Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

Turn Your Crosses into Ladders

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If Christ came to earth to teach us the way to Heaven, then we may rightly accept that his words and actions are sanctified lessons in that path.  His examples of love, service, sacrifice, mercy, compassion, dedication, and obedience to the Will of God are found throughout his life and ministry. Beyond the more obvious lessons, however, lie transcendent yet pervasive examples of how to fall. Typically, we see falls as dreaded, embarrassing stumbles to be avoided at all costs. Many times, we see them as windows to our weakness we would much rather stuff under the bed and forget or deny. Such terror in the face of falls dissolves in the face of trusting God. In that context, let me offer the following gentle suggestions.

God Fell for Us

We know that God is perfect and cannot fall but, in a sense, He fell for us from the moment He created us. We know that God loved us before He created us ( Jer 31:3) and that this love has been present in everything He has done for us ( Ps 139: 13-16).  We also know that Christ fell for us because he became one of us, while still divine as well, to defeat sin and permit our salvation.

Fall for God

There are mainly two reasons why we may fall.  We may fall due to our human weakness and sin. While we should certainly do our best to avoid such falls, the fact is that we will fall despite those struggles because we are human. The devil wants us to give up when we fall due to sin, to feel hopeless and helpless. Reconciliation offers us the way back from such falls precisely because God’s love always defeats the devil’s lies.

The second reason we may fall will be due to things beyond our control. These innocent falls are part of life. Since he was perfect and sinless, Christ never fell to sin, but he certainly fell into struggles and frustrations because he was human. St Alphonsus Liguori often tells us to offer our falls to the goodness of God’s Will regardless of our distaste for them.  People often allow injustice or misfortune to sow bitterness and resentment.  Again, that is precisely what the devil wants, so we must look beyond our human agenda and have enough trust and love of God to embrace such falls as His Will. Since God is all good, then it follows that his Will is all good. If we offer our falls as products of God’s Will, then we will come to accept them as serving some good purpose despite our distaste for them.

The Pauses That are Not

It is easy to see falls as mistakes to be avoided and embarrassing signs of our weakness. However, such feelings stem from worrying too much about what this world thinks of us or thinking too much about our ego.  Others see falls as breaks in the actions, pauses in the proceedings, intermissions or bathroom or food breaks during the play or big game. Such views help us to ignore or brush falls aside and fail to learn and grow from them.

The truth is, falls are a part of the big game and the play of life.  They are very much part of the action and players in our plot if we allow them to contribute to who we are and become. Imagine that every play or movie was all success and smiles. Such efforts would teach very little and pretend a lot. They would not be real.

The more we come to see our falls as active parts of our lives and not aberrations, the more we will learn from and, yes, even embrace them as lessons and opportunities to grow toward God.  Falls are not silent pauses; rather, they can speak volumes if we are willing to listen and act on them.

Let Your Crosses Become Ladders

St. Rose of Lima is quoted as saying that “Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.”  If we truly fancy ourselves followers of Christ, we must start seeing our crosses as ladders rather than burdens.  The key to that view is trying to see falls as opportunities to learn how to grow toward God instead of feverishly trying to avoid them like misfortunes, mistakes, or failures. By doing this, we too may sanctify the falls in our lives rather than spend our efforts cursing them.

2018 Gabriel Garnica

 

 

Three Secrets That Lead to Advent Joy, Not Exhaustion

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Advent comes from the Latin word, “adventus,” which means “coming.” Jesus is coming, we know, and there is much to do! But life can be intensely stressful, noisy, and draining, especially when we are caught up in the material demands of the Christmas season.

Lenten Vestments (Catholic Company) [Click for ordering information]

In the race for the perfect gifts, decorations, foods, and cards, we can easily forget something central to our faith: that the richness and depth of the color purple that adorns our Advent liturgies is a reminder to us to atone for sin and open our hearts in more trust, more purity, and more love to the Infant Jesus. It is He who comes into the world and into our hearts to save us (John 3:16). Being ready for him takes an attentive and humble heart.

Here are three easy ways to weed out unnecessary distractions and plant our hearts firmly in Advent:

1. Give away your stuff:

Many charities will come right to your house or apartment building, pick up your boxes and bags full of giveaways, and leave you a tax-receipt, making it extremely easy to clear out closets, book cases, and cupboards–to bless someone else with your plentiful belongings. Gently-used clothing, housewares, books, toys, costumes, knickknacks, artwork, crafting supplies, unused office supplies, and almost anything else that is still in good condition can touch the lives of others less fortunate, while the charity truck gives us the clutter-free environment we long for.

