How appropriate that our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, released his newest encyclical – Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope) – just in time for Advent, our season of hope! I’m printing out a copy of the encyclical this morning and will read it on the train today and tomorrow and share some thoughts.
Last night, I prepared the young people to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation by leading them in a meditative examination of conscience. First, we talked about the practical steps involved in going to confession. I was pleased to find that in general, they were very familiar with how to go to confession and very relaxed about it. This can be credited to the program offering the sacrament twice a year: Advent and Lent. For […]
Tonight, I’ll be preparing the young people for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (next Monday). I like to take this opportunity to deal with the question that is foremost on their minds: “why do I have to tell my sins to the priest?” To answer this, it’s best to put this one sacrament in the context of our entire sacramental outlook as Catholics. To be sacramental is to see the presence of God reflected […]
I’ve heard a lot lately about a movie coming out on Dec. 7 titled The Golden Compass. Apparently there is some controversey swirling around this movie which is based on a novel (part of a trilogy) by Phillip Pullman titled His Dark Materials. It would seem that the controversey is not so much about the movie but about the books of the trilogy and Pullman’s atheism and alleged hostility toward Christianity. I confess to knowing […]
Like many (most?) catechists, I share a learning space – a classroom – with a Catholic school teacher. I realize the tensions that can arise from one group using a room that “belongs” to another group. I was a Catholic school teacher for 9 years and recall my room being used by numerous groups for after-school activities, so I know this experience from both sides of the fence. I’d like to offer a few thoughts. […]
Oops…I almost titled today’s post Making Reading More Fun but then I realized that I had previously ranted about the obsession we catechists often have with making sure everything is fun!!! The key is to make learning more engaging (which makes it more fun anyway!) All that to say that last night’s activity made the reading of the textbook much more engaging. We sat around a long table with the Church history timeline spread out […]
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend! Mine was very nice…relaxing and enjoyable. Waking up early this morning to go back to work was not easy! Tonight is our 4th session on Church history. I came up with another activity that reinforces the Church history timeline powerpoint that I used the 1st two weeks of the unit. Here’s the scoop: I printed out the “slides” from the Powerpoint (37 in all) and fixed each […]
In our book, Living the Mass: How One Hour a Week Can Change Your Life, Fr. Dom Grassi and I include a feature in every chapter called The Other Six Days of the Week in which we strive to show the connection between what we do at Mass and how we live the Mass the other six days of the week. Now, there is a website titled www.other6.com that encourages people to “find God” not […]
As a Eucharistic people, giving thanks is what we do best! Of course, the word eucharist means thanksgiving. So, for us Catholics, thanksgiving is not a once-a-year holiday…it is what we do each and every time we gather for the Sacred Liturgy. We recognize that all good gifts come for our good and gracious God and that “it is right to give him thanks and praise!” And so, as we approach this Thanksgiving holiday, we […]
Permit me a few days off from blogging as my wife and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary this weekend! Thank you, Lord God, for the blessings of these past 25 years! Thank you for the blessing on my wife and children. May the Spirit guide us into the next 25 years and beyond!
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