Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

Byzantine Catholics – An Interesting Discovery

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What does it mean to be in Full Communion with the Catholic Church?  The bonds of communion through faith, sacraments, and pastoral governance determine Full Communion with the Catholic Church.  Through these bonds, believers receive the life of grace within the Church.  However, the Catholic Church also recognizes Partial Communion with many Protestant denominations where elements of Christian faith are held in common.

Churches in Full Communion

As I continue to research for future writing projects, I discovered an interesting fact about the variety of churches in Full Communion with the Catholic Church.  These churches include the Coptic Catholic Church of the Alexandrian liturgical tradition.

The Maronite Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, and the Armenian Catholic Church are also in Full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church.  A quick google search identified several Byzantine Catholic Churches near my home.  The Byzantine Church is also in Full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church.  This was an interesting discovery that led me to visit Saint Anne Byzantine Catholic Church in New Port Richey, Florida.

A Special Visit

As I entered this beautiful church, I was reminded of the Russian Orthodox Church I visited in Alaska.  But this was not an Orthodox Church.  This was a Catholic Church in Full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church.  As I researched for a clearer understanding, I learned new facts about the history of Christianity.

Byzantine History

Around the year 600 AD, there were five major archbishops within the Catholic Church that led five large dioceses.  The cities where these patriarchs resided included Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Rome.

The Roman Empire in the year 300 AD was split into the Western and Eastern Empires.  The capitol of the Eastern Roman Empire was the city of Byzantium, which the emperor Constantine renamed Constantinople.  This city is presently known as Istanbul in Turkey.  The capitol of the Western Roman Empire was Rome.  The language of the Eastern Empire was Greek, while the language of the Western Empire was Latin.

The Muslim Arabs in 600 AD conquered large parts of the Middle East and North Africa thereby reducing the influence of the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.  However, the two remaining Patriarchs in Rome and Constantinople thrived and spread Christianity far and wide.  The churches established by the Eastern Empire from its capitol, Byzantium, were referred to as “Byzantine” or “Greek” Catholic.  Byzantine Catholics in America are the spiritual descendants of Christians in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East who trace their spiritual heritage to the Great Church of Constantinople, known as Hagia Sophia – The Church of Holy Wisdom.

Distinct Differences

Although in Full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church, the Byzantine rite retains distinctive features which are evident beginning with the onion-like dome on the outside of the church.  This history helped me to understand why I saw so many similar domes throughout my train trip through Austria.  I knew Austria was predominantly Catholic but couldn’t understand why so many churches had what I assumed were Greek Orthodox domes.  At the time, I didn’t know the rich history of the Byzantine rite and its connection to the Greek culture.

Upon entering the Byzantine church, the differences are even more distinct.  The sanctuary is separated from the congregation by a beautiful screen covered in icons.

Behind this beautiful screen of icons is the altar and tabernacle.

Saint John Chrysostom

As I looked through the books and pamphlets located at my pew, I noticed a prayer book titled, “The Divine Liturgy of Our Holy Father John Chrysostom.”  After further research, I learned that Saint John Chrysostom was an important early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople.  After his death, he earned the title, “Golden Mouth” because of his eloquent preaching and public speaking.

Other Differences

One of the women I met when first entering this church was raised Roman Catholic from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She loves coming to the Byzantine Church but said it took her a while to get used to the differences.  In addition to the iconic screen separating the altar from the congregation, I also read that Communion is received under both species (Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine) and administered by the priest from a spoon.

The church was filling up quickly when I learned that a baptism would take place during the service.  In the Roman Catholic Church, we call the service the “Mass.”  In the Eastern Rite, the Mass is known as the “Liturgy.”  Infant baptism is part of the Eastern Rite; however, baptism in the Eastern Rite includes Chrismation, which is another term for the sacrament of Confirmation.  Infant baptism in the Eastern Rite also includes the Eucharist.

The child to be baptized was an infant – perhaps no more than one month of age.  I was curious to see how they would administer the Eucharist to an infant.  Unfortunately, there were so many family members surrounding the child that it was difficult to see all that was occurring.  However, I had an opportunity after the Liturgy to speak with Father Oleksiy.

