eCatechist

Stations of the Cross from CRS

Today you’re invited to meditate on Christ’s journey to Calvary.

Download this free, beautiful Stations of the Cross Prayer Book–with special digital paintings by Brother Mickey McGrath. This book includes inspirational prayers and images from places around the world

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Praying with Young Children by Tina Lillig

As parents, we find that we pray often and earnestly for our children. We ask God to keep them safe, to make them well, and to help us as we care for them. But there is another gift of prayer that comes to us: the gift of praying with our children.

There is a big difference between a child’s prayer and that of an adult. And it is precisely this difference that makes it such a privilege to pray with little children. They lead us to an enjoyment of God that we may have been missing. When allowed to pray naturally, their simple words come straight from the heart.

 

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To Dance With God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration by Gertrud Mueller Nelson

Originally published in 1986, To Dance With God is a classic for family spirituality and catechesis.

"Gertrud Nelson has written a book on ritual that is one of a kind. Her exquisitely written volume covers the history, psychology and spirituality of ritual in general and Christian ritual in particular. Enlivened by pithy and insightful examples, many of them drawn from her own family life, Ms. Nelson penetrates to the heart of the meaning of ritual and ceremony in a fresh way. She manages to escape the trap of many writers on this subject—superficial piety—and makes relevant for the modern reader the importance of ritual for connecting us to the meaning and flow of life." John Sanford

Table of Contents

Review from Spirituality and Practice

As we go about our lives, commonplace experiences can become vehicles of the Divine Presence. The mysteries of life are conveyed "through bread, wine, ashes, earth, water, oil, tears, seeds, songs, feastings and fastings, pains and joys, bodies and thoughts, regressions and transformations." Such is the incarnational and sacramental vision of Gertrud Mueller Nelson who has been involved in Montessori education, Jungian studies, and liturgical art. Bill Moyers has said in praise of To Dance with God that it "has been an important book in my life for some time now."

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Paulist Press

Amazon

Amazon

Sr. Rose Recommends Films to Watch During Lent

For everyone

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9  

Prince of Egypt – The story of the deliverance of the enslaved Jewish people from Egypt, led by Moses.   Animated. Amazon Prime, AppleTV

The Emperor’s New Groove – The emperor learns that vanity and riches don’t last, and pleasure only has meaning if you share it with others. Disney+, Amazon Prime, AppleTV

Mulan – About the doing the right thing and loving your family. Animated. Disney+

Beauty and the Beast – Belle must serve what people are calling a “monster” but learns not to judge by outward appearances and that it’s who we are on the inside that counts. Animated. Disney+

Up – No matter how old you are, you can always grow and change as a person. Animated. Disney+

 

For teens, young adults, and adults

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us. Psalm 103:11-12

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Whale Rider – A young teen Maori girl realizes her inner strength when she is rejected by her grandfather who must embrace humility to change for the good of his family and the people. Amazon Prime, AppleTV

A Week Away – A troubled teen boy is sent to a summer camp with a twist in this musical about really growing up and making good choices that can change a life. 

Juno – A teen girl becomes pregnant and must rely on her parents to help her do the right thing.  Prime Video, AppleTV

Remember the Titans – When an all-white high school in Virginia was forced to integrate with a black high school in 1971, the new football team finds a way to move forward together. Based on a true story.  YouTube, AppleTV

Mulan – This live-action version about a young woman who avoids marriage and takes her father’s place in battle, is about family and following your call to be the person you are meant to be.  Disney+

 

For young adults 16+ and adults

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us. Psalm 103:11-12 

CODA – A coming-of-age story about a “child of deaf adults” who is a senior in high school and must discern between leaving her family that she believes is dependent on her and going to music school.  It is a journey of growth for the entire family. AppleTV

Francesco – A vibrant documentary that showcases Pope Francis’s life and his love and concern for the poor and marginalized of society as he travels the world.  Discovery +

