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Seven Ways to Observe Advent with Children

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.
I bought one similar to this for our family.

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.

Meet Two Teens who use Social Media to Evangelize

By Mary Lou Rosien

Freeimages.com/luisosorio

There are a few strong voices in the world of Teen Catholic Social Media. I recently had the privilege of interviewing two of them for an article on Catechist.com, Jimmy Reynolds, @litcatholicmemes on Instagram and Peter Burleigh of @Jesufex (Young Catholics) on Twitter. I wanted to share some of the insights they shared with me.

Why did you start your page?

I wanted to start this page because I wanted to try to be a part of something where I could reach a large number of people and show them the faith. I loved seeing memes on Instagram, and I felt like there weren’t that many new Catholic memes being made, just a few old ones that got passed around a lot. I had a few ideas, so I decided to start a page. Now a year later, the ideas haven’t really stopped.
Jimmy R.

I always wrote down anything I thought to be interesting—perhaps a bit too meticulously. One day I realized that other people would probably want to hear what I’m hearing. After a bit of prayer and discernment (because it would not be a small commitment if there were an audience—I would be responsible if I led people the wrong way) I set up the account late one night. Then, whenever I got a hint of truth about the world or some whisper in prayer I shared it. It was always something basic: asking prayers for a friend, noting that God shows His love through making the sun rise every day, and perhaps a few Bible quotes. Over the years my knowledge of the Church and spirituality increased (a bit faster than I would have liked) and so I found that I never ran out of material to share. I love listening to talks and podcasts and so the small things I can wring out I hope to make a difference in the lives of people who follow me. Over time it has become easier to say more with fewer characters, suggesting bigger ideas with the same limit. Not that I’m a rock star at tweeting, but I go for that; I think it makes a difference when people are forced to stop and think about what I’m saying rather than get a message they’ve already heard. The last thing I want is to tweet platitudes.
Peter B.

What is the Goal of your page in terms of evangelization and catechesis?

They [other teens] don’t consider investing any time in the Church, because that’s not the lifestyle they wanna live. S,o I am hoping that by running my page, I can show people that you can live a life devoted to Christ, and still enjoy life here on earth, as that will ultimately lead you to the fulfillment of life in Heaven.
Jimmy R.

Young people are thirsting for real connection and faith that demands they change their lives. They don’t want a voice online telling them to frequent confession [that] only makes a difference in the world of the Internet. People change their lives more often through what they hear in person rather than what they read online. And this is an unfortunate difficulty because the amount [number] of solid parishes out there are too few. Young people want something more, but they don’t know how to go about finding it; in person is what hits hardest, but online is much easier. I think once we have the understanding that one voice amongst a million others is not going to do it. I think things like YouTube channels and other subscription programs (where a person is more isolated and has to go out of their way to pay attention) are effective; I think well-written blogs are effective, as are songs. If you want to be heard, go to the tower and not the market place. For those who want, my favorite resources are…Ascension Presents (YouTube), @emwilss (Instagram), @FrMatthewLC (Twitter), and definitely “The Crunch” and “Pints With Aquinas” Catholic podcasts.
Peter B.

What else do you want others to know?

I never would have thought I could make this many [memes], and it is truly a testament of God working and inspiring me with so many ideas. As long as He inspires me, I will keep making more. All glory to God.
Jimmy R.

Stick close to the Sacraments. Frequent Mass as often as you can; carpe those graces. Get cleaned up in reconciliation at least once a month. Keep close with the friends who lift you up. Spend time with your family as much as they annoy you. Look at beautiful things. Most importantly, disconnect from the Internet as often as possible so you’re in every moment of your own life. Never take yourself so seriously that you can’t laugh at yourself. The glory of God is man fully alive.
Peter B.

Catechesis or Apologetics; Do You Know the Difference?

By Mary Lou Rosien

Evangelistic Catholics who use the terms catechesis and apologetics, may be assuming people know what they are talking about. There are important differences, not only in the terms and what they mean, but in when they should be used.