Father Oleksiy is a Catholic priest from Ukraine and the Administrator of Saint Anne Byzantine Catholic Church.   He came to the United States with his wife and three daughters six years ago.  When he mentioned his family, I was so focused on my other questions that I didn’t think to ask if Byzantine priests were allowed to be married.  As I was preparing this writing, I researched this further and found that Eastern Catholic churches allow married men to be ordained, however, they do not allow marriage after ordination.

The Sign of the Cross

One of my first questions for Father Oleksiy was the difference in making the sign of the cross.  Throughout the service, people in the congregation blessed themselves with the sign of the cross.  Most crossed themselves from right to left.  A few – like me – crossed themselves as do all Roman Catholics from left to right.  I asked Father Oleksiy, “Why the difference?”  He smiled and said that there are many different responses to this question.  Some say it has to do with the importance and significance of the “right hand.”  He shared the obvious that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.  He also shared a custom in the Byzantine rite when the bride and groom place their right hands on the Bible during the wedding ceremony.  But then, Father Oleksiy shrugged his shoulders with a smile and said that there are so many different answers to this question – like the reasons for driving on the right or left side of the road.  We both laughed and moved on to my next question.

Infant Baptism and the Eucharist

“So, how do you give an infant the Eucharist?”  Father Oleksiy explained that a very small drop of the Blood of Christ is placed on the lips of the infant during the baptism ceremony.

Communion is also different in the Eastern rite.  The bread is a cube soaked in the wine and given by the priest with a spoon.  I received Communion at this church and was amazed at the difference in presentation.

As I spoke with Father Oleksiy after the Liturgy service, we talked about the tabernacle behind the screen on the altar.  Father Oleksiy confirmed that Jesus in the form of the Eucharist is kept in the tabernacle on the altar.  However, he also shared a lengthy process that he must go through before placing the Eucharist in the tabernacle.  This is because the Eastern rite uses leavened bread rather than unleavened bread as is done in the Roman Catholic Church.

I truly enjoyed the Liturgy service.  It reminded me of a High Mass from the old Latin days.  Every part of the Liturgy service was chanted including the readings from the Old and New Testament.  I was particularly impressed with the following prayer recited by all in the congregation before processing to the front of the church to receive Holy Communion.

Special Prayer

Prayer Before Holy Communion

O Lord, I believe and profess that you are truly Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the first.

Accept me today as a partaker of your mystical supper, O Son of God, for I will not reveal your mystery to your enemies, nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief I profess you:

Remember me, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.

Remember me, O Master, when you come in your kingdom.

Remember me, O Holy One, when you come in your kingdom.

May the partaking of your holy mysteries, O Lord, be not for my judgement or condemnation but for the healing of soul and body.

O Lord, I also believe and profess that this, which I am about to receive, is truly your most precious body and your life-giving blood, which I pray, make me worthy to receive for the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting.   Amen.

O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me.

O Lord, forgive me for I have sinned without number.

A Special Challenge

This was such a beautiful experience that I challenge each of you to look for a Byzantine Catholic Church in your area.  I would love to know your thoughts on the Liturgy and the beauty of the icons.

Advent JOY Lesson

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The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means joy. Gather with your faith formation groups or your family on December 11, 2022 for Gaudete Sunday and celebrate with JOY!  Here is the outline and activities:

Opening Prayer:

Use the 3rd Sunday of Advent prayers for lighting an Advent wreath. Include a song if you’d like.

Short Teaching:

Explain the purpose of the Advent wreath and the colors and why we use the pink candle today for joy. I also include an explanation of JOY as an acronym for Jesus, Others, You.

Craft:

A set of 3 votive candles wrapped in colored paper with the letters “J” “O” “Y” on each to spell out JOY. You can use letter stickers or handwrite them. (I would do one set per family.)

Imaginative Prayer:

Read Luke 2:1-20 slowly, asking everyone to close their eyes and visualize what is being read. Ask the group what they noticed, how they felt.

Closing: A birthday cake for Jesus.

You’ll need to bake the cake ahead of time and then add the other elements when you are with the group. Here is an outline for the cake:

1. Make it round — like the never-ending circle of His love for all of us.
2. Make it chocolate — like the darkness our sins brings to us and others.
3. Make it covered with white frosting — like His purity covering our weakness.
4. Top it with a yellow star and put an angel —bearer of the first glad tidings.
5. Put twelve red candles on top — like the twelve months of the year that Christ is our light; red for the blood He willingly shed for us.
6. Encircle this loving cake with evergreens — the symbol of everlasting life.

