Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Fortitude

Our brains are wired to take the path of least resistance. Now, that can be a good thing, since we all strive to avoid unnecessary conflicts and obstacles. However, there are some things in life that are worth fighting for, such as striving to end injustice and oppression. For situations like that, we need the virtue of fortitude—a virtue that helps us strengthen our resolve, resist temptations, and overcome obstacles in the moral life. In […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Justice

One of the most well-known and cherished Scripture passages is Micah 6:8: “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” But what exactly does it mean to “do justice”? Too often, justice is thought of in legal terms and is equated with punishment or even vengeance. However, justice is a positive thing and refers to holding up our end of the […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Prudence

“What were you thinking?” Many of us have been on the receiving end of this question, most likely when we were children and our parents asked us this question after we had done something stupid. The question assumes the answer: “You obviously were not thinking!” Prudence is the habit of thinking before acting. This flies in the face of today’s mentality of “Just do it!” While there is something to be said for spontaneity, some […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Charity

In a previous episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we looked at virtues as good habits that we practice in order to walk the path of holiness. Traditionally, the virtues have been identified as the Theological Virtues (faith, hope, and love) and the Cardinal Virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance). In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the third of the Theological Virtues: charity (aka, love). For more information about virtues and charity, check out the following links: The […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Hope

In a previous episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we looked at virtues as good habits that we practice in order to walk the path of holiness. Traditionally, the virtues have been identified as the Theological Virtues (faith, hope, and love) and the Cardinal Virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance). In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the second of the Theological Virtues: hope. For more information about the virtues and, in particular, the virtue of hope, check out […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Ten Commandments, Sin, & Morality

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Faith

In a previous episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we looked at virtues as good habits that we practice to walk the path of holiness. Traditionally, the virtues have been identified as the Theological Virtues (faith, hope, and love) and the Cardinal Virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance). In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the first of the Theological Virtues, faith, and talk about what it means to practice faith.  For more information about […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Mary and the Saints

Pop-Up Catechesis: Honoring the Saints

From time to time, we Catholics find ourselves having to explain our relationship with the saints to those who are non-Catholic, especially our Protestant brothers and sisters. While all Christians honor the saints to some degree, we Catholics can be really “over-the-top” in our devotion to the saints. (And I mean that in a good way!) Our devotion to the saints is revealed in our love for icons, statues, relics, medals, litanies, prayers, novenas, and […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Scripture

Pop-Up Catechesis: Figurative Language in the Bible

Catholics believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. However, that word “inerrancy” means different things to different people. To some, the inerrancy of the Bible means that every word in the Bible is to be taken literally. This is known as fundamentalism, and folks who abide by this approach are known as fundamentalists. For Catholics, the inerrancy of the Bible refers to the truth that Scripture is conveying. In other words, Catholics believe that everything […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Liturgy and Sacraments

Pop-Up Catechesis: Understanding the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist

When it comes to teaching about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, one might wonder: why doesn’t the Church grant permission to a group of scientists to examine reverently an unconsecrated host and a consecrated host under a microscope (much as the Church has allowed scientific studies to be conducted on the Shroud of Turin) and report on the differences they see between the two? I can tell you why the Church doesn’t […]

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis: Understanding Holiness

I think that holiness is one of the most misunderstood concepts in spirituality. That’s unfortunate, because holiness is something that we are all called to! Too often, holiness is equated with being pious. While I have nothing against piety, it is mostly thought of as being “devoutly religious,” which usually translates into “someone involved in a lot of church activities.” The problem with that is it confines holiness to the church campus and makes it […]