What is Scripture?
Scripture is The Word of God
The Bible is a sacred book for Christians.
The Bible is composed of the
- Old Testament
- New Testament
- The Old Testament presents God as living, present and active in the daily lives of the chosen people.
- The New Testament presents the person, life and teaching of Jesus Christ and the Early Church.
The writers of the two Testaments, inspired by the Holy Spirit, used stories, songs, letters, statements and poems to convey messages to the people using images and experiences that were relevant at that time.
Scripture is a source of inspiration for Christians and helps us to grow in faith. It challenges us to reach our full potential as children of God.
Scripture brings us closer to God. It speaks to our lives and calls us to action - to make the connection between the Scriptures and daily living.
When teaching Scripture, it is important to create a sense of reverence for the Word of God. We teach the children to be aware of the importance of the Bible for all Christians. How can we do this?
From 4th Class onwards, each class should have access to a set of Bibles.
- Teach the children the Mass Reponses to the Liturgy of the Word. e.g. The Lord be with you – And also with you etc...
- Alive-O encourages the use of Procession rituals: A Bible procession ritual can take a simple or solemn form (See Alive-O 6)
- Use the Prayers on Opening and Closing the Bible to help instil a sense of respect for the Word of God. Perhaps you could attach both prayers to the front and back of the Bible as a reminder (See back of Alive- O 6)
he Bibles recommended are:
(Available in Veritas/Bible Society Shop)
Scripture in Alive-O
- Read With Me Bible – A Story Bible for Children (Junior Classes). ISBN: 1-85985-530-X
- Catholic Good News Bible (Schools Edition). ISBN: 9780 00 7728169
- An Bíobla Naofa
Scripture can be taught through many media offered in Alive-O: music, drama, art, poetry and prayer, e.g. some examples of stories told through song are:
- The Ten Commandments
- The Lost Sheep
- The Twelve Tribes
- Prodigal Son
- Parable of Love
- Jesus Told Us
- God called Abraham
- The Salvation Song
There are almost 200 references to Scripture in the Alive-O series! Some lessons are also leading to/preparing for Scripture. There is also a list of Scripture references as Gaeilge
to download: An Bíobla Naofa - Beo Go Deo
There is progression in the Scripture stories throughout Alive-O.
The Scripture passages, as they are used in Alive-O, are appropriate to the age and development of the child.
One example: Moses
- Junior Infants: Miriam and Moses
- Senior Infants: The Long Walk (Moses)
- First class: The People in the Wilderness
- Third class: The call of Moses & Moses and the Commandments
- Fourth class: Moses and the Commandments
- Fifth class: The Transfiguration & The Ten Commandments
There are also Alive-O posters available to aid the teaching of Scripture, e.g.:
- The Good Shepherd
- Jesus telling parables
- Moses and the Bush
- Jesus, the One Who Calls
There is a list of Bible Stories and Scripture Passages in the Inservice Booklet for Teachers on Alive-O
which was sent to all schools.
To download maps of the Holy Lands and Jerusalem from the time of Christ, click on the relevant title - The Holy Lands in the Time of Christ, The Holy Lands, Jerusalem