Domestic Seminary

Year 1: Who Made Me, and Why?

Age Range: 6–7 years (school Year 1)
Core Themes: Creation, love, belonging, Trinity (name only), basic moral trust
Primary Sources:

SECTION A: Driving Questions

Children are already asking questions of identity—quietly. This module helps them ask aloud with sacred guidance. When a child asks, “Why am I here?”, they’re not looking for data—they’re looking for meaning. This unit begins with belonging, not with behavioral control.

SECTION B: Doctrinal Content

Question: Whether God made me for a reason?

Objection 1: It seems God did not make me for a reason, because I can’t see God or hear Him talking to me like I hear my parents.

Objection 2: Furthermore, if God made me for a reason, why didn’t He tell me what it is? My teacher tells me what my homework is!

Objection 3: Moreover, my friend said we came from monkeys, not from God.

On the contrary, the Bible says God knew us before we were born: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”¹.

I answer that God made you on purpose, for a purpose! Think about when you draw a picture. You don’t just scribble randomly—you have an idea: “I want to draw my family” or “I want to make a rainbow.” God is like the greatest artist ever, and when He made you, He had a wonderful idea: a person who could know Him, love Him, and be happy with Him forever².

Imagine if you made a toy that could actually love you back. That would be amazing! That’s what God did when He made people. He didn’t need us—He was perfectly happy already. But He wanted to share His happiness, like when you’re so happy you want to tell everyone and share your joy.

Reply to Objection 1: You can’t see God with your eyes because He doesn’t have a body like we do. But you can see what He does—like how you can’t see the wind, but you can see leaves dancing. You can’t see love, but you feel it when Mom hugs you. God shows Himself through beautiful things, through people who love us, and especially through Jesus.

Reply to Objection 2: God does tell you! He tells you in the Bible, through the Church, through your parents, and in your heart. The basic reason is always the same: to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world, and be happy with Him forever in heaven³. The specific way you’ll do this—as a teacher, parent, priest, doctor, or something else—you’ll discover as you grow.

Reply to Objection 3: Your friend is talking about something scientists study called evolution. That’s about how bodies developed over a very long time. But even if God used a long process to make human bodies, He still specially creates each person’s soul—the part of you that thinks and loves and chooses. You’re not just a fancy animal; you’re made in God’s image⁴!

The Trinity (Introduction of Names)

We make the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This is like God’s family name. Just like the Johnson family might have Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, and little Sally Johnson, but they’re one family, God is three Persons but one God. At this age, that’s enough to know. It’s a mystery even grown-ups can’t fully understand!

God the Father is like the best daddy ever—He made everything and takes care of us. God the Son is Jesus—He came to earth to show us what God is like and to save us. God the Holy Spirit is God living in our hearts, helping us be good and pray.

They’re not three Gods—that would be like having three suns in the sky! They’re one God who loves in three ways.

God Knows and Loves Me

God is not like a clockmaker who makes a clock and walks away. He’s more like a mother bird who watches over her nest constantly. The Bible tells us:

“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb”⁵

Think about someone knitting a sweater. They choose every color, make every stitch carefully, and think about the person who will wear it. That’s how carefully God made you! He thought about:

And He didn’t just make you and forget. Right now, this very second, God:

SECTION C: Thinking and Reflection Activities

🔍 Critical Thinking Tasks

Creation Detective Look around your room. For each thing you see, ask:

Drawing Challenge

  1. Draw yourself in the middle of a paper
  2. Around you, draw things God made (sun, trees, animals, stars)
  3. Draw a big heart above everything
  4. Inside the heart, write “GOD LOVES ME”

🧠 Metacognitive Prompts

Thinking About Thinking

Feeling Tracker Each night this week, put a sticker on a chart:

📖 Scripture Meditation (Lectio-style for children)

Read: Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness’… So God created human beings in his own image.”

Picture It: Close your eyes. Imagine God as a great artist, painting or sculpting. He’s making… you! What expression is on His face? (Joy? Concentration? Love?)

Think: What does it mean to be made “in God’s image”? We don’t look like God on the outside (He doesn’t have a body!), so it must be on the inside. What do you have inside that’s like God?

Talk to God: “God, thank you for making me like you in some way. Help me understand what that means.”

Promise: “This week, I’ll try to remember I’m made in God’s image when I…” (feel sad, am mean to my sister, don’t want to pray, etc.)

SECTION D: Integration With Life

🧍🏽 Real-World Moral Scenario

The Broken Toy Dilemma

Your little brother broke your favorite toy. You feel SO angry! You want to:

  1. Break his toy too
  2. Tell Mom and get him in trouble
  3. Yell at him
  4. Never let him play with your things again

Let’s Think: If you’re made in God’s image, and God is love⁷, what would show God’s image in you?

What Would God Do?

New Choice: Maybe you could:

When we choose love instead of revenge, we’re showing we’re made in God’s image!

📱 Digital/Media Discernment

Screen Time Check This week, when you watch shows or play games, ask:

Good Screen/Bad Screen Chart Make two columns. Draw or write:

Family Challenge: Pick one show to watch together. Pause it three times to ask: “Is this showing God’s love or not?”

