Yesterday was my first day back at work after the Christmas break and it turns out that Santa was still in the giving mood! I was surprised to receive a copy of my new book, Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ. I believe this book will be a wonderful tool for the New Evangelization! In it, I capture the essence of what happens to a person when he or she […]
During the holidays, we enjoy family, good friends, good food, and yes, a few good drinks! Responsibly enjoying a drink or two loosens up our inhibitions. Isn’t it interesting, then, to note that the very first impression that non-Christians had of Christians was NOT that they were sourpusses or judgmental curmudgeons but that they were drunk (Acts 2:13)? I doubt that the crowds saw the Apostles fumbling, slurring words, acting obnoxiously, moving haltingly, staring with […]
In his book, Growing An Engaged Church (Gallup Press), Albert L. Winseman explains that, without true engagement, volunteers burn out quickly. He identifies 3 ways to make an immediate impact on the level of engagement of church members: clarify the expectations of membership help your members discover what they do best create small groups I think these can (and should) be easily applied to catechists, who, without engagement, do indeed burnout quickly. Those catechists who […]
This is strictly an opinion piece and therefore open to debate which I invite, but as always, be charitable in your comments to me, to one another, and to Nik Wallenda! So last night, daredevil Nik Wallenda made his historic walk across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope with no tether and no safety net, gluing countless numbers of viewers like myself to the live broadcast. In addition to the drama of the stunt itself, […]
We don’t use the word meek too often nowadays. For me, the only time I heard this word when I was growing up other than in the Beatitudes (“Blessed are the meek”) was in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy introduces herself to Oz, the great and powerful, as Dorothy, the small and meek. So, naturally, I grew up thinking that to be meek was to be the opposite of powerful: weak and powerless. If […]
There seems to be no shortage of movies about the lives of human beings AFTER the earth is destroyed (Wall-E, Oblivion, After Earth, just to name a few). We seem to be resigned to the notion that our penchant for disposability will result in the eventual destruction of this planet. Unfortunately, too much of Christianity does little to combat this notion since the false notion persists that our ultimate destiny is to escape this planet […]
For years, my wife and I bless our Easter foods at home: bread which reminds us of the Bread of Life, meats which remind us that Jesus became flesh, dairy foods that remind us of the richness of the Kingdom, herbs and spices that remind us of the flavors of life including bitterness, and wine to symbolize the Holy Spirit! A blessed Easter to all!
We have a new chief catechist! Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope, brings with him to the papacy an approach to catechesis as a “splendid mission” that is a “pillar of the Church.” These are words that the former Cardinal Bergoglio used to celebrate a Day of the Catechist in Buenos Aries in 2010. What else did he say about catechesis and catechists? Here’s a sample: He expressed gratitude for the “silent and committed dedication” of […]
As we approach the papal conclave, it is interesting to notice the coverage taking place. The media focuses on the political maneuvering taking place while Church spokespeople talk about prayer, discernment, and the movement of the Holy Spirit. Which is it? Both. We would be naive to think that there is no political maneuvering taking place among the cardinals at the conclave. At the same time, we would be just as naive to think that […]
Here’s my lesson plan for Monday evening (Dec. 17) Session 12: Solomon’s Temple BIG IDEA: God’s presence is found, not in a building, but in the People of God and in the Eucharist. Preliminaries (20 mins) Advent Procession – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Tribute to those who died in the CT massacre – ring chime 26 times…one for each victim Video: We Can Build a Beautiful City Engage (10 mins) Play “Where’s Waldo?” game. Explain […]
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