resources Archives - Amazing Catechists

Book Review: 10 Promises of Jesus by Marge Steinhage Fenelon

My video review of this book is available on youtube at the Home Catechesis YouTube Page (CLICK HERE!)

One of the most common objections to Christianity is not rooted in philosophy or doctrine but rather the existence of evil and suffering in a world that Christians profess to be created by a Loving God. The Church wisely states, “no quick answer will suffice. Only Christian faith as a whole constitutes the answer to this question….There is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil” (CCC 309).

Within the classroom or an exchange of scholars this conversation will focus on Salvation History and the Church’s corresponding doctrines. For the average person struggling with and through a traumatic event, something else is needed to provide the answer that comes from the “Christian faith as a whole.” That approach of providing witnesses to God’s work and the power of Hope, has been crafted together in the book 10 Promises of Jesus by Marge Steinhage Fenelon.

Each chapter of this book begins with a Promise of Jesus. The explanation of the promise is often short and simple followed by a real life story of someone experiencing both suffering and Hope through the corresponding promise. Each chapter features a new story with different forms of suffering and different acts of Hope.

This book is a quick and easy read. I only wish one additional point was made in the book; it is nothing major, but rather an additional point to be made in the footnotes. On page 51 a long footnote is provided to explain “last rites” but fails to mention 1 of 3 sacraments celebrated in this liturgical celebration: Confession/Penance. Penance is only mentioned within the circumstance of someone not able to make it to Confession. It also would have been a wonderful opportunity to explain the importance of the sequence of the rites within the context of the Sacraments of Initiation.

Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called “the sacraments of Christian initiation,” so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life “the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland” or the sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage. –CCC 1525

Penance/Confession restores us to Baptismal Grace. The “last rites” of Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and Communion mirror the Sacraments of Initiation in their proper order of Baptism, Confirmation (uses an anointing with oil too), and Communion. As you can see, it is not a major issue, but my love for sacramental theology would have loved to have seen it included!

While this book obviously is a benefit to those suffering through something, it is an excellent resource for catechists. Students often ask questions of a personal nature in response to catechetical content. They hunger to understand if the faith has any relevance for their daily life. This book will provide catechists with examples of the Christian Faith in action during times of suffering.

My video review of this book is available on youtube at the Home Catechesis YouTube Page (CLICK HERE!)

Seven Ways to Observe Advent with Children

By Amanda Woodiel

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.

Three Secrets That Lead to Advent Joy, Not Exhaustion

By Lisa Mladinich

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)

Advent With Saint Teresa of Calcutta: Daily Meditations, by Heidi Hess Saxton
- Brief, beautifully-written daily meditations have a freshness and inspirational quality I have not found in other daily prayer guides. Highly recommended.

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.
- Here’s an excerpt of Week 20: Christmas, from my new book, Heads Bowed: Prayers for Catholic School Days:

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!

12 Nuggets from Rediscover Jesus

By Deanna Bartalini

I finished reading Rediscover Jesus by Matthew Kelly and I enjoyed it very much!

I gleaned a few things I’d like to tell you about and I will in a minute. First though, the book is a nice, easy read but it asks tough questions and offers ways to learn more about Jesus and grow into a, dare I say, better Christian. Each chapter ends with action items: Point to Ponder, Verse to Live, Question to Consider, and Prayer. If you thought, learned and prayed those four items each day for forty days (which is the number of chapters in the book) I think you would be a different person, hopefully better, at the end of that time. I suppose I could have done that, but I am a book glutton so I can’t just read one chapter a day. Ideally, I’ll go back to those chapters which challenged me the most and read those again.

Onto my list of nuggets from the book!

“Jesus is the ultimate new beginning.”
“He (Jesus) wants to perform miracles in you and through you.”
“Who do you say that Jesus is?”
“When is the last time you were awestruck by Jesus?”
“Who does Jesus say that you are?”
- “Jesus says you are a child of God.”
- “Jesus says you are infinitely valuable.”
- “Jesus says you are free.”
“If we could just learn to recognize people’s needs and pain, there are so many prayers that God want to use us to answer. Too many go unanswered because ordinary people like you and me don’t allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.”
“God is not in the business of tweaking. He is in the business of transformation.”
“We don’t see ourselves as we really are, and God’s ways are not man’s.”
“Few things will have more impact on your life than what you allow to occupy your mind…ponder the ways of God and you will find yourself living them.”
“If you want to be a better Christian, start by denying yourself.”
“What do I want? What does God want?”
God is more interested in your future than he is in your past – but he is most interested in your now!”

