I read an article about researchers who analyzed data from hundreds of novels. They discovered that there are only six basic story types. I found this quite liberating; as a writer, I can have fun mixing the types of stories to create something new. I sometimes take a similar approach to my catechetical ministry and mix some ideas that were shared here at Catechist’s Journey. This past spring, I did that while hosting a virtual […]
We reflect this Easter season on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. As the Blessed Virgin Mary was near and dear to St. Francis of Assisi, he wrote a Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer comes to mind when I ponder Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven. In the salutation, Francis uses several titles for Mary that are familiar to us, such as Mother of God. He also uses titles that may sound […]
We are Easter people! That does not mean that we celebrate Easter with a party, complete with baskets and chocolate bunnies (though I love that iconic confectionary as much as anyone). Being Easter people means that we are animated by the same kind of love that defeated death itself. We are people who see Christ still present and walking among us today—in Scripture, in the sacraments, in the works of mercy, and in one another. […]
I make it a daily practice to ask the Lord to bless the people I love, people I like, people I have no strong feelings for one way or another, and people I have strong negative feelings toward. I will imagine as much detail as I can about each person, hold that image in my heart, and pray, “Peace, Lord, give this person peace.” The biggest challenge for me in this practice is to think […]
Just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray, catechists are called to teach young people how to pray. As a Secular Franciscan, prayer is not something I do; prayer is who I am. When I teach young people how to pray, I am sharing with them the essence of who I am. I recently had the privilege to share my prayer life with a group of eighth- and ninth-graders. Specifically, they invited me to teach […]
Editor’s Note: This week we’re exploring microshifts we can make as catechists to improve our ministry, inspired by Gary Jansen’s MicroShifts: Transforming Your Life One Step at a Time. Learn more about the book here. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Begin again today, for up until now, you have done very little.” I love these words of his. They remind me to keep seeking to do more for God instead of resting on what […]
I’m in a period of discernment, not sure where God is calling me. I may discover that the old ways I’ve been doing things are no longer appropriate; in a sense, a part of me may have to die so that I can discover a new way of serving God. In this way, I will be living the Paschal Mystery, which is the whole point of the Triduum. Maybe you too are asking, “Lord, what […]
My grandma may not have been an educated woman—she left school before finishing the sixth grade for health reasons—but she was wise. I recently shared with my family some of the wisdom stories she had left us: Family is important. Every year she went up north from Brooklyn, Michigan to Harrisville State Park, and we often joined her. I never knew why we went to this particular state park in Michigan. I later learned that […]
My wife and I recently took our spiritual pulse, using a brief assessment derived from Terry Hershey’s book, The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less. I was happy with my results: I am “a powerful pauser” and know how to balance my priorities. Of course, finding this balance has required me to make some difficult decisions. For example, earlier this year I recognized that I had overcommitted myself. Teaching a ninth-grade class full-time […]
Like the families we serve, catechists are a diverse group. We are of different generations (my fellow catechists include millennials, gen-X’ers, and baby boomers); we come from different backgrounds (some are cradle Catholics, others were baptized as adults, still others like myself came into full communion with the Catholic Church from another Christian tradition); and we grew up experiencing different cultural traditions (one friend of mine likes to share the traditions she learned from her […]
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