A Rewarding Experience

In her comment on my January 29 post, Ali says:

“Prayers are much more to be memorized, they should also be written on our hearts. It sounds like a wonderful way for you to gauge both. By having an exchange like you described, I can only imagine it will be as rewarding for you as will be helpful for the children.”

You’re right, Ali, it was (is) very rewarding. Yesterday I had the opportunity to conduct 3 of my one-on-one “prayer interviews” and they went very well. The kids know their basic prayers very well (which we prayed together after identifying any intentions they had) and they do fairly well recalling how to say the Rosary. They get fuzzy when it comes to the Apostles’ Creed and surprisingly do not do very well when it comes to the Stations of the Cross. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about each of these prayers and their significance and give some background on each. It also gave me an opportunity to encourage them to take to heart some of the prayers/devotions that they have not learned well. What I enjoyed most was the chance to just talk with the kids and give them some feedback, affirmation, and direction (if needed). I’m thankful that the program I’m working in allows for this kind of individual attention (while I conducted these interviews, Patti taught the lesson). I pray that it was rewarding for the kids too!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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