It is a spiritual truth that we have to clean out our hearts to receive Jesus more fully (more on that, soon). Let’s clean out our homes and unburden ourselves from the guilt and stress of useless clutter. Just as Jesus can transform a heart open to his love, He can transform our homes into sanctuaries of of peace and simplicity.

2. Pop the question:

Wikipedia Commons (Public Domain) [click for more about this Christian symbol]

What are your family’s favorite Advent and Christmas traditions? If you’ve never asked them, you’ll be amazed at the answers. While you’ve been slaving to duplicate every household display, every traditional recipe, and chase down the perfect Christmas cards, surprises, and gatherings, your family has been secretly waiting for just one or two moments to arrive.

Each person has a touchstone, a particular event or practice that says, “Christmas joy” more than anything else. For me, it’s caroling and decorating our tree. For our daughter, it’s Christmas brunch and opening presents with Grandma. For my husband, it’s a Christmas Eve celebration with old friends. Knowing that these are the most important touchstones for my family helps me to discard anything that simply adds to our busyness and stress. It simplifies our lives and takes away that feeling of having to “do it all” before it’s too late. It also minimizes the let-down after Christmas–that feeling that you worked yourself to death for an experience that faded within hours.

3. Prepare spiritually:

  • Get to confession more regularly!

Oh, joy, right? I’m laughing because Reconciliation is the sacrament that people avoid like the plague, when it is precisely the pathway to joy that we all need. When we leave our little sins unconfessed, we become comfortable with them, and they weaken us spiritually, making it easier to commit more serious sins. We also block the graces that Jesus longs to pour into our hearts in Holy Communion.

C. S. Lewis wrote, in a collection of his essays called, The Weight of Glory, that the sins we cling to are the “dead places” in our hearts. It makes sense, doesn’t it? If we block the Lord of Life from entering certain areas of our lives, then those are dead places.

If we want our lives healed, if we want to grow in virtue, if we crave joy and intimacy with God, it’s critical that we get to confession. The Holy Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine, and His power to heal us is infinite; however, Jesus is a gentleman and never forces himself into our hearts, so we must prepare–and make room for him in the inn, so to speak. It is only then that He can pour the graces needed to free us from attachment to sin, heal us from the wounds of our past, and bring us into lives of great freedom and fulfillment.

You see a priest in the confessional and hear the words of absolution from another human being, and that may seem awkward and embarrassing, but what is really happening is an astonishingly beautiful encounter: it is Jesus who forgives, absolves, and heals through the words and actions of the priest. Do not miss this precious and life-changing encounter with God!

Here are some resources for making a solid examination of conscience before confessing your sins:

The Sacrament of New Beginnings, of Freedom! (includes a wonderful short video)

The Ten Commandments (article from Our Sunday Visitor about the “yes” behind every “no” in God’s laws)

 

  • Choose a meditation for the four weeks of Advent:

(HINT: I love all of these but usually only try to do one at a time)

  • The St. Andrew Christmas Novena
    • This traditional prayer honors the first Apostle called by Jesus, St. Andrew. Pray this short prayer 15 times daily throughout Advent for a special intention (many graces will follow):Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
  • Simply “hold” the Baby Jesus to your heart. 
    • One year I was stressed and distracted and had no “Christmas spirit” at all, so I asked Jesus for help. A vivid and tender image came to me of the Infant Jesus in the manger, and I bent to gather the sweet Child into my arms. From that moment on, just the thought of cradling the Baby against my shoulder and holding him close brought me to a quiet, reverent, and joyful place in the privacy of my heart. Christmas Eve mass and Christmas day were extraordinarily meaningful, that year.
  • Pray with the children in your life, every day. 

God, when I think about Jesus coming to earth, I realize the he must love each of us very much. Jesus is God and can do anything he wants to, but he chose to become a helpless baby born to poor parents, to teach us that love is what makes us rich. Remind us that when his mother laid him in a manger that animals eat out of, Jesus was already teaching the world that he would one day become our spiritual food. Amen.

UPDATE: Here’s the prayer I shared on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air show, today:

Also from Week 20: Christmas, from my new book, Heads Bowed: Prayers for Catholic School Days:

Holy Spirit, you brought Jesus to earth through your divine power. Thank you for giving us the best Christmas gift of all. Our Lord Jesus is a gift beyond price. Inspire us, O Lord, to love the Baby Jesus and carry him in our hearts at all times. When we fail, give us the grace to return to Jesus and confess our sins, since he always loves us, no matter what. Praise be to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Stained Glass Advent Calendar (Catholic Company)

Have a very peaceful, beautiful, and holy Advent!