The Shawshank Redemption – A man wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover and forms lasting friendships in prison. He endures great suffering and still finds beauty and hope for himself and others.  Peacock

Dead Man Walking – A Catholic nun becomes the spiritual guide for a man on death row for the killing of a young couple that he denies until he accepts the grace to admit his crimes and ask forgiveness. Based on a true story. Hulu

Just Mercy – Brian Stevenson, a lawyer in Alabama who dedicated his life to getting innocent people off death row, beginning with Walter McMillan who is bitter and has lost hope. HBOMax

 

Sr. Rose at the Movies

Facebook: SisterRoseGoesToTheMovies

 

Twitter: SisterRoseMovies

 

Pauline Center for Media Studies

 

 

Sister Rose Pacatte: A Crazy Amazing Nun at the Crossroads of Faith Media and the Margins

 

If you love movies, television and music and want a deeper understanding of media in general – AND have a cool Catholic nun explain it all – then this episode is for you! Join us as Sister Rose shares surprising insights about media, how to navigate it and what’s hot and what’s not with the Academy Awards this year. You don’t want to miss it.

Our guest, Sister Rose Pacatte, is a lecturer, author and media literacy expert. In this episode we explore the crossroads of media literacy, humanity, and several controversial topics. Sister Rose, a member of the Daughters of Saint Paul and founder of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, is a well-regarded film reviewer and a “tomatometer-approved critic” on the popular website, Rotten Tomatoes. She is an award-winning film journalist and author, or co-author, of 15 titles on film, film and Scripture, and media literacy education. Some of her books include Martin Sheen: Pilgrim on the Way and Lights, Camera, Faith!: A Movie Lectionary Guide to Scripture.

Her educational journey is impressive. Sister Rose earned a Master of Education in media studies from the University of London’s Institute of Education and a doctorate in ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation. Her doctoral project was an undergraduate film textbook entitled To Seek God’s Face: Theological Approaches to Film.

Sister Rose is a resident film critic for the St. Anthony Messenger and for the National Catholic Reporter. She reviews mainstream, independent, and faith-based titles. She also writes the blog “Sister Rose at the Movies” on the Patheos website. She has sat on ecumencial juries at the Berlin, Locarno, and Cannes film festivals, as well as on the SIGNIS independent jury in Venice. In 2015, she presented the inaugural “Redeemer” award at the Razzies parody award show. In 2016, Sister Rose hosted a series of classic films on Turner Classic Movies that were originally condemned by the National Legion of Decency.

Video or Audio Podcast

 

 

Pray with Me: Seven Simple Ways to Pray with Your Children by Grace Mazza Urbanski

Grace Mazza Urbanski gives parents practical advice on how to help children find opportunities to pray throughout the day. Using warmth, humor, and passion, Urbanski draws on personal experience to show how families are brought closer together through deeper contact with God. Many ideas can be used by catechists in the faith formation programs and then shared with parents.

1) Praying Spontaneously

2) Praying from Memory

3) Praying with Scripture

4) Praying with Song

5) Praying with Silence

6) Praying with Reflection

7) Praying with the Apostleship of Prayer

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Amazon

Ave Maria Press

View Praying with Grace videos on YouTube

 

The Dailiness of the Christian Faith by Tish Harrison Warren

The kind of spiritual life and disciplines needed to sustain the Christian life are quiet, repetitive and ordinary.

I often want to skip the boring daily stuff to get to the thrill of an edgy faith.

But it is in the dailiness of the Christian faith - the making the bed, the doing the dishes, the praying for our enemies, the reading the Bible, the quiet, the small - that God's transformation takes root and grows.

p. 35 Liturgy of the Ordinary

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

The Sacrament of Back to School by Lisa Brown

“In that moment, so pregnant with hope, pride, excitement, joy, nervousness, and expectation, we find our everyday sacrament.”

