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Pop-Up Catechesis: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

One of the hallmarks of Catholicism is sacramentality, which means that we rely on tangible, visible objects in our prayer and worship to raise our awareness of the intangible, invisible graces of God. One popular example of this sacramentality is our use of candles for prayer and worship. We know that we’ve entered into a Catholic church when we see the flickering of vigil candles and smell the scent of burning wax. These burning candles represent the […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Lenten Disciplines

Joe Paprocki

With Lent coming upon us very soon, it’s a good idea to begin thinking about how best to observe this wonderful season of renewal. Too often, it seems, we rack our brains trying to think of what to do during Lent when the formula is laid out for us: we are to pray, fast, and give alms. While that may sound like the “same old, same old,” it’s important to know that these three practices, […]

baptismal font - Phil Martin Photography

Adult Baptism Interests Children

Kathleen Butler

An established syllabus and well-planned lessons can be key to effective catechesis. But what happens when we’re ready to move on to the next activity or lesson and our class isn’t? I’ve written before about how going with the conversational flow can lead to interesting places we hadn’t anticipated, but what happens when the conversation continues over a few weeks rather than a few minutes? It happened to me last year when I taught a […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Crafting Faith

Joe Paprocki

Did you realize that the Bible begins with a craft activity? The Creation stories of Genesis chapters one and two tell us that, out of the Divine imagination, God crafted the heavens and the earth, animals and plant life, night and day, oceans and sky, and human beings. That’s quite a craft activity! For this reason, crafts have always played a part in faith formation and deservedly so: when we craft something, we are imitating […]

Classroom Spiritual Breaks

Special Contributor

Here are a few spiritual practices that catechists can incorporate into sessions to help nurture the spiritual and physical well-being of young people. Calls to Mind God’s Presence in Our Lives Invite young people to sit up tall, with both feet on the floor. They may close their eyes if they want. Tell them to breathe in slowly while saying to themselves, “I breathe in God’s love.” As they exhale, tell them to say to […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Doing a First Reconciliation Retreat at Home

Joe Paprocki

With vaccinations arriving, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel as far as the pandemic goes. In the meantime, however, many of our in-person activities are still being limited. For many children, a First Reconciliation retreat is part of their preparation at the parish. Since the present crisis precludes such gatherings in many parishes, I offer some suggestions for doing a First Reconciliation retreat at home, in today’s episode of Pop-Up Catechesis. Here are some […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Change Requires a Stimulus

Joe Paprocki

How does water change to ice or steam? Well, it doesn’t do it on its own. It requires a stimulus, namely a change in temperature. When water is cooled, the molecules slow down and are bonded together to form ice. When water is heated, the molecules speed up and break free from their bonds, thus creating steam. But none of that happens without the stimulus of temperature change. In a similar way, if we hope […]

Make This Word Part of Your Catechetical Vocabulary: Mystagogy

Joe Paprocki

When I worked for my Uncle Joe at his pharmacy back in the day, he once had me use his car to make some deliveries. With the sun shining in my eyes, I pulled down the visor, which resulted in a number of small slips of paper falling into my lap. I glanced at the slips of paper and saw a list of words with definitions. When I asked my uncle about those slips, he […]

Leading Guided Reflections with Second Graders

Cindy Coleman

I’ve shared before how I introduce my second graders to a variety of prayer experiences. However, my favorite prayer experiences with them are guided reflections. In a guided reflection, I lead the children step-by-step to imagine meeting Jesus, talking with him, and listening to him. I’m thankful that my God’s Gift books include guided reflections paired to several of our lessons. Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts also includes guided reflections at every grade […]

Light in Darkness

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

What sacred story (yours or that of another) has recently inspired you? How has Christ led you to an encounter with him in a new and unexpected way? How has your prayer life deepened over the past few months? These are questions Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy uses to conclude her piece “Light in Darkness” over at our sister site, LoyolaPress.com. The story is about a visit to the emergency room, but the questions are good ones to […]