eCatechist

Joy IV by Julie Quinn

Julie Quinn - Spiritual Abstractions

Julie Quinn Studio

An Easter Alleluia by Julie Quinn from eyekons gallery

Every Generation Needs Pentecost

Every generation needs to experience pentecost for itself. It needs God’s Spirit and it needs it in its own particular way.

Indeed scripture assures us that the Holy Spirit is not a generic force, one-size-fits-all, but a person, a relationship, a Spirit that has “particular manifestations” and gives itself to each of us uniquely so that the understanding and strength that we receive are geared to help us in our own particular struggles. If this is true, if Pentecost is so differentiating, an important question arises: Where in life today do we most need the Holy Spirit to transform us? What are our peculiar spiritual disabilities?

Continue Reading from Another Voice

Guided by the Spirit

 

‘The feast of Pentecost is a celebration of the mysterious movement of God in our lives through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.’ Sr Teresa White came across a useful analogy that can help us to contemplate the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which she reflects on ahead of Pentecost Sunday.

 

Continue Reading from Thinking Faith

Under-told Stories

Our Mission

The Under-Told Stories Project works to expand, sustain and improve coverage of the world outside America in broadcast, print and emerging new media outlets.  Our challenge is to direct American eyes to the daily concerns of far away people who increasingly affect our lives.  We hope to reawaken the generous curiosity of Americans   --our students in particular-- about a world we can no longer ignore.

Religion and Ethics

Prayers for and by Mothers

These prayers are offered in the spirit of our common experience - every one of us has been borne by a mother. Our mothers may be part of our everyday lives or live far away. Perhaps our communications are strained. Maybe our mother is no longer living. We may know of a young mother, living in the chaos of a newborn, who needs our prayers. Or one who lives in the darkness of dementia. These prayers from the heart are offered for mothers everywhere.

From Creighton Online Ministries

52 Quotes from Vatican II Documents (11 of 52)

eCatechist.com asked Ed Hahnenberg to select 52 significant quotes from the Sixteen Documents of Vatican II. It is our intention that these quotes will serve as inspiration and motivation for further reading, study, discussion and prayer. We will post one a week.

 

11. At all times and in every nation, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him (see Acts 10:35). He has, however, willed to make women and men holy and to save them not as individuals without any bond between them, but rather to make them into people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness (Lumen Gentium, no. 9).

 

 

Source: The Documents of Vatican II: The Basic Education edited by Austin Flannery, OP (Liturgical Press)

52 Quotes from the Council Documents.  Compiled by Edward P. Hahnenberg, Ph.D., author of A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. (Franciscan Media) 

 

We encourage you to share these with your catechists and parishioners by including them in your newsletters, parish bulletins and websites.

We ask that you give credit to eCatechist.com and recommend Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II and the Documents edited by Austin Flannery, OP and available from Liturgical Press.

All Documents are available online at various websites including the Vatican website, 

Review by Maria McGuire of Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II

Video of Ed Hahnenberg on Revewing the Vision: The Second Vatican Council and the Next 50 Years

Visit www.faithAlivebooks.com

www.faithAlivebooks.com

- for reviews, recommendations and additional information

Art and Faith from Loyola Press

A religion teacher who prays while singing opera. A lieutenant in Afghanistan who brings spiritual healing to soldiers through artwork. A young dancer who uses movement to interpret Scripture. A Jesuit who studies Mexican drug ballads to find God’s presence. These are a few of the fascinating stories we’ll be bringing you in Loyola Press’s new series, Arts and Faith.

Arts and Faith is a collection of stories from Catholics around the globe who demonstrate the inspiring—and surprising—ways art expresses and deepens their relationship with God.

The special series kicks off on LoyolaPress.com with daily articles, videos, slide shows, podcasts and more from four categories of interpretive art: Music, Dance, Drama and Visual Arts.

Arts and Faith covers a wide scope of the personal and public ways faith is shared. A catechist explains why and how arts and crafts should be used in the classroom. A twenty-something describes his ministry of playing the organ at multiple parishes every weekend. A faith formation leader reflects on how she prays a form of the Examen through photography. Whether you’re a catechist, an artist, or a creative soul, you’re sure to find inspiration and meaning in the stories you’ll hear.

