MED-I-TATE, MED-I-TATE . . . Reflective Prayer in the Classroom

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I never thought I’d see a religious education class end with half a dozen 10-year-old boys pounding fists on their table, feet stomping rhythmically, chanting their demand for . . . meditative prayer. You can blame Loyola Press.

The backstory: In 2007 our parish and several others in the area adopted the Finding God textbook series.  Loyola Press sent down presenters for our deanery’s catechist formation day that year, and for several years after.  One of the highlights of the morning keynote presentation was always time spent in meditative prayer.

The prayer leader walked us through the process of settling down and connecting with God, proposed some prayer conversation-starters, then gave us time to silently speak with Jesus and to listen to Him. Loyola Press’s 3-Minute-Retreat Page teaches you how it works.  Go give one a try — we learn to pray by praying!

What is meditative prayer? You might be getting nervous now — this isn’t one of those woozy new-age things, is it?  Absolutely not.  What we’re talking about here is quiet time spent in personal reflection, connecting with God one-on-one.  The Rosary is a classic example of a guided reflection: We can take each mystery, put ourselves into the scene, and just look and see what God has to show us there.  Lectio Divina is meditative prayer focused on the words of scripture.

In our fifth grade class, we’ve done meditations built around the words of the Apostle’s Creed, the Way of the Cross, the words of a prayer on CD (I use Hide Me In Your Wounds by John C. Hathaway), or time spent listening to a prayerful hymn.  Our text book includes a prayer service at the end of each chapter, and sometimes I’ve used that, either verbatim or as a jumping-off point.

How does it work in the classroom?  We start the class with short opening prayers, and then teach a regular lesson.  At the end of class, we clean-up.  Then the kids each pick a spot to sit down, relax, and pray.  We light candles and turn off the overhead lights.  And then we pray.

We had to work through a few glitches.  At the start of the year, we had to be both solemn and reassuring — many students had never prayed this way, and were worried, skeptical, or inclined to make fun of the whole thing. I’ve had background-music CD’s that inspired more giggles than prayers.   I discovered there’s a real knack for reading the body-language of the class, and closing the prayer before anyone gets restless and ends the session of their own initiative.

I’ve used meditative prayer with all ages, but not with all students.  We’ve incorporated reflective prayer into our vacation Bible school programs, where classes are mixed-ages from kindergarten to teens.  Even the littlest children can enjoy and appreciate time to close the eyes, turn on the imagination, and spend time with Jesus.

But I’ve also had groups of students that didn’t seem ready for settled-down, silent prayer.  A physically-active meditation, such as saying a decade of the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy worked well for those students.

How about you?  What kind of prayer do you use in the classroom?  Is there something you’d like to try in the coming year?  What resources have you found helpful?  I’d love to hear from you.

Read all posts by Filed Under: Catechist Training, Elementary School, High School, Middle School, Prayer, Resources, Scripture 8 Comments

Apology in Poetry

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Every now and then, I feel inspired to jot down some poetry. I have heard it said that you should not publish poetry. It is so personal and people won’t read it.

I can understand that. But, what if the poetry has a purpose? What if we could share the faith through poetry? Would that make it worth while? I say yes. But then again, I tend to push the envelope when it comes to spreading the faith. And in this time of attacks from all directions on the faith, we should be bold.

Here is how it works. Atheism seems to get a lot of publicity. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t equipped to meet the challenge. We have not been taught the traditional arguments. If we have, the teaching may have been less then, shall we say, engaging?

Let’s try a new approach. Take for example, the first cause argument for the existence of God. If I were to turn that into a poem, it would go something like this.

Just look around
and you will see
a bird, a squirrel,
a flower, or tree.

Each one can
demonstrate for now
the First Cause argument,
here’s how.

A flower comes
from seed it’s true
and from another
flower it grew.

A seed, a flower
and on it goes.
Back to the first, when?
No one knows.

But of this first
From where’d it come?
Where was the seed,
Where was it’s mum?

This chain was started
don’t you see,
From our Creator,
God, it’s He!

Ok, I admit, it isn’t James Joyce. However, we could start a catechetical revolution. One that appeals to the spiritually playful side in us. Let’s put that God given intellect to good use and face the challenge of transforming today’s culture in an unexpected way.

