Pentecost is right around the corner, so it’s not too early to talk about how the parish can approach this important day in our Church calendar. Too often, we stop at the perfunctory: ask everybody to wear red, sing some Holy Spirit hymns, and invite people to read the Prayers of the Faithful in different languages. If we really want to form adult disciples, however, and honor this day for what it truly stands for, […]
In a recent session, my class talked about being a disciple in the context of Ordinary Time. Since this Church season occupies most of the liturgical year, the discussion centered on how we can follow Jesus in everyday life. We focused on the works of mercy as ways to practice our discipleship. I set the stage by holding up a poster-sized copy of the liturgical calendar and gave a brief introduction to how we mark […]
Recently, we began a series here on my blog about the six tasks of catechesis, focusing on the notion that God is calling each of us to fulfill a role that he has planned for us. Just as actors rely on certain strategies to immerse themselves in character, we too rely on certain strategies to “immerse” ourselves in the role that God is calling us to fill: the “best version of ourselves” (to borrow a phrase from […]
This Sunday’s Gospel of the story of Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42) often results in people rallying to support poor Martha who is chided by Jesus for being anxious about many things. Too often, the figures of Martha and Mary are seen as representing the contemplative (Mary) and active (Martha) lives. Folks who are accustomed to handling details concerning hospitality rush to Martha’s aid saying that, if it were not for her and people like […]
We’ve had a good conversation here about sacramental readiness over the last few days thanks to a plea for help from “Monica.” Thank you to all who have so generously shared their wisdom. Our discussion got me thinking about the notion of readiness and the fact that all of our catechesis takes its cue from the process of Initiation which is an apprenticeship into a way of life. Assessment of knowledge of the faith is […]
Recently, my very talented friend Adrián Alberto Herrerra, Associate Director for Spanish Language Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, did a presentation in Spanish for the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT, on Discipleship and Digital Media (Discípulos en la Edad Digital). In his presentation, Adrián offered a substantial list of links to Online resources for Hispanic Catholics. He was very generous to share those with me and, with his blessing, I am sharing them with you. ¡Gracias, Adrián! […]
While at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, I had the pleasure of listening to a keynote delivered by Rev. Anthony Gittins, CSSp on the Urgency of Discipleship and Evangelization. In his talk, Fr. Gittins made some excellent points about evangelization. First, he identified 4 requirements for evangelization: Proclamation Witness (which he says is “proclamation with our mouths shut!” – I love it!) Dialogue (with an emphasis on listening) Liberation He also went on to explain […]
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