We Catholics mark the first day of the secular calendar by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. As Bishop Robert Barron often reminds us, Marian feast days are ultimately about Jesus. Today, of course, is no exception. While we celebrate the great honor bestowed upon Mary as the Mother of God, the ultimate message of this day is that her child—Jesus—is God. Not just like God, but “God from God, Light from […]
Anyone from a large family knows that the only way parents “survive” having so many kids is by pressing the older siblings into service to care for the younger ones! As the seventh of nine children, I recall my older sister Ramona taking care of us younger ones on many occasions when Mom and Dad were tending to other responsibilities and running errands. We need to employ this same approach in faith formation as part […]
I know there are many people who are downright terrified of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. They are scared for different reasons, but ultimately, I think, it comes down to the belief that they view themselves as unforgivable. How could God ever forgive me for doing this or that? Sadly, such thoughts keep people from having that deep, intimate, and loving friendship that Jesus came down from heaven to restore. Let’s face it, St. […]
Welcome to the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, which officially began just a few days ago on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2015! Mercy is a concept that is at the heart of Pope Francis’s papacy and is a much-needed reality in today’s world and in our Church. Here are a few resources to support you in your efforts to observe and celebrate this Year of Mercy with those you teach. Loyola […]
Several of my students experienced a “light-bulb moment” in our recent discussion of the Trinity. So often we sow seeds never to see whether they take root, much less grow; seeing faces light up in understanding is always a fun moment. Our guiding text for the day was Finding God, Grade 7, Chapter 1. Even though this is the first chapter in the text, I usually skip over it until we’ve been in class together […]
I was born in 1959, which means that my first few years of faith formation in the early to mid-60s involved the Baltimore Catechism and its emphasis on memorizing. After the Second Vatican Council, my remaining years of formal faith formation (mid-60s and 70s) moved in new directions inspired by the Council but with a definite shift in one specific area. Memorization was deemed an old-fashioned, lifeless way of learning. The result, of course, is that as I […]
One idea/activity that I have highly encouraged catechists to use in their sessions is inviting young people to write down their prayer intentions as soon as they enter the room. This is a good way to get them on task immediately and to begin establishing a climate of prayer, which is key to an effective catechetical experience. As I’ve been sharing this idea in my presentations recently, I’ve encountered a few catechists who shared a […]
I recently received an e-mail from a diocesan catechetical minister who was contacted by a concerned DRE, struggling to address the following problem: A sixth-grade catechist, in teaching about mortal sin, told her students that if Mass is missed, then it is a mortal sin and the sinners will go to hell. Yes, she used those words. The student went home crying because her parents miss Mass frequently. We know these situations are coming up […]
This is the third article in a series about leading prayer. In the previous two installments of this series, I wrote about setting the environment for prayer and best practices for structuring public prayer. But how do you choose the content of prayer so that it is meaningful for participants? Every group has different needs. When prayer is “one size fits all” it can be hard for people to feel it has a meaningful connection […]
How can you convey a love of and devotion to Mary with all the necessary background knowledge in just one class period? The simple answer is that you can’t. You have to select the greatest message you want the class to absorb, focus on it for the class, and then add more about Mother Mary throughout the year as you teach other lessons. Just as you invite her to be with you daily, you must […]
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