would you like to see your child grow and become stronger?

Step Five: Pray
This is perhaps the hardest part, because the response may not always seem immediate. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to His voice and give you guidance as to the right patron for your child. If your child is enough, you can ask him or her to join you in prayer. Ask your child what saint, if any, he has a special affinity for, and take that into account as well.

Step Six: Make a List
Below is a list of websites with information and personality traits of the Saints. Write down the names of saints that seem to be in-line with what you wrote down about your child from the questions above.

https://notsoformulaic.com/patron-saints-exceptional-catholic-kids/
https://www.catholic.org/saints/fun_facts_arch.php
https://lifeteen.com/blog/biggest-best-list-confirmation-saints-guys-girls/

Pray with your child and see which one shines above the rest. Fill out the form below based on that choice.



5. Watch - Saint in the Making - Jacob and Matthew - Official Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmx_Qonr1ro



6. Closing Prayer
God our Father, by our Baptism, you made us your holy people and called us to share in the joy of your saints. By their help and example you guide us to live for others as Jesus taught us. May their prayers strengthen and comfort us as we follow Jesus to his promise of everlasting life. We make this prayer to you in His name.

Amen



7. Complete and Submit Google Form