eCatechist

The Resurrection by Michael O'Neill McGrath

From the Mysteries of the Rosary by Michael O'Neill McGrath. World Library Publications

Benedict XVI Gives Advice to Those Struggling to Pray

Taking up the theme of prayer in the letters of St. Paul, Benedict XVI reflected on the essential role of the Holy Spirit for those who wish to communicate with God. The Pope spoke of prayer not primarily as a fruit of human effort, but as a gift, "the fruit of the living, vivifying presence of the Father of Jesus Christ in us."

Speaking extemporaneously, the Holy Father reflected on the human desire for prayer: "We want to pray, but God is far off, we do not have the words, the language, to speak with God, nor even the thought to do so. We can only open ourselves, place our time at God’s disposition, wait for Him to help us to enter into true dialogue. The Apostle says: this very lack of words, this absence of words, yet this desire to enter into contact with God, is prayer that the Holy Spirit not only understands, but brings and interprets before God. This very weakness of ours becomes -- through the Holy Spirit -- true prayer, true contact with God. The Holy Spirit is, as it were, the interpreter who makes us, and God, understand what it is we wish to say."

The Pontiff suggested that prayer brings us to understand more than in other aspects of life that we are weak, poor creatures. "And the more we advance in listening and in dialogue with God, so that prayer becomes the daily breath of our souls, the more we also perceive the measure of our limitations, not only in the face of the concrete situations of everyday life, but also in our relationship with the Lord," he said.

But again, "it is the Holy Spirit who helps our inability, who enlightens our minds and warms our hearts, guiding us as we turn to God. For St. Paul, prayer is above all the work of the Holy Spirit in our humanity, to take our weakness and to transform us from men bound to material realities into spiritual men."

Benedict XVI drew from Paul's teaching three consequences for our Christian lives "when we allow the Spirit of Christ, and not the spirit of the world, to work in us as the interior principle of all our actions."

• First, he said, prayer animated by the Spirit "enables us to abandon and to overcome every form of fear and slavery, and so to experience the true freedom of the children of God."

• "A second consequence that comes about in our lives when we allow the Spirit of Christ to work in us is that our relationship with God becomes so deep that it cannot be affected by any circumstance or situation," the Holy Father continued. "We then come to understand that, through prayer, we are not delivered from trials or sufferings, but we are able to live them in union with Christ, with His sufferings, with a view to participating also in His glory."

• Finally, the Pontiff reflected, "the prayer of the believer opens out to the dimensions of humanity and of the whole creation. [...] This means that prayer, sustained by the Spirit of Christ who speaks in our interior depths, never remains closed in upon itself, it is never only prayer for me; rather, it opens out to a sharing in the suffering of our time, of others. It becomes intercession for others, and thus freedom for me; a channel of hope for all creation and the expression of that love of God, which has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit who has been given to us.

And this is a sign of true prayer, that it does not end in ourselves, but opens out to others and so liberates me, and so helps in the redemption of the world." The full text of his comments can be found at www.zenit.org/article-34792?l=english.

 

From Catechetical Weekly, a publication of the National Conferecne for Catechetical Leadership. May 21, 2012. www.nccl.org

The Little Ones - May 20, 2012

The Little Ones - May 13, 2012

The Resurrection of the Mind by Debra Rienstra (Easter Season Reflection)

 

Debra Rienstra

During the worship service last Sunday at my church, we were saying the Apostle’s Creed together, and naturally in this Easter season I noticed especially the words focusing on the Easter event. “On the third day he rose again from the dead,” we proclaimed. And in the section on the Holy Spirit, we professed our faith in “the resurrection of the body.” Familiar, precious words. Suddenly it occurred to me, though: do we believe in the resurrection of the mind?

I had spent the week before helping my 85-year-old parents through the latest crisis. Dad had been in the hospital for bronchitis and then went to a nursing home temporarily for rehab. He’s still there now. The plan is to get him stronger through physical therapy and then get him home again, with daily visits from nurses and home health aids. We’re all hopeful that this will happen soon. The present crisis will resolve. But I have watched him for several years getting physically weaker and mentally more forgetful, more confused, more distant. The truth is, we may see occasional upturns, but the overall trend is downward. Diminishment is the unavoidable, relentless, cruel truth of old age.

40 Tips: Getting Started in Adult Faith Formation by Janet Schaeffler, OP

Janet Schaeffler, OP, a leading adult faith formation minister, has gathered together in one volume some essential insights and practices that will help parishes begin and/or deepen the magnitude of adult faith formation ministry. Practical, simple and easy to use. Reflection/discussion questions personalize each tip: how can we, how will we accomplish this? Read more about Janet Schaeffler, OP.

Order today and begin planning for the 2012 - 2013 catechetical year.  An additional 40 tips will be available in the summer of 2012.

