Opening prayer
Lesson Objectives: get the children to know about this remarkable figure; tell them examples of his dignity, idealism, love for one another and nature. It is the spiritist teacher’s responsibility for awakening in the hearts of the children and young people to long getting to know a remarkable and beloved person like our Chico Xavier; that is, to have him as a reference. He was a lucid and enlightened soul who devoted a lifetime to noble ideals, with examples of perseverance and work for humanity.
First: tell them that the class is named after an outstanding personality who left a great legacy to humanity. He devoted a lifetime to noble ideals such as charity, solidarity, perseverance, work, love of neighbour and nature. He would be completing 100 years on 2nd April, 2010 if he were still incarnate. The only way we could repay so many acts of love, would be to have him as an example in our lives. Ask if someone can guess who this person is.
Second: asking questions, waiting for the answers (the spiritist teacher should leave questions 2 and 3 open, in case the children don’t know how to answer them. They should be able to respond to these questions throughout the class, based on the information given by the spiritist teacher.
01 - Who was Chico Xavier? ? (Tell them Chico's life from childhood to the days of his disincarnation, showing the children Chico Xavier’s picture).
02 - What is your mission?
03 - How has he experienced Spiritism?
Third: tell the children the story The Value of a Prayer.
Fourth: give the children some time for the story’s message to be reviewed, stressing the importance of prayer and action, the benefits prayer brings us when we do it, what we should ask for, etc. Then ask the following questions:
v
Why did Chico manage to walk in such a straight path and obtain assistance to help the needy?
Because Chico knew the power of a prayer. He was constantly praying, and thus acquired patience, courage, good ideas, resignation and faith to accomplish his mission here on Earth, which was to experience Spiritism deeply: to love our neighbor above all things.
By practicing goodness, he got help in return: he was helped by higher spirits; he tuned in to them. Chico practiced charity in all its forms: in addition, he always had a kind word, a hug, a smile to offer.
v
What was Chico Xavier’s mission? His mission was to experience in his day to day all the lessons that Jesus taught us and which the Doctrine came in to confirm. He psychographed many books dictated by superior spirits to assist in our moral progress.
v
How has he experienced Spiritism? Loving God and neighbor above all things. Practicing "Without Charity there is no salvation", according to the teaching of The Gospel According to Spiritism, chap. XV.
v
We know the main source from where Chico Xavier got the energy to overcome all obstacles that came to him and succeed in his mission: What was it? Prayer.
v
What was the reason that lead Chico Xavier get interested in studying Spiritism? By the age of 17, due to mental disorders presented by his sister Maria Xavier who were not cured by traditional medicine and for being a case of obsession. The treatment was done through Spiritist therapy.
v
Where did the money obtained from the books sales that were channelled through him go? The money gained from book sales were donated to charities to help those in need.
v
Ask the children to quote some of the lessons given to Chico from his spiritual friends? Patience, discipline, humility, obedience to God’s will, resignation and faith in Jesus.
Fifth: suggestions of aspects that can be approached about Chico’s life:
²
His childhood can be seen by other children as an example; he suffered as many children do.
²
The importance of discipline in everything we do.
²
The importance of solving problems without conflict.
²
To not rely on special privileges to succeed in our needs.
²
His professional work as an example that every profession exerted with dignity is the best way of maintaining ourselves financially each day.
²
His mediumship task was the most productive in quality and quantity to Spiritism, after the Spiritist Codification (or The Spiritist Pentateuch - The Five Fundamental Works of Spiritism).
²
The importance of his incarnation for Spiritism and for Brazil.
Sixth: some curiosities that the spiritist teacher may tell the children.
J
In a survey conducted by the magazine Veja (10/01/1996), Chico Xavier was the only religious person remembered by the Brazilian population as able to give them joy and happiness, among the 20 individuals listed.
J
In 1981 and 1982, he was nominated for the Nobel peace prize. He didn’t receive the award, but has been considered and recognised in Brazil as a true man of peace. The striking feature of Chico Xavier was his love for humanity. We agree with Gandhi’s assertion: "When one man comes to the fullness of love, hatred neutralize many millions." That is why, despite all the attempt to annul himself getting away from any position of prominence, Chico Xavier was a different leader who influences, transforms and redeems, making human life less difficult, by his inexplicable power of love and humility.
Seventh - activity suggested: the spiritist teacher should take material to this class for the children to prepare cards. Ask each child to prepare a birthday card for Chico Xavier; a small tribute to show our gratitude for all he has done for us (at the end of class, the children may place their cards on the message boards of spiritist education classes).
Click here to see the card prepared by third cycle children from Spiritist Centre Fé, Amor e Caridade - Campo Grande/MS – spiritist teacher Sandra Ramos Medeiros.
Another suggestion is folr the children to write something that they leaned in the classroom or a message to Chico, after preparing one card from the entire class.
Click here to see the card prepared by third cycle children from Spiritist Group Seara do Mestre - Santo Ângelo / RS.
Click here to see resources for the spiritist teacher.
Click here to learn about other stories related to Chico Xavier, from the book Beautiful Cases Chico Xavier, Ramiro Gama, Publisher LAKE.
Closing Prayer
Suggested Class suitable for: 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old) and Youth I (13 to 14 years old).
Suggested lesson sent by Sandra Ramos Medeiros, Centro Espírita Fé, Amor e Caridade - Campo Grande/MS.
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