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Student Journals and the Sacrament of Confession

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A reader asks anonymously:

Is it appropriate for religion teachers to ask students about their sins?  In my friend’s  religion class, the teacher asked him to write in his journal about one of the sins he would be confessing at his next confession.  What do you think?

The answer is a big fat NO.  No, no, no, and NOOOOOOOO.  Just no.  Not appropriate.  Never appropriate.  Religion class is not the place to perform a public examination conscience.  No no no.

I do want to share three thoughts related to my reader’s question.   The first is my own class policy on journals and sensitive topics.  The second is on the limits of journal writing as a teaching tool; the third is on the proper role of catechists in sacramental preparation.

1.  Journals are personal, but not private.  The first time students open their journals, I explain that:

a) I will never force you to read your journal entry aloud,

but that:

b) I  do read your journal entries (and pray for your prayer intentions), and that your parents have free access to your journal as well.

I don’t require reading aloud, because that’s not the goal of my class.  I teach religion.  Not composition, not public speaking, and not group therapy.  Journals provide an opportunity for students to explore their faith and their life in writing, and that’s a legitimate part of a religious education course.

But I can’t guarantee privacy.   Physically, the journals are not kept under lock and key.  Professionally, it is inappropriate to set myself up as arbiter of students’ secrets.  Journals are a great way to share ideas that can be difficult to express aloud — but they are, fundamentally, a tool for sharing.

2. Journals fit the learning style of some, but not all, students.  I have two types of students who love journals.  The first are introspective and prayerful students   Often they do not want to share their entries aloud, but they relish the process of writing out their thoughts.  I allow them as much time to write as they want, even after the rest of the class moves on to the next assignment.

The second group are students who learn by talking.  They work through the day’s topic by jotting down a few quick notes, then expand on their ideas when it’s time to share.  The big trick is to strike the balance between enough sharing and too much sharing.

But what about everyone else?  I keep on hand a “back up” assignment.  If you finish your journal early because,  let’s be honest, you wrote two flippant words, or “I don’t know” or “I hate this dumb journal”, come to the front table and grab the alternate assignment.  Students learn in different ways.  Offer more than one way for students to connect to the lesson.

3. What role do catechists play in preparing students for the Sacrament of Confession?

We have three important jobs:

  • We teach the mechanics of the sacrament.  Sign of the cross, “Bless me Father for I have sinned,” etc.
  • We answer questions about the nature of the sacrament.   When must I confess?  What if I forget my act of contrition?  Will the priest tell the police if I confess a crime?
  • We explain what is, and is not, a sin.  We also answer questions about what circumstances lessen or remove culpability for a sin.

My approach should be positive, encouraging, and sincere.  But we catechists aren’t the parents.  We aren’t spiritual directors.   The classroom setting is not the appropriate place for pastoral counseling.  It certainly is not the confessional.

It is important to respect these distinctions.  In setting firm boundaries, we strengthen our role as catechists. Students are often willing to ask outlandish or difficult questions of a catechist, specifically because they know it’s not personal.  It’s just a question.  If they ask out of mere curiosity, be thankful they are curious about the faith.  If they ask out of personal need, be thankful they have a place they can get clear and honest answers to difficult questions.

But in all cases, my role as a catechist should always respect the privacy and the dignity of my students.

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Difficult Topics: Teaching About Marriage to World-Weary Students

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In my last post I alluded to the difficult topic of divorce and remarriage in the story of The Woman at the Well.  This week I want to share how I present the Sacrament of Matrimony in my classes — how to teach the truth about Christian marriage without undermining the respect students (rightly) have for their own parents and loved ones.

1. Step one is a heartfelt ditto to Amy Giglio and Dorian Speed:  Make sure you know what the Church teaches.  Don’t settle for sloppy shorthand such as “divorced people can’t receive communion” — that’s often not the case.  Note that if you ordinarily refer to The Youcat, or The Catechism of the Catholic Church, look instead to the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, which provides an excellent overview of the sacrament (Chapter 21) and the 6th Commandment (chapter 30).  For a detailed look at technical questions, consult a source such as Fr. James LeBlanc’s pdf document on all things marriage.

If you are not completely clear on Church teaching and practice, you aren’t alone.  Stand in front of the mirror and practice saying, “That’s a difficult one, and I want to make sure I give you the right answer.  Let me look it up and tell you next week.”  Bring a pencil and paper for writing down tough questions that come up during class.