I hope you can use this lesson or some parts of it to bring some Advent JOY into the season!

Seven Ways to Observe Advent with Children

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Photo by Stefan Schweihofer (2018) via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons

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 you really meant to this year.

If you would like to add a more reflective or penitential note to your family’s Advent observance, check out the seven ideas below to get you started.  Choose one (or two), gather what you will need, and start a new family tradition!

Jesse tree

The idea:

Recall salvation history.  Use ornaments decorated with symbols to represent the events and stories leading up to the birth of Jesus and hang them on a tree of some kind (the tree is so named after Jesse, father of King David–see Isaiah 11:1).

What you will need:   

  • You can order a kit.  Check out Etsy for some beautiful ones.
  • You can do it yourself…you need something to be the tree, something to make ornaments, and a Bible or knowledge of Bible stories.  I use a book that has reproducible ornaments.  Each year I photocopy one set of ornaments for each child.  I cut out a large Christmas tree shape from wrapping paper and tape it on the wall.  Each day (when all goes well), the kids color their ornaments while I read to them the passage from the Bible corresponding to the symbol they are coloring.  They then cut out their ornaments and tape them on the tree.
  • The tree can also be a bare branch set into a mason jar full of stones or sand, and the ornaments can be hung on it with loops of ribbon.

Advent stockings: good works

The idea:

The family does a spiritual or corporal work of mercy (or other charitable act) each day of advent.  For example, we might give away a piece of clothing; pray for an end to abortion; pray for our priests; call someone who might be lonely, etc.

You need:

  • Slips of paper listing the good works you will do (see the end of this post for ideas).
  • Something to put them in.  I have mini stockings with numbers on them, which we hang up.  Every evening I put a slip of paper in the next day’s stocking, choosing the activity based on what can fit into our family calendar.  But you could easily do the same with numbered envelopes or, if you are really adventurous, just put them all in a mason jar and see what you pull out!

Making soft Baby Jesus’ Bed

The idea:

Family members make sacrifices and do good acts throughout Advent.  For each one, they lay a piece of straw or hay in an empty manger, trying to get the bed as soft as possible before Baby Jesus will be born on Christmas morning.

You need:

  • Raffia, hay, straw, grass, or strips of yellow construction paper.
  • Some sort of manger.
  • Baby Jesus statue.

Advent wreath

The idea:

Four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent.  Three are purple to represent penance; the fourth is pink for Gaudete Sunday (the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  Gaudete means “joy,” and the priest will wear rose-colored vestments).  On the first Sunday of Advent, light the purple candle that is diagonal from the pink one.  Say a prayer of longing for Our Savior.  Every evening light this candle, accompanied by a prayer, and each successive Sunday light an additional candle.

You need:

  • An advent wreath/candle holder
  • Candles

Salvation history candle

The idea:

Similar to a Jesse tree but for the artistic.  You will draw on a large candle (about 2 feet tall) the scenes from salvation history, starting with Adam and Eve at the top and Baby Jesus at the bottom.  You will burn the candle throughout Advent.

You need:

  • A church-style large candle, 51% beeswax, about 2’ tall.  Can be found at stjudeshop.com
  • Drawing implements

Planned read-alouds

The idea:

Read advent and nativity books during Advent: either one story per day in a book of collected Advent stories or separate books.

You need:

  • A book with a collection of 22-28 Advent stories (here is the one we have); or
  • 22-28 picture books that are Advent-related, about saints whose feast day falls in Advent, or about salvation history.  If you choose this option, you might want to wrap them in wrapping paper and number them, opening up one on each day.

Piece-by-piece nativity set

The idea:

Rather than give a little piece of candy in an Advent calendar, each day brings another object or person to add to the nativity scene, starting with the stable/cave and ending with Baby Jesus.

You need:

  • You can buy a set online that has the requisite number of pieces; or
  • You can make one yourself out of felt, bringing out one piece each day; or
  • Your children make their own paper nativity set, coloring a piece every day using free printables online.

