Spiritual Growth
A Prayer for Catechists: Each Day Another Opportunity
This prayer originally appeared in my book, A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe. Download a PDF version of the prayer here.
Search Results for prayer
Prayer/Guided Reflections
A Prayer to Listen to the Holy Spirit
The Scriptures remind us that the voice of God often comes in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11–13). Practice listening for God’s voice, and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to your group of Confirmation candidates, catechists, or other adults through a prayer service composed by Julianne Stanz. The prayer is inspired by Shhh…God Is in the Silence by Fiona Basile. A copy of the book is needed for the prayer service readings.
Prayer/Guided Reflections
Preparing Prayer Experiences That Are Authentically Catholic
One thing that many catechists struggle with is how to prepare and lead a simple prayer experience in a faith formation setting. Too often, we find ourselves searching the Internet for an inspirational poem or quote that speaks to the occasion, and we end up reciting that as the prayer while everyone else listens. While such poems or quotes may indeed be inspirational, it is important that our prayer experiences are authentically Catholic. That doesn’t […]
Prayer/Guided Reflections
Peace Prayer Coloring Pages
The Peace Prayer, usually associated with St. Francis of Assisi, is a popular traditional prayer. Download a coloring page to use in introducing or meditating on this prayer’s famous first line, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” The Spanish version, “Señor, haz de mí un instrumento de tu paz,” is also available as a coloring page. The Peace Prayer is part of Finding God and Christ Our Life sessions in fourth and eighth […]
Liturgy and Sacraments
Pop-Up Catechesis: A Walk Through the Mass—The Lord’s Prayer
We live in a culture that prizes independence. One of the biggest national holidays that we celebrate in the United States is, of course, Independence Day. When it comes to raising our children, we strive to prepare them to be autonomous and independent so that they can lead healthy and productive lives. In the spiritual life, however, there is no such thing as independence. Rather, the key to a healthy and thriving spiritual life is […]
Liturgy and Sacraments
Pop-Up Catechesis: A Walk Through the Mass—The Eucharistic Prayer
These days, it is common to ask if an event will be in-person or virtual. While most people appreciate the convenience of virtual meetings, there is something to be said for in-person experiences. This is especially true the more intimate the relationship is. When children ask their parents to be present at one of their sporting events, a recital, or some other form of competition, they no doubt hope that presence will be real and […]
Liturgy and Sacraments
Pop-Up Catechesis: A Walk Through the Mass—The Prayer of the Faithful
We continue our Pop-Up Catechesis series, A Walk Through the Mass, as we explore the Prayer of the Faithful. When my kids were little, one of their favorite movies was Ghostbusters. Of course, the movie spawned a hit song of the same name with the famous line: “Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!” The question implies that there is one and only one answer; of course you’re gonna call the Ghostbusters “if there’s something weird and it don’t look […]
Being a Catechist
Six Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis: Spirituality and Prayer
We continue exploring six keys to making our faith formation experiences more evangelizing by looking at the importance of spirituality and prayer. It is my contention that too many of us have grown up with a notion of God as a powerful, angry being who is to be feared—much as Dorothy and her companions trembled as they approached the Wizard in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, to ask for a favor. Or, we […]
Discipleship
Prayer of an Aging Disciple
Author Barbara Lee reminds us that “We are all aging from the day we are born.” And the call to discipleship doesn’t end when we turn a certain age, though how we live that call might. Consider your continuing call to discipleship by praying the “Prayer of an Aging Disciple.” This prayer, excerpted from Barbara’s new book, Answering God’s Call: A Scripture-Based Journey for Older Adults, is presented in three formats: Full-color printable prayer designed […]
Growing as a Catechist
A Prayer for Catechists: Washing Feet
This prayer originally appeared in my book, The Catechist’s Toolbox: How to Thrive as a Religious Education Teacher. Download a PDF version of the prayer here. You might also like: Holy Thursday’s Hidden Graces 3-Minute Retreat: The Lord’s Supper (also in Spanish)