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 […]
If you’ve ever been out of the country on one of our major patriotic holidays, you might have felt a little homesick. This happened to me and a group of teenagers and their families several years ago when we were in Assisi on the Fourth of July. I’ve been leading pilgrimages to Italy for about 20 years now, and people tell me I’m a good planner. Before we left the United States, I had purchased […]
This is the seventh article in a series exploring the Beatitudes as they relate to being a catechist. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Happy are the catechists who live as God intends, for they can’t help but love the young people in their classrooms. I spent some time cleaning out my catechist’s bag earlier this week, and I came across some prayers written by the young […]
In just a few days (October 4), we will celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology. This wonderful feast day provides us with a great opportunity to teach young people about the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Care for God’s Creation and the encyclical Laudato Si’, written by our Holy Father, who took the name of Francis upon becoming Pope. You can find some great resources to […]
One last thing to share about Monday evening’s class. I was sharing some ideas with the young people about how they can share their faith in practical ways. (I posted about this earlier). One of the suggestions I offered was to wear a sacramental such as a medal, a cross, a pin, or a scapular. As I was saying this, I glanced over at my aide, Ben, who is a high school sophomore. He started […]
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