____________________

Resources:

Here is a list of good works you might use for your family’s Advent stockings.

  • Do something nice for someone in secret today.
  • Look around your room.  Is there anything you can give away to the poor?
  • Do an extra chore today.
  • Try hard to be cheerful in everything you do today.
  • Draw a picture of the nativity.
  • Read about a saint today.
  • Pray for your priest today.  Could you offer up a sacrifice for the Church today?
  • Pray for an end to abortion today and give away something to moms in need.
  • Pray for the deceased today.  Could you make a sacrifice for the souls in purgatory?
  • Pray for persecuted Christians today and learn about a country where they do not have freedom of religion.
  • Pray for people who do not know Jesus.  Is there something you could do extra as an offering for them?
  • Pray for your family today.  What can you do to help your family be more like the Holy Family?
  • Pray a Rosary today.
  • Pray the Chaplet of Divine mercy.
  • Do an examination of conscience tonight, and if possible, schedule Confession sometime soon.
  • Take a meal to someone in need.
  • Make a card to send to someone who lives far away.
  • Call or invite someone over who might be lonely.
  • Read the Nativity story from the Bible.
  • Make ornaments to send to the nursing home.
  • Do something for someone else that you normally don’t want to do (such as offer to play a game you know he likes).
  • Eat all of your food with a good attitude (even if you don’t like it) and be grateful you have it.
  • Sing a song to baby Jesus or make up a poem for Him.
  • Act out the nativity or part of the salvation story or do a puppet show.
  • Give money to the poor.  You may do an extra chore and give away any money you earn.
  • Bake something and give away half.
  • Write or draw a thank-you card for someone.
  • Make a gift for your priest or staff at your parish church.
  • Give away food to the food pantry.
  • Give away a piece of warm clothing.
  • Work on memorizing a Bible verse.
  • Go to morning Mass.
  • Give up something you like to do or eat today and offer it up as a prayer for someone in need.
  • Wrap up something you have and give it to someone.

 

Copyright 2018 Amanda Woodiel.  This post first appeared at www.inaplaceofgrace.com.

Models and Moderators: Parenting to Pass on the Faith

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In writing and speaking about the life of the domestic church, I often encounter a version of the following question from earnest Catholic parents:

How do we effectively pass on our faith to our children?

It’s certainly not a new question. We’ve been collectively working at it for centuries. Many read the story of St. Monica’s actions and prayers on behalf of her wayward son Augustine with a knowing sympathy. But not all similar stories of parental faithfulness through history have produced the same end. We hear many times of children coming of age, leaving the Church, and losing their faith in God.

I have witnessed flawed responses to this disheartening fact. There are well-meaning individuals who sincerely want their children to develop a relationship with God and love for His Church as they walk toward adulthood. Because of this desire, they strive after a “system” or “formula” that will ensure this result. Catholic parents can so often fall into a problematic mindset of religious “box-checking.” We can easily forget that our children belong to God, and that He — not us — is directing their journey. We are asked only to be faithful (not perfect) stewards of HIS children while they are under our guard.

With this foundational truth in mind, I want to offer a life-giving framework (not a system) for how we may go about being parents who are stewards of God’s children. How can we be faithful in our responsibility to pass on a knowledge and love of God, while ultimately leaving our children in God’s hands.

I would like to adapt the marvelous “Teacher’s Motto” established by British educator Charlotte Mason (1842-1923): “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life” (Home Education, XI). I would offer that spiritual formation (religious education) is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. Let me explain briefly what Mason meant by these terms. The atmosphere is the environment, that which individuals take in and absorb all around them just as one breathes in a breath of air. What is part of one’s atmosphere becomes part of oneself. Discipline has to do not with aspects of punishment (as some may attribute the word), but rather with the formation of habits. And finally, the “living” component refers to the life of ideas. I would offer that we Catholic parents are called to both model and moderate these three vital elements in our domestic churches.