2.  Just teach the basic information.  You might say, “The ‘Sacrament of Matrimony’ just means ‘Christian marriage’.  One man and one woman join together in marriage to form a family.  They promise to be faithful to each other for life, and to be open to any children God might give them.”

3.  If you feel brave, finish by saying, “Any questions?”

4.  So you tried to skip on to Holy Orders real fast before they could open their little mouths?  Ha.  Nice try.   Short of beating open a pinata, you aren’t getting out of the questions.

So you’ve just been asked: Why can’t two women get married, like my Aunt Sarah did?  My mom’s been married three times, is that okay? Why do people get divorced?  What if you marry a bank robber but you didn’t know he was a bank robber, and then you find all this money in your room one day, can you keep it?  Can you marry a non-Catholic?  What if you murder your spouse, can you get married again after that?* Can I get a drink of water? My dad was married in a hot-air balloon.

Some of these are hypothetical, others are personal, and yes this is a great time to go get a drink of water, because Marriage Q&A takes a while.  As you work through the questions, these are the four principles I try to keep in mind:

1. Always give parents the benefit of the doubt.  The first four marriages may have been legitimately annulled.  The couple may have received a dispensation for their scuba-themed ceremony on the coral reef.  You don’t know.  Now is not the time to guess.

2. Discourage speculation, encourage discretion.  Children often want to know, “Why did _______ get divorced?”  Observe that divorce is always a sign that something has gone wrong, but that we can rarely know what exactly was the problem.  One or both spouses may choose not to discuss the real reasons for the divorce because they don’t want to gossip, and do want to respect the privacy of the other spouse.

3. Do provide age-appropriate explanations of annulment, convalidation, and the like, if a student’s question can only be answered by delving into these details.  If you aren’t confident of your answer, use the “Let me look it up” escape.  Make sure your answers are 100% g-rated — your pastor or DRE may be able to help you with your wording.

4.  Show respectful sympathy for people who struggle with Church teachings.  We all do things we shouldn’t.  Some people have a very hard time understanding or following the Church’s teachings on marriage.   We should be patient and loving, and remember that Jesus cares about them very much, and there is no sin that cannot be forgiven.

 

*Yes, a student really asked that question one year.  I had to e-mail my pastor to confirm the answer: No.

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Catechist Chat: Substitute Survival Skills

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Sometimes, as educators, we have to do things that make us uncomfortable. Set aside our nervousness, our need for control, our desire for a safe and predictable outcome.

In other words, we have to substitute teach.

I remember when I was in Teacher Grad School, and our professor was giving us all sorts of helpful tips for managing behavior, planning engaging lessons, etc. I raised my hand and asked, “Do you have any specific for suggestions for being a substitute teacher?”

She looked me straight in the eye: “Never sub.”

I have a friend who is a permanent substitute teacher for a small school district, and she’s terrific at it. She has an easy rapport with the students, she gets them to do their work, and she has fun with it all. She enjoys the unpredictability of getting to visit a new classroom every day and she thrives on the challenge.

I couldn’t do it. I get so nervous when I’m subbing, EVEN if the students are MY OWN STUDENTS. At one school, we all covered one another’s classes during our planning periods when needed, because there was no budget for substitute teachers. So occasionally I’d be monitoring a room full of students I’d just seen for 55 minutes in my own classroom. I *still* felt apprehensive. I just like to have a plan, going in.

(I also have to say that it was far more often the reverse – my fellow teachers having to cover my classes – because I was both pregnant and migraine-attacky all year long. I still owe them my appreciation and probably a batch of cookies.)

It’s probably my perfectionism that makes it so stressful for me, and I’ve certainly gotten more laid-back about it. (Here I do not mean “perfectionism” as code for “it’s because I’m so awesome.” It means “I labor over minute details that are irrelevant to the big picture.”) I’ve also learned a few things along the way:

1. Try to learn the kids’ names. You won’t get it right. They know that. Show some effort. I like to repeat the students’ names one after the other, then keep starting at the beginning. “Carlos. Carlos, Amanda. Carlos, Amanda, Mikayla. Lawrence.” Even though you’re just going to be there for one day or one hour, making the effort gets things off to the right start. Use humor. If you don’t know a student’s name, make up a ridiculous name from the planet Randomia. Look the child in the eyes as you attempt to remember his/her name. It helps.

