Teaching and learning the faith together
How are we supposed to enjoy Advent, when we’re more rushed and more stressed than ever before in the history of humanity? 5 tips will make this a joyful and healthy season for you and your family!
The recent Gospel on the poor widow’s mite ( MK 12: 38-44) reminds us that loving God means giving Him everything we have at all times. The 3 poorest folks in Christ’s time were the[Read More…]
Perhaps you too have had the experience of preparing for Christmas, only to realize that amongst the candy-making, the letter-writing, the present-purchasing, the tree-trimming, and more, you never got around to spiritual preparation, even though[Read More…]
We established that no one likes to wait and that a small fraction of our waiting experiences is what we term active, or Advent waiting. What, then, comprises the majority of those periods of life[Read More…]
Last Sunday’s Gospel Mark 12:28-34, is a challenge for us to examine what it means to love the other and also what it means to love our God. In 2018, we have many opportunities to love[Read More…]
“There are a few specific linguistic nuances that I think are more important than ever: first, speaking about attractions as something people experience instead of something people “have.” The reason is that the word “experience” embeds the nuance of non-permanence. For many people, becoming aware of that nuance is life-changing.” –Hudson Byblow
I recently had the opportunity to hear a speaker at a youth event from Courage International. Courage is a Roman Catholic Apostolate, “whose members are men and women who experience same-sex attractions and who have[Read More…]
We have all been there. We, the Catechist, ask a question in the classroom. Several eager students raise their hands in a manner that sounds like a miniature version of the clamoring shoppers on Black[Read More…]
A review of the newest book edited by Kelly M. Wahlquist of WINE. Deanna Bartalini thinks it would be great for Advent reading.
I. Introduction: Planning It has been my experience that the two most common pitfalls for Catechists, for myself and others, are prayer and planning. I will only speak briefly on prayer since this article is[Read More…]
Over the last fifteen years I have heard numerous individuals share about their experiences as the “last real Baltimore Catechism Generation.” Some express that the formal catechism recitation, comprised of a question and answer dialogue,[Read More…]
There are so many beautiful words to describe active waiting: expectancy, joy, pregnancy, anticipation. It’s what we tend to experience during the Advent season. Active waiting (also called Advent or expectant waiting) evokes incredible hope[Read More…]
Whether it’s a weekly catechetical class or catechesis delivered within a daily Catholic education environment, it can be a challenge to know what new students know and what they don’t. Knowing their status is crucial[Read More…]
God places holy desires in each of our hearts that are meant to lead us to our most beautiful and impactful lives. Those desires show us how we are irrevocably gifted and called, for God’s greater glory (Romans 11:29). We have the opportunity, through Breakthrough coaching techniques, to gain clarity on our gifts and our calling. With a clearer vision, we can then create momentum and progress toward achieving our goals–and knocking down barriers to success.
It is important to teach kids how to pray the Rosary, the Angelus, and other common Catholic Prayers. These should be taught in the home, but sometimes the Catechist is called to help. One of[Read More…]
As I spoke about on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air Show, today (at the 25-minute mark, Monday, September 24), this is a great day to begin the very simple and joyful novena to one of our[Read More…]
I’d like to introduce this topic by saying that I believe, personally, that there are many possible roads leading to the experience of SSA. For some, it is emotional/physical deprivation or abuse that creates the[Read More…]
Dear Readers, These are the resources I shared in my recent webinar for Catholic creatives, utilizing coaching techniques to break through in life and art. Please feel free to email me with questions or to[Read More…]
I’m willing to bet that everyone reading this hates to wait. We live in a society that lauds “bigger, better, faster,” and we by and large get what we want, when we want it. Thanks[Read More…]
A few years ago, as I was ushering my 3rd grade Sunday School class to our annual Advent confession day, I reminded them that Jesus was present in the Tabernacle. One of the girls repeated the[Read More…]