The stories in Arts and Faith capture snapshots of how spirituality is explored, revealed and ultimately, celebrated in our faith communities. We hope these 40+ stories inspire you to tap your own talents to express your faith through sewing, sculpting, design, fashion, cooking, collage, spoken word, photography, poetry, modern dance, and so on.

As our series illustrates, you don’t have to be a Monet to participate in the arts. Jump in, explore the stories, and share the creative ways you’re expressing your faith!

Note: I just received the above press release. I am looking forward to reading the stories in Arts and Faith. I am always looking for ways that I can help readers of eCatechist.com in their spritual formation through art.

I invite you to check out John Paul II's Letter to Artists. 1999.

To all who are passionately dedicated
to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty
so that through their creative work as artists
they may offer these as gifts to the world.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gn 1:31)

52 Quotes from Vatican II Documents (10 of 52)

eCatechist.com asked Ed Hahnenberg to select 52 significant quotes from the Sixteen Documents of Vatican II. It is our intention that these quotes will serve as inspiration and motivation for further reading, study, discussion and prayer. We will post one a week.

 

10. By this revelation, then, the invisible God (see Col 1:15; 1 Tim 1:17), from the fullness of his love, addresses men and women as his friends (see Ex 33:11; Jn 15:14-15), and lives among them (see Bar 3:38), in order to invite and receive them into his own company (Dei Verbum, no. 2).

 

 

Source: The Documents of Vatican II: The Basic Education edited by Austin Flannery, OP (Liturgical Press)

52 Quotes from the Council Documents.  Compiled by Edward P. Hahnenberg, Ph.D., author of A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. (Franciscan Media) 

 

We encourage you to share these with your catechists and parishioners by including them in your newsletters, parish bulletins and websites.

We ask that you give credit to eCatechist.com and recommend Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II and the Documents edited by Austin Flannery, OP and available from Liturgical Press.

All Documents are available online at various websites including the Vatican website, 

Review by Maria McGuire of Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II

Video of Ed Hahnenberg on Revewing the Vision: The Second Vatican Council and the Next 50 Years

Saint Francis - A special gift for readers of eCatechist

To view the contents and to order please visit eyekons.

Eyekons has a limited number of copies of this beautiful out-of-print book.

Please visit the art and work of John August Swanson

Pinterest and eCatechist

A few months ago I joined Pinterest.

One of my Boards is "Catholic Catechists and DRE's"

This is a contributor board for sharing ideas,lesson plans and crafts that would be useful in Catholic Religious Education.

I am both surprised and delighted that individuals have posted over 300 ideas.

This is a wonderful example of the value of social media, sharing ideas, and helping one another.

I invite you to join this community.

eCatechist on Pinterest.

 

Dan Pierson

First Communion

May 4, 1952

 

 

The Little Ones - May 5 , 2013

Permission granted to print, copy and use with your children in a faith formation class. To include in your Sunday bulletin, contact Jim Burrows

Please visit us at www.jimburrowsartist.com

Join us also on Facebook at "little ones cartoon"

Mary's Song (Book of the Month for Children - May, 2013)

Mary’s Song

Written by Lee Bennett Hopkins; illustrated by Stephen Alcorn

Eerdmans Books for Young Children, 2012

Amazon

This book needs to be part of the family heirlooms. It can be enjoyed in May for its honoring of Mary the Mother of God with spring colors throughout; it can be brought back out in December for it is a Christmas story – a boy child is born, and the world is in awe, wonder, and joy - for it is Jesus. It can be savored as a bedtime story for its quieting words and calming pictures.

The award winning poet Lee Bennett Hopkins uses free verse to draw the reader in with Mary’s mysterious musings of what wasn’t. “It wasn’t the angel Gabriel. . . . It wasn’t the trip to Bethlehem. . . It didn’t start the moment he was born.” And of course, the reader is left wondering just what it was. What it was would come and then go; finally giving Mary what she wanted – a quiet time to softly hum her mother-song.