2. Break the ice. Amanda Brunet at Suite101 provides some clever ideas for getting to know your students as a substitute teacher. I particularly liked this one:

Unique Quirks
At the beginning of class, the substitute teacher can ask each student to write down something unique about himself on a small piece of paper. Subs can provide their own personal examples such as: “I like to eat pickles and peanut butter” or “I have sky dived three times”.

Teachers then collect the pieces of paper and place them in a hat. Throughout the class time, the sub can pull out each piece of paper and read it out loud. Students should guess which unique quirk belongs to each classmate.

The suggestion to space this activity out over the course of a class period is great, as it helps you dangle a carrot in front of the class periodically to remind them “okay, let’s stay on task for another ten minutes and then we’ll try to guess some more of the quirks!” You would, of course, want to make sure you read through all of them in advance yourself…especially if you’re teaching middle schoolers.

3. Follow the lesson plan. Sometimes, you’re subbing because the teacher suddenly collapsed in the break room with chills and fever, and the lesson plan is “I don’t know, because she was going to write the lesson plan for today during her lunch break but then she started to feel nauseated.” Fair enough – we’ll come back to that. But often, there’s at least some semblance of a lesson plan. Follow it, and don’t make comments about the caliber of what they’ve been assigned.

4. Be ready for the unexpected. Perhaps there is no lesson plan.

Bring a book to read aloud to the students – something with lots of voices and action, that will hold their attention.

Take a set of logic problems – most kids enjoy these (along the lines of “There is a room with no doors, no windows, nothing and a man is hung from the ceiling and a puddle of water is on the floor. How did he die?”) and they can easily be turned into a class discussion activity with students raising their hands to make guesses.

Have some kind of prizes/rewards handy. I have lamed out on this the last few times I’ve subbed, and resorted to giving quarters to the winning team in Jeopardy. It was ridiculous, and yet – they were motivated. (Stickers are a perfectly adequate reward.) (I also promise them “thirty thousand imaginary dollars” in instances where I am truly unprepared to give any semblance of a reward.)

5. If it’s not working, change the plan. Last week, I tried to do a game of Make Your Own Bingo as a review with a class of second-graders. They were very excited about it, but I realized that I hadn’t allowed enough time. They were still painstakingly writing words from the chalkboard on their papers when I decided to scrap that plan. They…were displeased.

You can go with this, or you can go with thatSo I stood them all up and announced we were going to play a game called “This Way, That Way.” An awesome, incredible game that I…would make up on the spot. Awesome.

“I’m going to give you a clue and two possible answers. You stand on the side of the room you think is the right answer. Ready?” (It helped that this classroom had a large open space up front with a rug.)

“This word means the special super-food for your soul that you receive through the Sacraments. If you think the answer is ‘grace,’ go stand over here. If you think it’s ‘Psalms,’ go stand over here.” Patter of little feet, keep it moving, keep it moving. We went through 20 vocabulary words in five minutes. Was it the most in-depth, profound review experience of their young lives? No. Did thy pay attention? Did we salvage those last 10 minutes of class? Yes.

So – how about you? Do you like subbing? Fear subbing? Got any good tips?

Read all posts by Filed Under: Catechetics, Elementary School, Games, High School, Middle School 3 Comments

Catechist Chat: Drumming Up Enthusiasm

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It doesn’t take a veteran teacher to recognize that each child – and adult – is unique. And what works with one person won’t necessary work with another; we each have our own talents, and we each find joy in different ways. Being able to tap into these differing abilities can really transform your approach to  religious education- whether in a classroom setting, a presentation to a group of adults, or even a homeschooling setup.

My favorite way to think about this is based on Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. Back in MY day, he’d only identified seven. Now he’s up to eight, but the overall point remains the same: individuals display intelligence in different areas, which can be roughly categorized as follows:

  • Linguistic: learning through reading and writing
  • Logical-mathematical: Reasoning, patterns, and numbers
  • Spatial: Visualizing with the mind’s eye
  • Musical: sensitive to sounds, rhythm, tone, and music
  • Bodily-kinesthetic: Learning best by “doing” and physical activity
  • Interpersonal: Learn best by working with others; enjoy cooperative learning; comfortable with leadership
  • Intrapersonal: Deep understanding of the self; strengths and weaknesses

Since my time in the trenches (a.k.a., grad school), he’s added:

  • Naturalistic: Relate to the natural world and observe their surroundings
And there’s been discussion of a need to also include:
  • Existential/spiritual: Contemplate the deeper meaning of experiences and life
  • Moral: Ability to apply reasoning to moral decision-making, particularly in terms of the sanctity of life

In catechesis, we’re about the business of expanding folks’ existential/moral intelligence, or at least tapping into that, right? So I’m going to focus on how the other eight can be useful in coming up with different lessons, etc. that can grab students’ attention in new ways.