Let’s look first at being models of the faith to our children:

  • Let us consider the atmosphere that we cultivate in our own individual lives as parents and/or as spouses. Is our faith life one that exudes the fruits of the Spirit? Do we walk in peace and order as we experience both joys and sufferings in our lives, or are our lives chaotic and lacking healthy rhythms?
  • Next, we should look at our habits. How do we practice our faith? Have we made prayer, the sacraments, Mass, etc. primary habits in our daily and weekly lives of faith? How do we habitually respond to others? What are our reflexes when we encounter suffering or difficult things?
  • Finally, need to consider whether we are filling our minds and hearts with the living ideas of our faith. Have we settled for unimaginative or “packaged” explanations for our faith, or have we dug in ourselves to the original sources of truth in Scripture, the Catechism, and primary church writings and documents? Are we spiritually and intellectually curious people who take joy in discovering for ourselves God’s truth wherever we might find it?

Now let’s examine our role as moderators of these vital elements in our children’s lives:

  • First, we must consider the atmosphere we parents create in our homes. What family and faith culture are we cultivating in the lives of our children? What are they taking in to be part of themselves and their lives of faith as they would take in breath?
  • Second, we are to provide habit-building opportunities for our children. How are we helping them to practice their faith? Have we made space for building the habit of prayer gradually as they grow older? Have we considered how to replace the bad habits of their lives (vices) with the opposite good habits (virtues)?
  • Third, we are to be spreading living ideas of faith before their minds and hearts. Have we thought critically about the books we allow to form their understanding of the faith? Have we offered them watered down ideas or ready-made answers for their questions? Or have we put in their path the most beautiful and well-articulated ideas of our faith and respected the minds God has given them to discover truth, whereby learning to love the discovery of it?

At best, I’ve laid out a skeletal framework here; but these ideas and questions should hopefully lead us toward a deeper and more life-giving consideration of what our true role is as parents in passing on our faith to our children. I believe that God would have us take heart in what He has made us capable of doing and experience peace in what is ultimately in His hands.

 

Copyright 2021 Jessica Ptomey
Feature Image Credit: Marcos Paolo Prado (2020), Unsplash

Imaginative Prayer

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I am part of the core team for the middle school youth group in my parish.  Every Monday we come together to play, snack, pray, and hopefully learn something about the faith.  When it was my turn to plan the night, knowing that the theme was prayer, I chose to teach how to pray with the scriptures using imaginative prayer which St. Ignatius of Loyola taught.  Here is the outline of the night:

  1. Scripture Charades:  break up into teams, with five or six on each team.  Give each team a different scripture passage and five minutes to figure out what they want to do.   Have each group stand up in front of the group and act it out; group that guesses it first goes next.
  • Here are some possible passages to use:  Jesus washing the Disciples feet, John 13;  Jesus Calls the Apostles to him, Matthew 4; Jesus heals a Blind Man, Mark 8; Jesus makes Peter the leader of the Church, Matthew 16; Jesus calms the storm, Luke 8. Print out the entire passage in case the group is not familiar with the story.  Note:  This took about 20 minutes with six groups.
  1. Opening Prayer
  2. Give the group the overview of the night: We are going to learn about St. Ignatius and way he taught people to pray.  Talk about St. Ignatius of Loyola and show some pictures of him.
  3. Explain what Imaginative Prayer is to the group: In this type of prayer, we read a Gospel passage and enter into it, putting ourselves into the story.  We think about what we can see, hear, smell, touch and maybe even taste.  We think about our reaction to what Jesus is saying or doing.
  4. Practice with the group using a familiar story. I used Jesus’ birth.    Ask these types of questions:  what do you see, smell, hear?  Who is with you?  Are you a shepherd, wise man, angel? Why?
  5. After you talk through the process and students respond, use a Gospel passage. I used Matthew 14:22-33, The Walking on Water.  Have the group spread out, sit in a relaxed position and close their eyes.  Read the passage slowly and with feeling.  When you are done reading, wait a few moments before having them open their eyes.  Discuss where they saw themselves in the passage, why and what it meant to them.   Questions: Where did you put yourself in the passage?  What did you notice from that point of view?  Why did you choose that person/perspective?  When you saw Jesus, how did you feel?  What did you learn about Jesus, yourself, others by doing this?
  6. Closing Prayer Time: Set up a table set up with tea light candles in the shape of a cross, one candle per student.  Play “Lord I need You” by Matt Maher while each student comes forward to light a candle, praying silently for a specific intention.  With just candles and low lights, talk about why prayer is necessary and important.

