Lent Archives - Page 12 of 21 - Catechist's Journey

40 Fun-Filled Days of Lent

The 40 days of Lent can be a long time for any Catholic. It᾽s even longer for third graders. I’m not one to take any number at face value, so I always ask my class to count the days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday. They are shocked to learn that there are actually 44 days! That seems to make Lent even longer. Working with younger students, I always include some fun activities in our […]

7 Ways to Practice Lent—Free eBook

Joe Paprocki

Lent is the season when God calls his people to return to him with their whole heart. God says that when we return to him, we will find him gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in kindness. During the 40 days of Lent, we reflect on how we can more fully turn our lives over to God so that we can celebrate Easter with joyful hearts. The Church has given us many tools […]

Facilitating Small Faith Groups for Lent

Hosting Parish Small Faith Groups—Free Discussion Materials for Lent

Joe Paprocki

Jesus was often surrounded by large crowds, clamoring to hear the Teacher speak. But Jesus first was only known to a small group, the Apostles. After the Resurrection, the Disciples continued spreading Jesus’ message to other small groups—the Philippians, the Ephesians, the Corinthians—and the tradition of small groups of devoted followers continues to this day. That’s what we’ve been focusing on with the series on how to host parish small faith groups. The series strengthens […]

Knowing How the Story Ends, Changes How You Experience the Story

Joe Paprocki

As we enter and proceed through Holy Week, it is important for us to remember that we know how the story “ends!” And, of course, the story of Jesus’ Passion does not end with his death but is followed by Resurrection. It’s like this. Recently, I had a chance to watch a DVD that re-tells the experience of the Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup last June. Last Spring, experiencing the actual games was excruciatingly […]

40 Ideas for 40 Days of Lent!

Joe Paprocki

It’s that time once again! The Lenten season is just one month away! To help you with your planning, I’m once again providing my popular 40 Ideas for 40 Days. Let me know which activities you chose to do, how you did them (adding your own twists) and how things turned out! In addition, here are lots more Lenten resources from Loyola Press. And don’t forget my list of Lenten resources for small faith groups!

Lent Resources for Small Faith Groups

Joe Paprocki

As Lent approaches, many parishes and college campuses look to form small faith groups so that people can share the journey of Lent together. Here are some great resources for small faith groups from Loyola Press that I recommend: Online Lenten Opportunities for Small Groups Arts & Faith: Lent – A visual prayer experience for Lent. Each week provides a video commentary about a work of art inspired by the Sunday Scriptures. The Ignatian Workout for Lent: […]

Holy Thursday, 2014

Joe Paprocki

Here are some pics from Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park, IL, followed by visits to Altars of Reposition at 3 other parishes as part of our tradition of visiting churches on Holy Thursday evening. Mass of the Lord’s Supper – Incensing the altar Presentation of the Holy Oils Washing of Feet Transfer of the Blessed Sacrament Altars of Reposition: St. Julie, St. Alexander, Sacred Heart […]

Holy Week: Entering the Passion Story

Joe Paprocki

As we journey through this holiest of weeks, and especially the Triduum, I invite you to reflect and respond to one or both of the following questions: Which character(s) in the Passion story do you find most intriguing (whether they are inspiring or tragic) and why? If you could paint a picture or create a sculpture of one moment in the story of Christ’s Passion, what would it be and why? I invite you to share […]

Jury Duty Today – Living Stations Tonight

Joe Paprocki

So here I am doing my civic duty as a standby juror at the Bridgeview Courthouse! So far, I’ve had lots of time to get some writing done as I sit here waiting. We’ll see how long that lasts! Tonight, I’ll be taking my sixth graders to the Living Stations of the Cross being performed by our eighth graders. It is a good Holy Week experience for them and is done very prayerfully. Here is […]

Using the Jesus of Nazareth Film to Prepare for Holy Week

Joe Paprocki

The current TV mini-series The Bible is drawing large audiences and mixed reviews from critics. I haven’t watched it yet but plan to tune in especially for the New Testament segments. As always, watch with a critical eye and take note of discrepancies with Scripture (Hollywood likes to embellish!) to point out to those you teach. In the meantime, a film that has withstood the test of time is Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth. An […]