Catechetical Issues & Topics Archives - Page 56 of 70

Dreams Are the Foundation of Tomorrow’s Reality

As we celebrate this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, we turn our thoughts to the importance of dreaming. Not the kind of dreaming we do in our sleep, but the kind of dreaming that involves imagining. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, Dr. King imagined the possibility of a world that would more closely reflect God’s will. The words of his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” echo the dreams of the Prophets, most […]

Winter Doldrums?

Joe Paprocki

This is the time of the year when many of us begin to experience the winter doldrums. As mild as winter has been in Chicago this year, the lack of light and color still gets to you after a while. My students came into class last night with a collective case of the doldrums! Several had just come from basketball practice and were a bit tuckered out but got their second wind a half hour […]

The Prophets Give Hope

Joe Paprocki

My lesson for tonight dovetails nicely with last week’s session since we are continuing to talk about the Prophets. Last week, we focused on how the Prophets challenged the People of Israel. This week, we look at how the Prophets spoke words of HOPE to the People when they were in Exile and as they returned to their destroyed homeland. You may recognize the Works of Mercy exercise from a lesson I did a couple […]

How Do We Speak in the Kingdom of God? My Article in RTJ’s Creative Catechist Magazine

Joe Paprocki

The current issue of RTJ’s Creative Catechist Magazine features an article that I wrote titled “How We Speak in the Kingdom of God” and describes how First Eucharist is an ideal time to introduce what I call a “language of mystery” to those we teach. Here’s a PDF of the article: How We Speak in the Kingdom of God – Joe Paprocki article in RTJ’s Creative Catechist Magazine

Prophets Rock!

Joe Paprocki

We had a wonderful time last night learning about the Old Testament Prophets! Three of my most rambunctious students were absent last night and while I was disappointed they missed the experience, it certainly made for a very calm evening! After welcoming the young people back from the holidays, we did a little review about the Ark of the Covenant and I showed them how I placed many of their prayer symbols in our own […]

Wish I Had This DVD When I Was Teaching Confirmation

Joe Paprocki

Here’s info about a new Confirmation DVD that I wish I had when I was teaching Confirmation a few years back! The DVD is Called and Confirmed and is part of the revised Confirmed in the Spirit Confirmation program by Loyola Press. The DVD has 3 parts, the 2nd of which I am particularly fond of since I had the privilege of narrating it! Here are some previews: Track 1: Marty’s Call Especially relevant at […]

Happy New Year! My First Lesson of 2013

Joe Paprocki

As we begin 2013 and continue with our Year of Faith, I wish you abundant blessings! It’s time to get back to work as a catechist! New Year’s Day proved to be a good day for me to plan my lesson for this coming Monday evening. Here is the outline of our session for Monday, January 7, 2013: The Prophets of Israel Challenge the People Big Idea: Prophets “get in the face” of the People […]

The Ark of the Covenant

Joe Paprocki

My session on Monday evening focused on the Temple of Solomon and the question of where it is that we find the presence of God. After reading from our Finding God book about Solomon’s Temple and the placement of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, representing the presence of God in the midst of Israel, we read John 2: 13-22 in which Jesus cleanses the Temple and then claims, “destroy this […]

Solomon’s Temple: Where Do We Experience the Presence of God?

Joe Paprocki

Here’s my lesson plan for Monday evening (Dec. 17) Session 12: Solomon’s Temple BIG IDEA: God’s presence is found, not in a building, but in the People of God and in the Eucharist. Preliminaries (20 mins) Advent Procession – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Tribute to those who died in the CT massacre – ring chime 26 times…one for each victim Video: We Can Build a Beautiful City Engage (10 mins) Play “Where’s Waldo?” game. Explain […]

Advent Reconciliation

Joe Paprocki

Last evening, I took my 6th graders to church for an Advent Reconciliation service which turned out nicely. Here are some observations: Our DRE, Arlene, has been out tending to her husband who has had some serious health issues (but appears to be on the mend, thank you, Jesus) so we gathered in church with a bit of uncertainty as to how to proceed. Quite understandable, given the circumstances, and quite manageable. The kids’ biggest […]