It is an understatement to say that 2020 has been a challenging year! We can’t wait to turn the page and move on to a new year. For Catholics, that turning of the page happens a month before the secular holiday of New Year’s Day on January 1. We celebrate the beginning of our liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent, which is only a few weeks away, on November 29. Advent is always […]
People seem to be interested in knowing what the future holds for them—so much so that some will do everything from reading their horoscopes to visiting a fortune teller. The truth is, we don’t know what the future will hold for us, except for the one thing that we can be sure of: Jesus will be a part of our lives! We celebrate the season of Advent with this confident joy, knowing that abundant graces […]
For Catholics, the entire month of November (leading up to the First Sunday of Advent) is commemorated as the Month of All Souls—an opportunity to remember, honor, and pray for all of our deceased loved ones. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the practice of setting up a home altar of remembrance with pictures of deceased loved ones and candles to help us recall these special people and to pray for them throughout the […]
In many of our homes, we can find a display of trophies and medals representing our accomplishments or those of our children. A trophy is a symbol of victory, of triumph over all opponents. As Catholics, we traditionally display a “trophy” of the ultimate victory: the Cross of Jesus Christ, which celebrates his victory over sin and Death. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we prepare for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross […]
In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the significance of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15). The feast reminds us of the seamless connection between body and soul, as Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul. Catholicism is not a dualistic faith that ignores the physical in favor of the spiritual. Rather, we see the two realities as intertwined. The Feast of the Assumption calls us to appreciate more deeply […]
Rivalries can be harmful, but they can also be productive as rivals seek to “up their game” to keep up with and perhaps outdo the other. In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at the rivalry between Saints Peter and Paul, whose feast we celebrate on June 29, and how the two were able to set aside their rivalry to work toward the same goal: spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends […]
I’m sure you’re familiar with a TV commercial that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” In a life of faith, we ask a different question: “What’s in your heart?” In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore what is in the hearts of Jesus and Mary as we prepare to celebrate the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (June 19 and 20, 2020, respectively). For more information […]
In today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore how families can observe and celebrate the feasts and seasons of the Church’s liturgical year—a way of marking all time as belonging to God. For more information about the Church’s liturgical calendar, take a look at the following: The Liturgical Calendar, the Paschal Mystery, and the Grand Canyon The Liturgical Year Saints Stories for All Ages (saints’ feast days)
While we are accustomed to hearing the phrase, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” I think the bigger challenge is keeping Christ in Easter. After all, even secular society seems to enjoy or at least tolerate nativity scenes; no one feels threatened by a newborn baby. I always thought it would be interesting, however, if Christians decorated their homes for Easter by putting a scene of the empty tomb in front of their homes with figures of […]
This year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancelling of church services, families have the opportunity to observe the Triduum—the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday—at home. Here are some ideas: Holy Thursday On this day, we recall the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, and the agony in the garden. To recall the institution of the Eucharist, the […]
Copyright © 2006-2024 Loyola Press. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Loyola Press is expressly prohibited.