Catechesis refers to the handing on of the Catholic faith, often through the use of a catechism. If you look at the index of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you will find a large volume of information on the teachings of the Catholic Church, on virtually every subject imaginable. From Abortion to the Death Penalty, Eucharist to Anointing of the Sick, and Mass attendance to Holy Days of Obligation, much of what we believe is explained within.

Apologetics is a system of well-reasoned arguments in defense of Catholic teachings; using history, practical knowledge, experience, Scripture and even science, apologetics demonstrates how the Church arrives at the conclusions it does.* The Church is believed to be led by the Holy Spirit and to possess the “Full Deposit of Faith,” through its understanding of Sacred Scripture and Tradition. The Catholic Faith does not change in the sense of dogma; however, the Church does develop a deeper understanding of that deposit of faith, as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

So when should a catechist use straight catechesis and when is apologetics more appropriate? This is a complicated question. I believe we should be aware of both and ready to use them as needed. Scripture tells us that we need to “be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15) To decide which is most appropriate, we need to ask ourselves a few questions.

What is the purpose of your discussion? If a student (or anyone else) has challenged you on a particular tenet of faith, backing up the teaching with apologetics (in a loving way) can assist your student in understanding why the Church teaches what it does. If, however, you are just providing information on Church teaching, then straightforward catechesis is a good place to start.

Do they need head knowledge or heart knowledge? Sometimes students grasp a concept easily but cannot advance that knowledge without a deeper understanding. This can work either way. Some people can understand that 1 + 1=2 without additional information, while others need to see physical evidence of the concept to internalize it. I find that catechesis provides the initial information, whereas, apologetics provides the concrete evidence that some need.

How old is the student? Younger students (in my experience) are very accepting of information and need little else. Consider how a First Communion class responds to finding out that the Eucharist is truly Jesus. The little ones will often say, “Hi, Jesus,” and wave. They just accept what you have taught them. Their parents, on the other hand, have often long since forgotten that innocence, and they want additional information. Apologetics can come in very handy at that point.

We cannot have too much knowledge, and the study of the Catechism and Catholic apologetics go hand in hand. The two are complementary, as both the head and heart journey to a deeper understanding of the Catholic Faith–and an appreciation for how blessed we are to practice it.

*Some free resources for apologetics online:

Catholic Answers

New Evangelizers

Book Review: To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach by Jared Dees

By Deanna Bartalini

Those of us in the business of doing Catechesis are well aware that things are not quite coming together as we’d hoped. And there is frustration all around along with finger pointing and blaming. In addition, we have this call to the New Evangelization and honestly, for many catechists that’s too much on top of trying to teach about the faith. Or is it?
Jared Dees new book, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach: The Essential Guide to Ministry in Today’s Catholic Church shows us how to put evangelization and catechesis together in ways that I believe can work.
There is comprehensive information about where we stand in religious education, how we got here, and what needs to change. But Dees does not leave it there. Which is good, because at 300 pages I really wanted some practical advice on how to improve the faith formation program I run.
And practical is what is in there. For different levels, ages and stages of the people we minister to in our parishes. Let’s face it, there is no one size fits all when it comes to “how to do it”, whatever “it” you are trying to do. But there are best practices and proven ideas they can help you figure out the next step.
A few key points from the book that struck me:
The distinction between kerygma and didache; “Kerygma is the first proclamation….It expresses the essential of our faith to those who have yet to fully accept it in their lives.” “Didache, on the other hand, is the deposit of faith passed down through the Church from Jesus himself.”
Dees quotes St. John Paul II, “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ.” Yet when we plan our programs, is our main focus communion with Christ or what needs to be known in order to be confirmed? It’s not that knowledge is bad, but it is not the end goal.
One of my favorite sections in the book was Entertainment Vs. Engagement. Dees points out that “Engagement is unlike entertainment in that we are required to participate…we do the creating…Engagement is not easy; it is challenging. “Jesus challenged the people of his time and so must we.
Dees does an excellent job of explain what he means by heal, proclaim and teach. If he had stopped there it would be an interesting book. But he goes one step further in Part IV of the book by giving concrete examples of Evangelizing Ministry with Every Generation. Besides all of this practical information each chapter has additional resources on the website, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach.
If you are involved in parish ministry, as a paid professional or volunteer, this book is an excellent resource. It gave me direction, practical ideas and even more importantly, hope. I could not recommend it more strongly.