Serious drumming skillz

This guy has insane amounts of musical intelligence

I’m going to start with Musical, because that’s my favorite. Well, not really, but it would be boring to start with Linguistic or Logical-Mathematical, wouldn’t it? Because that’s what we usually think of when we think of “teaching.” Talk at students, they write things down, they take a multiple-choice test with maybe an essay tacked onto the end, and presto: teaching. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

But before you say “I can’t carry a tune to save my life*,” I ask you: Can you say the Our Father?

You can, can’t you?

Let’s say it together;

Our

Father, Who Art

In Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy

NameThyKINGDOMCome…what? Isn’t that how you say it? No?

Right – we all say it in the same cadences, don’t we? Our liturgy is full of cadences; we chant the Psalms in rhythm, we teach our children their prayers to a certain meter, we’re all about music even if we are afflicted with tin ears.

I find that most kids, especially adolescent boys, respond very well to activities that incorporate music. Take advantage of this by including activities like:

  • Listening to hymns and talking about what the words mean
  • Memorizing a prayer by breaking it down into phrases
  • Learning to chant parts of the Mass
  • Write a song – or change the words to a popular song – to teach someone about a basic concept you’ve learned in class.
  • Listen to different settings of parts of the Mass and think about how the music reflects the meaning of the words – this is an activity I really enjoy doing with students, because there are so many beautiful orchestral settings of the Mass.

Howard Gardner himself said:

I don’t believe because there are eight intelligences we have to teach things eight ways. I think that’s silly. But we always ought to be asking ourselves, “Are we reaching every child, and, if not, are there other ways in which we can do it?”

And so I’m not saying “out with books, in with Rap!” But supplementing what you discuss in class with an activity that allows musically-inclined…or musically-enthusiastic – students to shine is a great way to get them engaged in what you’re teaching.

If you’d like to learn more about the theory – pros and cons – check out:

*Essay: Can you describe a situation in which your life would literally depend upon your ability to carry a tune? What would you do in said situation?

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Joining the Team

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Hello everyone, I’m Jennifer and I’ve just joined the blogging team here at Amazing Catechists!  Today I want to tell you a little about myself and my story as a catechist, which I think is typical of how many of us start out teaching religious education.

When my son started kindergarten, I enrolled him in our parish religious ed program.  Since I was going to be driving to and from class anyhow, I figured I ought to go ahead and volunteer.   I loved teaching, though I’d never taught large groups of younger students before, and I was confident that my knowledge of the faith would be enough to get me started.

Let me tell you, I learned two things my first weeks of teaching 5th grade religious ed:

  • My DRE was a saint.
  • I stunk.

Turns out I knew absolutely nothing about how to get two dozen restless 10-year-olds to settle down and pay attention.  I needed to either figure out what it was the successful teachers were doing, or else give it up and find a new hobby.  I’m stubborn sometimes, so I voted for figure-it-out.

The cool news?  By the end of the year, instead of parents calling to complain, they were calling to tell me how much their children enjoyed my class.

That experience has convinced me that anyone can learn to teach, and to teach well.   My mission here at Amazing Catechists is to explain some of the problem-solving how-to’s that allowed me to turn my class around.

Some teachers seem to “just know” how to teach, and sometimes I wish I had that natural talent.   But those of us who have to really work on our skills, and make a concerted effort to figure out how good teaching works?  We’re the ones who can explain what it was we did that made the difference.

So yes, I’m a veritable treasure-trove of first-hand knowledge about Things That Don’t Work.  If that’s you, too, let me encourage you not to give up!  Let’s use this column to compare notes, share ideas, and figure out how to keep improving your class week after week.

***

A little bit about me.  In my regular life, I’m a homeschooling mom of four children, currently in kindergarten, 2nd, 4th and 6th grades.  We use Faith and Life for religion at home.  In the classroom, prior to becoming a catechist I had done a lot of odds-n-ends teaching, including one-on-one professional training (I’m an accountant by trade), teaching a parenting class at our local crisis pregnancy center, and a bit of tutoring (French! I love that language!).

