For many kids, religious education feels like just one more thing on their busy schedules. They hurry through their school day shuffling from class to class, race to extracurricular activities, squeeze in a meal (probably fast-food), and get dropped off at religious education classes where they are usually met with a flurry of announcements and activity. And here we are, as catechists, trying to get them to suddenly come face to face with the issue of their eternal salvation! It’s no wonder we (and they) experience some degree of frustration!

I propose that catechists dedicate a small chunk of time at the start of class to transition. Consider having the lights turned low and some inspirational music on as they enter. When everyone is in place and you’ve greeted the group, invite them to a short period of silence and stillness. Have a bowl of holy water on your prayer table and invite them one at a time to come forward and to bless themselves. Ask if anyone has any needs or people they would like to pray for and then pray a brief opening prayer together such as the Lord’s Prayer or a Hail, Mary. All told this can be done in 5 or 10 minutes. You may feel that you have so little time already that you can’t devote another 5 or 10 minutes to transition. However, if it makes the remainder of your time more effective, it will be worth it.

An interesting note to end on: Fr. Bob Barron, author, theologian, and speaker, points out that, when entering a medieval cathedral, one would first encounter frightening gargoyles on the outside reminding us of the evils that we confront in the world and must be protected from; upon entering, one would suddenly be enshrouded in a dark foyer making it very difficult to see - one would literally have to pause for a moment of transition for their eyes to adjust; finally one would enter the cathedral and be met with dazzling colorful stained-glass windows and images/icons of saints and celestial beings. The architects of these cathedrals knew that people need transition when attempting to become more cognizant of the spiritual. In some small ways, we catechists can do the same for our young people in religious education.