Chapters 24, The Gap and 28, Spontaneous Prayer , were probably my favorite. The Gap was full of practical tips which Kelly explains fully in successive chapters. Spontaneous Prayer made me think about and ponder Gospel verses in a new way.

If you’d like a copy of the book, go to Dynamic Catholic. They’d make great stocking stuffers

Getting Ready For Lent

By William O'Leary

Lent is around the corner. It is the perfect catechetical season. A catechist as well as a parent can find a plethora of ideas about how to practice and live out Lent. I would like to share ideas in 3 categories (be aware that some ideas will overlap): Family Ideas, Classroom Ideas and Personal Ideas. I hope the following links will help assist you as a parent or a catechist in assisting your students to grow closer to Christ this Lent.

Family Ideas:

Prayer

~ Pray the Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet regularly as a family – on the way to/from school, or right after dinner.

~ Read the Bible/pray with your kids before bedtime during Lent.

~ Pray the Station of the Cross at 7:00pm each Friday at your parish or at home: Stations Version 1 or Stations Version 2

~ Pray the Rosary more often during Lent.

Fasting

~ Have a day where the TV Stays off (Maybe Fridays during Lent)
~ Fast from cell phone use, internet, video games from after dinner onward.
~ Fast from going out to eat. Give the extra money to the poor.
~ Fast from gossip or negative thoughts.
~ Fast from eating between meals.
~ Fast from dessert a few times a week.
~ Fast from being lazy (that attitude that says: someone else will do it).
~Listen to Catholic and/or Christian Radio in the car during Lent.

Almsgiving

~Sign up for Holy Hero’s daily Lenten email

~ Print and Practice things you put on your Lenten Calendar

~ Give money as a family to the poor: Operation Rice Bowl.

~ Spend more quality time with family.

~ Be positive (maybe charge .25 cents for every negative comment at home and then give the money to a charity).

~ Family Chart

~ Lenten Sacrifice Beans

Classroom Ideas

~ Prayer Service

~Puppet Show Scripts

~ Ideas from Our Sunday Visitor

~ Some Lenten Lesson Plans

~ Stations of the Cross Bingo

~ Lent Lapbooks

~ Printable Lenten Calendar

~ NOW Cross

Personal Ideas:

~ 7 Great Book Recommendations

~ Take time to pray at lunchtime instead of going out with friends or surfing the internet.
~ Read a Psalm each day during Lent.
~ At 3:00pm each day pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet or take a moment to pause in prayer remember the hour that Christ died.
~ Pray the Seven Penitential Psalms – maybe one each day of the week throughout Lent (Psalm 6, 31, 50, 101, 129 and 142).

~ Go out of your way to do one kind deed each day.

~ Do things for people each week without them knowing.

~ Be positive and reflect joy during Lent.

99 Ways to Teach Like the Master – Book Review

By Deanna Bartalini

No matter what my job title or career choice, I have always considered myself an educator. In all things I strive to reach out and teach by word or deed. The material or topic is almost irrelevant as is the age of the person.

This book of meditations, 99 Way to Teach like the Master by T.J. Burdick lends itself to all of us who teach. And by all of us who teach, I literally mean all of us! Whether you are a preschool teacher or a college professor, just starting out or an old hand, one child at your kitchen table or enough to fill a bus, there is something to be gleaned from reading the scripture and reflections T.J. has put together.

Used with permission, from T.J.Burdick

There are five chapters with reflections in them, each beginning with a brief introduction. I don’t think it is necessary to read the book from front to back, you could pick and choose which reflection to read based on the title which you find intriguing, such as “Humility”, “Mercy” “Knowing it All” or “Keeping Healthy”. My favorite reflection is “Understanding God’s Report Card”.

Each reflection begins with a scripture quote, then an explanation as to how the passage relates to a facet of education, and closes with how to apply the teaching in a practical way, either with an action or prayer. The reflection takes just a few minutes to read and then you can think about it as you go through your day, helping to form the minds you are teaching

The book is available as an E-book and paperback. Both are available from En Route Books and Media. The E-book is on sale for $3.99 until February 9, 2015.

