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The Father’s Love

This Lent I have found that my prayer has led me to strengthen my relationship with God the Father. The Liturgy and the various traditions of this Holy Season draw me into solitude and I have become mindful of my dependence on Him, who cares for His little daughter.

I do not think it is a coincidence that my (earthly) father’s birthday is today, Friday of the First Week of Lent. As I reflect on the gift that my father is to me, I am reminded of how the Lord is at work in my life during Lent – particularly how God the Father is pursuing a more intimate relationship with me, His daughter. These are just a few ways that I see parallels in the relationships with my two Fathers, with a special Lenten focus.

1. My Father loves to look at me.

There are few things more precious than watching a new parent hold his or her child. It is easy to think that after we grow up our parents stop looking at us this way, since we have exhausted their capacity to look tenderly upon us. But I know for a fact that my Dad still likes to see me. I know that between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm each Sunday I will receive a voice mail from my him, asking when I will be able to visit again. And ever time I do visit, his last words are, “…So when are you coming back?”

In the same way, as I enter the silence of Lent, I see that my Heavenly Father is overjoyed that I have committed to increase my time of prayer, not so that I can “do” anything for Him, but so that He can just look at me and be with me.

2. My Father watches out for me, even when I’ve done something wrong.

Often times when I fail to meet expectations or am struggling in life, I hesitate to tell my dad. It took me a long time to realize that he doesn’t judge me as I judge myself, and that he cares for me even when I come to him with my failures and brokenness. When I spoke to him recently about my struggles with depression and my eating disorder, and my plans to help others in recovery, I was incredibly nervous. Up until then I would usually pretend I had it all together. After I finally revealed my life the way it truly was, rather than putting up a happy-go-lucky facade, I saw my dad’s face prouder than I’ve ever seen. Even though I was admitting my brokenness, without the illusion of self-sufficiency and autonomy, I felt more than ever that I belonged to my father, and that he would always care for me and support me.

This reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son, who was embraced by his father upon his return, who was waiting for him. He did not punish him for squandering his inheritance, rather, the father meets him with a heart full of mercy and forgiveness, in his poverty and humility – and draws him into the intimate bond of sonship. This reminds me of the words of the Attende Domine, a hymn sung during Lent, “Draw near, O Lord our God, graciously hear us, keep us from sinning before you…”

We who are sons and daughters of God can be confident in the fidelity of the Father’s love. He is always ready to forgive us and capture us in his loving arms despite our fear of disapproval. Lent reminds us of this truth, that we can turn back to Him and that we belong to Him regardless of our past.

3. My Father loves to give me presents.

I remember as a kid, being so excited when my dad would return from his business trips. Aside from the fact that I missed him, he usually used to bring home presents for me and each of my siblings. Even when I entered religious life for two years he would send me gifts, and to this day he still has a great desire to give me things. Last year he gave me his extra car (!) so that I can visit more often. It is not the gift itself but the love that is expressed in the act of giving that I treasure so much.

My Heavenly Father does the same for me. Lent is a time when we “give up” consolations, but the stripping away of those earthly comforts reveals those spiritual gifts we so often neglect to see. Each day He nourishes me with the gift of His Son in the Word and in the Eucharist. In Confession He strengthens, heals, and forgives me. Many of His presents are not so tangible, but with the eyes of faith I can see how His grace surrounds me. Each day brings with it so many little miracles that remind me of God’s love and affection. Many of these go unnoticed, for example, the smile of a stranger, the Scripture verse that struck my heart, the flower that blooms in the middle of winter. These are all reminders of what the love of my dad points to – the eternal, never-failing, inexhaustible, and unquenchable love of Our Father in Heaven.

I realize that there are many who are not blessed with a father like mine, and so this inspires gratitude in my heart to God for this great “present.” It also reminds me that no matter who we are, no matter what our relationship is like with our father, we all have a God in Heaven that we can call Father. I pray that each of us this Lent will be strengthened in the relationships with our father and father figures, and most importantly with Our Heavenly Father, Who looks upon us with great love, Who protects and forgives us, and Who gave us the best gift of all – salvation by the Death and Resurrection of His Son which we commemorate during this Holy Season.

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!