 Talking points for #’s 3, 5 and 7

#3  Talk about St. Ignatius very briefly:  was a soldier, a bit of a  flirt, liked to have fun, fought in war, cannonball to the legs, very vain, had legs broken and reset so they would look good; long recovery with nothing to do except read holy books, lives of saints and the Bible; had a conversion and realized he was living his life for all the wrong things.  Went off lived in a cave for a year, never cut his nails or hair, eventually formed a group of men who went about teaching and preaching, Jesuits.  Ignatius was very practical.  One way he suggested to pray was Imaginative Prayer.  We enter into the Gospel and see ourselves there, with Jesus in the story.

#5 It’s a cool evening and Mary and Joseph have finally found shelter, we say they were in a stable, but it probably was more like a small cave.  It offered protection and privacy.  They were very tired after travelling to Bethlehem from Nazareth.  Mary was going to have her baby, her son, who would be the savior of the world.  She gave birth and wrapped Jesus in a blanket.  Jesus was a beautiful little boy, perfect with lots of hair and sweet blue eyes.  He hardly cried as Mary laid him down so they could sleep.

Joseph watched over them, thanking God all was well.  He breathed a deep sigh of relief and closed his eyes.

Joseph stirred and opened his eyes.  What does he see?

Ever so quietly, shepherds had come to see the baby Jesus after an angel came and told them the good news that he was born.  A multitude of heavenly angels saying Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rest.  Gently Joseph wakes up Mary and she picks Jesus up, showing her son to the shepherds.

Other soon come to Jesus, they bring food and drink for Mary and Joseph.  One day, three Kings come to visit.  They bring gifts for Jesus.  Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Mary is a bit confused as to why a baby would need these, but accepts them with grace.

Finally all the visitors stop and the Holy Family has time to rest before the next journey.

#7  Prayer: where we sit and focus on God, maybe read the Sunday readings and put ourselves in the Gospel; maybe it’s praying a rosary; maybe on a Friday you can go to Adoration.  We can’t treat God like a once in a while thing, or we’ll forget about him.  Or if we only reach out when we need him; what do we think about people who do that to us?

 

Why We Should Pray With Our Children From an Early Age

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Hi All!

This is my ten-minute discussion with Matt Swaim on the Son Rise Morning Show, today!

We cover why it’s important to pray with children from an early age, what they learn, and how to help our teens and young adults who have lost their faith. Just the simplest points are discussed, but we could go a lot deeper.

I’d love your comments, suggestions, and questions in the chat!

 

Here’s where you can order my book, “Heads Bowed: Prayers for Catholic School Days.”

I’m looking forward to your comments!

Blessings,

Lisa Mladinich

Follow me on Facebook!

FREE FABULOUS Stocking Stuffers from Chris Stefanick

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Ho Ho Ho, my Friends! 

Click the Stocking!

If you’re like me, you probably can’t get enough of Chris Stefanick’s one-to-two minute inspirational videos, every one of them a holy shot in the arm that can take a dull day and make it vibrant.

The past few months, Chris has been knocking it out of the park every Friday with bite-sized, powerhouse snippets called, “Real Life Minutes,” that truly put handles on some critically-important concepts to help you ramp up your life of faith.

And now, his wonderful team has made this delightful FREE series available for easy sharing!

Unwrap them slowly over time, or empty the whole thing on the floor and BINGE.

Why wait? Get started!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love,

Lisa

Puppet Script: Jesus, the Greatest Gift of All!

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This week, I offer you another Advent-themed script about a grumpy kid frustrated with all the busyness and distraction of the adults during Advent.

Jesus the Greatest Gift of All-Advent

Feel free to change the names, add or subtract from the content, and share my free script in any way that helps you catechize and enjoy the season with your family, your students, or your parish. I recommend it be used as a puppet show for little ones or a skit to be performed by your confident readers!

NOTE: The only thing I ask is that you not sell the scripts. I own the copyrights and I’d like to keep them free for everyone. If you charge for performances, that’s fine. I know your ministries can use all the help they can get!

p.s.

Some of my scripts, you will notice, were inspired (many years ago) by a Christian script writer by the name of Louise Ferry. I believe this is where you can currently find her wonderful work: https://puppetscripts.tripod.com/puppet.htm

Advent Puppet Script

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My Friends!

