Download The Illustrated Catholic Children`s Bible

October Bible Lessons
Following The Catholic Bible for Children, Ignatius Press
And including corresponding page numbers for
The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible, Regina Press
October 4-10
Lesson 6:
The Tower of Babel, pg. 22-23. Genesis 11:1-9
Pg. 16-17 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. Many, many years after the time of Noah, the people came together to build a city with a
giant tower that reached up into the sky. They were not thinking about following God.
Instead, they were thinking of themselves and how they wanted to become great. This is an
example of the sin of pride.
To talk about: sinful pride is different than being proud of doing a good job on your
schoolwork, drawing a beautiful picture, or scoring a goal in sports. Sinful pride means that
the person thinks so much of his own greatness, that God becomes less and less important.
It can also mean that the person thinks he or she is better than other people. Proverbs
16:18-20 tells us that pride leads to big problems in our lives, and that it is better to be
humble (not think about how great we are) and trust in the Lord instead.
2. God is very wise. He wanted the people to stop being prideful and put their trust in him.
So, he caused all of the people to start speaking different languages. Since they could not
understand each other, they couldn’t work on their giant tower anymore. That is why the
tower was called Babel. Then they had to leave their city and live in different places
throughout the earth.
To talk about: God created people with amazing minds that allow us to learn, discover, and
build wonderful things. We must always remember that our abilities are a gift from God
and that each person has his or her own special abilities. The Bible tells us that we should
try to please God in everything that we do. The Bible also tells us that every job is
important, no matter how big or small, as long as we are all working together to help one
another. (See Colossians 3: 17 & 23 and 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.) Even children have jobs
to do. What are some ways that children can try to please God and help their families?
Example: do chores and homework with a cheerful heart, and try to do your best job!
Lesson 7:
Abraham and Isaac, pg. 24-26. Genesis 12:1-5; 18:1-15; 21:1-7
Pg. 18-19 & 22 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. God told Abraham to leave his country and go to a place that he would show
him. That means that when Abraham left his home, he did not know where he
was going. Abraham had to trust God, and he had to pay attention to God so
that he would know where to go. God wants all people to pay attention to him
so that he can love and care for them, and show them how to live their very
best lives. What are some of the ways that we can pay attention to God?
Examples: we can read our Bibles, go to Mass, and spend time with God
praying. We can also read books about God and listen to beautiful music that
helps us think about God.
2. God promised Abraham and his wife, Sarah, that they would have a baby,
even though they were very old. Again, Abraham had to trust God to keep his
promise, and God did! Abraham and Sarah had a son named Isaac.
3. Not only did Abraham have to trust God, he had to be very patient. He had
to wait for God to guide him into his new land, and he and Sarah had to wait
until they were very old to have a child. When we trust God to guide our lives
we have to be patient, too. What does it mean to be patient?
Answer: patience means to be able to wait for something without getting
upset. Patience is one of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit (See Galatians
5:22-23; and Catechism, No. 1832).
Can you think of a time when you had to patient? Are there ways that you can
be more patient with your family? At school? Parents/guardians—you may
wish to share a time when you had to be patient and trust God.
Lesson 8:
Joseph and His Brothers, pg. 27-29. Genesis 37 & 39-45:8
Pg. 34-55 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. Abraham’s son, Isaac, had two sons of his own (Jacob and Esau). Jacob then had twelve
sons, and Joseph was one of the youngest. Joseph’s brothers were very jealous of him,
which is a sin. Do you remember what jealousy means?
Answer: sometimes people become jealous when someone has something that they want
instead of being happy for them, or they might become jealous when someone else gets
extra attention.
2. What is another Bible story about someone being jealous? (Lesson 4)
Answer: The Story of Cain and Abel
3. In the story of Cain and Abel, and the story of Joseph and his brothers, jealousy led to an
angry decision to commit another sin. Cain killed his brother Abel, and Joseph’s brothers
sold him to some traders to become a slave* in Egypt.
Remember! It is very important for us to always think of other people in a loving way and
want what is best for them--then we will not give jealousy any room to grow in our hearts!
This is not always easy to do, but we can ask God to help us!
4. Joseph could have become very angry about the terrible thing that happened to him.
Instead, Joseph stayed close to God and trusted God to take care of him. Listen to what
Joseph said to his brothers when they came to Egypt to buy food: “I am your brother
Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach
[feel bad about] yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God send me here ahead of you” (Genesis 45:4 & 5).
We can’t see into the future, and we don’t always understand why certain things happen.
