Nearly 15 years ago, Sr. Glavich put together a Handbook for Catholics for Loyola Press that sold very well and was very popular. A few years back, the decision was made to update Sr. Glavich’s handbook and I had the privilege of being the catechetical editor for this revised edition.

It’s a great little resource at a great little price ($3.50 each or a 10-pack for $29.95!) jam-packed with basic information about the Catholic faith (beliefs, prayers, traditions, practices, etc). It’s perfect for catechists, parents of children in RE/Catholic school, RCIA participants and sponsors, and even for junior high/teens.

Have a great weekend and I’ll “see” you Monday for the 7th and final week of our online retreat!

Of course, it’s always good to evaluate! As we move towards putting this retreat in our rear-view mirrors, I invite you to evaluate the experience and give your feedback so that I can learn and grow from the experience and identify the most effective ways of serving you through this blog as we move forward. Tomorrow, Friday, July 17, a survey will appear just to the right of this post. Please take the time to complete it and share your thoughts with me…I greatly appreciate it.

AND, even though the retreat is reaching a conclusion of sorts, it will not go away. If you’re just joining us or if you yourself were away for a while, you’re more than welcome to jump in to any of the previously posted weeks and join in the experience!

• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three
• Week Four
• Week Five
• Week Six

If you’re just joining us, you can go back and “catch up” and then come back to jump in to week six.

• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three
• Week Four
• Week Five

Here’s the video intro for this week:

Missionary Zeal

Let’s be clear about this from the start: to have a missionary zeal is NOT the catechetical equivalent of going “cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!”

We’re called to show zeal - not OVERzealousness. Zeal is defined as “fervor; eager desire; enthusiastic diligence.” The missionary zeal that is part of our spirituality as catechists does not mean that we have to develop a frantic style of teaching or employ a delivery like the recently deceased pitchman Billy Mays. It means, however, that we clearly express passion for what we are saying and that we show our eagerness to proclaim the Gospel (and that we do so in a way that is authentic…remember last week’s topic?).

I observed a catechist once whose body language said, “I’d rather be anywhere else but here right now!”  This catechist was tired not only from a long day of work but from several years of teaching some very tough groups of kids. The fire had gone out. When that happens, we need to seek renewal or seek a change. Sometimes that means taking a year or 2 off from being a catechist. Other times it means simply moving to another age group that we might be more sucessful with. It always means seeking to do all we can to deepen our faith so that we are never content with our knowledge of God.

One of my favorite lines from Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in our Times) says,

Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn. (24)

As catechists, we have received the Word of God - a Word that has transformed our lives. It is “unthinkable” for us to accept this Word without feeling passionately drawn to share it with others. It is a passion that many of us are feeling right about now: we finished teaching in April, May, or June (and thought, “Thank God I thought the year would never end!”) and now, in July are beginning to feel the stirrings of excitement about the possiblities of another year! (emphasis on stirrings…full-blown excitement in July is a rare gift!)

This missionary zeal is what brings us back year after year (ask some of the folks who are participating in this online retreat and, in their introductions, revealed that they’ve been a catechist for 30, 40, even 50 years!). It is this missionary zeal which brings us back one week after we vowed “never again” because of a difficult class. It is this missionary zeal that drives us to put some time into our planning to come up with an engaging and effective lesson so that those we teach will truly experience the transforming power of God’s Word. It is this same missionary zeal that drives us to go to seminars, workshops, conferences, and classes to continue our own formation and deepen our understanding of the Catholic faith.