Stephen Alcorn uses mixed media of oil pastels and pencil to render a dreamy world of soft colors and swirling lights suggestive of Van Gogh’s starry night in Crayola. Curved lines, convex in shape and form evoke the protection of gentle arms enfolding the child with unconditional love. A cornucopia, a vase of irises, bread, a playful kitten convey a scene of domestic tranquility for the Annunciation scene; Jesus’ birth, however, brings a spread of noisy animals and shepherds eager to greet the newborn. But what does Mary desire?

One mark of a well – crafted book is found on the endpapers, and this one does not disappoint. Note how the endpaper of the front cover differs from that of the back cover. They each complement the story perfectly with fully depicted scenes of mother and child enjoying quiet times together.

Reviewed by Mary Navarre, OP

Grand Rapids, MI

Language of Mystery: Advice to Catechists by Joe Paprocki

In the Kingdom of God, words are not the primary form of expression. Kingdom dwellers are more at home with a language of mystery. Let’s take a quick look at the elements of this language.

Sign and Symbol

In the Kingdom of God, a type of sign language is spoken. Think about how Moses was drawn to encounter God—not through a wordy invitation but through the sign of a burning bush. Signs and symbols speak directly to the heart through the imagination. They invite rather than command and inspire rather than explain.

Ritual

In the Kingdom of God, rituals abound. They connect us with meaningful events in our past, they ground us in the present, and they lead us confidently into the future. Rituals awaken a deeper level of consciousness within us.

Movement and Gesture

Tai chi is an ancient practice that promotes serenity through controlled movements that connect body, mind, and spirit; what happens to one affects the other. This is true in the Kingdom of God, too; when we use our bodies for prayerful movement and gesture, the mind hears, and the heart responds.

Silence

In the Kingdom of God, the primary form of expression is silence. Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk, tells us that “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In order to hear that language, we must learn to be still and to rest in God” (Invitation to Love).

Song

The Kingdom of God is a place where the music never stops. Few things can touch our hearts and transport our minds better than music and song. “O sing to the Lord a new song,” the psalmist urges us (96:1). Lucky for us, God loves music, and he loves to hear us sing.

Story and Myth

Author John Shea tells us that “story is the most interesting and compelling of language forms” and that “storytelling raises us out of the randomness of the moment and inserts us into a larger framework” (Stories of Faith). That larger framework is the Kingdom of God, and we all have a part to play in it.

If things were simply as they appeared, we would have no need for catechesis. However, life’s ultimate meaning is veiled and mysterious. As such, we catechize others to incorporate these various elements of the language of mystery into their souls’ daily diet.


Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press. His most recent book is Beyond the Catechist's Toolbox: Catechesis That Not Only Informs But Also Transforms (Loyola Press). Joe blogs about his experience as a catechist at www.catechistsjourney.com<http://www.catechistsjourney.com>.

 

Read Joe Paprocki's reflections on

The Sights and Sounds of Pope Francis’ Election – A Primer on Catholic Identity

Related articles

Book Review: Beyond the Catechist Toolbox

Random Moments of Grace: Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood (Book of the Month - May, 2013)

 

Random Moments of Grace:  Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood

Ginny Kubitz Moyer

Loyola Press:  Chicago. 2013

Amazon

Every mother has felt the tug of sacrifice amidst the busyness of raising children and Ms. Moyer is no exception.  Random Moments of Grace by Ginny Kubitz Moyer makes a case that although motherhood poses extreme challenges to traditional spiritual expression, it also presents daily opportunities for spiritual growth and grace.

Kubitz Moyer is a high school English teacher, spiritual writer and a mother of two young sons.  Random Moments of Grace is a reflective work written from her deeply personal experiences as a mother, daughter, friend and child of God.   The book documents moments of motherhood that in some way challenged her previous and comfortable closeness with God.  These moments begin after two painful pregnancy losses and continue in and out of the daily twists and turns of mothering two sons.   