The Mass Explained App

By John Clem

The Mass Explained is a new app for that teaches the history, traditions, symbols, art, music, and spirit of the Mass. This app is currently only available for Apple’s iPad & iPad mini, and truly takes advantage of all the multimedia power of the iPad to bring the Mass to new light and understanding for the reader. This app may seem expensive at $24.99, but once you realize that it took years to develop with many resources that require royalty/copyright fees, this is quite a value that will be a worthwhile reference for years to come. Dan Gonzalez is the man behind the scenes who has assembled one of the finest Catholic Apps yet on the market. It is an amazing app that has the potential to get more people excited about “The Mass–the Source and Summit of our Catholic Faith”, offering over 300 multimedia pages:

23 Chapters offering deeper knowledge and understanding of The Mass
Writings from The New American Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
3-D Objects can be rotated with your finger
Interactive Maps
360 Panoramas of Holy Sites
Videos to enrich content
Audio of music and prayers
Artwork with scalable images

Educational Discount

I really think that the Mass Explained App offers a new chapter in catechesis. Schools and groups interested in learning about the Mass in RCIA, study groups, and schools should look into this opportunity for discounted app to make this more affordable. This App offers a great experience for the reader, learner, and teacher to learn many aspects of the Mass in Gospel and Liturgy. The app is available through Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) allowing your school, class, institution, parish or group to receive a 50% discount when purchasing the app in quantities of 20 or more. When purchased through Apple’s VPP, Mass Explained can be distributed to your students or group members through redeemable codes or installed over the air automatically without user interaction. VPP purchases may be made using purchase orders, credit cards or PayPal. For more information on Apple’s VPP, visit www.apple.com/education/it/vpp/

NOTE: The Mass Explained App is all self-contained and does not need internet connection for its content, so it can be used in any classroom. It is a large app and needs 299MB of memory space.

This is a nice introductory video offering a sampling of its content.

Take a look at the links below for more information, and to see the many endorsements and praises this app is receiving. The blog also offers printable kids crafts, and book & video resources. There is one book not mentioned that is one of the best books about The Mass: The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Dr. Scott Hahn. This app reminds me of this book that first sparked my awakening to the history, beauty, truth, and goodness of The Mass.

LINKS

Mass Explained App website

The Mass Explained Blog

John Clem, O.F.S.

Amazing Catechists welcomes guest blogger John Clem, O.F.S. who will be contributing reviews of technology that can aid in catechesis. John Clem, O.F.S is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (https://catholicws.com/). John is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and loves to share his talents in faith, technology, and journalism in service to the church. John also writes a blog entitled Call To Holiness (https://www.calltoholiness.us/).

iPieta App – one of the best resources for Catholics

By John Clem

iPieta is one of the best resources for Catholics, and is practically like having the Vatican Library in your pocket. iPieta only costs $.99, but offers writings that would cost hundreds of dollars if bought in a bookstore. Kudos to iVerbum, the company who produces this app, and they constantly offer FREE updates. The App is constantly updated with new content and recently added the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva and St. Bridgett of Sweden. This App offers The Douay-Rheims Bible, a Novus Ordo (Catholic) Calendar through the year 2050, a large list of prayers, and many writings of the Saints and Popes.

The Veritas section of the App has a tremendous number of books from many Catholic theologians and saints. A sampling of some of the writings include Saint Francis DeSales “Introduction to the Devout Life”, Saint Teresa of Jesus’ “Interior Castle”, Saint Thomas Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica”, Saint John of the Cross’ “Dark Night of the Soul”, and Saint Augustine’s “City of God”.

In the section of Papal writings, there are books and encyclicals from 18 Popes. These include Pope Benedict XVI: Spe Salvi (Christian Hope), Deus Caritas Est (Christian Love), and Caritas In Veritate (Charity In Truth), and Blessed Pope John Paul II has 17 encyclicals including Vertatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth) and Redemptoris Mater (about the Blessed Virginia Mary and the Life of the Pilgrim Church). The latest writings of Pope Francis are also included in this App.

iPieta is available for the iOS and Driod and it is available in Spanish and offers adjustable sizes for text. Optional free audio is available for many prayers and novenas. The huge library of Catholic writings that are held in this one app offer a lifetime of readings that will constantly challenge and lift your spirit. This is also a wonderful resource for catechists and RCIA students & teachers.