As we move through the coming week, let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will rekindle the passion - the zeal - that we need to be effective catechists. Let’s pray for ourselves and for one another. And let’s turn, once again, to the words of Paul VI from Evangelii Nuntiandi:

Let us therefore preserve our fervor of spirit. Let us preserve the delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow. May it mean for us- as it did for John the Baptist, for Peter and Paul, for the other apostles and for a multitude of splendid evangelizers all through the Church’s history- an interior enthusiasm that nobody and nothing can quench. May it be the great joy of our consecrated lives. And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the Good News not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervor, who have first received the joy of Christ, and who are willing to risk their lives so that the kingdom may be proclaimed and the Church established in the midst of the world. (81)

*   *   *

Week Six Reflection Questions (click here for week-6-reflection-questions  ) - over the next few days, feel free to ponder these reflection questions pertaining to this week’s theme. Then, return here to Catechist’s Journey and share some of your reflections with your fellow retreatants. 

*   *   *

For Further Reflection

Read Pope John Paul II’s homily for the Jubilee of Catechists and Religion Teachers from December 10, 2000.

*   *   *

Spiritual Exercises - During the course of this week, practice one or more of the following spiritual exercises designed to renew your missionary zeal. Feel free to share the fruits of your exercises with your fellow retreatants by posting your comments any time this week.

• To have missionary zeal means, of course, to have a mission. An exercise that can help you put into words your understanding of the mission you’ve been entrusted with is to write your own personal mission statement as a catechist. Do this is a prayerful manner. Begin by praying with Matthew’s account of the Great Commission - Mt 28: 16-20. Then, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to a deeper understanding of the mission that you’ve been entrusted with. Compose a brief, simple, catechist’s mission statement that’s about 3-5 sentences long.  And remember: mission statements are supposed to state the obvious! Use one of the following templates to assist you:
  • My mission is to _______________ [what you want to achieve, become, or do], so that ________________ [describe the reasons why you want this]. I will do this by _______________________ [describe specific behaviors/actions you will use to achieve this].
  • As a catechist, I value _________________ [identify 3 important values] because ____________________ [ explain why these values are important]. Accordingly, I will ___________________ [describe how you will put these values into practice].

• Each day this week, choose a line from the following Scripture passage and use it as your “mantra” for the day, recalling it often, repeating it silently as well as out loud, praying for a renewed missionary zeal:

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.  (Is 40:28-31 RSV)

•  Our missionary zeal does not come about through our own efforts. Rather, it is through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we receive the grace we need to be zealous. During the coming week, pray the Litany to the Holy Spirit each day, asking the Spirit to renew you and to fill you with the fire you need to proclaim the Gospel as a catechist.

*   *   *

Recommended Reading on the Topic of Missionary Zeal:

The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less (Terry Hershey)

Heroic Living: Discover Your Purpose and Change the World (Chris Lowney)

Simple Acts of Moving Forward: 60 Suggestions for Getting Unstuck (Vinita Hampton Wright)

My Best Teachers Were Saints: What Every Educator Can learn from the Heroes of the Church (Susan Swetnam)

The Catholic Passion: Rediscovering the Power and Beauty of the Faith (David Scott)

Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits (edited by Michael Harter, SJ)

Housing Heaven’s Fire: The Challenge of Holiness (John C. Haughey, SJ)

Encyclicals are important to Catholics because we believe that God’s Revelation comes to us in Scripture and Tradition (the two being so closely related that we refer to them as a single deposit of faith). An encyclical is an example of the living Tradition of the Church: the teaching that comes to us from the Pope and bishops that is grounded in Scripture.

Anyway, this encyclical is a little heavier than Pope Benedict’s first two (Deus Caritas Est and Spe Salvi) simply because it deals with some very complex economic and social issues. I’ve pondered it for several days (I’m a very slow reader!) and with the help of resources like my friend Jim Campbell and Nick Wagner’s Team RCIA website, I’ve put together a summary of Caritas in Veritate in question and answer form to make some of its most salient points more accessible to the average pew person.

caritas-in-veritate-a-summary-in-q-and-a-format-by-joe-paprocki

Feel free to use this in whatever way you see fit.

P.S. Thanks to all who have shared thoughts on Week 5 of our online catechist’s retreat! Come Monday, it’s on to Week 6!

Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the unique openness that we catechists are called to incorporate into our spirituality: an openness to God, to the Church, and to the world. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful and inspiring comments!

