Seven Clues: A Catholic Treasure Hunt book by Scott Hahn and Maura Roan McKeegan (pictured)
Books

Seven Clues to These Sacred Mysteries

At the beginning of Mass, the priest greets the assembly and says, “Brothers and Sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate these sacred mysteries.” Children are especially intrigued by mysteries! When my kids were of grade-school age and got together with their same-aged cousins, they eagerly put their heads together to solve mysteries as they played their own version of the TV show Ghostwriter. Of course, the key to solving […]

"Amos/Hosea/Micah: A Call to Justice" giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: Six Weeks with the Bible

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 five copies for your small group of Amos/Hosea/Micah: A Call to Justice, part of the Six Weeks with the Bible series. The prophets Amos, Hosea, and Micah convey in no uncertain terms what God thinks about oppression, injustice, and neglect of the poor. The blunt […]

Under the Influence of Jesus giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: Under the Influence of Jesus

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 Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ. It was during the feast of Pentecost when a dejected, cowering, frightened group of Jesus’ closest followers were suddenly transformed by the Holy Spirit into bold proclaimers of a life-changing message. […]

Practice Makes Catholic giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: Practice Makes Catholic

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 Practice Makes Catholic: Moving from a Learned Faith to a Lived Faith. It is said that practice makes perfect, but what else does practice make? I’d say that practice makes Catholic—that is, there are certain distinct practices that make us essentially Catholic. […]

The Catechist's Backpack giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: The Catechist’s Backpack

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 The Catechist’s Backpack: Spiritual Essentials for the Journey. It is obvious that catechists spend their time guiding children and adults in deepening their Catholic faith, but we have to ask, “Who’s guiding the catechists on their spiritual journey?” While there are many […]

author Fr. Michael Rossmann, SJ, pictured next to his book, The Freedom of Missing Out: Letting Go of Fear and Saying Yes to Life
Books

Replacing a Fear of Missing Out with the Freedom of Missing Out

One of the most famous cases of “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) can be found in the Gospels: the story of the rich young man (Matthew 19:16–22; Mark 10:17–27). Although the young man was interested in following Jesus, he couldn’t get past his fear of missing out on a life of material wealth. This story is no doubt included in the Gospels to remind us catechists that our invitations to follow Jesus will be met […]

A Well-Built Faith giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: A Well-Built Faith

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, A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe. I wrote A Well-Built Faith because too many Catholics struggle to comprehend and articulate their faith. A Well-Built Faith—which I developed around a construction theme—makes it easy […]

A Church on the Move giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: A Church on the Move

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, A Church on the Move: 52 Ways to Get Mission and Mercy in Motion. Well before the pandemic, I wrote A Church on the Move, recognizing that our parishes were in crisis and in need of new approaches to engaging […]

interior of "Remember Us with Smiles" book by Grace and Gary Jansen
Books

Catechists as the Keepers of Memories

One of the most inspiring images presented in the new Directory for Catechesis is the image of the catechist as the “keeper of the memory of God.” Here’s what the Directory has to say: The catechist is a witness of faith and the keeper of the memory of God. The faith contains the memory of God’s history with humanity. Keeping this memory, reawakening it in others, and placing it at the service of the proclamation […]

The Bible Blueprint giveaway in honor of Catechist's Journey anniversary
Books

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 […]