The book is organized into 14 brief chapters in which she addresses many parenting principles that, at first glance, conflict with her pre-motherhood understanding of her spirituality.  Some of the principles covered include physical, spiritual, social and emotional sacrifice, the necessity of community, being “mindful”, acknowledging and respecting the mystery of life (and death), and giving your children a faith “home”.  She fluidly invites the reader in with personal stories to which nearly every parent can relate and then parlays the struggle into what she ultimately perceives as a divinely devised moment of grace. 

Her informal almost blog-like style works well to present the heady theme in a relatable way.  By integrating personal motherhood “adventures,” she artfully addresses the topics of parenthood and faith without estranging herself from her audience.   She, in some ways, creates a map for other parents to view conflicts not as unwelcome compromises of faith but opportunities to foster renewed spirituality.  Ultimately, motherhood becomes a way of experiencing divine love and developing a keen ability to find God everywhere, in moments that might not be so “random” after all.

Nanette Zorn

Nanette is a mother and a catechist at St. Robert of Newminster Parish in Ada, MI.

 

 

 

 

Loving the Lord with All Your Heart - A Spirituality of Parenting Tip by Robert Funaro

 

Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. These words that I am commanding your today must always be on your minds. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. Tie them on your hand as a sign. They should be on your forehead as a symbol. Write them on your house’s doorframes and on your city’s gates.
 Deuteronomy 6: 5-9

 

This to me seems like the easiest of all tips; create an environment for loving the Lord. Frame your family’s life around the abundant love that has been given to you from the Creator. From the time of the Hebrew Scripture to the New Testament to the Second Vatican Council to today, our role as parents is to make God’s love alive in our homes so that our children can be witnesses of that love in their daily lives.

Our children watch us. We are their examples, so we need to be so careful about our language, our gestures, and the way we act and interact with each other. How we express our love, how we express our disagreements, how we acknowledge our imperfections and our mistakes are all being watched by the children even when we think they are not watching.

We have all been called to be holy. Holiness is about being aware that the Lord is with us in all of our actions, our interactions, our contacts, and our relationships. Maybe instead of yelling at the children to “GET UP!” we can say, “We have been blessed with a new day – let’s get started together.”  Perhaps a note in the lunch box can be simply: “Here is a blessing from Mom and Dad – have a great day and celebrate the Creator’s love.”  Maybe as parents we can pray for the less fortunate, disenfranchised, suffering, infirm, the dying and make our children conscious of the bigger community of God’s people. Even the common “‘please” and “thank you” teaches the language of respect for others as does “I’m sorry” and “please forgive me.” These are all simple ways to live the Deuteronomy passage that says “Tie them on your hand as a sign.”

What other things can be done at home to make the living environment a peace-filled, God-Centered, and faith producing environment. Here are some suggestions:

• Say a blessing at meals; ask your child to say what is important to them
• Set up traditions.
• Bless your child with the sign of the cross on their forehead at the end of the day; teach them to bless you
• Bring your child to Mass and educate them on the many signs and symbols in the church
• Get special blessing “presents” for their birthday, baptism day etc.
• Pray for the family who are sick, celebrating a great event, in the process of dying, preparing for sacraments
• Bless plants that the child can put in the garden

There are many ways of making the Creator alive and well in your home. We hand on our faith to our children. We welcome our children into our faith. We help them so that when they are old enough to choose, they will choose God’s love in their homes.

 

For Discussion and Reflection

1.       What traditions did you have growing up? What traditions would you like to start in your home? How do you feel about beginning special traditions in your home?

2.       How do you feel about prayer, blessings etc. in your home? How do you feel about being called to holiness? Do you see this as your vocation? What does it mean to you? What practical ways can you implement some of these ideas into your home?

 Robert Funaro

52 Quotes from Vatican II Documents 9 of 52

eCatechist.com asked Ed Hahnenberg to select 52 significant quotes from the Sixteen Documents of Vatican II. It is our intention that these quotes will serve as inspiration and motivation for further reading, study, discussion and prayer. We will post one a week.

 

9. Hearing the word of God reverently and proclaiming it confidently, this holy synod makes its own the words of St. John: “We proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 Jn 1:2-3) (Dei Verbum, no. 1).

