Pop-Up Catechesis Archives - Page 7 of 17

Pop-Up Catechesis: Wearing Ashes

Ash Wednesday is right around the corner, and it is one of the most public expressions of Catholicism that takes place throughout the year. Catholics are easily spotted on Ash Wednesday, and it’s always interesting to watch TV and spot newscasters, reporters, politicians, and celebrities sporting ashes on their foreheads. This public display of faith can put us on the spot, however, as others may ask us to explain ourselves. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Tenth Commandment and Avoiding Comparisons

Joe Paprocki

From the time we are toddlers right up to the present day, it is common for us to compare ourselves to others. I know that this past Christmas, my wife and I were happy to have our grandchildren open their Christmas presents on separate days so that they wouldn’t compare their gifts to their cousins’. We may think that this is only a problem that children have; however, there is a reason we have the […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Ninth Commandment and Misplaced Desires

Joe Paprocki

Something does not need to be lost in order to be classified as “misplaced.” We typically think of those two words as synonymous; however, there is a difference. If something is lost, it means that we are having trouble locating it. If something is misplaced, it simply means it is in the wrong place such as a, misplaced comma in a sentence (such as the one I inserted in this sentence). It is with this […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Teaching the Art of Discernment

Joe Paprocki

Among the many things that parents teach their children is how to make decisions. Today, more than ever, young people have many options available to them when making decisions. While having options is a good thing, it also creates more stress and anxiety for young people: How do I choose what’s best for me? How do I know which choice is the right one? Recognizing that making important decisions is a crucial skill in life, […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Eighth Commandment and Honoring Truth

Joe Paprocki

One of the most profound statements that Jesus Christ made about himself is the following: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) In this statement, Jesus is not just describing himself as a truthful person. He is identifying himself as truth itself. This should make us think twice about how we do or don’t honor truth in our everyday lives and interactions with others. While humankind has always struggled with telling […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Seventh Commandment and Sharing God’s Abundance

Joe Paprocki

The Seventh Commandment teaches us that we need to share the abundance of God’s creation. We are called to respect what belongs to others and to be satisfied with what we have for ourselves, knowing that most of us have more than we will ever really need in this life. The Seventh Commandment, “You shall not steal,” reminds us to thank God for what we have, to share what we have with others, and to respect what belongs to others. […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Sixth Commandment and Relationships

Joe Paprocki

Take a moment to complete the following simple word analogies. Hot is to cold as up is to ___________. North is to south as east is to ___________. Good is to bad as small is to ___________. Those were easy! (The answers, of course, are down, west, and large.) Analogies are all about relationships between words. The Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” teaches us about relationships, not between words, but between people. Just […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Fifth Commandment and Nurturing Life

Joe Paprocki

We humans tend to be minimalists. And so, when we are given a rule or a law to follow, we tend to look for a minimalist approach to interpret it in such a way that it doesn’t require much of us. A good example is the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill.” If this commandment is simply about refraining from committing murder, few of us have any reason to worry; we will most likely not […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Fourth Commandment and Listening

Joe Paprocki

It seems like podcasts are all the rage these days. There is no shortage of voices we can listen to concerning any subject. Whereas, in conversation, we often ask people what they are reading, today it is also common to ask people who they are listening to. Interestingly enough, this was a question that God had for Adam and Eve when he found them hiding in the bushes after eating the “forbidden fruit.” God asks, […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Third Commandment and the Importance of Being

Joe Paprocki

It’s funny how so many people think of the Ten Commandments solely as prohibitions—rules that say no to everything. While the majority of the Commandments are indeed phrased in the “Thou shall not…” form—prohibiting actions from which we should refrain—the Third Commandment is unique in that it doesn’t tell us to avoid a specific behavior nor does it tell us to perform a specific action. In fact, the Third Commandment, “Remember to keep holy the […]