We can follow the example of Joseph and stay close to God and trust him to guide us and
care for us. Do you remember some of the different ways that we can pay attention to God
and stay close to him? (Lesson 7)
Examples: we can read our Bibles, go to Mass, and spend time with God praying. We can
also read books about God and listen to beautiful music that helps us think about God.
*A slave is someone who is owned by another person and is forced to work for them.
Slavery is always wrong because you cannot really own a person. Each person belongs to
him or herself.
OCTOBER 11-17
LESSON 9:
Moses Saved from the Water; pg. Pg. 32-33. Exodus 1:1-2:10
Pg. 56-58 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. In lesson 8 we learned that Joseph was able to bring his whole family to Egypt* during
the famine so that they would have enough food. Many, many years passed, and the new
Pharaoh (king) did not remember how Joseph had also helped make sure there was enough
food for the Egyptian people during the famine. Instead, he made the Hebrew people salves
and treated them horribly. Pharaoh was a very evil king.
To talk about: The Bible teaches us that we are supposed to treat one another as we want
to be treated ourselves (Matthew 7:12). This is very important for leaders of countries. It is
also important for people to be fair and kind to others at their jobs, at school, in sports, and
with our friends and families. Share some different ways that you can treat others as you
wish to be treated.
2. Because there were a very large number of Hebrew people, Pharaoh was worried that
they would try to make war on the Egyptians. He wanted to be able to keep them as slaves.
That is why he ordered all of the Hebrew baby boys to be killed. Imagine how scared the
mother of Moses must have been when she found out. She knew she had to do something to
keep him safe! She had a very brave idea to put Moses in a basket on the Nile River. Most
people would not think that was a safe thing to do! Why would that be dangerous?
Answer: There were no life jackets in those days! What if the basket had tipped over? There
are also crocodiles in the Nile River. And what if an Egyptian soldier had found the basket?
3. Moses’ mother trusted God to take care of her baby, and he did! The Egyptian princess
who found Moses was Pharaoh’s daughter—the king who had given the order for all of the
Hebrew baby boys to be killed. She was the best possible person to find Moses because she
was able to keep him safe.
To talk about: We can trust God to help us with our problems, even when we can’t see what
the answer is right away. Is there something that you or your child need help with? Take a
moment to pray together. God always has the best possible answer!
*Use a globe, a world atlas, or your computer to show your child where Egypt and the Nile
River are located.
LESSON 10, PART ONE:
Moses and Pharaoh, pg. 34-37. Exodus 2:11-12:36
Pg. 58-67 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. Moses had a lot of things happen to him! First, he was born as a son of
Hebrew slaves. Then, he was saved from the river by an Egyptian princess and
raised in Pharaoh’s own household. When he grew up, he had to escape from
Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian soldier who was beating one of the
Hebrew slaves. Moses traveled a long way across the desert. He became a
shepherd in another land.
To talk about: No matter what happens, God is always watching over us. When
Moses left Egypt, he didn’t know what he was going to do next. He may have
been very discouraged. But God led him to a new place to live and gave him a
new job--even though it wasn’t the kind of life that he was used to. Sometimes
when we need God’s help, he answers us in surprising ways! Have you ever
had a surprising answer to prayer? Take a moment to share.
2. While Moses was working as a shepherd, God spoke to him from within a
burning bush. He told Moses to go back to Egypt to rescue God’s people, the
Hebrews. Moses wasn’t too sure of himself at first. He even argued a little with
God! He told God that he didn’t know if he was the right person for the job
because he wasn’t a very good speaker. But God promised Moses that he
would be with him and help him every step of the way.
To talk about: We do not have to be perfect for God to use us to help other
people. He is always with us to help us! The most important thing is that we
trust God and follow him. Does God have to speak to us from a burning bush
for us to know what he wants us to do?
Answer: No. One of the reasons that God spoke to Moses from a burning bush
was that Moses did not have God’s Word in the Bible (the Holy Scriptures) to
guide him. Through God’s Word and the teachings of our Catholic Faith, we
can learn how God wants us to live. Every time we go to Mass, we hear from
the Bible during the part of the Mass called the Liturgy of the Word. Then the
priest or deacon gives a homily to explain something about God from the
Scriptures that were read that day. This is why it is so important to pay
attention at church! It is also important to read from your Bible and talk about
your Faith at home—just like you are doing now.