Janet is available for consultation, presentations, workshops, conferences. Please visit her website, www.janetschaeffler.com and contact her at jansch@juno.com to subscribe to her monthly adult faith formation newsletter, GEMS.

 

Order from faithAlivebooks.com

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Sample:

Download Table of Contents and first three tips.

  

Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP

After ministering for many years in parish and archdiocesan ministry in catechetics/faith formation, Janet Schaeffler, OP, an Adrian Dominican Sister, is currently ministering in freelance work as a catechetical/adult faith formation consultant and presenter.  

A facilitator of days of reflection/retreats, workshops/presentations, writing, teaching, consultation, and facilitator of online courses for VLCFF at the University of Dayton and C21 Online at Boston College, Janet now continues the ministry she was involved in in parishes, in archdiocesan ministry and as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Janet has been an elected officer of the Executive Committee of NCCL, the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, and continues to be active, especially as a member of the NCCL Adult Faith Formation Committee. 

The author of hundreds of articles and several publications in catechetical and parish ministry, her articles can be found in Today's Parish, Catechist, Religion Teacher’s Journal, The Priest, Ministry and Liturgy, as well as several other parish ministerial and catechetical publications. 

Her most recent publications are:
The Apostles Creed: Praying and Living our Faith (faithAliveBooks, October 2011)

Advent 2011 - An Amazing Journey: Everyday Reflections, Practices and Prayers (Twenty-Third Publications, November 2011)

Prayer from A to Z for Catechists and Those They Teach (Twenty-Third Publications, 2011)

Creative Connections for Catechists from A to Z:  Catholic Social Teaching  (Twenty-Third Publications, 2009)

A Prayerbook for Eucharistic Ministers (Twenty-Third Publications, 2010)

GEMS (Great Endeavors Mined and Shared): a monthly newsletter from an international best practices study on adult faith formation

Nuts and Bolts:  Ideas and Practices for Adult Faith Formation  (PastoralPlanning.com, 2010)

Janet was one of the 4-member team who wrote the Leader's Guide to accompany the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Plan Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us.

She currently is the author of monthly Gospel ideas and articles for Take Out:  Family Faith on the Go (OSV/Sadlier) and has been a monthly master catechist columnist in Catechist magazine since 1996. 

In 2010 Janet received the NCCL Distinguished Service Award in Catechetics.

Janet can be reached at:  www.janetschaeffler.com or jansch@juno.com.

The Little Ones - April 22, 2012

Administration As Ministry by Dan Pierson

After a three-hour interview with the pastor, I became the first full-time director of religious education at St. John Vianney Parish in Wyoming, MI. I served there for nine years with the title of “director of religious education.” The other title that was used in some parishes in the United States was “coordinator of religious education.”

At that time, the position director or coordinator usually encompassed responsibility for the planning, organizing, supervising and implementing a program of total religious education for children, youth and adults.

Following the Second Vatican Council, the late 1960’s and 1970’s were an exciting time for adult education, especially around themes of sacramental preparation, the liturgy, Church, etc.  Adult faith formation was a very significant area of responsibility for the parish director of religious education.

Over the past 40 years, a variety of other titles have emerged and are being used in the 17,500 parishes in the United States. These include catechetical leader, director of faith formation/Catholic formation, pastoral minister, youth minister etc.

No matter which title is used, there is one essential component that is common to all and encompasses all other responsibilities. That is “administration.”

The word administration comes from two Latin words “ad” meaning “to” and “ministrare,” meaning “to manage.” As parish directors of religious education, we are primarily responsible for the ministry of administration - to manage: plan and evaluate, organize, select curriculum, recruit and supervise volunteers for a faith formation program with many components that will meet the needs of the religious education of the adults, families, youth and children of the parish. As administrators, we are responsible for calling others to ministry.

Blogs, Facebook, Websites, etc. (April 2012)

USCCB - The Bible - http://www.usccb.org/bible/

We Believe and Share - http://info.sadlier.com/religion-blog

Richard Rohr - Unpacking Paradoxes - http://richardrohr.wordpress.com/author/richardrohr/

The Catholic e-News Daily - http://paper.li/srsusan/enewslist?utm_source=subscription&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=paper_sub

The Story and You: Sacred Conversations - http://www.thestoryandyou.com/

Day-to-Day Dante by Dennis Patrick Slattery (April 2012)

Review

First, let me begin by saying that I am a lifelong student of Virgil and Dante. Having studied and taught both of them over the last forty years, I continually find them in one way or other my touchstones. Reading the original has always brought me great joy and pleasure.