For more information on the book and to purchase a copy go to Ave Maria Press.

Hope in Rising

By Elizabeth Tichvon

Today’s First Reading from St. Paul to the Thessalonians is a verse that is special to my soul. When my Sister-in-Law’s beloved Mother died, she asked that I choose and give one of the Readings at the funeral Mass. While I was honored that she wanted me to participate, I saw it as complete obedience to our Lord – to share the immense hope that can only be found in Him.

As a catechist and disciple of Christ, I am moved by the Holy Spirit to bring this good news to those He puts in front of me. My heart ached for my dear Sister-in-Law and her family, but at the same time was burning to share the hope that’s in our own Resurrection. Yes! Our own Resurrection. I knew that, although many there were Christians, they did not know. So I chose this verse by St. Paul because it consoles us with hope. Hope, because like Christ, we will rise.

“We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives for ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like his own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity.” (Catechism, Para. 989)

Today the Reading came up in the Liturgy again, and once more it ignited the flame in my heart to share it.

Did you know?

________________________

“We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,

about those who have fallen asleep,

so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,

so too will God, through Jesus,

bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,

that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,

will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, with a word of command,

with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,

will come down from heaven,

and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left,

will be caught up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air.

Thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, console one another with these words” (1 Thes 4:13-18).

Elizabeth Tichvon, Catechist Daily

Should they Stay or Should they Go? RCIA Retention

By Mary Lou Rosien

I was recently asked to present at an RCIA Conference about retaining folks who come into our Christian Initiation Program. It has been my observation that people leave for a variety of reasons, likewise, those who stay do so for many different reasons.

Reasons for leaving:
*The teachings of the Catholic Church are hard. As in John 6:60-68, people often tell me that the teachings are difficult to accept and so, they walk away. They do not want to conform their lives to the Church’s teachings on things like sexuality and the need for the sacrament of confession.

*It is a large time commitment. (In many non-denominational churches, all that is required is an altar call and possibly a baptism-or mistakenly, a second baptism).

*They don’t get enough out of the RCIA program.

*They don’t feel connected to our community.

So how do we meet the needs of the population seeking to be Catholic while still protecting the integrity of our RCIA programs?

Increasing Retention:
*Meet them where they are, but DO NOT LEAVE THEM THERE. We must teach the truth about the Faith. We can’t water it down to make it easier to accept, but we can teach with reason and kindness. Recognizing that each individual is formed by their own, “education and experiences,”(Matthew Kelly) we have to bring them along carefully. We should take our example from Christ, and if they walk away we must trust the Holy Spirit with their faith journey and not ourselves.

*Be creative with time issues. We changed our program to include Mass prior to class, longer class time for prayer/discussion and we decreased the number of classes. This seemed to better suit the needs of our population.

*Involve participants in parish activities and service projects early on. The fastest way to feel like part of the community is to be part of that community. Look for ways to bring them into the fold in a positive way.

*Don’t stop with the end of the RCIA year. Help connect your students to parish groups, activities and opportunities for further study. Several of my recent converts are now attending our parish series on Apologetics. Consider inviting them to witness the following year in the RCIA program and plan reunions for your groups.

Above all, remember that it is only our job to properly invite and instruct. It is the Holy Spirit who converts hearts!! God bless.

Do We Need A Paradigm Shift?

