For Catholics, the entire month of November (leading up to the First Sunday of Advent) is commemorated as the Month of All Souls—an opportunity to remember, honor, and pray for all of our deceased loved ones. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the practice of setting up a home altar of remembrance with pictures of deceased loved ones and candles to help us recall these special people and to pray for them throughout the […]
When an orchestra prepares to perform together, they spend a few minutes before the performance ensuring that they are all in tune with one another. Without this effort, the audience would no doubt hear the disharmony and cringe at the discordant sound. In our human relationships, we are called to live in harmony with one another. In the area of race relations, however, we continue to experience far too much disharmony. On November 3, we […]
“My child, a saint?” That might very well be your first reaction to the title of this post! The reason we might pause when thinking of our children as potential saints is because we have the erroneous impression of the saints as perfect people, when the saints themselves would be the first to tell you how imperfect they were. First, don’t forget that we have two kinds of saints: those who have been canonized or honored […]
Throughout the history of the Church, there have been many notable men and women who have mastered the art of contemplation or resting in the presence of God. Today, another word used for contemplation is mindfulness, which, according to author Anne Kertz Kernion, can be described as “being fully anchored in the present moment.” (Spiritual Practices for the Brain) In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the notion of mindfulness as we prepare to […]
Generally, when we visit an art gallery or museum, we take our time, strolling from one piece to another and pausing in front of each one to take it in. We set our gaze upon each work of art and allow it to wash over us. This is a good metaphor for how we pray the Mysteries of the Rosary: each mystery is like a work of art that we stand before and set our […]
Autumn is one of my favorite times! It is a season that just begs for outdoor activity—to get out into the crisp autumn air and to see the leaves changing spectacular colors. It is a season that reminds us of the beauty of God’s creation, as well as our responsibility to care for that creation. The new Directory for Catechesis reminds us that “Catechesis is to take care in the first place to help believers […]
When giving directions to young people for completing a task, catechists and teachers have grown accustomed to hearing at least one participant respond with, “Wait, what?” Experienced educators know that, when giving directions to young people, we have to repeat several times and check for comprehension. We can’t assume that the first time we say something, it has been heard and received! The same holds true with the Word of God. Often, upon first hearing, […]
There are leaders, and there are followers. It’s important to know that being a follower is not a bad thing—that is, as long as you are following the right person or thing! Disciples are basically followers. To be a disciple is to adhere to the teachings of someone. In the Gospels, anyone who adheres to the teachings of Jesus is referred to as a disciple. Today, the Church is calling each of us to discipleship—to […]
In many of our homes, we can find a display of trophies and medals representing our accomplishments or those of our children. A trophy is a symbol of victory, of triumph over all opponents. As Catholics, we traditionally display a “trophy” of the ultimate victory: the Cross of Jesus Christ, which celebrates his victory over sin and Death. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we prepare for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross […]
Among the many traditions that are part of a birthday celebration is that of the celebrant making a wish and blowing out the candles. This tradition most likely has its roots in ancient Greece, when people would offer cakes and candles as an offering to the gods. It was believed that the smoke rising from the blown-out candles carried the offering to the gods. On September 8, we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin […]
Copyright © 2006-2020 Loyola Press. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Loyola Press is expressly prohibited.