Professor Slattery has now given us Dante in bits and pieces, daily reflections that can turn into meditations, and, as he says in his introduction, can even make us go out and buy the Divine Commedia. Day-to-Day Dante: Exploring Personal Myth through the Divine Comedy will only reinforce the fact that each of us is on a journey. Dante makes us look inward and see all of our flaws. We struggle through the Inferno, the myriad of sins for which we will be judged. Then we climb into Purgatorio for cleansing from the dank, fiery underworld, and we proceed to Paradiso, our ultimate goal on this journey through life and death. There we encounter our Beatrice, our Blessedness.

The book is divided into thirds, 121 lines for each cantica, plus two selections more from Il Paradiso, which then fills the calendar year. Each day has a selection from a canto of anywhere from four to ten lines. Professor Slattery reflects on that selection of the day. He expands on the lines chosen and uses Mandelbaum's commentary support and Dante’s historical perspective. In his reflections, Slattery often gives the historical background of the text selected, i.e., who is speaking, what the conflict might be, who the characters are in the particular canto.

At the bottom of each day, there is a brief thought, a meditation, often in question form, asking how the selection applies to one’s daily life. There is much for fruitful thoughts and meanderings.

This is such a good way to introduce the novice to Dante Alighieri and his masterpiece.  Each of us needs a mythological or sacred text to make some sense out of our existence. This will indeed whet the palate and definitely make one go out and purchase one of the greatest pieces of literature in the Western Canon, a touchstone for everyone’s journey through life.

Dennis Patrick Slattery, Ph.D. is currently a Core Faculty member in the Mythological Studies Program at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, California. He has taught for forty-three years at the elementary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels.

Day-to-Day Dane is available through Amazon in print and Kindle editions. A reading sample is available online.

Amazon

Slattery is the author of over 200 articles and  sixteen books including Grace In the Desert: Awakening to the Gifts of the Monastic Life, in which he reflects of this three-month pilgrimage visiting twelve monasteries and retreat centers. During this time he struggles with his identity, his role as a father and husband, teacher and believer, as well as the life and death of his father.

Dennis Patrick Slattery's website

Reviewed by Gregory C. Carnevale. Greg resides in Grand Rapids Michigan where he has taught English and Latin at the high school and college levels. When not reading the classics, he is golfing and traveling to Rome, Greece, Ireland and throughout the United States.

 

Go Out to the Well by Maria McGuire (Advice to Catechists)

 

What serves as my own model for catechesis is the encounter of Jesus with the woman at the well of Samaria (John 4:1-42). I see their developing conversation as a guide for how to invite others into a deeper awareness and relationship with God.  

Take time to be alone

In the Gospel, Jesus has come to the well in Samaria alone. When he arrives, he finds the woman of Samaria unaccompanied. It is precisely during this solitary time together that a dialogue begins. This is good advice for us catechists as well. Take sabbath moments to find yourself available to God.

Meet people on their own terms

Jesus understood and relayed back to the woman her sordid story but did not judge her. He accepted her situation and used it as the basis to build her up and challenge her growth. As catechists, we too ought to encourage others to find the sacred in the midst of the imperfections in their lives.

Be who you are called to be

Jesus was not afraid to be clear about who he was - he states he is the Messiah. It is good for us to remember who we are - children of God. We are endowed with unique abilities to help build up the Kingdom. Have courage to use them!

Make the Word your own

Jesus’ dialogue with the woman so energized her that she ran to tell others about it. She found her own voice and began to live what she heard. As catechists, our own life experiences are often the most compelling for others to hear. Share your stories!

Let it go

After the encounter with Jesus, the woman left her water jar behind. So often in ministry, plans do not go as we anticipate. We need to be attentive to changes that happen in unexpected ways. With this in mind, be flexible and remember you are not in control!

 

For Reflection

On your journey of catechist, go out to the well. In your alone time, think about what you will discuss with Jesus. What advice does he give you about leading others closer to Him?

DRE Connect

In 2011 Loyola Press launched a new online community for faith formation leaders – DREConnect -http://dreconnect.loyolapress.com/

Besides expert resources for DREs and faith formation leaders, DRE Connect allows these parish faith leaders to connect and share with each other.  They can mentor their peers and gain knowledge through the experiences of the whole community. They can post articles and maintain a blog.

New content is added to DRE Connect weekly.  There are articles such as “Recruiting and Preparing New Catechists” and “10 Guidelines for Effective Adult Faith Formation”.  DRE Connect features the work of many of Loyola Press’ best authors such as Tom McGrath. 

DRE Connect provides opportunities for joining groups on various topics and connects to a corresponding Facebook page.

Kathy Henry, director of religious education at St. Leonard Faith Community, in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, has been a member of DRE Connect since April, 2011. In that time she has found it “a wonderful way for DREs to stay connected, share insights and grow spiritually.”