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From Building Faith at the Virginia Theological Seminary

It Is the Child Who Leads Us To the Gospel

“It is the child who leads us to the gospel,” writes Eberhard Arnold. In children’s generosity and helpfulness, in their natural happiness, and even in their naughtiness, we can experience a freedom to be ourselves. And children often possess an unshakable faith. Jesus is quite forthright about the role children play in his kingdom: “Unless you become like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom” (Matt. 18:3). We too easily forget this, or worse, resist it. The disciples got upset that so many children were being brought to Jesus. If we’re honest, we too, under the guise of serving Christ’s cause, often make ourselves too busy to pay attention to children.

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10 Ways I Practice Faith While Parenting Teenagers by Miriam McKenney

“When Jamie gets to that age, you’re going to help me, right?”

“How can I get my kids to turn out like yours?”

“Why aren’t you writing all of this down?”

As a mom of three spectacular daughters, I get asked these questions on a regular basis, as if I’ve come up with some magic formula for parenting teenagers. All of my parenting comes with a lot of love, respect, and heavy doses of honesty. And, God.

So, to begin to write it down, I asked my girls what they thought held our family together. Here’s what we came up with:

 

Source: Grow Christians

Home Practices from Building Faith

Home Practices from Building Faith

Beatiudes on Film... for children! from Thinking Faith

In a new series, we will be exploring the Beatitudes through the medium of children’s films. We’ve chosen eight films – from classics to recent award-winners – through which school-age children can gain a better understanding of each of the eight blessings imparted by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. Thinking Faith

Thinking Faith is the online journal of the Jesuits in Britain. Explore our website to find articles and reviews which will help you think about your faith and think, through your faith, about the world.

A Father's Faith by Tom McGrath

Wisdom borrowed from St. Joseph

 

St. Joseph seems to have been a man of few words but plenty of action. The brief stories that mention him in the Gospels leave us with a vivid impression of a strong, supportive man who revealed his feelings and beliefs more in what he did than what he said. Over the years, I have come to appreciate this humble carpenter who always seems to stand a short distance from center stage. As a foster father he fostered many great traits in his son, Jesus. Through my prayer and reflection I have witnessed four wisdom principles in St. Joseph, the patron saint of fathers, workers and of the universal church.

Source: America

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Six Things To Do When School Is Out

Lisa Dewey Wells, author of the Wonder of Children blog, offers six things that the traditional classroom teacher might consider for summer renewal. Excellent adivce for all catechists.

Six things to do when school is out.

Remaining Faithful by Msgr. John Zenz

On a regular basis over the past two decades I've had the joy of meeting with a group of men for faith-sharing. Inevitably, one topic is sure to emerge: the faith-life of their adult children and grandchildren. I always try to reassure them that if they themselves remain constant in the practice of their faith, without even needing to "preach" about it, sooner or later their adult children will come back to the practice of the faith. Sometimes it's only after people "leave home" (the Church) that they begin to recognize what they've lost and they return.

For those of us who are the "elders," the challenge is remaining faithful, praying fervently and waiting patiently. The consistency of our witness speaks more than thousands of words and will invite and challenge others to want to know and experience what (or better "who") gives us meaning and hope - Jesus Christ.

Msgr. John Zenz Pastor, Holy Name Parish, Birmingham, MI 

Former Director of Relegious Education for the Archdiocese of Detroit

 

Ernie Harwell and Msgr. John Zenz (The Gospel of Mark)

Msgr. John Zenz  on the Sacraments (USCCB)

 

5 Lessons for Parenting in the Digital Age

 

Soren Gordhamer is the organizer of the Wisdom 2.0 Conferences. Along with its annual event, it is also holding a Wisdom 2.0 Youth Conference for parents and others focused on supporting young people in the digital age. You can follow him at @SorenG on Twitter.

