On Pentecost we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles; this event marks the beginning of the Church. Bring the celebration of Pentecost to your faith formation group with our Pentecost Activities Packet. The packet includes a prayer service, a Holy Spirit crossword puzzle, a coloring page, and more. Combine using the packet with reading the story of Pentecost, found in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1–11, and the special seasonal lessons […]
Focus on the first disciples this Easter season by downloading our free prayer cards. Each card includes a short prayer asking for the intercession of one of the disciples who encountered Jesus in the days and weeks after the Resurrection. With prayers addressing St. Mary Magdalene, St. Peter, St. Thomas, and more, these cards draw our attention to the early disciples and serve as a great reminder that these holy men and women have lessons […]
By our conviction of heart and mind, we can be witnesses to the Resurrection just as Mary Magdalene was, not just at Easter but every day. Here are some simple ways to evangelize and keep our Easter joy all season long! Read. Read the Acts of the Apostles between Easter and Pentecost. Immerse yourself in the excitement of the disciples trying to become the Church community that Jesus intended them to become. Marvel at the […]
Spring is a time when signs of life begin to pop up all around us, and our energy levels hopefully begin to rise with increased Vitamin D from the more plentiful sunshine and warmer weather. What a perfect season for us Christians to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the new life that we share in as a result of our Baptism! In the spirit of this wonderful season, I am excited to offer […]
All Christians are called to be a “Resurrection People,” and that means that in our thoughts, words, and actions, we are to embody and exemplify hope and joy and to share that with others, especially those experiencing despair. For this reason, the 50 days of Easter provide a wonderful opportunity for us to practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy—acts of compassion by which we help our neighbors with their emotional and spiritual needs. In a […]
If, for some reason, authorities had to put out a description of me, it would say that Joe Paprocki is a white male with blue eyes, stands six feet tall, and weighs about 200 pounds. Except for some slight variations (I’d love if the weight were 190!), that information will remain the same as long as I’m alive. These are, more or less, permanent traits that identify me. The Easter season reminds us that one […]
The 50 days of the Easter season provide us with plenty of time to spread the hope and joy of the Risen Christ to others. One of the ways that we do this is by performing Spiritual Works of Mercy. While the Corporal Works of Mercy aim to help our neighbors with their material and physical needs, the Spiritual Works of Mercy aim to help people with their emotional and spiritual needs. All works of […]
It’s interesting to note that, in a number of the post-Resurrection stories in the Gospels, Jesus’ disciples are stuck in the past. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus lament, “We were hoping.” (Luke 24:21) Peter is well-aware of his denial of knowing Jesus, when the Risen Christ asks him, “Do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15) The Apostles are locked away in the upper room, paralyzed by fear and aware that […]
The story of Jesus’ Resurrection tells us that he was buried in a tomb located in a garden (John 19:41). According to the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (IVP), throughout Scripture, the image of a garden represents both nature and a sacred space (representing heaven, the “place” where God dwells, the focus of human longing or life at its fullest, a way of life and a state of the soul). Of course, the Book of Genesis […]
In the Church year, Easter, our season of feasting, is longer than Lent, our season of fasting! While the 40 days of Lent lay out a program of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we often don’t seem to have a game plan for how to celebrate the 50 days of Easter. I suggest that we focus on the concept of “feasting” during the 50 days of Easter. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore six […]
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