OCTOBER 18-24
LESSON 10, PART TWO:
Moses and Pharaoh, pg. 34-37. Exodus 2:11-12:36
Pg. 58-67 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
A. Moses did as God asked. He went back to Egypt and told Pharaoh that God wanted him to
let the Hebrew people (the Israelites) leave Egypt. Pharaoh didn’t want to let them go. He
wanted them to stay and work as slaves. Moses kept giving Pharaoh God’s message, and
Pharaoh kept saying “NO.” Each time Pharaoh said “NO,” God sent a plague on Egypt. There
were ten plagues in all. Can you name some of them?
1. God turned all of the rivers, ponds, and the drinking water in the Egyptians’ houses to
blood.
2. God sent frogs all over the land, in the people’s houses, and even in their beds!
3. God sent little bugs called gnats to fill the air and cover the people and their animals.
4. God sent swarms of flies to land on the Egyptian people, the ground, and in their houses.
5. God caused the Egyptians’ cattle and other animals to get sick and die.
6. God caused all of the Egyptian people to be covered with horrible sores all over their
bodies.
7. God sent a giant storm of thunder, hail and fire which destroyed the crops and trees in
Egypt. 8. God sent bugs called locusts to cover the ground and eat any crops left after the
hail.
9. God caused the land of Egypt to be in complete darkness for three days.
10. God caused the firstborn (oldest) child of every family to die.
B. The tenth plague was the most serious. Throughout all of the other plagues, God had
protected the Hebrew people. But with this last plague, there was something that each
family would have to do to save their own firstborn child. Each Hebrew family needed to
sacrifice (kill) a lamb and take the blood and brush it around the door outside of their
home. This marked their home and protected the firstborn child from death. Then the
family would cook the lamb and have a special meal. This meal was called the Passover
meal. Moses told God’s people that they should celebrate Passover every year to remember
the night that God passed over their homes and kept their firstborn child safe.
To talk about: There are many things in the Old Testament that point us to Jesus. The lamb
that the Hebrew people had to sacrifice helps us think about how Jesus died to save us from
our sins. The New Testament even tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God! (John 1:29) Jesus
celebrated Passover with his Disciples before he died on the cross. At this meal, he told
them that the bread and wine were his Body and Blood, the Eucharist, a “new Passover”
(Matthew 26:26-29; Catechism No. 1340). This is why we sing the Lamb of God prayer
before we receive Communion at Mass.
Next time you are at Mass, pay close attention to when the Lamb of God is sung, and think
about how we receive Jesus, the Lamb of God, when we receive the Eucharist.
LESSON 11:
The Crossing of the Red Sea, pg. 38-42. Exodus 12:29-15:21
Pg. 68-73 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. It wasn’t until Pharaoh’s own son died in the last plague that he finally let
the Hebrew people (the Israelites) leave Egypt. All of the Egyptians were
eager to see God’s people leave because of all the bad plagues that had
happened to them. God led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness
towards the Red Sea*. There were many, many thousands of people as well as
all of their sheep and cattle. The Bible tells us that during the day, God led
them with a pillar of cloud in the sky, and at night, he led them with a pillar of
fire to light the way (Exodus 13:21). These were signs to the people that God
was with them. Can you remember some other signs in nature that God used
in our earlier stories?
Answer: God showed Noah a rainbow when he promised that he would never
again flood the whole earth. Noah’s ark and the waters of the great flood are
signs of God saving us through Baptism (Lesson 5). God spoke to Moses in the
burning bush (Lesson 10).
2. In this story, we see how God saved the Hebrew people from slavery in
Egypt by parting the waters of the Red Sea and bringing them safely to the
other shore. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that this symbolizes
how the water of Baptism frees us from original sin (Catechism Nos. 1094 &
1219).
To talk about: Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church,
and the first sacrament that we receive. It is a very special gift. When we are
baptized, the priest or deacon pours water over our head three times, or
immerses us three times (dips our whole body into the water), while saying,
“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The baptized person becomes part of God’s Family, the Church.
To do: When you go to Mass, take a few extra moments to review with your
child that when we bless ourselves at the holy water font before and after
church, we are reminding ourselves of our baptism and how we are part of
God’s wonderful family.
*Use a globe, a world atlas, or your computer to show your child where the
Red Sea is located.
LESSON 12:
The March through the Desert, pg. 43-45. Exodus 15:22-17:7, & 19:1-25
Pg. 74-77 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. After God’s people crossed the Red Sea, they continued to travel out into the
wilderness. Less than two months later, they had run out of food. Looking
around them, all they could see was desert. In a way, it was like being on the
edge of the Red Sea when the Egyptian army was racing towards them. There
was no answer to their problem without God’s help. And even though the
people started complaining, God did help them! God told Moses that every
morning he would “rain bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4), and that the
people could go out and gather what they needed for that day.