This week, we focus on the 4^th aspect of our spirituality, what the Church refers to as an authenticity and coherence of life.

If you’re just joining us, you can go back and “catch up” and then come back to jump in to week five.

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four 

Here’s the video intro for this week:

An Authenticity and Coherence of Life 

 In 2008, Time Magazine featured an article titled “10 Ideas that are Changing the World,” and listed at number 7 was authenticity. Marketing experts are telling us that, in today’s economy, consumers are craving authenticity. It seems that the more we experience things going on around us as virtual or contrived, the more we insist on experiencing something that is real – authentic. While still concerned about availability, quality, and cost, consumers are more concerned about authenticity: someone or something they can identify with.

Now, I’m not suggesting that faith is a commodity and that our students are consumers to whom we are trying to sell. However, as catechists, we do have a “brand” that we are striving to promote. We can learn a lesson from the world of marketing which tells us that, put simply, authenticity is what results when there is a harmony between what one is and what one does. In order for us to be effective catechists, we must strive to be sure that there is no gap between who we are as human beings and what we do as catechists. When our lives reflect a harmony between the two, we telegraph a coherence – a consistency between what we say and how we act.

The issue of consistency is precisely what was at the heart of the recent Notre Dame controversy. Many Catholics were livid with the idea of a Catholic university honoring President Obama because his stance on abortion is inconsistent with a what it means to be pro-life. On the other hand, many people criticized the Church for being inconsistent on moral issues, i.e., loudly condemning abortion but remaining silent about our country engaging in a preemptive war that resulted in the deaths of countless innocent lives. Others simply dismissed the Catholic Church’s moral authority in such matters claiming that the Church lost all credibility as a result of the priest sexual abuse crisis – a glaring inconsistency between what the Church teaches and how the Church acted. Without getting into the politics of these issues, I’m sure you can see that the main arguments of BOTH sides was and continues to be one of consistency.

So what does all of this have to do with us as catechists? The fact is, those we teach are watching us closely for signs of authenticity and coherence of life (consistency). They are seeking a consistency between:

·         our words in class and our actions outside of class (do we practice what we preach?)

·          between our words and our facial expression/body language (do we look like we are proclaiming Good News?)

·         between the words we teach and the way we speak to them and deal with them (do we preach love, patience, and forgiveness, and then speak or act harshly toward them?)

Those we teach will see the Gospel as authentic if they experience us as authentic. This is what the Church had in mind when it said, in the General Directory for Catechesis that,

No methodology, no matter how well tested, can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase of the catechetical process. (156)

To have an authenticity and a coherence of life is not to be confused with being perfect! In fact, paradoxically, the first step to articulating authenticity and coherence of life is to humbly admit that we are sinners – we have, at times, been inauthentic and inconsistent and we earnestly seek forgiveness so that we may become more authentic followers of Jesus. In striving to present ourselves as authentic, we must avoid allowing ourselves to become like the Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.” (Lk 18:11-12) To prevent our quest for authenticity and coherence of life from turning into self-righteousness, we must practice humility as did the tax collector who prayed: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Lk 18:13)

Likewise, we become more authentic by virtue of our engagement in ongoing formation through which  we strive to continually conform ourselves to Jesus Christ, the ultimate example of authenticity and coherence of life. This is precisely why Jesus uttered the words, “it is finished” before he died on the Cross. He was not uttering words of failure but of triumph: he had completed his mission of remaining authentically and coherently faithful to the Father’s will.

In the coming week, let’s pray for the grace we need to be authentic followers of Jesus who have a coherence of life so that those we teach may recognize the Gospel as a viable path for their lives.

*   *   *

 Week Five Reflection Questions (click here for week-5-reflection-questions) - over the next few days, feel free to ponder these reflection questions pertaining to this week’s theme. Then, return here to Catechist’s Journey and share some of your reflections with your fellow retreatants. 

