Spiritual Growth Archives - Page 21 of 30

Making Our Parishes Spiritual Wellness Centers

On my way to work each day, as I ride the train from the south side to the north side of Chicago, I see a variety of storefronts advertising spiritual wellness—places to nurture one’s body, mind, and spirit in order to achieve serenity and calmness as well as answers to life’s questions. They offer Reiki, meditative breathing, yoga, guided meditation, acupuncture, Chakra balancing, sweat lodge ceremonies, healing circles, tarot cards, and spiritual classes. While they […]

summer beach at sunrise - FG Trade Latin/iStock/Getty Images

God in the Big and Small Things of Summer

Chris Sullivan

God models for us, in the first creation story in Genesis, the rhythms of work and rest. In God’s good creation, we humans are given everything we need before we ever put our hands to the plow or the mill. We were made to enjoy the natural world, walking in peace and friendship with God (Genesis 3:8). The fullness of creation beckons in the summertime. Days are long. Grass is green. The sun is high […]

Assessing the Year of Faith Formation

Lisa Jones

Our year of faith formation has ended at my parish. It is both a happy and sad time for me as a catechist. I’m thrilled to see my class of third graders move on, but I’m also sad to see them go after our year together. Our DRE asks us catechists at the end of each year to commit to teaching again the following fall and allows us first choice on the grade level. Before […]

Planting a Spiritual Garden: Three Ways to Help Others Grow in Faith

Julianne Stanz

Spring has finally arrived after another harsh winter in Green Bay. As I turn my attention to my garden, I marvel at the hardiness of the tulips I planted before the ground hardened in the fall. Their bright green sprouts remind me that spring is a time for new life and growth. Helping others cultivate their own spiritual garden is one of the most rewarding aspects of ministry; it is also one of the most […]

green and silver rosary - Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank/Getty Images

How I Came to Pray the Rosary

Chris Sullivan

My earliest memory of a rosary was a string of plain stainless beads and crucifix that I had put around my neck. I was five. I still remember the look on my mother’s face. She was amused, but told me that wasn’t what a rosary was for. “It’s not a necklace?” I asked. “No,” she said. “It’s for prayer.” My grandmother had matching rosaries of clear crystal beads, one necklace-like, the other a spiral bracelet. […]

Singing as an Expression of Faith

Joe Paprocki

It’s fascinating to note just how integral music and singing are to the world of spectator sports. Whether it is baseball, football, hockey, or basketball, sports fans (especially at the collegiate level) often support their teams by singing and chanting. As long as music and singing are present, there’s hope for your team. When the singing stops, you know your team is in trouble. And that’s when the grumbling begins. “Why’d they leave him in […]

Speaking to the Heart

Julianne Stanz

Parishes report that Easter Sunday and Christmas Mass are the highest attended services of the year and our congregations are made up of people at many different places in their spiritual journeys. As ministers we have a whole litany of terms for people who do not attend Mass regularly: “Chreasters” and “Eastmasses” for those who attend Mass at Christmas and Easter and “PACErs” for those who attend services on Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Christmas, and […]

There’s No Way Around the Cross

Joe Paprocki

In this Sunday’s Gospel (the Fifth Sunday of Lent, John 12:20–33), Jesus predicts his death. But the point of this story is not to impress us with the accuracy of Jesus’ predictions. Rather, Jesus is making it quite clear that this is the way things have to happen, not only for him, but for us as well; there is no shortcut around the cross. In order to gain our lives, we must lose them. Jesus […]

The Spiritual Life of Catechists: Devotion to Mary and the Eucharist

Joyce Donahue

Did you know that the Virgin Mary is known as “mother and model of catechists?” Catechists are called to a special devotion to her because “[t]hrough her own special vocation, Mary saw the Son of God ‛grow in wisdom, in age and in grace’ (Lk 2:52). She was the teacher who ‛trained Him in human knowledge of the Scriptures and of God’s loving plan for his people, and in adoration of the Father.’ She was […]

Remembering the Larger Story in Catechesis

Eric Gurash

As we near the midpoint of our catechetical year, we can begin to feel dragged out and even a little intimidated as catechists. We’ve come so far since the fall, and there is so much left to do. We can get so caught up in parish life that we feel overwhelmed and lose our focus on what moves us and inspires our ministry. We can forget that all of the activities, planning, and preparing we […]