Catechetical Issues & Topics Archives - Page 21 of 70

Pop-Up Catechesis: St. Ignatius of Loyola and Striving for the More

Coaches often encourage their players to give 110%, which simply means to always strive for more. This idea of wanting to do more, or magis (MAH-jiss) in Latin, was at the heart of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s spirituality: we should always strive to do more “for the greater glory of God.” In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we prepare for the Feast of St. Ignatius on July 31 by exploring the concept of magis. For more […]

Introducing Springs of Faith: A Catechumenal Approach to Infant Baptism Preparation

Joe Paprocki

For too long, infant Baptism preparation has been little more than a “hoop” to jump through in order for parents to have their baby baptized. That’s why I am so excited to share the news about a wonderful new program from Loyola Press: Springs of Faith. I’m proud to be associated with this program as I contributed to the writing of a number of its components and did catechetical reviews of most aspects of the […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Holy Hiking and the Feast of St. James

Joe Paprocki

Except for when we may be engaged in contemplative prayer or Adoration, we Catholics rarely sit still. Even when we worship at Mass, we sit, stand, kneel, genuflect, bow, cross ourselves, and walk in procession. We are a people “on the move“—pilgrim people. One of the most profound examples of this embodiment of our faith is the concept of a pilgrimage, and the “gold standard” of pilgrimages is, of course, the Camino de Santiago (Way […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: St. Mary Magdalene and Sharing the Good News

Joe Paprocki

With the advent of social media, each of us now has the opportunity to be the herald of news, good or bad. And with that, of course, comes the desire to “break the story” and scoop everyone else. If there were a patron saint for this it would be St. Mary Magdalene, the first to announce the Resurrection of Jesus to others! In today’s Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (July […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Caring for the Environment and St. Kateri Tekakwitha

Joe Paprocki

Now that summer is here, it feels so good to get outside, especially given all of the restrictions we have been living under in recent months due to the pandemic. The beauty of nature reminds us that all of creation is a wonderful gift from God that we need to take care of. In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha (July 14), patroness of the environment and ecology. […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Saints Peter and Paul and Overcoming Rivalries

Joe Paprocki

Rivalries can be harmful, but they can also be productive as rivals seek to “up their game” to keep up with and perhaps outdo the other. In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at the rivalry between Saints Peter and Paul, whose feast we celebrate on June 29, and how the two were able to set aside their rivalry to work toward the same goal: spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing Real Presence

Joe Paprocki

During this pandemic, we’ve had to restrict our presence to virtual for occasions that we normally and preferably would be really and truly present. In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at the concept of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist as we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). For more information about the Real Presence and the celebration of the […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Celebrating Relationships and Trinity Sunday

Joe Paprocki

We have learned many things during this pandemic, one of which is just how much we value relationships. For Catholics, that should come as no surprise, since we believe we are made in the image and likeness of a relational God—a community of Persons whose relationship is so intimate that they are One! In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at the notion of celebrating relationships in anticipation of Trinity Sunday (June 7, 2020). […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Cleaning Out Closets and Drawers

Joe Paprocki

One of the lessons we’re learning during the pandemic is how to “do without.” There are so many things that we would love to be doing that we are simply unable to do right now. And yet, doing without is a spiritual virtue. So why not turn it up a notch and find some more things you can do without? In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at cleaning out our closets and drawers […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Taking to Heart/Memorizing Doctrinal Formulas

Joe Paprocki

In this digital age, memorization is becoming a lost art! Why memorize something when you can look it up online? When God gave Israel the Ten Commandments, he told them, “Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.” (Deuteronomy 6:6) Being able to recall doctrinal formulas such as the Ten Commandments is a way of internalizing our faith and making it more personal. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at […]