 *    *   *

For Further Reflection

Read Pope Benedict XVI’s reflections on how catechists are called to live what they preach: http://www.zenit.org/article-21721?l=english

*    *   *

Spiritual Exercises - During the course of this week, practice one or more of the following spiritual exercises designed to deepen your authenticity and coherence of life. Feel free to share the fruits of your exercises with your fellow retreatants by posting your comments any time this week.

·         During this week, practice what St. Ignatius of Loyola called the Daily Examen – a way to prayerfully review your day to see in what experiences you have been authentic and consistent as a follower of Jesus and in what experiences you have not. Take 10-20 minutes near the end of your day, and follow these simple steps:

o    Quiet yourself and recall God’s presence

o    Review your day and give thanks for God’s gifts

o    Review your day again and identify those moments you were most authentic as a follower of Jesus and those moments when you may have been inconsistent/inauthentic.

o    Ask forgiveness for the times you were inconsistent/inauthentic.

o    Ask for the grace you need to have an authenticity and coherence of life in the day to come.

·         Pray the Jesus Prayer (also called the Prayer of the Heart) to begin each day and at various times throughout your days as a way of asking God for the grace of humility: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. When praying this prayer, synchronize it with your breathing: breathe in while calling out to God (Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God) and breathe out while praying for mercy (have mercy on me, a sinner). Repeat the prayer as often as you like over a period of 5 or 10 minutes, praying it slowly, and pausing between each recitation.

·         Do an Examination of Conscience in preparation for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Choose an opportunity to go to confession in the days or weeks ahead and, before you do so, prayerfully do an examination of conscience using any of the following or one of your own choosing:

• http://www.saintanthonyofpadua.org/riteof.htm#Exam
• http://www.loyolapress.com/an-examination-of-conscience.htm
• http://www.stmarysholliston.com/index.php?page=confession2
•  http://www.scribd.com/doc/16957125/Examination-of-Conscience
• http://www.loyolapress.com/an-examination-of-conscience.htm
• http://www.scborromeo.org/confess.htm
• http://catholicism.suite101.com/article.cfm/examination_of_conscience  
• http://www.stisidore-yubacity.org/faqbeatitudes.htm
• http://www.paxchristiusa.org/news_events_more.asp?id=266

 *   *   *

Recommended Reading on the Topic of An Authenticity and Coherence of Life:

Heroic Living: Discover Your Purpose and Change the World (Chris Loughney)

Here’s My Heart, Here’s My Hand: Living Fully in Friendship with Jesus (Willaim A Barry, SJ)

Just As You Are: Opening Your Life to the Infinite Love of God (Paul Coutinho, SJ)

Benedict’s Way: An Ancient Monk’s Insights for a Balanced Life (Lonni Collins Pratt and Fr. Daniel Homan, OSB)

Living the Mass: How One Hour a Week Can Change Your Life ( Fr. Dominic Grassi and Joe Paprocki)

Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want (James Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II

Thanks so much for insights posted last week on the theme of our openness to the Church! It is so enjoyable and enriching to read your thoughts and to converse with you. If you’re just joining us, you can go back and “catch up” and then come back to jump in to week four.

• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three

As we do each week, I invite you to begin this week by viewing the following brief video introduction on the theme of An Openness to the World.

An Openness to the World

Sheep, fishing nets, pearls, coins, buried treasures, wine, wineskins, yeast, mustard seeds, fig trees, vineyards, tenants, banquets, etc.

These are just a few of the images that Jesus used when he taught. They are images that were familiar to Jesus’ audience. Jesus spoke in such a way that he was able to capture the imagination of the crowds - speaking to their everyday experiences to help them find God in all things.

Ipod, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, gigabytes, texting, webinars, bandwidth, Bluetooth, download, DVD, Blu-Ray, eBay, Google, GPS, MP3, etc.

Do any of the above words mean anything to you? For many of us, these words may seem like a foreign language. To the young people we teach, however, they are part of their everyday vocabulary!

