Books Archives - Catechist's Journey

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: The Bible Blueprint

We continue our year-long celebration of the 15th anniversary of the launch of Catechist’s Journey and publication of The Catechist’s Toolbox. Our celebration continues today with the chance to win a copy of my book, The Bible Blueprint: A Catholic’s Guide to Understanding and Embracing God’s Word. In The Bible Blueprint, I use the metaphor of a blueprint to help Catholics visualize the structure and organization of the Bible, leading to easier navigation of its […]

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness

Joe Paprocki

We continue our year-long celebration of the 15th anniversary of the launch of Catechist’s Journey and publication of The Catechist’s Toolbox. Our celebration continues today with the chance to win a copy of my book, 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness: Enriching Your Faith by Strengthening the Health of Your Soul. In 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness, I invite readers to explore seven practical ways to maintain spiritual wellness and avoid pitfalls to our spiritual wellbeing. […]

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: Living the Sacraments

Joe Paprocki

We continue our year-long celebration of the 15th anniversary of the launch of Catechist’s Journey and publication of The Catechist’s Toolbox. Our celebration continues today with the chance to win a copy of my book, Living the Sacraments: Finding God at the Intersection of Heaven and Earth. In Living the Sacraments, I invite readers to explore the mystery of God’s self-revelation through the sacraments. I focus on how the sacraments allow us to experience God’s […]

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: Preparing Hearts and Minds

Joe Paprocki

Thank you to everyone who played along in our online scavenger hunt last month, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the launch of Catechist’s Journey and publication of The Catechist’s Toolbox. Our celebration continues today with the chance to win a copy of Preparing Hearts and Minds: 9 Simple Ways for Catechists to Cultivate a Living Faith. In Preparing Hearts and Minds, I revisit how the early Church introduced people to Jesus Christ, identifying nine strategies […]

The Difference Between a Hero and an Idol

Joe Paprocki

When I was growing up, most of my “heroes” were sports figures: Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs), Bobby Hull (Chicago Blackhawks), Muhammed Ali (boxing). In retrospect, I think it’s safe to say that they were my idols rather than heroes. An idol is simply someone who is adored for various reasons: good looks, accomplishments, charisma, and so on. A hero, on the other hand, is someone who puts personal needs aside and goes above and beyond […]

The Fire of Eden Word Search - game to accompany the Harwood Mysteries

Summer Reading for Young People and Growing Imaginations

Joe Paprocki

Summer is a wonderful time for young people to get plenty of outdoor exercise as they grow physically. It’s important to remember that they are growing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. With that in mind, summer is a great time to help young people exercise their imaginations! One of the most effective ways of exercising one’s imagination is through reading good literature. This is especially important in our times, when it can be tempting […]

My Most Recent Book Now Available in Spanish! Preparar corazones y mentes

Joe Paprocki

Our Church is blessed with incredible diversity, and we are privileged to be experiencing rapid growth in the presence of Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. Church. In fact: Hispanics account for 71% of the growth of the Catholic population since 1960. 40% of all Catholics in the U.S. have a Hispanic background. Six out of ten Catholics under the age of 18 are of Hispanic background. U.S.-born Hispanics make up two-thirds of the Hispanic population. On […]

Photo of Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan next to a picture of his book "I Am With You"

Lent in a Time of Pandemic: Déjà Vu

Joe Paprocki

As we enter the month of February, 2021, with the realization that Ash Wednesday and Lent are just a few weeks away, we will no doubt begin experiencing a sense of déjà vu—that sense that we have lived through the present situation before. And while we have all lived through Ash Wednesday and Lent before, this will be the second year that our Lenten experience takes place within the context of a worldwide pandemic (although, […]

preschool faith formation program - God Made Everything

Nurturing Imagination and Creativity in Young Children

Joe Paprocki

I’m sure you’ve seen little children opening presents on Christmas or a birthday and being more enamored with the box and the wrapping paper than the actual gift! Somehow, young children are able to look at a plain cardboard box and imagine that it is a car, an airplane, a boat, or a spaceship. It is that imagination that we must tap into when it comes to early childhood faith formation. According to Webster’s Dictionary, imagination […]

Little Lessons from the Mystics - book cover and image of author Bob Burnham

Mystical Catechesis: Little Lessons from the Mystics

Joe Paprocki

“Religion is belief in someone else’s experience. Spirituality is having your own experience.” —Deepak Chopra This quote pops up frequently on social media, and it speaks an important truth: spirituality is an experience of a relationship with the Divine. Such an experience is one of mystery. Another word we use for such an experience is mystical. Unfortunately, in our culture, the word mystical has come to be synonymous with the word magical: something beyond the […]