National Society for Volunteer Catechists

In the summer of 2011 Catechist Magazine launched the National Society for Volunteer Catechists. The creation of this society has been Peter Li’s vision for many years. Peter Li is Chairman and CEO of the Peter Li Education Group, which includes Pflaum Publishing and the Catechist Magazine.

This new society, a service of Catechist Magazine, is a community providing support for volunteer catechists and all those who share and support their mission.

Charter membership brings with it the wealth of timeless articles, valuable tips, and spiritual insights. Here is just a sampling:

• Access to a portfolio of personal and classroom resources

• Network with other catechists for personal support, encouragement, and inspiration.

• Grade-level groups for lesson preparation ideas

• Links to catechist-members in your own parish and diocese.

Membership is free for subscribers to Catechist Magazine. For additional information and to register go to www.mynsvc.net.

People to Remember by Janaan Manternach and Carl J. Pfeiffer

People to Remember: 30 Stories and Activities about Saints and Heroes by Janaan Manternach and Carl J. Pfeifer.  Visual Dynamics Publishing.

Thomas Merton

St. Therese of Lisieux

Each of the chapters has a story about a person you will want to remember, an activity, a prayer and questions to ponder. Skillfully written by Janaan Manternach and the late Carl Pfeifer and revised by Joyce A. Crider. This book is intended to be enjoyed by middle school youngsters and to be used by all catechists and parents as a tool for teaching how selected saints and heroes have put their faith into action. Permission to copy activity pages is given.  Visit  www.vdpublishing.net  for more information, samples pages and to order copies.

 

Review

People to Remember is an oldie but goodie.  This reproducible book contains 30 articles about saints like Ignatius Loyola, Margaret of Scotland and John Bosco and contemporary heroes  like Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Pope John XXIII, and Father Flannagan of Boys Town. 

Each entry is made up of a one-page article and an activity page that contains a puzzle, discussions questions, and a prayer.  It’s easy to read/ easy to reproduce format enables the information to be used in a variety of ways:  independent work, small group discussions, or whole class work.  A handy book for middle school catechists and Catholic school teachers.

Reviewed by Marcia Foote, former parish director of religious education and Catholic school teacher.

The Little Ones - April 15, 2012

Easter Mass at the Vatican by Anne Lafreniere

Sunday, I attended Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. It was a very powerful experience to see so many people from so many different cultures all gathered together to celebrate Easter.

It didn’t matter that most of the service was not in English or that I could barely even see the Pope from where I was sitting. It was worth it just to be able to look around and see the masses of different people all gathered together celebrating Christ rising from the dead.

Before the Mass began, dark clouds were converging and it looked as if rain might threaten the service. But then, just as the music started to play and the Pope walked out, the clouds started to roll out and the sun broke through. It turned into a really gorgeous morning in Rome on Sunday and the weather made the Mass that much more enjoyable.

I also spent this weekend writing a research paper for my Late Antiquity class about Constantine and the origin of the Christian church in the Roman Empire. It was interesting to learn all about the beginnings of Christianity with Constantine and to see how still, 1700 years later, thousands of people are gathering in the center of Rome to celebrate Easter.

Anne Lefreniere attends Loyola University Chicago, majoring in English. This semester she has studied at The John Felice Rome Center. This summer Anne will be participating in an internship for eCatechist.com.

The Ministry of Catechesis by Richard R. Gaillardetz, Ph.D.

The ministry of catechesis is one of the most vital ministries in the Church today. It is also one of the most demanding.

If the catechists are to pass on faithfully the unfathomable riches of Christ, they will need to be immersed in their Christian heritage, alive to the ways in which Scripture, the lit­urgy, the doctrinal and creedal statements of the Church.

They will need to cultivate a spirituality of attentiveness as they identify in their own lives and in the lives of those to whom they minister the subtle stirrings of God's grace and our stub­born and often sinful resistance to those stirrings in the midst of daily life.

Finally, they will have to become adept students of the world in which we live, capable of assessing the greater cultural movements of our time in the light of the bracing message of Jesus Christ and the in-breaking of God's reign.

From Making Connections: A Spirituality for Catechists by Richard R. Gaillardetz, Ph.D. Liguori Publications.

 Amazon

 

National Directory for Catechesis - Meditations (4) by David M. Thomas

From Sent Not Alone: Weekly Meditations on the National Directory for Catechesis by David Thomas. Published by the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership Copyright 2006.

Author Profile

The Little Ones - April 8, 2012

For permission to print, copy and use with your children in a faith formation class or Sunday bulletin, contact Jim Burrows at www.jimburrowsartist.com

Finding Your Sacred Center by Henri Houwen

Finding Your Sacred Center: A Journey to Inner Peace by Henri Houwen. Twenty-Third Purblications.

Amazon