At the parish, I’ve been settled into 5th grade since the very start. We’re using Loyola Press’s Finding God.  In the summer and for holiday events, I teach multi-age classes, usually kindergarten and up.   Last summer I helped to write and implement a home-grown VBS program — everybody needs an excuse to buy buckets of balls and a good foam bowling set, right?  For the coming year, I may be making the switch to teaching adults — though it’s too soon to know for sure.

How about you?  I’d love to “meet” you!  Tell me about yourself — are you teaching now?  How’s your class coming?  What have been your challenges this year, and what’s something that’s gone right for a change?  Are you thinking of teaching?  What questions do you have?  What excites you most about being a catechist, and what are your concerns?

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Welcome Home! The Parable of the Prodigal Son

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A long time ago, in a faraway land, there lived a man who had two sons. The older son was hardworking and loyal, and he helped his father take care of the daily chores that needed to be done. The younger son was very lazy, and he spent his days just lying around, watching his brother do all the work.

One day, the younger son was sitting on the sofa, channel surfing, and eating cheeseballs. He was so bored, that he began to think of ways to make his life more exciting. He finally came up with a great idea!

His father was outside, tending the garden, when the younger son found him. “Hey Dad,” said the son, “I have something to ask you.” “Hello son,” said the father, “have you come out to help me with the gardening?” “No way,” said the son, “I’ve come to ask you if I could have my share of the estate now, so I can go out and see the world.” The father was not happy with his son’s decision, but he gave him half of everything he owned.

A few days later, the younger son left his father’s house, and went to the big city, where he spent his money on beer, gambling, and all-night parties.

After he had spent all his money, a severe famine swept the entire country, and the son realized that he needed to get a job. He went to Pepper Jack’s Pig Plains, where he got a job feeding the pigs. No one would give him any food, and he became so hungry, that he wanted to eat the food that he was feeding to the pigs.

“This is no way to live,” said the son, “maybe I should go back to my father’s house. He may not welcome me back, but if I work hard as a servant, at least I’ll have food, and I won’t starve.”

So, he went back to his father’s house, where he was ready to beg for his forgiveness. When the father saw his son, he ran to him and hugged him. “Father,” said the son, “I have treated you badly and I have sinned against heaven. I am not worthy enough to be called your son.” The son stood silent as he waited for his father’s angry words.

But his father smiled at him and he said to his servants, “Listen everyone, give my boy the works. I’m talking robes, jewelry, and for dinner, how about that fat cow in the garden! Tonight we will have a feast and celebrate, because my son was dead, and now he is alive again, he was lost, and now he is found.”

Now the older son was in the field, taking care of his father’s garden. He decided he needed a break, so he started walking back to the house. As he got closer to the house, he heard music and he saw people dancing. He asked one of the servants what was going on, and the servant told him that his younger brother had returned, and the party was for him.

The older son was furious, and he refused to join the celebration. The older son said to his father, “What’s going on here? I have stayed with you all these years, worked for you, took care of you and your property, and you’ve never given me a party. I’m a little ticked off.”

His father said, “Son, don’t you see, your brother has returned on his own, it was his choice. He has learned his lesson. He was dead, but now he is alive again, he was lost, but now he is found. Don’t you think that’s a good reason for celebrating?”

The older son stared at his father for a long time. He finally smiled and said, “Are there any cheeseballs left?” “You bet,” said the father, “your favorite, parmesan and cheddar.” “All right,” said the son, “let’s celebrate!”

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The Seven Deadly Sins, Quite By Accident

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Sin
Last week, one of my fifth-graders asked what the seven deadly sins were. Always one to tap into their googling abilities, I tossed the question back at them, promising a candy prize for anyone who came back to class this week with the right answer.

The boy who posed the question came in, not only with the answer, but with a list he had typed himself with the punishments in hell included. His mom told me, with a strange smile on her face, that he had been obsessing about it all week.

Two other students had also looked up the answers and one of them was prepared to explain them. It was obvious these kids had spent some time on this.

Our discussion was intense, colorful, and, I hope, Spirit-filled. Most of the sins were things that the kids weren’t sure about: how is pride both good and a deadly sin? What is lust? And gluttony means being fat, right?

Our topic for the night was “Living as Children of God,” and I had planned to talk about both 1 John 3:1-10 and the Beatitudes, with a discussion of God’s love and how we can be protected from sin. Of course, I didn’t know that when I challenged them to let me know what the seven deadly sins were.

