The current issue of RTJ’s Creative Catechist Magazine features an article that I wrote titled “How We Speak in the Kingdom of God” and describes how First Eucharist is an ideal time to introduce what I call a “language of mystery” to those we teach. Here’s a PDF of the article:
How We Speak in the Kingdom of God – Joe Paprocki article in RTJ’s Creative Catechist Magazine
One of the most exciting and challenging ideas that the General Directory for Catechesis brought us is the concept of apprenticeship. This comprehensive formation includes more than instruction: it is an apprenticeship of the entire Christian life. (67) The whole idea, of course, is that those seeking to enter more fully into discipleship are to be mentored into the Christian way of life. This is the basis of our Catholic practice of providing sponsors for […]
One of the strange realities of the experience of First Holy Communion is the fact that relatives and friends shower the First Communicant with gifts of cash. While it is done with the best of intentions, it is simply a strange notion to give someone money for receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. The unintended result of this gesture is that the child is encouraged to think of what he or she can buy with this […]
My lesson tonight includes the concept of God as king and of how we pray for the coming of the Kingdom. In American society, we sometimes have trouble teaching about the concept of the Kingdom of God – afterall, we won our independence from the “tyranny” of the King of England. Our present day understanding of a king is someone who is rich, powerful, self-centered,tyrannical, and arrogant. (In fact, once, on the Feast of Christ the […]
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Hi Joe love the article!
It is so true that God’s language that He speaks to us is silence.
The suggestion of bringing the children to Adoration has been one of mine as well.
What do we do when our catechist teachers for first communion do not know what Adoration is? and this is true.(not a criticism to the amazing things they do).
How do we implement Adoration into a uniform curriculum so that all children in our faith get to experience the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and don’t have to wait til age 34 like me. I bring my whole family to Eucharistic adoration and the calming effects on myself and my family are amazing. I call it our Spiritual Massage.
Pope Benendict has been having brief moments of Eucharistic adoration after his masses so that the whole congregation gets to experience God’s Real Presence. (spending time in the Eucharist for a second really convert and deepen our relationship with God in ways that no priest or man can do.)
thanks for all you do!