By William O'Leary

If in 1990 you would have asked people if they would buy bottled drinking water they would have laughed at you or rolled their eyes. But today 9.67 billion gallons of bottled water is consumed in the United States alone (according to the International Bottled Water Association’s 2012 report).

In the same vain if in 1990 you would have said that the paradigm for religious education will not be the best means of forming children in the 21st century few would have listened.

I could write an educational catechetical dissertation (maybe I should) on how we got to the place we are at in the realm of catechetical formation of young people. I will spare you, at least for now, a lengthy introduction to the state of education and catechesis today. However, let me share that neither in public education or in catechetical formation is the factory model working as an effective model for catechetical formation.

I don’t think it is a complete failure but I wonder if there are better models that need to be considered today. The factory model has been defined in various ways, but here is one definition: “In the “factory” school, all students were grouped chronologically, were taught the same material from the same textbook, and were expected to function in an obedient, non-questioning manner (Schrenko, 1994).” This method allows teachers to teach the same way all subjects at the same pace to all the children in the classroom.

Our catechetical classrooms today follow this model to a great degree although with some variation. Technology is driving much of education and there are many attempts to reconsider the 150 year old factory model that has impacted all education.

In parish religious education/catechetical formation we have a number of current obstacles that I’ve encountered through using this factory classroom model:

1) Catechizing is more challenging today because you have students who have been sacramentalized but have a very limited knowledge and understanding of the faith, and students who know the facts but have not come to a place where they are in a deeper relationship with Christ (not meaning to make any judgments on where they are in that relationship).

2) Students are coming to class with little encounter with Christ at Mass (usually because they are not being taken by their parents).

3) Many catechists aren’t trained teachers and do not have the ability to facilitate the learning needs of each student.

4) Catechetical formation happens only once a week and for only a short amount of time.

Today there is a great need to begin considering what we can do to shift the current predominant paradigm in our religious education classes. As students get older they do not desire to learn in the way we are teaching them (this goes for both public education as well as catechetical formation). “The specific aim of catechesis”, according to St. John Paul II is to:

to develop, with God’s help, an as yet initial faith, and to advance in fullness and to nourish day by day the Christian life of the faithful, young and old…Catechesis aims therefore at developing understanding of the mystery of Christ in the light of God’s word, so that the whole of a person’s humanity is impregnated by that word. Changed by the working of grace into a new creature, the Christian thus sets himself to follow Christ and learns more and more within the Church to think like Him, to judge like Him, to act in conformity with His commandments, and to hope as He invites us to. (Catechesis in Our Time #20).

The Church’s mission to hand on the faith has always been the same, but it seems that at least some kind of shift is in order for 21st century catechetical formation.

3 Questions

1) How can we proclaim to Gospel Message to those we encounter in our classrooms and best hand on the faith today?

2) What obstacles are you encountering in today’s religious education classroom?

3) Do you see any possible solutions to how we can make a shift?

Originally posted at relevantcatechesis.com

Forming Missionary Disciples

By William O'Leary

In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love. Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are “disciples” and “missionaries”, but rather that we are always “missionary disciples”. – Pope Francis in EG #120

The Church at this very moment is in great need of missionary disciples willing to say yes to not keeping their faith too close to the vest but to share and live the faith with boldness and with the confidence that human happiness is found most fully in modeling Christ and giving our lives away in service and sacrifice.

What does this mean for Catechesis?

1) Christ came to seek and save the lost — we have to go and search for the lost. And as Pope Francis numerous times in his apostolic letter, we must invite “everyone” into the fold. Pope Francis said: “The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open” ( EG #46).

One of the most profound statements in Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter is paragraph#49:

Let us go forth, then, let us go forth to offer everyone the life of Jesus Christ. Here I repeat for the entire Church what I have often said to the priests and laity of Buenos Aires: I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the centre and which then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life. More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: “Give them something to eat” (Mk 6:37).

We must never tire of welcoming the weak, broken, sinners into the loving arms of the Church which is an icon of Christ Himself.”