Next week, I’ve challenged my students to bring in the corresponding virtues for each of the seven deadly sins. Looking over the list, I have to admit that there’s something about this whole topic that speaks to me.

So often, I think my sins are tiny little things. Then I look at the confession habits of those holy moderns, Blessed John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa, and I realize that my sins are anything but inconsequential.

Looking over the seven deadly sins and the corresponding virtues and then discussing it in an up-front, honest, down-to-earth way with a room full of fifth graders is almost an examination of my own conscience. Considering how often I flirt with these Big Seven Sins is humbling, to say the least, and also a reminder to me of how very much I need the sacraments, especially of Reconciliation.

YOUR TURN: Have you covered the seven deadly sins with your students? How did it go? Have any tips to share?

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The Sword of February

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Hey it’s February. I notice there’s more daylight now when y’all get dropped off, why is that? The days are getting longer? Yes, the Sun is up more. It’ll be Spring soon, and the days…lengthen [on the board]. English-speakers once called this time of the year the “lengthen season.” Now watch the Magic Finger (I erase letters in lengthen so it says len-t-en); what does the Church call this season? Umm…Lent? Yes, why? Because the days lengthen! Yes, so Lent is short for…Lenten, yes, which is short for…lengthen! Yes. Y’all are too smart. Sometimes we say Lent, sometimes we say Lenten season. ¿Quién aquí habla Español? Me! Honorary son, what’s Spanish for Lent? Cuaresma [on the board]. How many days is Lent, Cuaresma? Forty. How do you know? Because cuaresma is like the word for forty. Which is? Cuarenta [on the board]. Yes; y’all can see how Spanish tells us Lent is 40 days long. Class, what’s up with 40; why not 38 days, or 43 days? Because Jesus was in the desert for 40 days! Yes, and the Israelites…were in the desert for 40 years! Yes, good. Forty is an important number in the Bible; there are more 40s in the Bible than we have time for. Now, if you’re in the desert like Jesus or the Israelites, are you having fun? I don’t think so. Right, being in the desert involves discomfort, suffering.

In most cases the number 40 signifies a time of penance and preparation. So what are we preparing for during Lent? Easter! Yes. What word does Easter have in it? Umm….east? Yes, and where does the sun rise? In the East. Yes. Like Lent, the word Easter also refers to Springtime. It’s an old pagan word, but now we use it for a Christian holy day…we baptized it so it’s a Christian word now. You can’t baptize a word! You’re right, I don’t mean it literally. But the Church can give old pagan things a new Christian significance.

So…is Lent a fun time? No you’re supposed to give stuff up. Yes, such as? Candy! TV! Fighting with my sister! Saying mean stuff! Yes, we deny ourselves those things in imitation of Jesus. What’s something the Church wants us to not eat during Lent? Meat! Yes, let’s look at meat for a minute.

When Adam & Eve were in Eden, could bad stuff happen? No!  How about the animals in Eden: would a lion eat a lamb? No!  Right again…and what was was the only stuff that could be eaten in Eden? They didn’t need to eat!  Well, that’s a good guess; listen to this bit from Genesis & try again: “God said, Behold, I have given you every plant-yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for meat.”  Plants! They could only eat plants and apples ‘n’ stuff. Yes, but how about the animals? Listen again: “And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for meat.” Animals had to eat plants too?  Yes. There was no eating each other in Eden; just good things could happen: 24/7 pizza buffet, no going to bed early, beer for the grownups….anyway, life was perfect just being with God in Eden. But then Adam & Eve ate the apple and were thrown out of Eden.

Many generations later there was a guy with a boat. Noah! Yes, tell it. He put all the animals in the Ark and after the flood they all got back out and were ok. Yes..how long did it rain? 40 days! Yes, smarties, another 40! And after the Flood, God told Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” That’s nice, that’s also what God told…Adam and Eve! Yes. But then God says, “The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.”  Sounds awful doesn’t it? All the animals will be in fear of Noah. Why? Because Noah can eat them now? Yes, he and his descendants can now kill and eat animals. Why’s that ok? Because they haven’t planted any food yet? Well, maybe. Tell me this: why is it that there are any animals at all, that they all didn’t drown? Because Noah put them in the Ark!  Yes, they didn’t do anything themselves, it was all Noah’s work. So if not for Noah, they’d all be…dead!  Yes. So the animals owe Noah…what do they owe him? Their lives?  Yes, so God is acknowledging that since the animals and all their descendants owe Noah their lives, God won’t forbid people from killing and eating them. Now just because God no longer forbids eating animals, does that mean he approves of it? No. Right. So apparently God tolerates some things after the Fall that would never have been acceptable in the Garden; which is hardly the same as saying they are good, or blessed. God didn’t say, “Kill and eat a bunch of animals, Noah and I’ll bless you extra!” But sin has made the world a mean and scary place.

