In the life of a parish, there are going to be good days and bad days. The good days include sacramental events such as First Communions and Confirmations. Bad days might force us to deal with troubled children, angry parents, or upset pastors. If we want to celebrate the good things and rise above the negative, the Virgin Mary might be an example for us to pattern ourselves after. Throughout her life, Mary no doubt […]
Catechists and catechetical leaders generally don’t sit in ivory towers reading theology in their spare time (thankfully!). Theirs is a lived faith, and nothing indicates that more than active involvement in the parish community. Their reputation and appearance as a regular part of parish life is proportional to the amount of trust and confidence placed in them by parish leaders and parents. While participating in committees or serving in other ministries is admirable, busyness is […]
I always found our opening prayers for Confirmation and First Eucharist meetings to be challenging. Normally these involved something written down, something we would all read together, or maybe a pertinent piece of Scripture, or maybe both. It often felt dry and mechanical. What I wanted to do was engage our families, invite them to get to know the Jesus I knew—a Jesus who was active, interesting, and intensely interested in their lives. The question […]
Have you ever met someone who was “on fire” for God? When you encounter someone who speaks about faith with contagious enthusiasm, that’s missionary zeal. It’s memorable—and contagious. Zeal is not a word we use much today. The dictionary defines zeal as “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective,” but in Scripture it has a deeper meaning. It can describe a fierceness against those who oppose God (see 1 Kings […]
In the film The Blues Brothers, the main characters, trying to raise money to keep their Catholic school open, proclaim: “We’re on a mission from God!” That’s not a bad motto for any Catholic. Like Jake and Elwood, all of us are on a mission: to evangelize. Go and Make Disciples (USCCB, 1992) cites Pope Paul VI, who wrote that, “The Church exists to evangelize.” The bishops continue, defining evangelization: “At its essence are the […]
Catechists are called to a strong prayer life, having not only a habit of regular personal prayer but a living relationship with God. The Catechism describes prayer as God’s gift, a covenant relationship, and communion of life in Christ. Through it, we discover God, who dwells in each human heart (CCC 2558–2565). A catechist with a well-developed prayer life will naturally be a better teacher and leader of prayer, so it is very important to […]
Have you ever encountered truly genuine people, those about whom you can say, “With (name), what you see is what you get”? That’s essential for catechists. The National Directory for Catechesis calls this, “a coherence and authenticity of life.” It is “characterized by [the catechist’s] faithful practice of the faith in a spirit of faith, charity, hope, courage, and joy.” (229) Coherence and authenticity mean there is no disconnect between a person’s public actions and his […]
One aspect of a catechetical leader’s responsibilities is discerning whom God is calling to the vocation of catechist and planning refreshment (formation) for those whom God continues to call. A catechist is called to holiness with “a particular urgency” (National Directory for Catechesis, 229), and there are, the NDC tells us, important characteristics of the catechist’s spiritual life. The first characteristic is a love of God (Trinity), of the Church, the pope, and God’s holy […]
Today we hear a lot about people demanding their rights! Fortunately, we live in a country that guarantees those rights according to the Constitution. If there were a “catechist’s bill of rights,” one of those rights would be training and formation and I wish that more catechists would speak up, demanding this right. I’ll never forget my friend Brian Lemoi, Director of the Catechetical Office in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FLA, telling me that, […]
Here is a wonderful article by Jeffrey Essmann that appeared in America Magazine recently about how Jeffrey “stumbled” into the role of catechist. “Stumbling Onward” by Jeffrey Essmann Stumbling Onward I have come to trust my stumbles. Philosophically, I believe stumbling to be the natural human gait and that humanity’s steady march of progress has, indeed, genera… View on www.americamagazine… Preview by Yahoo
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