On May 18, I began a 7-part series, offering some thougts about how to teach the Catholic faith to “Generation Me” (those born in the 70s through the 90s; Generation Me, Jean Twenge, M.D.). Click on the following to read: Part One: The Decline of Social Rules Part Two: Excessive Individualism Today, we address another unique characteristic of Generation Me: the belief that “you can be anything you want to be” You Can Be Anything […]
On May 18, I began a 7-part series, offering some thougts about how to teach the Catholic faith to “Generation Me” (those born in the 70s through the 90s; Generation Me, Jean Twenge, M.D.). Click here to read the intro and part 1. Today, we address another unique characteristic of Generation Me: excessive individualism. Individualism – Since the time they were very young, Gen Me-ers have been bombarded with messages intended to boost self-esteem. It […]
Recently I had the pleasure of reading Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled – and More Miserable Than Ever Before (Jean M Twenge, M.D., Free Press, 2006). In her book, Dr. Twenge, herself a member of “Generation Me” (aka, Millennials, Gen Y), those born in the 70s through the 90s, uses findings from a large intergenerational research study (1.3 million respondents over six decades) to reveal how profoundly different today’s […]
I mentioned in my post yesterday how, in many places of the world, the catechist is seen as one of the most respected people in the Catholic community because he or she is the one who forms disciples of Jesus. The flipside of this prominence is that, in some countries where the Gospel is a threat to the political and economic status quo, catechists are seen as a threat and they are often singled out as […]
When we use the word catechist, who comes to mind? Typically (at least in the United States), we think of catechists as those volunteers who teach in parish religious education programs as opposed to Catholic school teachers who teach religion classes. Because of this, Catholic school teachers of religion have resisted the title of catechist because it carries the connotation of volunteer as opposed to professional. This is unfortunate, because to be called a catechist […]
This morning I’m participating in a wellness exam offered by my health insurance company. It’s a great benefit to have and it helps give a clear picture of where I’m at physically. As catechists, we often offer spiritual wellness exams for those we teach. What do I mean by that? Basically, we provide opportunities for those we teach to reflect on the status of their spiritual life…their relationship with Jesus. We do this by leading […]
Yesterday was quite interesting in terms of contrast. On the one hand, I was part of a First Communion celebration, rejoicing with my young nephew and his family as he received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. On the other hand, I was part of an evening Eucharistic celebration at my mother-in-law’s retirement home, where I was about 40 years younger than most people there. It struck me that the folks at the retirement home […]
A few days ago, I posted about the Easter Season being a “festival of sacraments.” Well, today is one such day as we celebrate my nephew’s First Communion. It is a beautiful bright and sunny spring day…a “storybook” First Communion-type day. Of course the weather has nothing to do with the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, but God IS revealed through the beauty and wonder of creation and the nice weather serves to reinforce […]
If we want our young Catholics to grow into adult Catholics, then maybe we ought to start treating them like “equals.” As catechists, those we teach are typically baptized and in full communion. They may not yet be confirmed but they are no less a disciple of Christ than any of us adults. Perhaps that’s why Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the youth of Brazil in the following terms: “You are the youth of the […]
I doubt that the average catechist is going to read Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity), Pope Benedict XVI’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist. For one, the document is nearly 27,000 words long. For another, most catechists and average Catholics for that matter don’t make a habit of reading Apostolic Exhortations. For the most part, it is a beautifully written document, presenting the truths about the Eucharist in language that speaks to our times. […]
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