¿Quién aquí habla Español? Who speaks Spanish? Me! OK m’ija, digame, cómo se llama “carne” en Inglés? Meat!  Yes, C-A-R-N-E means meat, flesh. How about ‘voracious,’ do y’all know that word? No…no…no. No worries, sometimes 6th graders surprise me. How about ‘devour’? To eat real fast? Yes, like a possum? No, like a lion! Yes, like a predator. If we put the Latin roots of carne and devour together we get carnivorous; anyone know that word? Yes, it means to eat meat!  Yes, ever since Noah we’ve been carnivores, like lions. Animals are afraid of us, even the predators.

So tell me: is it better to be in Eden or in the world of sin? Eden!  Yes, where nobody would kill or eat animals; and so they weren’t afraid of people. Well, during Lent, the Church encourages us to think about living as though we were in Eden, at least as far as animals are concerned. I like eating meat, but I admit that if I have a hamburger, someone killed a cow. In fact my eldest son has been a vegetarian for years because of this, and he’s perfectly healthy eating veggies. I admire that, even if I don’t follow his example. Yes? What are you giving up? Well, I don’t know yet; usually we do extra things during Lent instead of giving things up: go to Vespers and Stations of the Cross; go to confession, that sort of thing. But I tell you what, we gave up watching TV for Lent more than 15 years ago, and still don’t watch it. Really? Yep. You won’t watch the Super Bowl? Nope. Look, I thought I was gonna die the first week or so without TV, but we got used to it, and we like the house being quiet. What about your kids? They’re fine with it too- and we can watch DVDs if we want to. I think part of the point of giving something up is that you find out you don’t really need it or want it as much as you thought.

Hey, besides Lent, what else happens in February? No guesses? Let me ask the girls in particular: daughters, what special day comes in February? Valentine’s day! Yes, Saint Valentine’s feast day on the 14th. It’s Catholic. You boys ever heard of Valentine’s Day? Yes. Isn’t it exciting? No. Uh-huh; you’ll change that tune soon enough. No we won’t! Uh-huh. So what happens on Valentine’s? People get candy and cards and stuff. Yes, it’s very romantic, right boys? Boys…?

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, tell me about those fat winged babies [I draw] on the cards. Aren’t they angels? Sort of. How about the one with the arrows? He’s Cupid! Yes who is a…Roman god! Yes, make-believe, of course. You might say he’s been baptized into Valentine’s Day. The proper word for those flying chubbies is “putti.” Pooty!? Ha, pooty! Not pooty: put-ti, it’s Italian. But no American wants to think, “hey, look at the pooty all over that Valentine’s day card.” So we use another word….anyone know it? No? That’s ok.

 Happy Valentine’s Day!

Who knows what a cherub is? They’re the little baby Valentine angels! Yes, you got it, they’re cuddly and silly. But a real cherub is not cuddly and silly. Somebody tell me about Adam & Eve after the apple. God made them leave Eden! Yes. Genesis says, “He drove out the man; and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherub[im], with a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” What language do you suppose “cherub” is if I’m reading from Genesis? Umm…Hebrew? Yes, genius! In Hebrew it’s spelled like this [on the board]: K-E-R-U-B, kerub. Kerub means “near one,” an angel who is close to God. When the President goes out in public there are usually some tough guys who stay near him all the time, why’s that? They keep people from bothering him. Yes, what do you call those guys? Bodyguards? Yes. The kerubs, the cherubim, are like God’s bodyguards, and they are as serious as cancer. On Valentine’s Day I’m my wife’s Kerub-with-a-K. Don’ make me git my flamin’ sword out! Keep away! Hey, did y’all know we have two kerubs in our church? We do? Where? Mmm, I’m not telling tonight, but we’ll find out later this year.

In the meantime keep your eyes open in church. If you find ‘em on your own, tell us.

Class over!

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