No doubt, if Jesus were preaching to crowds today, telling them parables, he would draw from images that are current, everyday images. As catechists, we are called to teach as Jesus did. This means that, just as Jesus had an openness to the world in which he lived, we too are called to have a spirituality that is characterized by an openness to the world.

From his humble beginnings, Jesus showed an openness to the world. The Incarnation is an example of profound openness to the world. God did not disdain the mundaneness of this world but rather, he “so loved that world that he sent his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).

Jesus was sinless, yet, he entered into the Jordan River to be baptized with sinners. He did not need forgivness, but he chose to stand shoulder to shoulder with sinners.

In Jesus’ time, it was customary for Jews who were traveling betweem Judea and Galilee to avoid passing through Samaria. John 4:4, however, tells us that Jesus did no such thing: “He had to pass through Samaria.” He had to? The only reason he had to pass through Samaria was because it was part of his mission.

Now THAT’S openness to the world.  Jesus himself did not flee from the world. Rather, he plunged headlong into the ordinariness of life in order to reveal the extraordinary presence of God there. Jesus did not tell his followers to run and hide or to separate from society. Rather, he said, “Go!”

That same commission comes to us. As catechists, we are sent forth into the world. Or, perhaps I should say, the world comes to us! Each time we teach, we are called to enter into the world of those we teach. We may not fully understand “their world.” We may not approve of everything that is happening in “their world.” However, we must not think that somehow God is more present in “our world.” Our task is to enter into their world and to help them uncover and recognize the God who is already there.

I have never traveled to a foreign country where English is NOT the primary language. I believe that anyone who does so is participating in a profound conversion experience: to let go of your own language and seek to comprehend the language of another is profoundly challenging. And yet, when you are able to do so, new experiences become possible.

Quite often, those we teach “speak a different language.” In some cases, that is literally true! In most cases, it is metaphorically true. Being open to the world means learning to speak the language of those we teach. In doing so, we become capable of doing what St. Ignatius of Loyola taught his catechists to do: “enter through their door, but be sure to leave through your door.”

During this week, let’s pray for ourselves and for one another that we may have a true openness to the world - not disdaining it, but entering into it as Jesus did so that we can help others recognize God in their midst.

*   *   *

Week Four Reflection Questions (click here for week-4-reflection-questions) - over the next few days, feel free to ponder these reflection questions pertaining to this week’s theme. Then, return here to Catechist’s Journey and share some of your reflections with your fellow retreatants.

*   *   *

For Further Reflection: Read the Preface and Introductory Statement of Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Consititution on the Church from the Second Vatican Council.

*   *   *

Spiritual Exercises - During the course of this week, practice one or more of the following spiritual exercises designed to deepen your openness to the world. Feel free to share the fruits of your exercises with your fellow retreatants by posting your comments any time this week.

• Spend this week praying with the daily news (whether you receive that through the TV, newspaper, Internet, or Twitter!). Scan the news to observe what is going on: events, trends, tragedies, triumphs, and so on. Then, bring these all to prayer. Ask God to help you recognize the needs of the world. Ask for the grace to see how you can bring the current experiences of the world into dialogue with the Gospel in your catechesis.

• Spend this week in the “shoes” of those you teach…as far as your prayer goes. Try to get into the mindset of those you teach. What are they concerned about? What worries do they have? What joys are they experiencing? What events are taking place in their lives? What needs and desires do they have? Bring all of these to prayer, asking the Lord to help you know the minds and hearts of those you teach and to be sensitive to their needs.

• The early disciples of Christ prayed for the courage to venture into new territories – lands they had never before visited – in order to bring the Word of God to others. Pray this week for the courage to enter into new “territories” – perhaps you can venture into some new technology that your learners are familiar with. Take some time to explore “places” like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, and other popular social networking sites. Pray for the courage to better understand these new places, not in order to become proficient in using them, but to simply be aware of what your learners are finding there. 