Today, to mark the beginning of this holy Advent season, I’m sharing a sweet Advent puppet script, which I wrote years ago. It can be performed easily by any adult or teen. In fact, any child who reads well can perform them!

I have dozens of such scripts, some connected with the liturgical year, others with articles of our faith, others with virtues (which I created for our local YMCA nursery school), some created for VBS programs (for free, by request), and so on. I’ll be sharing them here at AmazingCatechists.com, in the coming weeks and months, and may eventually create an ebook, so you can acquire the whole “collection.”

How to perform the show

Simply sit with the script pages laid out on a desk or story rug and gather the children around you, or hand out copies and use it as a skit for older students to act out together in front of the class.

Use a different “voice” for each of the two characters, moving the one that is speaking, to make it clear for the children.

Some of them are wacky and silly, while others are more reverent. Be sensitive to mood, and have fun!

Please read my “Note on Reverence” before using any of my scripts. It’s important, truly.

A note from the author about reverence

And, without further ado, here is The Empty Manger, to start off your Advent season with the children:

The Empty Manger

A little history, if you have a minute more…

Between 2003 and 2008, I wrote dozens of puppet scripts for use in a YMCA nursery-school (virtue) program, then for Catholic and Christian children’s events, library programs, parties, scout troops, and finally my own religious education classroom. I was a volunteer mom teaching elementary-aged kids, but I was also a writer and a former actress, so–along with the Holy Rosary and our parish curriculum–I incorporated singing and creative dramatics, every week.

I almost always capped my lessons with a puppet show (hastily created beforehand), and the children adored them. It was a reward for good behavior, I told the children, but it was also a way to emphasize a point from that day’s lesson, break open a difficult concept, or make a dry subject fun and intriguing. If we had time and the children were clamoring to see it again, I would do an encore performance. Each lasts only a few minutes, and I figured, “Hey, they’re asking for another lesson in their faith. How can I say no?” They wanted to touch and talk with the puppets, so I often held a brief, extremely silly, improvised Q&A with the characters, after the show.

My religious education credo

To ignite their imaginations is extremely important to me, and I sincerely believe that it is a crying shame, if not actually sinful because it’s so dishonest, to make our amazing, transformative Catholic faith a dull and ordinary business. So I gave it my all, each week, begging the Holy Spirit to “light me up” and make the lessons impactful. He never let me down.

A little more about how to use them…

At the end of the day’s teaching, using whatever hand puppets I had at the time, I sat on the story rug, placed the scripts on the floor in front of me, and gathered the eager children around me. I started out using some old, neglected puppets they had at the YMCA, when I volunteered for a summer program with nursery-school-aged children. I also incorporated sock puppets, which were a scream and easy to make (and I am the least crafty person I know). But eventually, I bought an adorable, racially-diverse collection of “kid” puppets that Oriental Trading used to sell cheap. I added some animal puppets my daughter had been given (and never used), and a few oddball ones I borrowed from some enthusiastic neighbor kids (who were not using their’s, either).

A couple of important insights

As I branched out into children’s parties and library programs, I noticed a couple of amazing things:

  • all kids enjoyed the shows–even kids as old as 14 wanted to try them on after the show and make up their own stories,
  • and special needs children who normally could not attend long to a regular lesson were spell-bound by the puppets.

The puppets excited them like nothing else–like animated characters sprung into 3-D before their eyes!

CatholicMom.com…

Then, in 2007 (or thereabouts), I was on a Catholic writers’ email group, and offered to share my scripts for free to anyone who wanted them. Another member, the lovely Lisa Hendey, invited me to share them with the world at her popular site, CatholicMom.com. They had a home there, as a “puppet ministry” until 2019, when the site went through an overhaul and all PDF content was lost. (I just found out about it because someone tracked me down, asking for the scripts, and I made inquiries.)

The upshot is that I’m now sharing them here, so stay tuned!

Next up will be a Christmas show about a disgruntled kid feeling lost in the busyness of the season, who learns a lesson about service and sacrifice. Coming soon!

I pray these little lessons bless you and the children you care about, pray for, and teach. I would love to hear from you about how you use them, and I pray they will inspire you to create and share scripts of your own! I’d be happy to post them, here.

