Holy Week is a feast for the senses. It is important to mimic the rhythm of what is happening at church in the home. For example, the songs heard in church during this week can be played at home, and the practices that happen at church can be explained to children beforehand. Here are some ways to celebrate the high points of this sacred time. Palm Sunday Turn palms into works of art by creating […]
In this Lenten disciples series, we have explored the stories of Jesus and the woman of Samaria (John 4:1–42) and the man who was blind since birth (John 9:1–41). We now turn to the dramatic story of the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1–45). Set in the small town of Bethany, which was about two miles from Jerusalem, we hear that Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was very sick. The sisters sent word to Jesus, […]
In the Scriptures, we see examples of disciples at different stages of their faith journeys. Through the story of Jesus and the woman of Samaria (John 4:1–42), we explored the early stages of the discipleship journey. Later in the Gospel of John, we hear the story of Jesus restoring sight to a man born blind. (John 9:1–41) This story represents the next stage in the journey of discipleship. In this story, a man who was […]
Join award-winning author Gary Jansen and me for a special Lenten webinar that will draw from his book, Station to Station: An Ignatian Journey Through the Stations of the Cross, and offer a new way of looking at the Stations of the Cross to deepen your prayer life and provide hope in times of need. How do we respond to suffering? How did Jesus? And what can we learn from the Passion for helping us […]
In the Scriptures, we see examples of disciples at different stages of their journeys. For the next few weeks of Lent, we will explore three different encounters with Jesus and what these encounters tell us about discipleship. We will focus first on perhaps one of the best-known stories in the Bible: Jesus and the woman of Samaria (John 4:1–42). In this story, Jesus approaches a Samaritan woman and strikes up a conversation with her at […]
With the season of Lent upon us, the question looms: “Do we pray differently during Lent?” To answer that question, I turned to Fr. Andy Alexander, SJ, the Director of the Collaborative Ministries Office and Online Ministries at Creighton University and co-author (with Maureen McCann Waldron), of Praying Lent: Renewing Our Lives on the Lenten Journey. For more information about praying during the Lenten season, check out the following links: Praying Lent: Renewing Our Lives […]
As catechists and parents, we are keenly aware that there are a lot of ideas competing for our attention during Lent. When deciding on a focused Lenten practice, there are three questions to ask: Is this practice focused on God, others, or myself? Does this practice help me fast from something that I truly struggle with? Do I give, pray, and serve out of love or out of my own selfishness? After speaking with parents […]
The Directory for Catechesis reminds us that the family “is indeed a Christian education more witnessed to than taught, more occasional than systematic, more ongoing and daily than structured into periods.” (227) Lent is a perfect time for parents to give witness to their children of the importance of serving others. During Lent, we make efforts to pray, fast, and give alms. Almsgiving is an activity that the whole family can participate in, because it […]
When I go swimming at the health club, diving into the pool is always a bit of a shock to my system. Once my body adjusts to the water temperature, however, I gradually begin to enjoy the buoyancy that results in a “lightness of being” that is renewing. This Lent, I invite you to “dive into” the 40 days in much the same way. At first, the change in climate can be a bit of […]
Without a doubt, births and deaths are some of the most profound moments of our lives. They are most certainly “thin places”—those moments or places where the veil that normally prevents us from recognizing God’s presence seems to be quite thin. As we approach Holy Week, we prepare to come face to face with death and new life; Good Friday and Easter are a continuum. In our catechetical settings, Holy Week provides us with an […]