2) When we transmit the Faith, the Pope calls for a “missionary style” in Proclaiming/announcing the Gospel Message. It must be with joy, it must be with vigor and it must communicate the crucified and risen Lord (Cf. EG #11). It’s the basic Gospel message which we should never assume that those we teach have embraced. Our style is always missionary in order to announce with joy the Good News of Jesus Christ and it’s always drawing people more fully into the riches of Christ.

3) Inculturate the Gospel. Finding new expressions of announcing the Gospel so that it will be received is vital for the handing on of the Faith in the Third Millennium. Pope Francis said:

69. It is imperative to evangelize cultures in order to inculturate the Gospel. In countries of Catholic tradition, this means encouraging, fostering and reinforcing a richness which already exists. In countries of other religious traditions, or profoundly secularized countries, it will mean sparking new processes for evangelizing culture, even though these will demand long-term planning. We must keep in mind, however, that we are constantly being called to grow. Each culture and social group needs purification and growth. In the case of the popular cultures of Catholic peoples, we can see deficiencies which need to be healed by the Gospel: machismo, alcoholism, domestic violence, low Mass attendance, fatalistic or superstitious notions which lead to sorcery, and the like. Popular piety itself can be the starting point for healing and liberation from these deficiencies.

The three points specify ways we can be missionary disciples today in our world and to our students. May Our Lady be our model and intercede for us to bring forth the Good News of her Son!

Engaging the Faithful for the New Evangelization

By William O'Leary

Where do we go to know how to engage the modern world for the New Evangelization? What resources can to look to to assist us as evangelizers – those who desire to proclaim the truths of the Gospel message? At the heart of it is the kerygma, which is the essential proclamation of the Gospel message. In addition the living sources of the Faith – Liturgy, church fathers, saints, Church documents, ecumenical councils (all a part of the living Tradition of the Church). The first place to go where all this is systematically and organically presented is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

During the Synod on the New Evangelisation Pope Benedict XVI gave a message to the world’s catechists for those who transmit the faith and one of my friends was chosen to receive this message personally from the pope. What did Pope Benedict give her?

First, let me say that just as at the close of the Second Vatican Council when Pope Paul VI delivered special messages to various groups, Pope Benedict XVI concluded the Mass for the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II by giving special messages. These were the same messages given by Paul VI except that an additional one was added for all those who transmit the faith.

This message given by the Holy Father to my friend on behalf of all who transmit the faith were not additional words, but a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – the Catechism was the message.

Dr. Petroc Willey said the following about how the Catechism is a key instrument for the New Evangelization:

“In 1992, the key instrument for the New Evangelization appeared, in the form of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism was written with the express intention of communicating to the world the ardour of God’s love for us, communicating on every page the Good News of the love that has no beginning, that ‘never ends’, and that overflows for each one of us in the work of redeeming grace. It is new in its means of expression, and especially in the language of a deep respect of human freedom, as we are each invited to collaborate with God’s grace. And it is from the Catechism that new methods can securely emerge, methods that follow the unique pedagogy of the faith laid out and presented in the pages of this work (The Catechism at the Service of the New Evangelization).”

The Catechism is “the key instrument” because it not only contains the essentials of the faith to be handed on, but it also communicates the Faith with the explicit intention of illustrating how enormously attractive it is. The Catechism also has the intention of inviting one to encounter the living God – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and be brought into deeper communion with God.

Music Can Help Teach the Faith

By Justin Combs

Music is a medium that can help to mold a mind and soul. We see how music affects our culture, drives fashion and other fads, and influences our thoughts and speech. You are tapping into this powerful medium while you are passing on the faith right? If you are great, I’m going to help strengthen your use of music and broaden your view of the great music that is at our disposal. If you aren’t using music to help teach the faith there is no better time to start than now.