Feel free to write to me: lisa@wonderfullymade139.com

A very sweet and holy Advent to you and yours!

Lisa

Exciting Opportunity for Our Amazing Catechists Community!

By

Have you ever thought about writing for AmazingCatechists.com?

If so, I’d love to hear from you!

Even though we are still blessed with thousands of visitors to this site, every single month, and the site is packed with over a thousand incredibly varied free resources, I have to admit, I haven’t been doing much with the site lately.

For the last several years, I’ve been building a Catholic coaching business, teaching online, podcasting for homeschoolers, and—just lately–creating a brand-new video-cast about the intersection of faith and talent, called Wonderfully Made. (I’ve already started production and will be launching in the near future. I’ll tell you more about that, soon!)

But back to my need for contributors to this wonderful little site.

There was a time when this site was “my baby”! We had a group of a dozen or so regular contributors, and I tended the site with daily care. Over a short period, I and my volunteers watched joyfully as AmazingCatechists.com grew by leaps and bounds!

What started out as a totally unknown start-up site in 2008, soon became well-known in catechetical circles. With a thriving audience reading their work, the site helped some get the attention of Catholic book publishers. It became a platform for many new and up-and-coming writers and speakers to get noticed and then to leap-frog out to other bigger, more established sites and events.

Because I’ve been a best-selling writer and speaker in the Catholic world for over ten years, I would talk with many of these publishers at Catholic conferences, and they would tell me,

“You’ve got some very good writers, there. We’re keeping an eye on AmazingCatechists.com!”

However, because I got so very busy writing, speaking, traveling around the country, teaching, and publishing…I inadvertently allowed the site to fall into disuse. It’s bothered me for quite a while, but I was busier than I’d ever been, spinning plates and trying not to let any hit the floor, as I freelanced my head off and paid for my daughter’s college. I felt the Lord saying, “It’s okay. Just keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll tell you when to get back to AmazingCatechists.com.”

Well, my daughter graduated in June of this year–with honors and no debt–and her very tired, very proud mom heaved a HUGE sigh of relief.

So, guess what?

It’s time to breathe new life into this beautiful “baby,” with the help of dedicated catechists, educators, parents, and ministry heroes like you!

If you’re intrigued, please drop me a line with some ideas about the kind of work you’re interested in doing, and tell me a little about yourself! I’m listing some possibilities at the end of this post, to jumpstart your thinking, but I’m open to suggestions!

For instance, I’m always open to students with a passion for the Church, retirees finally getting to devote time to ministry, and any of the thousands of unsung heroes giving of themselves so generously out in the vineyards of the Lord.

What that means is that you don’t have to have any publishing experience at all! And you can start building your own publishing and speaking platform right here!

All you really need to get started is a love of God, faithfulness to the authentic teachings of the Church, and a desire to serve.

There’s no money in it, but believe me, God will pay you back in full—and then some. He is incredibly generous.

And He will use your work to touch the lives of others, lifting their spirits with your generous contributions, and providing them with practical, free support when they need it most.

So…

I’m praying that, if you’re getting that little Holy Spirit nudge right about now, you’ll reach out to me and start a conversation.

I’d love to hear from you!

Write to me here: lisa@mladinich.com

I can’t wait to meet you.

In Jesus through Mary,
Lisa Mladinich
Owner, AmazingCatechists.com
and WonderfullyMade139.com

A little brainstorming…

  • Are you a Catholic catechist, homeschooler, parent, grandparent, Catholic educator or student, ministry leader, evangelist, or apologist with experiences to share or tips that might be helpful to others?
  • Do you enjoy reviewing books, art, music, apps, or media that our niche Catholic readers would enjoy?
  • Do you have a knack for turning lessons and concepts into graphic resources that help parents and catechists hand on the faith to the children in their care?
  • Are you experienced in running retreats, conferences, and other faith-based events—in person or online—that have taught you valuable, sharable lessons?
  • Are you creative and eager to share your teaching techniques, classroom management strategies, and innovative ideas for handing on the Faith?
  • Would you like to try your hand at interviewing Catholics about their walk of faith, their original programs, or their successes in bringing new Catholics into the Church?
  • Do you create art, videos, music, fiction, or anything else out-of-the-box designed to help draw others closer to God?