Note: All content can be obtained through the app and does not require internet connection, so it can be used in any classroom, or even on camping trips.

Update July 2014: The latest version (8.0) allows audio to be stored within the app with many new audio supports and files.

More information available at www.ipieta.com

John Clem, O.F.S.

Gear Up: A New Religious Education Year

By William O'Leary

It’s about that time of year to start really gearing up and getting ready for another religious education year to begin. This time of year is always exciting because it is a fresh new year full of potential, promise and your dreams to form students in the Catholic Faith and discipleship in Jesus Christ. I would like to share a few things to keep in mind as you “gear up”.

1. Rely on the Holy Spirit — You can be the most talented of catechists, but without a reliance on what God wants and allowing God to work you will not be the instrument God is calling you to be – Your impact will not be as great. For example – if the topic of the day is the Holy Trinity and you say…”I think this is over the heads of my students so I’m going to talk about how God loves them and how no matter what they do He is their for them”. It is true that you could say some very good things to your students, but helping them understand the mystery of the Trinity is essential to building a foundation for their understanding that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our whole faith depends on the truth of the Holy Trinity – the central mystery of the Christian life (CCC 234). Or if you are really good at engaging with your students because you can get them talking and involved in activities that is a wonderful gift to have; however if you do not seek to be grounded in your own spiritual life which calls each of us to rely on Him your talents will bear less fruit. Offering to God your gifts and seeking an active spiritual life is invaluable to the fruitfulness of your catechesis.

2. The Darn Textbook — Many religious education programs use a textbook. Granted they can be useful and helpful to new and old volunteer catechists, however they are only a tool. Catechists who most often go through each page of the textbook and have students take turns reading out of it are not using it as a catechetical tool, but more as a crutch. In the Third Millennium students are not as engaged when this method is used. The Catechism is a vital source book for catechists to turn to in order to understand how the Church desires to pass on the faith. Each thing you use – video, art, activities and the textbook are all tools to drawing your students into a greater knowledge of God’s plan for them and a deeper personal friendship with Jesus.

3. Bling Bling — In order for the proclamation of the Gospel to be compelling to today’s generation it must be beautiful, it must be attractive, it must use today’s sensibilities to draw students into the ancient and glorious mystery of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who is the source of our salvation. The society we live in is completely saturated with facts about x, y & z. How are we taking the rich deposit of faith and communicating it in a manner that attracts believers to desire to respond to God’s Will, God’s ways, and His call for conversion?

These are just a few things to keep in mind as you gear up for a new religious education year. May the Holy Spirit speak to your hearts and to the hearts of the students who will be in your classes!

3 Great New Books to Help You Teach Your Faith

By Sarah Reinhard

I’ve been a catechist for over ten years, and in that time I’ve found a number of helpful books. While nothing beats the essentials, I’ve been thrilled recently with the resources I’ve seen published. Here are three that caught my eye and that I just had to share.

Totally Catholic!: A Catechism for Kids and Their Parents and Teachers

Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND (Pauline Books & Media, 2014)

For adults, there’s the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For teens, there’s the YouCat. And now, for the rest of us, there’s Totally Catholic! I actually read this cover to cover and enjoyed every bit of it. As I prepared for Confirmation Boot Camp and for some other lessons, I found myself referencing it quite a bit.

Glavich has a knack for making things applicable and relevant. She describes complicated matters of faith in a way that is fun and interesting. For example, in the chapter on the communion of saints, there’s this:

The people in the Church’s three states, like a family, lovingly help one another.

Saints on earth. Did you ever say to someone, “I’ll pray for you”? We can pray and offer our good works and sufferings for people on earth, and they can do the same for us.

Saints in purgatory. We can also pray and offer good works and sufferings for people in purgatory in order to hurry their purification. That is why after someone dies, we have Masses said for them. You can pray for your deceased relatives or even for people in purgatory who might not have anyone to pray for them. Those in purgatory (sometimes called poor souls) can also pray for us.

Saints in heaven. Likewise, we can turn to the saints in heaven and ask them to intercede, or pray for us. Friendship with the saints can help us grow closer to Christ.