I have found in a lot of classrooms, formation offices, and youth group functions there is either music missing, or good music missing. As a teenager the CD that was always played at youth group functions was “Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits.” Granted, I am now a Steve Miller Band fan but I don’t think listening to him in the background helped to strengthen my faith or understanding of Catholic teaching. Sometimes I notice some of today’s top Christian artists playing like Third Day, Relient K, Michael W. Smith, etc. All of these artists are fine and great. They bring a good solid Christian message in their music and they can certainly have their place, but we are missing a large market of great music made by Catholic musicians that bring strong catechesis and great passion. Other times I hear chant and other styles of sacred music playing. Don’t get me wrong, this has its place and is important. All Catholics should be introduced to chant and other kinds of sacred music. I want you to think of this though. What kind of music are your students listening to when they are with their friends, at home, at school, in the car? What would you think if I told you there were Catholic artists that your students would want to listen to at these places? This may surprise you, but there are many great Catholic artists making great music that rival the popular artists of today. Unfortunately the market and venues for this great Catholic music is very small so your chance of stumbling upon it is slim. Great news, I have done the hard work for you.

Over the last couple of years I have been working on finding some great Catholic musicians that produce high quality music with great foundations in the Catholic faith. There is no reason we shouldn’t be using this music to help strengthen our teaching. Here are some of the fruits of my labor. Browse through these artists and enjoy their music. After the list I will have some ways you can use this music in your classroom, home, lessons, etc.

First, the artists you may have already heard of:

Matt Maher – He has played music at World Youth Day, has toured with Jars of Clay and Mercy Me, and has his music played on top Christian radio stations around the country.
Audrey Assad – A friend of Matt Maher, she was on a top Christian label but is now an independent artists. She has a wonderful voice and a great songwriting style.
Jackie Francois – A speaker/musician that speaks a lot on chastity, purity, modesty, and relationships.
Bob Rice – Bob is a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville as well a musician/speaker. He plays accordion and is often leading praise and worship at the Steubenville youth conference in Ohio.
Chris Padgett – Chris is also a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is a very funny and faith filled musician/speaker.

Here are some artists that are often at nation Catholic youth functions:

Popple – An acoustic humor rock duo. They have a strong faith and can relate to a younger audience. They use humor in their music to help bring Christ’s message.
Michael James Mette – A father that tours a lot to help raise his family. He has a pretty rocking sound to his music.
Josh Blakesley – An artist from OCP (They have many great artists) with a great voice and a strong story.
Jacob and Matthew Band – A duo that travels with their band. They recently played in Rio for World Youth Day.
Lee Roessler – A strong Catholic rock sound with some great lyrics.

Lastly here are some artist that you probably have never heard of or seen:

The Thirsting – A rocking group from California that plays edgier music with well thought out Catholic lyrics.
Clap For Poland – A group with a very unique sound.
Joia Farmer – A mother and wife who works with her husband as a youth minister. She has a very soulful voice.
Fr. Rob Galea – A Catholic priest in Australia that makes some great, relevant music.
Righteous B – Bob Lesnefsky is a Catholic hip hop artists with a great inner city ministry in Steubenville, OH.
Chris Bray – He’s from Canada, but he spend quite a bit of time in the US lugging his guitar around and leading worship. He is a husband and father as well.

Here are some more resources where you can find and listen to more Catholic music:

Now that you found some great Catholic music, how do you use it? Here are some ideas.

Simply have it playing in the background.
Find a song that works with whatever you are teaching. You will easily be able to find a song about God’s will, love, Mary, ordination, and other great themes with these artists.
Find out what music your students listen to and do this, “Oh you like _____, have a listen to this.” Some of these artists have bulk discounts so you can even give away CDs when your students like them.
When I taught middle school faith formation I would start with the gospel for that day and find a song that would go with it. We the then spend a short amount of time reading, listening, and discussing.

There are just a few small ideas to use. Music is too powerful a tool not to use. If you have other ways that you use music to teach the faith let me know in the comments.