🌏 Interfaith & Pluralism

God Made Everyone

In your class, not everyone believes in God the same way. Some friends might:

Important Truth: God made ALL people in His image, even if they don’t know it yet⁸

Practice Saying:

Never Say:

Jesus was friends with all kinds of people. He ate with tax collectors, talked with Samaritans, and helped Romans. We can be friends with everyone while still knowing what we believe.

👣 Saint for the Week: St. Francis of Assisi

The Man Who Saw God Everywhere

Francis was a rich young man who loved parties and nice clothes. But one day, he heard God calling him to live differently. He gave away all his money and spent his time:

Francis’s Secret: He saw God’s fingerprints on everything! He called the sun “Brother Sun” and the moon “Sister Moon.” He even called death “Sister Death” because he wasn’t afraid—he knew he was going home to God.

This Week’s Challenge: Be like Francis! Find three things in nature and give them family names (Brother Tree, Sister Flower). Thank God for making them.

Francis’s Prayer (simplified): “Lord, make me a helper: Where people are sad, let me bring smiles. Where people are fighting, let me make peace. Where people are mean, let me show love.”

SECTION E: Parent Guide

🔍 What This Year Is Really Forming

Beyond memorizing facts, you’re helping your child develop:

  1. Existential Security: I exist on purpose, for a purpose
  2. Theological Imagination: God is real, present, and involved
  3. Moral Foundation: I’m made for love, not selfishness
  4. Catholic Identity: I belong to God’s family
  5. Wonder Capacity: The world is meaningful, not random

You’re not trying to explain the mystery of existence—you’re helping your child feel at home in it.

🧠 Theology Behind the Simplicity

“Made in God’s Image” (Imago Dei) This doesn’t mean physical resemblance but spiritual capacities⁹:

The Trinity Introduction At this age, we’re not teaching theological precision but establishing:

Creation vs. Making Helping children distinguish:

🛠 How to Respond When…

“Why did God make mosquitoes/cancer/bad things?” “That’s a question even grown-ups wonder about! We know God made everything good at first¹². But when sin came into the world, it messed things up—like when you drop your iPad and the screen cracks. The iPad was good, but now it’s broken. God lets broken things exist for now, but He promises to fix everything in the end¹³. Meanwhile, He brings good even out of bad things—like how you learned to be careful with electronics!”

“My teacher said we came from monkeys” “Your teacher is talking about how bodies developed over time, which is interesting! Scientists study HOW things happened, like detectives. But they can’t tell us WHY things exist—that’s what faith tells us. The Catholic Church says it’s okay to believe God used evolution to make our bodies, as long as we know He specially creates each person’s soul¹⁴. You’re not just a smart animal—you have a soul that will live forever!”

“I prayed but God didn’t answer” “God always hears and always answers, but sometimes His answer is ‘wait’ or ‘I have something better in mind.’ It’s like when you ask for candy for dinner—I say no because I love you and know what’s good for you. God can see everything—past, present, and future—so He knows what we really need. Keep praying and watch for His answer. Sometimes it comes in surprising ways!”

“Am I bad because I do bad things sometimes?” “No! You’re good because God made you good. But sometimes you choose to do not-good things—we all do. It’s like being a prince or princess who sometimes forgets and acts like a regular kid. The bad things you do aren’t who you ARE; they’re mistakes you make. And the wonderful thing is God always forgives us when we’re sorry and helps us do better next time¹⁵.”

🛑 What Not To Say

❌ “God will be sad/angry if you’re bad” ✅ Say: “When we choose to be unloving, we’re not being who God made us to be”

❌ “God made you because He was lonely” ✅ Say: “God was perfectly happy, but He wanted to share His happiness with you”

❌ “If you can’t see God, He’s not real” ✅ Say: “The most real things—love, beauty, goodness—are invisible”

❌ “Other religions are bad/wrong” ✅ Say: “We believe we have the fullest truth, but other religions have some truth too”¹⁶

❌ “You have to be good for God to love you” ✅ Say: “God loves you always. Being good is how we love Him back”

🙏🏽 Liturgical Practices

Daily

Weekly

Seasonal

Special Days

📚 Further Adult Reading

Church Documents

Theological Works

Practical Resources

SECTION F: Self-Reading Guide (For emerging readers)

🧩 What to Look For

When you read this chapter:

🗣 Try Saying This

Practice in the mirror:

Which one makes you smile most?

🔄 Think About This

Draw your answer if writing is hard!

✍ My Reflection Box

Finish these sentences:

“God made me because…”

“The best thing about being made by God is…”

“Tomorrow I will thank God for…”

(Draw pictures if you prefer!)

📖 I Want to Know More About…

Check what interests you: □ How God made the world □ What angels are like □ Why people are different from animals □ Stories about St. Francis □ What “image of God” means

Ask your parent to help you find out more!

References

  1. Jeremiah 1:5.
  2. Baltimore Catechism, Q. 6.
  3. Catechism of the Catholic Church §1.
  4. Catechism of the Catholic Church §365-366.
  5. Psalm 139:13.
  6. Jeremiah 29:11.
  7. 1 John 4:8.
  8. Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium §16.
  9. Catechism of the Catholic Church §357.
  10. Fourth Lateran Council, cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church §296.
  11. Catechism of the Catholic Church §301.
  12. Genesis 1:31.
  13. Revelation 21:4.
  14. Pope Pius XII, Humani Generis §36.
  15. 1 John 1:9.
  16. Second Vatican Council, Nostra Aetate §2.