There are 39 chapters, two appendices, and an index. It’s arranged much like the big green Catechism, and it’s written for a younger crowd (I would call it middle grade). Each chapter starts with a reference from the Catechism and an introduction. There are “Did You Know?” callout boxes, “BTW” facts, and a “Catholic VIP” highlighted in each chapter. Each chapter has a “Scripture Link,” with a relevant passage from the Bible, “Brainstorm” activities that aren’t hard or weird, and ends with a “From My Heart” and “Now Act!” that could well be assignments.

In fact, I think this is maybe the closest I’ve found to a perfect “textbook” for grade school age kids. (And you should know this: I’m NOT a fan of textbooks for religious education.)

Each chapter has a short bulleted “Recap” list, and it’s laid out in a way that I can only call brilliant. It’s fun to look at and read, and it sure doesn’t hurt that the content is stellar.

The Faith: A Question-and-Answer Guide to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fr. John Hardon, S.J. (Servant Books, 2014)

If you’re anything like me, you looked at the Catechism and thought, “There’s NO WAY I can read that and understand it, retain the information, have any luck at all.” I was shocked when I started reading the Catechism (after my spiritual director had encouraged me for, oh, three years or so) and it was NOT SO BAD!

Even so, there’s a lot in the Catechism. It’s really more of a reference than a fun reading adventure (though it can be that, don’t get me wrong). What Servant has pulled together here is a great companion to your reference shelf. I caught myself diving into this when I was looking for additional information on different topics for Confirmation Boot Camp, and I know I’ll use it in preparing talks and columns.

This book is designed and arranged to be a companion to the Catechism. It’s easy to use and it’s cross referenced with paragraphs in the Catechism.

Here’s a little excerpt, from Part Two, Chapter Four: Other Celebrations of the Liturgy.

ARTICLE 1: SACRAMENTALS

The Church’s liturgy is primarily the sacraments, which directly confer the grace they signify. Besides the sacraments, however, there are also sacramentals. Both should be seen together, because both are sources of divine grace. But sacramentals were not immediately instituted by Christ. They were, and are, instituted by the Church, which is guided by her Founder, Jesus Christ.

663. What are sacramentals?

Sacramentals are sensibly perceptible prayers, and often actions or things, which resemble the sacraments and which signify spiritual effects obtained through the intercession of the Church. (1667)

664. How do sacramentals differ from the sacraments?

They differ from the sacraments in not being instrumental causes of grace. Rather, they arouse the faith of believers to better dispose themselves for the reception of grace from the sacraments.

665. What is the characteristic of all the sacramentals?

They always include a prayer and normally an object or action that signifies some profession of faith, such as the Sign of the Cross recalling Christ’s crucifixion, or holy water recalling our baptismal incorporation into the Church. (1668)

This is an indispensable guide for all Catholics. Whether you want to learn more about your faith, need a boost in teaching it, or are just curious, this book is sure to provide clear and concise information.

Tackling Tough Topics with Faith and Fiction

Diana Jenkins (Pauline Books & Media, 2014)

There are topics that make parents and catechists shudder and quake, and Diana Jenkins has gathered them all in the covers of this book. She’s addressed them with the fearless face of faith and her approach is unique and more than a little brilliant.

“Today’s young teens will face many challenges before they reach adulthood,” she writes in the introductory section, “and they’ll need faith to guide them along the way. But it’s not easy for kids—or adults—to apply Catholic principles to real life when they’re overwhelmed by temptations, peer pressure, media influences, stress, family issues, physical changes, society’s problems, and a culture that is increasingly out-of-sync with Christian values.”

Each chapter includes seven elements:

The Facts: This is the statistical informational part. As a teacher or parent, you may or may not actually share this with students.

Scripture and the Catechism: While this too is designed for the adult leader, many times it will be helpful for the students.

The Story: Each chapter is centered around a fictional story. Depending on your set-up, you might decide to read it aloud, to have students read it on their own, or to rework it a bit.

Discussion Questions: Though I roll my eyes at the plethora of discussion questions in everything these days, in this application, they’re not only helpful, but they’re well done.

Activity: While there’s an activity for each topic/chapter, there’s also an index with ideas for adjusting them too.

