Six Ideas for Taking Care of the Spiritual Needs of Your Catechists

It seems so simplistic to suggest that as leaders in catechetical ministry we need to be catechists to our catechists, but that is what the Lord calls us to be. Just as a catechist needs a manual to guide him or her through leading the sessions, so, too, we may also need to provide a spiritual handbook or other guidance along the way. St. Thomas Aquinas (patron of students) advises: “Hence we must say that […]

Three Ways to Nurture a Catechist’s Prayer Life

Prayer is an essential component in the life of a catechist. Prayer helps us stay connected to Jesus Christ, the Master Catechist who works through us in our ministry, who strengthens us with the grace to do our ministry well, and who desires to be in relationship with us and with our students. How can we help our catechists maintain a life of prayer? Here are three ways. 1. Keep it simple. We often think […]

When the Well Goes Dry: Spiritual Direction for Catechists

Fellow catechists, it’s time to face the truth about the biggest, secret challenge we all face: the lack of time, effort, and discipline we put into our own spiritual lives. We’ve spent the day (and night) extolling the virtues of regular prayer, reading Scripture, and contemplative practice to others—only to find ourselves too drained and spiritually dry even to lift up a half-hearted “Hail Mary” before our heads hit the pillow. As a spiritual director […]

A Prayer for Play

It’s important for those involved in catechetical ministries to take time for self-care, and that includes time for fun! Today we ask for eyes and hearts open to see whimsy and to take part in play. Prayer for Play God who made each and every living being, I know there’s a fun and whimsical aspect to you because there is no complete logical explanation for the way kittens play, and children say the most accurate, […]

Allow God’s Gaze to Rest on You

Recently I led a half-day retreat for Directors of Religious Education at a nearby parish. These are the men and women who work hard all year through, helping to care for the faith of others. They are nearly always “on duty,” organizing, running, and problem-solving within their parish faith formation programs. The weather had finally, finally come around to spring qualities. We were at an expansive retreat center with lawns and water and trees and […]

Celebrating Catechetical Sunday: How Do You Pray the Faith?

How do you pray? What is your favorite form of prayer? When was the last time you thought about your personal prayer life and the way you pray in the classroom? The theme for this year’s Catechetical Sunday, which falls on September 18, is “Prayer: The Faith Prayed.” The USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis offers resources for catechists, adults, and families to explore what prayer is, how to pray, how to prepare for prayer, […]

Ignatian Spirituality: An Introduction—Free Poster and Booklet

St. Ignatius of Loyola founded a school of spirituality that is continued today by his community, the Jesuits, along with many others. Ignatian spirituality focuses on creating a deep bond with Jesus, as well as working to promote God’s plan and action in the world. Most important, Ignatian spirituality concentrates on “finding God in all things,” which integrates prayer and service, meditation and action, emotion and reason. Let our free poster and booklet introduce you […]

Chance Encounter Leads to St. Ignatius of Loyola

Ten years ago, I really didn’t know anything about St. Ignatius of Loyola, nor of the Jesuit order, which he founded. A chance encounter with a Jesuit priest changed that for me, and since that dinner conversation, I’ve incorporated Ignatian spirituality into my daily life. I met Fr. George Lane, SJ, who was then the president of Loyola Press, during my first training as a ministry consultant. By chance, Fr. Lane sat next to me […]

Summer Reading from Loyola Press

Summer is a wonderful time to renew your soul! With that in mind, Loyola Press is making available some excellent books for summer reading at a very special price of only $9 each. Take advantage of these savings and enjoy reading some wonderfully inspirational books while you relax on your porch or deck, in your backyard, at the park, or on the beach. Don’t forget to take a peek at some of the books I […]

10 Ways to Pray Online

You’ll notice I did NOT say that this is a “Top” 10 list of ways to pray online. I’d rather not get into ranking prayer! Rather, I’d like to offer some online prayer resources that I encourage you to pass along to parishioners by sharing the following list in the parish bulletin or in your religious education or school newsletter. Those of us in ministry sometimes forget that we may be privy to resources that […]

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