Saints LightWho Made Me, and Does God Love Me?
God made me on purpose because He loves me, and He wants me to know Him, love Him and be happy with Him forever.
Before you were born, before your mom and dad ever met, God was already thinking about you. God made you on purpose. You are not an accident, and nobody else in the whole world is exactly like you.
God did not make you because He was lonely or needed help. God is perfectly happy. He made you because He is good and wanted to share His happiness with you (CCC 1). The Bible tells us something wonderful: God is love. Loving is not just something God does. It is who God is (CCC 221).
Think of the way a mom or dad loves a new baby. The baby cannot cook, clean or even say thank you yet, but the parents love the baby anyway. God loves you like that, only even more. You do not have to earn God's love by being perfect. He loved you first.
So why did God make you? The old Baltimore Catechism gives a short answer that many children have learned by heart: God made me to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven. Knowing means learning about God. Loving means being His friend. Serving means helping the people He loves.
Deep inside, every person wants to be loved and to be truly happy. That wish is a gift from God. He put it in your heart so you would come looking for Him, and only He can fill it all the way (CCC 27).
Key points
- God made me on purpose.
- God is love, and He loved me first.
- I was made to know, love and serve God, and be happy with Him forever.
The Word of God
I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
We love him, because he first loved us.
Catechism paragraphs for this lesson
- CCC 1
- CCC 27
- CCC 221
- CCC 357
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
From the tradition
Q. Why did God make you? A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.
Live it this week
Each night this week, tell God one thing you are thankful for about yourself, like your laugh, your hands or your family. Ask a grown-up to tell you one thing they love about you too.
Check yourself: three questions
1. Why did God make you?
- Because He loves you and wants to share His happiness
- Because He was lonely
- Because He needed a helper
- By accident
Show the answer
Because He loves you and wants to share His happiness. God is perfectly happy already. He made you out of love, to share His happiness with you.
2. What does the Bible say God is?
- Far away and busy
- Love
- Only for grown-ups
- A kind of wizard
Show the answer
Love. The Bible says God is love. Loving is who God is.
3. Do you have to be perfect for God to love you?
- Yes, every single day
- Only on Sundays
- Only if you get good grades
- No, God loved you first
Show the answer
No, God loved you first. Like parents with a new baby, God loves you before you can do anything for Him.
Words to know
- Catechism
- A book that teaches the faith step by step, often with questions and answers.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
For catechists: a one hour class plan
Goal. The children will know that God made each of them on purpose and loves them first, and will feel glad to belong to Him.
Opener. Pass around a small mirror, or ask everyone to look closely at their own hands. Ask: "Is there anyone in the whole world exactly like you?" Let a few children answer, then say: "God made you on purpose, and today we find out why."
Discussion questions
- How can you tell when someone loves you? [Listen for: they spend time with you, take care of you, forgive you. God does all of these.]
- Why do you think God made people? [Gently steer away from "He was lonely". God is perfectly happy and made us to share His happiness.]
- Do we have to earn God's love? [No. He loves us first, the way parents love a baby who cannot do anything for them yet.]
- What is one way you can get to know God better this week? [Prayer, Mass, Bible stories, asking questions at home.]
Activity. "Wonderfully Made" handprints: each child traces one hand on paper and writes their name in the palm. On each finger they write or draw one gift from God (a family member, a talent, a favorite animal, a friend). Copy the memory verse across the top. Older children can help younger ones spell. Hang them on the wall or send them home for the fridge.
Closing prayer. Dear God, thank You for making me. Thank You for loving me before I ever loved You. Help me to know You, love You and serve You this week. Amen.
Timing. Welcome and Sign of the Cross 5 min, mirror opener 5 min, read the lesson aloud 10 min, discussion 10 min, handprint activity 15 min, memory verse 5 min, quiz together 5 min, closing prayer 5 min.
Related lessons
- Why Were We Made? (Start Here, free)
- Why Does Every Person Matter? (Social Teaching)
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