Prayer: These are great. GREAT. And let’s not forget that, among the many teaching tools we have as parents and catechists, that prayer is the most powerful.

The Message: This is a round-up of practical suggestions for students to apply the chapter’s issue.

All in all, this is a resource I am glad to have on-hand and which I’ll be sharing with all the parents and catechists I know.

3 Ways to Use the Youcat to Teach Your Class

By Sarah Reinhard

I’ve been a fan of the Youcat since it came out a few years ago during World Youth Day in Madrid.

In fact, I was so inspired by it that I stopped using the textbooks and started relying on it as one of the 3 essential texts of my classrooms.

The Youcat is approachable in its design and its content. Whether they’re 5th graders or Confirmation classes, every kid in every class I’ve had has “gotten” the little flipbook aspect at the bottom that adults rarely even notice.

While that’s not really a selling point for its content, it does speak to the fact that this book is designed with youth in mind. And that makes it a resource that catechists can turn to.

I’ve written my rave reviews of the Youcat in other places, so check those out if you’re not sure about it: commentary about our Confirmation Boot Camp at my blog and reasons I started using it at CatholicMom.com).

Today I’d like to share three ways you can use it in your religious education classroom.

I think you could use it for classes as young as 4th grade and all the way up to adult (or, as I like to think of myself, “older than young youth”).

1. Begin learning your topic.

Much of the beginning part of my own preparation to teach has to do with learning the topic myself, or at least learning it well enough to teach it. To that end, I used to read the material provided in the textbooks. Now I start with the Youcat and follow the references it presents to the Catechism and the Bible.

2. Answer the question as part of your class discussion.

There are times that students have questions about topics. Sometimes they’re not brave enough to ask the question (i.e., “What about gay marriage?” or “Is divorce okay, then?”) or don’t really know how to formulate it. Because the Youcat is a Q&A format, it gives you a way to bring up discussion points and maybe even get the kids talking.

3. Use it as an organizational tool.

Our religious education year is organized around the four pillars of the Catechism, and so is the Youcat, so it fits very nicely with the topics we already have lined up. For Confirmation, we use a different timeline, and the Youcat gives us a starting place for organizing our classes and topics. Whether you’re looking at it for a class or for the whole year, it can be a guide for you.

Do you use the Youcat? I’d love to hear how others use it in their classes!

3 Essential Texts Every Catechist Should Have (and Use)

By Sarah Reinhard

In the years I’ve been a catechist, I’ve come to realize that there are only three texts that are essential. There are plenty that are nice, some that are even helpful, but only three that I would call “must have.”

The Holy Bible

Make sure it’s a Catholic version with all the “extra” books. make sure you’re familiar with it. Don’t be afraid to read right out of the actual Bible.

Don’t be ignorant of Scripture. And help your students not to be ignorant either.

I have a lesson that I do that involves half the class using the missalette and half the class using the Bible. It’s a visual way of showing them that what’s in the missalette is the same as what’s in the actual Bible.

One of my goals when I teach weekly religious education classes with 3rd grade and older is to have them open their Bibles at least once during the hour we’re together. It’s not an easy goal and I don’t always get to it.

All the same, this is the most important book we have at our disposal.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

You can find it online for free and in searchable formats, but there’s something to be said for the good ole brick version. I like to read things out of the actual Catechism every so often, and with the older kids, especially the Confirmation class, I make them all turn to the paragraph.

It’s important to know how the Catechism works, because it’s how all Church documents work. Numbered paragraphs are weird, but they sure are nice when it comes to finding something specific.

And who knew there was so much good stuff in the Catechism? And that it was so easy to read?

Youcat

I use the Youcat with nearly every single class I teach. It’s indispensable and it’s something that even adults can understand. I tell parents, whenever I can get their attention, that this is a resource they too need to have in their home, one they need to also be familiar with.

The topics are set in question-and-answer format, so everyone who’s a fan of the old Baltimore Catechism can perk up and get on board. The phrasing is modern and there’s an index (which I hope to see improved and expanded).

Best of all, the Youcat cross-references with both the Bible and the Catechism, so you can read more about every topic. It’s a sort of introductory text, but it’s where almost everyone I know (myself included) need to start. If you haven’t already checked it out, I encourage you to do so!

