If I were asked to choose a feast day for catechists, I’d have to choose Christmas. Christmas is the day that we celebrate the Incarnation, the Word made flesh. Throughout the year, catechists “enflesh” (i.e. give bodily form to; make real or concrete) the Word of God. I have no doubt that this is why Pope Francis chose to pray for catechists this December as his monthly prayer intention. Pope Francis is asking the Church […]
The primary reason for evangelizing is our love for Jesus, which we have received, as well as the experience of salvation, which urges us to love him more and more. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known? If we do not feel an intense desire to share this love, we need to pray insistently that [Jesus] will once more touch […]
Today, we look at the Third Joyful Mystery: the Nativity. For my 50th birthday, my wife told me to splurge and buy a ticket to see Sir Paul McCartney live at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Even after John Lennon’s tragic death in 1980, I still held out hope that I might one day see one of the remaining Beatles perform in the flesh. My wish came true, and it was one of the most exciting […]
We humans tend to be minimalists. And so, when we are given a rule or a law to follow, we tend to look for a minimalist approach to interpret it in such a way that it doesn’t require much of us. A good example is the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill.” If this commandment is simply about refraining from committing murder, few of us have any reason to worry; we will most likely not […]
An Epiphany novena is a wonderful way of marking the Christmas season with prayer that is inspired by the Scriptural images of the journey of the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12). This novena in anticipation of the traditional Feast of the Epiphany begins on December 28. Share the booklet with catechists, adult faith formation groups, or other parish adults as a simple invitation to slow down during the Christmas season. Suggest sitting in front of the family […]
The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary lead us up to and through the birth of Jesus Christ and his childhood. Today, we look at the Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation. Mary had just received the biggest news of her life: she was with child (mysteriously, since she had no relations with a man), and this child was destined to be the long-awaited Messiah. No one would blame her if she went into seclusion, wrapped up […]
It seems like podcasts are all the rage these days. There is no shortage of voices we can listen to concerning any subject. Whereas, in conversation, we often ask people what they are reading, today it is also common to ask people who they are listening to. Interestingly enough, this was a question that God had for Adam and Eve when he found them hiding in the bushes after eating the “forbidden fruit.” God asks, […]
It’s not uncommon for contemporary people, when reading stories such as the Annunciation (the angel appearing to Mary, Luke 1:26–38), to comment along the lines of, “Well, I’d have a much easier time making decisions if an angel appeared to me and told me God’s plan!” Ah, be careful what you wish for! The truth is, whenever people in Scripture—including Mary—are confronted by an angel, they react with great fear. As a result, the first […]
It’s funny how so many people think of the Ten Commandments solely as prohibitions—rules that say no to everything. While the majority of the Commandments are indeed phrased in the “Thou shall not…” form—prohibiting actions from which we should refrain—the Third Commandment is unique in that it doesn’t tell us to avoid a specific behavior nor does it tell us to perform a specific action. In fact, the Third Commandment, “Remember to keep holy the […]
For children, some of the most intriguing characters from the nativity stories are the shepherds, perhaps because at least some of the shepherds are imagined as being young. Catechists and parents can take advantage of the fascination that children have with shepherds and the nativity story by “traveling” with the shepherd from the wonderful book, The Shepherd’s Story, visiting local nativity scenes with a cutout shepherd boy. Invite children and families to take pictures of […]
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