To talk about: The bread (manna) that God sent to his people in the desert
was another very important sign that points us to Jesus. The manna in the
desert prefigures (shows us ahead of time) the Eucharist—Jesus’ Body and
Blood that we receive in Holy Communion (Catechism No. 1094). In John 6:3235 Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the
bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For
the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to
the world.” They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to
them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and
he who believes in me shall never thirst.” Later, in John 6:51, Jesus says, “I
am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of
this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the
life of the world is my flesh.”
The Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Just like
the Hebrews in the desert needed food every day, we need the nourishment
that we receive from the Eucharist at Mass. Jesus gives his Body and Blood to
us because he loves us very much and wants to be close to us. And when we
are close to Jesus, he can help us share his love with others and live holy lives
(Catechism No. 1394).
OCTOBER 25-31
LESSON 13:
The Ten Commandments, pg. 46-47. Exodus 19 & 20, & Deuteronomy 5
Pg. 76-78 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. Why do you think that God used the sign of the smoke on Mt. Sinai?
God wanted to show the Israelites that he was present there, and that he is
powerful and holy. The book of Exodus tells us that there was thunder and
lightning and a giant trumpet blast from the mountain, and that “Mount Sinai
was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire.” The
people were not allowed to go up the mountain, but Moses went up to talk to
God. This is when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
2. Can you name any of the Ten Commandments?
(See the handout on the Ten Commandments!)
3. Why did God give the Ten Commandments? The Ten Commandments
show us how God wants us to live. The first three commandments tell us
that we should put God first in our life, and the following seven
commandments tell us how we should treat other people (Catechism No
2067). Jesus sums this up in Matthew 22:37-39 when he says, “You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second
is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Take some time to go through the Ten Commandments with your child.
Talk about the many different ways that the commandments apply in our
everyday lives at home with our families, at school, at work, and in our sports
and other activities. You may wish to print it and hang it on the fridge at home
so that you can refer back to it periodically.
LESSON 14:
The Golden Calf, pg. 48-49. Exodus 25: 1-16; 32-35:1-3
Pg. 78-81 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. Moses was up on Mt Sinai with God for forty days and forty nights. Because
Moses had been gone so long, the Hebrew people (Israelites) began to wonder
what had happened to him. They were not trusting God. They decided to make
a golden calf (an idol) and worshipped it as if it was actually God. The people
thought that they needed a god that they could see and touch--even though
the One True God had shown them his power many times.
2. What are some of the powerful ways that God had cared for his
people?
God sent the ten plagues on Egypt. God told the Hebrew families how to
protect their firstborn children from the tenth plague. God led them out of
Egypt with pillars of smoke and fire. God parted the waters of the Red Sea.
God provided food and water for the people in the wilderness. God showed his
presence on Mt. Sinai with thunder, lightning, smoke and a great trumpet
blast.
3. What is the very first commandment?
I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods besides me, you shall
not make idols to worship. God is the creator of the whole universe! He is not
a statue (idol) of something that he created--like a person, an animal, the sun,
or moon.
God was very angry that the people made the golden calf to worship after he
saved them from Egypt and cared for them in the desert. Many of the people
were punished, but Moses asked God to forgive the rest of the people, and God
did. He renewed his promise (Covenant) to care for them--if they would
follow his commandments.
We are also God’s people! God wants us to put him first. How do we put
God first?
We do our best to obey all of his commandments. We go to Mass and worship
him.
LESSON 15:
The Promised Land, pg. 50-51. Deuteronomy 34, Joshua 1:1-3
Pg. 84-89 in The Illustrated Catholic Children’s Bible
1. The Israelites ended up traveling for forty years through the desert before
they finally reached the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land. God had given
them a chance to go into the Promised Land many years before, but the
Israelites did not trust God to help them. They were afraid of the strong walls
of the cities and the fierce soldiers in the land.
2. What was the sin that the Israelites committed?
They did not trust God. The Israelites were having a hard time learning this
lesson! They kept making this mistake over and over.
3. What was the consequence for their sin?
They had to wait forty years before they could enter the Promised Land.
(There are always consequences for sin.) God wanted his people to learn to
trust him.
4. God wants us to trust him too! How do we show God that we trust him?
God knows what is best for our lives because he created us! We show God that
we trust him by following his commandments, attending Mass, praying, and
spending time learning more about him and his Church.