According to psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the first stage a child goes through is the trust vs. mistrust stage. This stage is crucial, because it shapes a child’s view of the world. Basically, if a child develops trust, he or she will feel safe and secure in the world. A huge part of developing a relationship with God involves trust. One of the central tasks of faith formation is to teach children […]
As we journey through the National Eucharistic Revival, we are reflecting on the parts of the Mass and what each part is calling us to do and be the other six days of the week. In this episode, we look at the Profession of Faith and how proclaiming the Creed is an exercise in trust. The Profession of Faith calls us to deepen our trust in God’s saving grace. How do you strive to put this […]
We continue our Pop-Up Catechesis series, A Walk Through the Mass, with an exploration of the Profession of Faith (the Creed). “Trust me!” Those are two of the most frightening words in the English language! To trust someone is to put your life into that person’s hands. If that trust is betrayed, it is very difficult to re-establish. Think for a moment about the people you trust most in this world. They are, no doubt, […]
I have often said that, if a non-Catholic asked you to explain the Catholic faith to him or her, and you responded by reciting the Creed, listing and describing the seven sacraments, listing and describing the Ten Commandments, and reciting the Our Father, you would deserve a passing grade! Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer are the four pillars of our Catholic faith. The goal of catechesis should always be to make those four pillars accessible, which […]
I was teaching a class of second graders the Nicene Creed when I started reciting it phrase by phrase. I asked them to repeat the lines after me. A group of children who attended Mass regularly realized they knew what came next and excitedly continued on without waiting for my prompts. I let them go, curious to see how far they would get. They spoke the words very quickly; whenever they paused or thought about […]
Each year, the Archdiocese of Omaha requires all third-grade Catholic-school teachers to teach the Apostles’ Creed. Teaching young children to memorize a prayer involves some traditional and non-traditional methods. I am always looking for new methods to help my students since every class is different. What worked with one class may not work with another. I dedicate two weeks to teaching my class the Creed before giving them a test. During the first week, I […]
WEEK ONE: The Creed DAY 5: You’ve Got the Network (Church, Mary, Saints, and Eternity) I’m sure you recall the Verizon ad with the message “It’s the Network,” showing people on Verizon wireless phones backed up by a huge crowd of Verizon workers who represent their support network. The message is clear: wherever you go, the network is there with you and you are never on your own. A huge part of our Catholic faith is our […]
WEEK ONE: The Creed DAY 3: A Family Resemblance to God (The Trinity) To whom do you bear a family resemblance? It can be a physical resemblance or a personality trait that you share. As baptized Catholics, we are members of God’s family, made in his image and likeness. The question for us today is, “do we bear a family resemblance to our God?” Of course, we are not talking about a physical resemblance, because God […]
Welcome to our online summer retreat, Preparing for a Year of Faith! Take a few minutes each day at your convenience to “gather” here on my blog as we seek to add some flavor to our faith lives by deepening our understanding of the truths of our faith as given to us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Learn more about the Year of Faith. Watch a brief video explaining what this online retreat is […]
Last night, I had a surprisingly good experience teaching the Roman Missal changes to ALL of the children in the religious education program at Most Holy Redeemer parish in Evergreen Park, IL, where I serve as a catechist. Here are the details: I did the presentation twice: first session (5:30 – 6:45 pm) for 1st – 4th graders and their parents (about 250 total, kids and parents); 2nd session (7:00 – 8:15 pm) for 5th – […]
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