The Challenge of Adults

By Sarah Reinhard

Adult education has been on my heart in a growing way over the last few years. Of course, if you had told me ten years ago, when I ~~was first roped in~~ began my volunteering as a catechist that I would be leaning toward adult education, I would have laughed so hard I would have fallen over.

“True,” I might have said, “I enjoy older kids. But adults? I don’t know enough to teach adults!”

And that would have just been the beginning of the conversation.

It didn’t take long as a catechist, back when I taught 3rd grade, to see that the connection was really with parents. My role, I quickly saw, was as more a farmer or gardner than a harvester.

I planted seeds, and I wasn’t even the primary planter. I was just helping.

That’s come home to me over the years, as I’ve worked with various age-groups (now primarily 5th grade and our 8th grade Confirmation class). Much of the time, the parents don’t know more than the kids. Many of them are almost terrified to take the reins, to teach, to take the lead.

I understand that. I do.

And it also breaks my heart.

I’ve been a catechist almost as long as I’ve been Catholic. I don’t know more than many of the people around me, but I do have this gift of teaching.

And the longer I teach, guide, and work with the kids, the more I’m convinced that we need something for adults.

But there are at least three huge hurdles, and I face them myself:

1. Lack of Time

I haven’t been to a parish Bible study or faith formation program in years. I’m in the season of small kids, and my husband works long hours.

2. Lack of Childcare

In our small parish, babysitting isn’t an option. I’m not saying it should be—coordinating childcare presents a whole other set of challenges, and I speak as one who’s tried to coordinate that for parish programs in the past).

3. Lack of Inclination

I also find that I’m done in the evenings: I don’t even want to leave the house or cut into the hour or so of awake time I might be lucky enough to get with my husband or a book.

So what can we do?

Recently, I reviewed a new Bible study program from Ascension Press over at CatholicMom.com. At the end of the post, I mentioned that if anyone was game for an online study, leave a comment.

We received so much feedback so quickly that we’re going to be organizing something to meet that need. And it made me think of the truths I’ve learned about adult catechesis in the years I’ve taught kids:

First, meet them where they are.

It might be the backyard, it might be via email, and it might be online. Everyone’s busy. In fact, saying you’re busy doesn’t even catch my attention anymore, because everyone I know is busy.

You might share a book or a talk. You might invite them to pray the rosary at a certain time tomorrow for a certain intention. You might have an online post to share.

This year, I’ve made a commitment to email every single lesson to the parents of my 5th graders the night before our class. I also make it available via a Facebook page I’ve set up for our class. And you know what? They read it. I know, because the kids have told me in various ways. I know, because although I never ever get a reply, I see the fruits of it in my class.

If the only catechesis those parents are getting is that email, then it’s better than nothing. If all they know is that their child is working on a trivia question and needs some help from them so they can get candy at the end of class, maybe it’s something they will learn too.

Second, be persistent.

Don’t give up. And don’t count low attendance as a reason to quit. If only one person attends or participates or gives you feedback, your efforts still matter.

Measuring isn’t a bad thing, but it is something that I often find discouraging, especially when I use metrics that remind me that the effort I’ve put into something far exceed the “payoff” I think I’m supposed to get.

In our parish, we’ve had a Lenten Soup Supper program for five years. It’s a simple program: a meal of soup, bread, and fruit, along with a brief program. This year, we had turnout that shocked everyone. But two years ago hardly anyone attended. Had our organizer not stuck with it, she would have never had a chance to be shocked at running out of chairs and needing another set of bowls.

Third, smile.

Why do I need a reminder to enjoy myself? Maybe it’s that I take myself too seriously. Maybe it’s that I forget that the Catholic Church gives me more reasons to smile than almost anything else in my life. (Without the Catholic Church, I wouldn’t have met my husband or had my kids, and those kids crack me up hourly.)

Our faith is JOYFUL. It’s not always fun. It’s not always happy. It’s not always feel-good. But it should inspire a smile.

And smiles are contagious. They make people want to jump in.

All that said, I’m still looking.

There are some tremendous online programs, such as Living the Beatitudes, which starts today. I suspect this is where the future of adult education lies, but I also know from personal parish experience that people are looking for that local connection and relational opportunity.

What are your thoughts?

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