lessons from the saints Archives - Page 3 of 3

St. Vincent Ferrer by Giovanni Bellini (circa 1430–1516) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Lent with the Saints, Part 2: Fasting with St. Vincent Ferrer

This is the second of three articles on the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent is a season in which we respond to the Lord’s call to “return to me with all your heart, / with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” (Joel 2:12) As I remind young people of the requirements for Lent, I usually share this passage with them to remind them that this obligation is nothing more than responding to […]

St. Patrick stained glass window - Image by Andreas F. Borchert [CC BY-SA 4.0]

Lent with the Saints, Part 1: Praying with St. Patrick

Bob Burnham

In the first of three articles on the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we learn from St. Patrick how to make Lent a special season of prayer. In the weeks leading up to Lent, I am reminded to tell the young people in my class about Lent. I have to tell them when Ash Wednesday services at my parish are. I am required to inform them of the Lenten regulations. I need to […]

lessons for catechists from St. Nicholas (icon)

Three Lessons for Catechists from St. Nicholas

Darcy Osby

On December 6, we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas. On the night of December 5, children leave their shoes by the door, finding them filled with treats when they wake up the next morning. Catechists too can find “treats” from the life of St. Nicholas to help them in their ministry. Here are three lessons we can learn from the life of this fourth-century saint. 1. Be a gift-giver. St. Nicholas is best known […]

How Saint Joachim and Saint Anne Can Inspire Catechetical Ministers

Denise Gorss

The upcoming memorial of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne has me thinking about how these saints can inspire catechetical ministers. Tradition tells us that Joachim and Anne were the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As the Saints Kit says, “They must have set the example that Mary followed to become the loving, gentle, faith-filled, courageous woman she was—the perfect woman to bear and raise the Son of God.” Now, none of us is perfect or […]

Sagrada Familia del pajarito (Holy Family) by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

Three Lessons Catechists Can Learn from St. Joseph

Darcy Osby

St. Francis of Assisi is often attributed as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” This quote is very fitting for the life of another saint whose actions spoke louder than his words: St. Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus. In fact, St. Joseph does not say one word in the Gospels. Yet he speaks volumes. What can catechists learn from the life of this holy man? 1. Silence We tend to […]

Loving Students as St. John Bosco Did

Darcy Osby

There is one in every class: the challenging student who saps up your last ounce of patience. Several years ago as a student teacher, I pledged to myself to find one thing that I could love about this child in my class and found several: his fascinating knowledge of war history, his intricate creations of forts with building blocks, and how he would get so excited when someone showed interest in his make-believe wars that […]

My Best Teachers Were Saints

Joe Paprocki

I came across a good book for catechists and for teachers of any kind. The book is My Best Teachers Were Saints: What Every Educator Can Learn from the Heroes of the Church. Susan Swetnam does a fine job of showing how the saints can serve as a source of wisdom and empowerment for any teacher. In all, she identifies 52 role models—one for each week of the year—who provide insight into coping with the […]