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 (http://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 (http://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.

Tools to Help Parents Really Be Their Children’s First Catechist

By Sarah Reinhard

Last week, Archbishop Aquila released a pastoral letter, “Family: Become What You Are.” Aside from an awesome title, this letter is a shot in the arm for those of us in families. (Oh wait, that’s ALL OF US.)

So your homework this summer, no matter how busy or distracted or disinclined you are, is to read this…twice. Read it once and then read it again, slowly. What’s God saying to you through Archbishop Aquila’s words? Could there be inspiration for you? How can this letter impact your family?

But wait, there’s more. The Archdiocese of Denver has a few supporting resources that are nothing short of rockin’ awesome. Because how else is your family going to become what you are? These are tools to get you there.

Tips You’ll Use Right Away

First, there’s the video, “5 Ways to a Stronger Family.”

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCCg8zocTU”]

Eating and Faith Go Hand-in-Hand

Next, we have a tool that every parent needs: “A Month of Dinnertime Conversations.” Have you ever wondered how you are supposed to instill faith in your children when you don’t know enough yourself? Do you feel intimidated by the immensity of your responsibility? Are you just plain unsure?

Well, this pdf (available in both English and Spanish) has 31 questions for you to bring up at dinner. They’re not hard or imposing or even crazy. The word “brilliant” actually comes to mind.

Some examples:

Name your favorite thing about being Catholic.
God gives each of us our own Guardian Angel to guide us through life. How do you think your Guardian Angel could help strengthen our family?
What is your favorite prayer?

I plan to share these far and wide. I’ve had so many parents make comments to me about how they so appreciate my work as a catechist. I try to remind them (probably too much) that my work is supplemental, supportive, secondary to the work they do. And here’s a tool for them to use that’s easy and effective. Booyah!

Pray the Family Rosary

And finally, a resource that I appreciate so much it brings tears to my eyes: “Family-Friendly Scriptural Meditations on the Rosary” (in both English and Spanish).

Am I the only one who sees the family rosary as this insurmountable hurdle? Oh, I know, I know. I should be praying it with my family.

And now, now, I just might. This four-page pdf (one page for each set of mysteries) includes short meditations for each mystery of the rosary. They’re written with families in mind. And by “families in mind” I mean “people who aren’t necessarily thrilled to be taking time to do this and who maybe don’t have a clue what these mysteries mean.”

The idea is that someone in your family would read this before you pray the prayers of the decade. They’re easy to read and yet thought-provoking for every age.

For example, here’s what’s included for the second Luminous Mystery, the Wedding at Cana:

The second Luminous Mystery is the Wedding Feast of Cana, where Mary teaches us one of the most important lessons in life. She tells the servants at the wedding feast to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. In our lives, are we willing to do whatever Jesus tells us to do? Let’s ask Mary to pray with us that we might have the graces necessary to do whatever Jesus calls us to do in this life, as well as the ability to trust in Mary’s intercession for us, as Jesus answered his mother’s request that day in Cana.

If you get to the point (or are already at the point) where you want to highlight the fruit of the mystery, they’re also included.

Summer Reading You Deserve

I leave you with this excerpt from the Archbishop’s letter:

When a husband and wife give of themselves and share love and truth with each other, they are able to reflect the image of the Holy Trinity. This sharing in life and love is in turn echoed in the hearts of their children and helps bring the Kingdom of God to earth. God created the world and the human race through the gift of his Word and the breath of the Spirit. In a similar way, men and women are able to participate in creation by bringing children into the world through their mutual consent and one flesh union.

Sadly, our society has lost this understanding of marriage. Instead, the culture has dramatically shifted to promoting the individual and his or her supposed rights, often at the expense of the family. The idea of a “sincere gift of self ” – even in the context of marriage – seems irrelevant
and a distant reality. In contemporary Western culture, marriage and the family have suffered the consequences of this shift, and no one has been hurt more by it than children, who deserve the committed, selfless love of their mother and father.

Seriously, go read it and put these resources to work in your family. You won’t be sorry you did.

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.