“Dad, can I use your phone to play games?” asked my son recently as we drove through the southwest on a beautiful summer day. I was taken by his question. On one hand, it was a lovely day, and I had been greatly enjoying our conversation. On the other, why not let him play a game if he wants? I check my email continuously — why shouldn’t he also be able to play games continuously?

My son’s question is one that millions of parents are asked each day, whether about a phone, computer, Wii or Xbox. The essential plea is the same: “Mom or dad, can I please direct my attention to a screen?”

Parents of older children face similar challenges — for instance, whether it’s acceptable for their teen to text at the dinner table, or whether it’s tolerable for a teen to peer at his laptop when someone is trying to address him. Essentially, we wonder, just how much technology should be allowed in our lives and those of our kids?

SEE ALSO: Kids & Technology: The Developmental Health Debate

Few parents are going to completely forbid their children from interacting with today’s amazing gadgetry. However, it’s essential that we focus on a conscious, rather than habitual, use of modern technology.

1)  Technology has no longer boundaries

2)  Know when to cut it off

3)  The difference between preference and addiction

4)  Focus on technology that truly connects us to our kids

5)  Model the balance

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Families, You Are Not Alone by Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI says that learning about God is a lifelong endeavor, much broader than simply preparing a child to receive the sacraments. "In this educational effort, the family remains the first responsible party. Dear parents, be the first witnesses of the faith," the Pontiff exhorted. "Do not be afraid of the difficulties amid which you are called to realize your mission. You are not alone! The Christian community is close to you and sustains you." He spoke of catechesis as permanent formation. "We must grow throughout our lives in knowledge of God, thus in knowledge of what it means to be a man," he said.

The Holy Father called on parents to find light and strength for their educational efforts in the liturgy, particularly in the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. He invited parents to take advantage of diocesan opportunities for education and volunteer work so as to form people who know how to live in solidarity, "open and attentive to situations of spiritual and material hardship."

"In short," the Pope said, "pastoral action should be geared to forming persons mature in the faith, able to live in contexts in which often God is ignored; persons coherent with the faith, so that the light of Christ will be taken to all environments; persons that live the faith with joy, to transmit the beauty of being Christians."

From Catechetical Leader Weekly, a weekly online publication for members of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) and Zenit.org.

 

The Family in the Documents of the Church

From:

THE PASTORAL CHALLENGES
OF THE FAMILY
IN THE CONTEXT OF EVANGELIZATION

Link

4. Throughout the centuries, the Church has maintained her constant teaching on marriage and family.

One of the highest expressions of this teaching was proposed by the Second Vatican Council, in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, which devotes an entire chapter to promoting the dignity of marriage and the family (cf. GS, 47-52).

This document defined marriage as a community of life and love (cf. GS, 48), placing love at the center of the family and manifesting, at the same time, the truth of this love in counter distinction to the various forms of reductionism present in contemporary culture.

The “true love between husband and wife” (GS, 49) implies a mutual gift of self and includes and integrates the sexual and affective aspects, according to the divine plan (cf. GS, 48-49).

Furthermore, Gaudium et Spes, 48 emphasizes the grounding of the spouses in Christ. Christ the Lord “comes into the lives of married Christians through the Sacrament of Matrimony,” and remains with them. In the Incarnation, he assumes human love, purifies it and brings it to fulfillment.

Through his Spirit, he enables the bride and groom to live their love and makes that love permeate every part of their lives of faith, hope and charity. In this way, the bride and groom are, so to speak, consecrated and, through his grace, they build up the Body of Christ and are a domestic Church (cf. LG, 11), so that the Church, in order to fully understand her mystery, looks to the Christian family, which manifests her in a real way.

 

From America Magazine:

IN SYNOD WORKING DOCUMENT, A REALISTIC PICTURE OF THE FAMILY
TODAY [1]
Ashley McKinless

Our Sunday Visitor

Familiaris Consortio (On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) by John Paul II

Letter of Pope Francis to Families

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Dear families,

With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization”. Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.

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