*   *   *

Recommended Reading on the Topic of Openness to the World:

Movies That Matter: Reading Film Through the Lens of Faith (Richard Leonard, SJ)

They Came Back Singing: Finding God with the Refugees (Gary Smith, SJ)

Radical Compassion: Finding Christ in the Heart of the Poor (Gary Smith SJ

In All Things: Everyday Prayers of Jesuit High School Students (Michael J. Daley and Lee P Yeazell)

Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable Than Ever Before (Jean M Twenge, Ph.D.)

Youth Culture 101 (Walt Mueller)

In the meantime, I have something for you. Over the years, I’ve heard many people talk about using Disney’s The Prince of Egypt to help teach about Moses and the Exodus/Passover story. It’s a very engaging video but requires much clarification over discrepancies it has with Scripture (lots of poetic license taken!). To that end, I’ve put together a worksheet that can be used to engage students with both the film and the Bible accounts. Enjoy!

moses-and-the-exodus-and-the-prince-of-egypt

moses-and-the-exodus-and-the-prince-of-egypt-with-answer-key

Thanks so much for insights posted last week on the theme of our openness to God! Your stories were very inspiring as we venture forth in this retreat. If you’re just joining us, you can go back and “catch up” and then come back to jump in to week three.

• Week One
• Week Two

As we did in previous weeks, I invite you to begin this week by viewing the following brief video introduction on the theme of An Openness to the Church.

An Openness to the Church

When I was teaching in the high school seminary here in Chicago some years ago, I recall talking to my students about the religious life and explaining the evangelical counsels: poverty, chastity, and obedience. After a thorough explanation, I invited the students to ask questions or make comments. One young man said, “I don’t know about this poverty, chastity, and obedience stuff…that seems pretty challenging. I think I’d rather get married.”

Right. Go for the “easy life!” 

I went on to explain that all of the baptized are called to practice the spirit of these counsels: poverty, chastity, and obedience and that those in religious life dedicate their lives to a heightened practice of what we are all called to live.  I explained that in a marriage, we practice

• poverty (a detachment from possessions - e.g. parents share all of their possessions - home, furniture, cars, stereos, money, food - with their children);
• chastity (faithfulness to one’s sexuality - e.g. married people are celibate to the entire world except for one person…their spouse);
• obedience (accountability - e.g. family members do not come and go as they please but remain accountable to one another).

In other words, these 3 counsels remind us that we are members of a community - not isolated individuals.

Today, in Western culture, individualism is worshipped. Society’s mantra, as articulated by Oprah and Eckhart Tolle is “You are your own best authority.” In other words, no one can tell you what to do. It is no wonder that all of the superheroes in contemporary movies are loners: Batman, Ironman, the Hulk…today’s versions of The Lone Ranger.

As catechists, we have a profound sense of community. We recognize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We are not inviting others to a “me and God” experience. We are inviting them to an “us and God” experience. We take great inspiration from men and women religious who live lives of poverty, chastity, and obedience - exemplifying for us that living in loving relationship with community is key to our salvation. The catechist’s spirituality is characterized by an openness to the Church.

You and I have been called to serve as catechists. We have a vocation. Vocations come from the Church. We serve the mission of the Church and have been authorized (entrusted with the responsibility) to proclaim the Gospel message faithfully.

Living in community is not easy. It requires sacrifices. Sometimes the life of a lone ranger is appealing. Our true calling, however, is to live in the image of God who is, in essence, loving community: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In all that we do as catechists, our goal is to initiate/apprentice others into the life of the faith community. It is our responsibility, then, to know what the Church teaches and has entrusted to us to transmit. We dedicate ourselves to learning about the Church and its teachings so that we can more effectively invite others to enjoy the fruits of belonging to Christ’s community of faith, especially if we teach that the Church is a hospital for sinners (like ourselves) and not a museum for saints. We are all broken and in need of healing grace. The Church is the vehicle of this healing grace and we are blessed to participate in its life.

In the days and weeks ahead, let us continue to deepen our openness to Jesus’ Church - the Church that has called us and sustains us.