 

Lesson Idea for Teaching Trust in God

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The_Infant_Samuel_at_Prayer_-_Sir_Joshua_Reynolds

 

Objective:  Children will be able to recall and recite three important things that we can offer to God…1) Harms….our sins     2) Hopes…the things we would like      to do/receive     3)  Hurts….people/things/situations  that have hurt us

Materials Needed:

  • 3 medium-sized cardboard boxes/cartons, with labels Harms, Hopes, and Hurts on the front respectively. Box should be large enough so that it cannot be held in one hand easily
  • Items to place in boxes, such as books or rubber balls etc (optional)
  • 4 volunteers

Grade Level:   Grades 3 to 6, but the delivery can be simplified or amplified for lower or higher grades

Scripture:   1 Peter 5:7    “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”                                                                                                                                                          Matthew 6:26  “ Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?”

In the interest of brevity, I will summarize this lesson so that any catechist will be able to modify his or her presentation as needed.

  • Have one child play God; that child will stand to one side for most of the lesson
  • Remind the children that just as Jesus offered His cross to God, we can also offer all the good and bad things that happen to us to God also.
  • Explain to the children that, in addition to our thanks, praise, and requests, we can offer three other things to God
  • Give the box labeled “Harms” to one child and explain that this box represents those times that we hurt God, others, or ourselves by not obeying what God wants us to do.
  • Ask the children what we call those times…invariably someone will say “sin” and so ask the children how we “let go” of our sins….confession.
  • Give the box labeled “Hopes” to one child and explain that this box represents those things we want to do in the future, such as passing a test, getting on the soccer team, or becoming an athlete.  Explain to the children that while we can prepare for these things, we have to trust in God and leave it up to  Him if we will get what we want because He knows what is best for us.
  • Give the box labeled “Hurts” to the last child and explain that these are the times we have been hurt by people or when things do not go our way.  Explain that, just as Jesus forgave those who hurt Him, we too should forgive people for hurting us and ourselves when we cannot do the things we wanted to do.
  • Ask the children to try to hug or shake hands while holding their box.  Now ask the children with the boxes to give their boxes to the child playing God.
  • Close by telling the children that they cannot love and help each other as God wants them to until they give their boxes to God as well.

2016   Gabriel Garnica

Review Terms with Penance Bingo!

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bingoThe attached Penance Bingo Cards and definitions sheet were created by a wonderful catechist, Mary Elise Eckman, who teaches in The Narnia Clubs in New York City. I share them with permission.

Instructions: Read out the definitions as students cross off the term described (or mark them with checkers, dried beans, or buttons). You might also laminate the cards and re-use with wipe-off markers.

Make sure to keep track of the definitions you call out to your students, so you can verify the winner’s card.

Have fun!

Attachments include six different cards and a definitions key:

 

Sin Dims the Candle: An Object Lesson for Confession

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sin dims the candle

We were sitting in the church pews with no lights on. It was early evening in late January, and dark was coming quickly.

In the front, on the step leading up to the altar, there was a candle burning in front of a mirror.

Our First Communicants were gathered on the floor in front. They weren’t looking too nervous, considering that they were moments from their First Reconciliation.

“See the candle burning brightly?”

The kids nodded. And, in some cases, they leaned forward or jumped a little to show their enthusiasm.

“That candle is our soul, with Jesus making it burn. When we’re baptized, the candle is lit.”

It made me pause, that image of the baptismal candle. I remembered my own daughter’s baptism, holding the candle as I balanced her body in my arms.

“But sin is so easy sometimes.” Here the leader held up a glass mason jar. She started lowering it gently over the candle.

“It doesn’t seem to be making a big difference. See how the candle is still burning?”

And it was. The kids could see it and so could I. What’s the big deal about sin anyway?

“But we keep doing it. We keep stepping away from God. We slowly give in to sin again and again, in small ways, ways that seem invisible and unimportant.”

The candle was almost covered by the jar but still going. It was starting to flicker a bit, and as she ended her sentence, setting the jar down on top, it dimmed quite a bit.

“What’s happening?”

There was, of course, a budding scientist in the crowd. “There’s no oxygen!” he announced.

“That’s what sin does! It takes away our soul’s oxygen!” She pulled the jar off just before the flame went completely out. “And that’s what Reconciliation does! It lets the flame glow strongly and brightly!”

There was a stampede of kids to the confessional, and it made me want to go, too. I used the same lesson a few days later with my fifth-grade class, with the lights out. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a way for them to go to confession, though I did find out later that at least one of them did go to confession.

What object lessons do you use to teach about confession?