 

 

Source: The Documents of Vatican II: The Basic Education edited by Austin Flannery, OP (Liturgical Press)

52 Quotes from the Council Documents.  Compiled by Edward P. Hahnenberg, Ph.D., author of A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. (Franciscan Media) 

 

We encourage you to share these with your catechists and parishioners by including them in your newsletters, parish bulletins and websites.

We ask that you give credit to eCatechist.com and recommend Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II and the Documents edited by Austin Flannery, OP and available from Liturgical Press.

All Documents are available online at various websites including the Vatican website, 

Review by Maria McGuire of Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II

Video of Ed Hahnenberg on Revewing the Vision: The Second Vatican Council and the Next 50 Years

The Little Ones - April 14, 2013

Permission granted to print, copy and use with your children in a faith formation class.

To include in your Sunday bulletin, contact Jim Burrows Please visit us at www.jimburrowsartist.com

Join us also on Facebook at "little ones cartoon"

Robert Funaro, Ed.D.

Dr. Bob Funaro is a psychotherapist who practices in Ada, Michigan. He holds degrees and certifications in psychology, theology, and education. He is a marriage and family therapist, assists with training adults who are entering the church, and works with couples preparing for marriage. He also assists with persons who have experienced a personal or professional loss. His professional and personal belief is summarized in the theme the Journey Emerges. Bob has been an Associate of the Congregation of St. Joseph for over 30 years. Dr. Bob is married (33 years), has four children, and three grandchildren.

Easter: Resurrection as a Spiritual Practice

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

From: Spirituality and Practice

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, an event many consider to be the centerpiece of their faith. But Easter is more than just a day. What happens when we think of it as a verb? Then the resurrection becomes a spiritual practice in daily life.

Megan McKenna, the prolific and profound Catholic writer, saw it this way when she was leading a Bible study. She shares the following vignette in her book Not Counting Women and Children: Neglected Stories from the Bible.

"Once in a parish mission when I was studying this scripture (Luke 7: 11-17) with a large group, someone called out harshly, 'Have you ever brought someone back from the dead?' I had been saying that life happens when we are interrupted, and that some of the most powerful acts of resurrection happen to the least likely people; that we are the people of resurrection and hope, called to live passionately and compassionately with others, to defy death, to forgive, and to bring others back into the community, to do something that is life-giving, that fights death and needless suffering. And then this challenge from the back of the church.

"My response was 'Yes.' I went on to say, 'Every time I bring hope into a situation, every time I bring joy that shatters despair, every time I forgive others and give them back dignity and the possibility of a future with me and others in the community, every time I listen to others and affirm them and their life, every time I speak the truth in public, every time I confront injustice — yes — I bring people back from the dead.' "

Let's identify some ways we can practice resurrection in our daily lives.

Continue reading.

52 Quotes from Vatican II Documents 8 of 52

eCatechist.com asked Ed Hahnenberg to select 52 significant quotes from the Sixteen Documents of Vatican II. It is our intention that these quotes will serve as inspiration and motivation for further reading, study, discussion and prayer. We will post one a week.

 

8. The church, therefore, spares no effort in trying to ensure that, when present at this mystery of faith, Christian believers should not be there as strangers or silent spectators. On the contrary, having a good grasp of it through the rites and prayers, they should take part in the sacred action, actively, fully aware, and devoutly (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 48).

 

 

Source: The Documents of Vatican II: The Basic Education edited by Austin Flannery, OP (Liturgical Press)

52 Quotes from the Council Documents.  Compiled by Edward P. Hahnenberg, Ph.D., author of A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. (Franciscan Media) 

 

We encourage you to share these with your catechists and parishioners by including them in your newsletters, parish bulletins and websites.

We ask that you give credit to eCatechist.com and recommend Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II and the Documents edited by Austin Flannery, OP and available from Liturgical Press.

All Documents are available online at various websites including the Vatican website, 

Review by Maria McGuire of Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II

Video of Ed Hahnenberg on Revewing the Vision: The Second Vatican Council and the Next 50 Years