 *   *   *

Week Three Reflection Questions (click here for week-3-reflection-questions; a downloadable pdf) - over the next few days, feel free to ponder these reflection questions pertaining to this week’s theme. Then, return here to Catechist’s Journey and share some of your reflections with your fellow retreatants.

*   *   *

For Further Reflection: Saint Anthony of Padua taught his monks to love the Church: http://www.saintanthonyofpadua.net/portale/santantonio/spirito/francescano/fra8.asp

*   *   *

Spiritual Exercises - During the course of this week, practice one or more of the following spiritual exercises designed to deepen your opennes to the Church. Feel free to share the fruits of your exercises with your fellow retreatants by posting your comments any time this week.

• Think about your oldest Church-related possession. Is it your First Communion prayer book and Rosary? Is it a scapular? Is it your baptismal gown? Locate this special heirloom that represents your relationship to the Church. Place this treasured heirloom in the space where you pray for the coming week as a reminder of your relationship with the Church. Read and reflect on John 17, Jesus’ prayer for the Church.

• In the coming week, pray each day for a different person who was instrumental in entrusting the Catholic faith to you. Reflect on how these people did so and how you can emulate them in your vocation as a catechist. Prayer in a special way for the leaders of the Church: the pope, bishops, clergy, and lay ecclesial ministers who are responsible for transmitting the faith.

• In the coming week, spend some time reflecting upon your own understanding of the 4 “pillars” of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: the Creed, the Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer. Reflect on one pillar a day over the next four days. Journalabout your own understanding of these pillars: (Creed) what beliefs are at the core of your Catholic faith? (Sacraments) how have you/do you encounter Jesus in the Sacraments? (Morality) what is your understanding of Catholic morality? (Prayer) Why and how do you pray? Which of these areas do you feel you need to work at in terms of deepening your understanding of the Catholic faith/your openness to the Church? Commit to pursuing an opportunity this year to do just that.

*   *   *

Recommended Reading on the topic of openness to the Church:

My Life with the Saints (James Martin, SJ)

A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe (Joe Paprocki)

May Crowning, Mass, and Merton: 50 Reasons I Love Being Catholic (Liz Kelly)

My Best Teachers Were Saints: What Every Educator Can Learn from the Heroes of the Church (Susan Swetnam)

Ecclesiology: The Church as Communion and Mission (The Catholic Basics Series)

Next week, we will be taking a close look at another aspect of our spirituality as catechists: an openness to the Church. In the meantime, let’s pray for each other as we celebrate the Eucharist this Sunday, the 12th Sunday of the year.

BTW, I have a favor to ask of you! Thanks to my colleague, Linnette, we now have the capabilities of taking polls! Would you kindly take the poll below to test this new feature? Thanks!

IN AN EFFORT TO BETTER SERVE YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I’D LIKE YOUR OPINION. I USED 2 DIFFERENT FILMING TECHNIQUES FOR THE VIDEOS FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS OF THE RETREAT. WEEK ONE (6/8) AND WEEK TWO (6/15). WHICH FILMING TECHNIQUE DO YOU PREFER?

• If you’re just joining us, you can go back to Week One and catch up.
• For Week Two, watch the introductory video and then read my post on Openness to God.
• Over the next few days, ponder the reflection questions.
• Likewise, over the course of this week, practice one or more of the suggested spiritual exercises found at the end of the Week Two post.
• As you know from week one, the true richness of this online retreat resides in the sharing that you, the retreatants, are doing. AT ANY TIME THIS WEEK, CLICK ON COMMENTS-ADD ONE NOW (below to the left) AND SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS ABOUT THE THEME OF OPENNES TO GOD.  You can share thoughts (or ask questions) that are in response to the video intro, the week 2 post, the reflection questions, the spiritual exercises, or just your own experience of being a catechist and striving to be open to God and to call others to be open to God.
• Throughout this week, let’s continue to pray for one another!

P.S. Check this out for inspiration! http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16268