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Approaches/Techniques

5th Anniversary Celebration – Guest Blogger #1: Gilles Côté

To help celebrate the 5th anniversary of my blog, The Catechist’s Journey, I’ve invited a number of people to be guest bloggers here over the next week! We start with one of the first people I “met” online when I began blogging, Gilles Côté, a Canadian living in Ottawa, who is the webmaster of 4CatholicEducators.com and of its sister site Resources for Catholic Educators. Gilles taught grades 7 through 12 for 23 years in Catholic […]

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Prayer/Guided Reflections

3-Minute Retreats

You’ve probably heard me make reference to the very popular 3-Minute Retreat that Loyola Press offers. These retreats provide you with an opportunity to spend some quiet time each day reflecting on a Scripture passage. You can receive the retreat on your mobile device which is something that I do, especially when I’m on the train each morning. You can also receive an e-mail reminder each day with a link to a new 3-Minute Retreat. Here […]

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Catechists in Action

Catechists in Action – Nick Begins Class with Prayer

As we continue viewing 5th grade catechist Nick Yonto’s session, we now reach the point where class is formally beginning with prayer. Watch for the following: Nick’s aide arrives with the prayer cloth and they re-arrange the prayer table. The children gather around the prayer table for announcements and prayer (remember, I’m not showing children’s faces in order to protect their privacy) The prayer is led over the PA…the children’s responsorial response is printed on […]

Prayer/Guided Reflections

The Daily Examen – Learn By Doing

From time to time here on my blog, you’ve noticed me talking about the Daily Examen, a form of prayer promoted by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Now you have a great opportunity to learn how to pray the Examen by praying the Examen! Jim Manney, author of A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, is offering an opportunity to experience the Examen online as he leads you step-by-step so that you can learn how to pray this way on […]

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Newsworthy

Singing Grace Before Meals

At the Being, Knowing, and Doing workshop I did in Newark, NJ, last week, we prepared to eat lunch. We were invited to pick up a little prayer card on our tables and to sing the following, using the melody of the Old One Hundreth (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow). I love it! Perfect for Thanksgiving! Be present at our table, Lord Be here and everywhere adored. Thy creatures bless and grant that […]

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Prayer/Guided Reflections

Resources for Leading Guided Reflections/Meditations

One of my favorite topics to do presentations on is leading guided reflections (meditations). Inevitably, I get many questions about resources available for leading guided reflections. Permit me to share a few resources. I’m familiar with the first five. I have not yet personally had a chance to review the remaining resource. I invite anyone who has used these resources to offer their comments and critiques. Guided Reflections for Children, Vol. I: Praying with Scripture (Loyola […]

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Creative Moments

A Gift from Jesus

At the end of my workshop In Hartford, CT, on Saturday (speaking on leading guided reflections), a priest came up to chat with me. I hesitate to call him an elderly priest because, although he was obviously up there in years, he had such a youthful attitude that it made him seem quite young. Anyway, the priest was telling me how he’s been doing guided reflections in catechesis for many years and that one thing […]

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Prayer/Guided Reflections

A Handout for Leading Spontaneous Prayer

One person who participated in my Leading Prayer Webinar (I’m still gonna get that recording up here for y’all…hang in there!) was Jonathan Sullivan who is the Director of the Catechetical Ministries Office for the Diocese of Springfield, IL. Jonathan posted about how much he enjoyed the Webinar (thanks for the shout-out, Jonathan!) and has developed an excellent handout describing how to lead spontaneous prayer relying on the “you, who, do, through” method. Pay attention […]

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Prayer/Guided Reflections

Leading Spontaneous Prayer, Part 3: You, Who, DO, Through

During our recent Webinar – Leading Prayer as a Catechist – we explored a formula to help us lead spontaneous prayer: remembering the words YOU, WHO, DO, THROUGH. Liturgical/Eucharistic prayer includes these 4 elements: YOU (we address God and praise him using divine titles), WHO (we describe the great things that God has done), DO (we pray for God to do something for us now), THROUGH (we pray to the Father, through his Son, Jesus, with the […]

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Prayer/Guided Reflections

Leading Spontaneous Prayer, Part Two – You, WHO, Do, Through

During our Webinar – Leading Prayer as a Catechist – we explored a formula to help us lead spontaneous prayer: remembering the words YOU, WHO, DO, THROUGH. Liturgical/Eucharistic prayer includes these 4 elements: YOU (we address God and praise him using divine titles), WHO (we describe the great things that God has done), DO (we pray for God to do something for us now), THROUGH (we pray to the Father, through his Son, Jesus, with the […]