One of the most frustrating things that I experience as a catechist is young people who are fully capable of reading but are reluctant to read. I’m not talking about reading aloud…I understand that some people don’t like to read aloud in front of others. I’m just talking about following along in the book as someone else reads aloud.
I especially notice this in the boys. As we read, some of them will just stare straight ahead, look around, doodle on the page, or fiddle with their pen, pencil, or other distraction. As we read, I’ll walk around and direct them to pay attention to the place on the page where we are, and they will “pretend” to read along for a while and then go back to the above mentioned behaviors.
I can only think that they are so conditioned to being entertained by images on video screens that they idea of reading words on a page is becoming foreign to them.
To top it all off, we don’t read out of the book for more than a few minutes at a time. We are constantly doing activities that embellish what we are reading. For example, on Monday, we read about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, one gift at a time. The text described each gift in 2 or 3 short paragraphs. After each gift was read, the young people thought of someone in their life who is an example of that gift. They wrote the initials of that person on a small tag and got up from their desks to hang the tags on small “trees” (branches) labeled with that gift of the Spirit.
One would think that this activity, moving back and forth between reading and moving about, would prevent the kind of boredom that reading alone might cause. Even so, getting them to focus on the reading for each gift of the Spirit was a task.
I experience the most success in keeping them focused on reading when they have to simultaneously (or immediately after reading) fill in a worksheet based on the text.
I’d be interested in hearing if others experience this phenomenon and what you do to respond to it.
Over the weekend, I had the privilege of going to San Francisco for the first time in my life. I spent 2 days with a group of catechists and catechetical leaders exploring the relationship between catechesis and liturgy.
I met many wonderful people there and in particular, was inspired by a catechetical leader (who also teaches 8th grade RE) who exemplifies the gift of fortitude. Victor is a very friendly, outgoing young man, with a deep faith and great wisdom and insight. He is also a man of great fortitude. I don’t want to define Victor by his physical challenges. Suffice to say that he has endured seven brain surgeries for recurring brain tumors, is visually impaired, and is assisted by a cochlear implant for his hearing.
With all of these challenges, Victor dedicates himself to the kids he works with and to his ministry as a catechetical leader. Out of his wonderful sense of generosity, he offered to take me out to dinner and show me around San Francisco so that I wouldn’t just be holed up in my hotel room.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, drove around San Francisco, and stopped at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, where we were just in time to join in the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the Saturday vigil Mass. On our way to the Cathedral, Victor told me about the shrine at the Cathedral to Our Lady of Guadalupe…a shrine that was very special to him. Years earlier, after receiving the traumatic news of the discovery of a brain tumor, Victor prayed at this shrine where these words, spoken by Mary to Juan Diego, are inscribed:
“Listen, my son, to what I tell you now: do not be troubled nor disturbed by anything; do not fear illness nor any other distressing occurrence, nor pain. Am I not your mother? Am I not life and health? Have I not placed you on my lap and made you my responsibility? Do you need anything else?”
After Mass, Victor showed me around the Cathedral and then we went over to the Guadalupe shrine to pray. Here is a picture of Victor praying before his very special lady.
After touring the Cathedral, we had an excellent dinner at the Beach Chalet, a historic ocean-front restaurant.
Thank you, Victor, for your hospitality and for sharing your courageous story with me. You are in my prayers. May the Holy Spirit bless all of us with the Gift of Fortitude.
I’m going to be tied up over the next few days so I thought I would use today to share what I’ll be teaching this coming Monday.
We have the third of our Confirmation Intensives. For this one, we are going to focus on the number SEVEN. Actually 7 x 3.
What do I mean by that? We will have the young people participate in 3 sessions that evening, focusing on the following:
- the 7 deadly sins
- the 7 virtues
- the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Each session will be about 30 minutes long. The goal is to point out the 7 deadly sins as obstacles that we face to truly following Jesus, and then to explore the 7 virtues and the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit as the keys to overcoming these obstacles and living as a disciple of Christ.
The session on the deadly sins has the young people working on a maze (a Blackline Master) in which the 7 sins are defined along the way.
The session on the virtues will involve learning about each of the 7 virtues (from the text book) followed by an activity in which the young people stand in the middle of the room. On the walls are 7 posters/signs, each with one of the 7 virtues on it. Various scenarios will be read, one at a time, that describe someone using one of the virtues. The young people have to listen to the scenario and then choose which virtue they think it is describing and then go stand by that poster/sign. Volunteers can explain why they chose the virtue they chose and then the correct answer is given and the definition revisited.
Finally, the session on the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit will involve having the young people read about the Gifts one at a time from the text. After each Gift is described, they will write on a small tag, the initials of someone they know personally who exemplifies that Gift of the Spirit. They will then place that tag on one of 7 Gifts of the Spirit “trees” (small branches placed in baskets and each labeled with one of the Gifts of the Spirit) that will be placed around the room.
I look forward to the opportunity to engage in these activities with the young people. I think it will be fun and substantive = ENGAGING!
I’ll post again Monday morning. Have a great weekend!
I’m always suspicious of people who tell me that when they were in Vegas, they won X amount of money playing a certain game or machine. They never tell you how much they lost along the way!
In the same way, I’m about to tell you about a moment I had last night at religious education that was like hitting the jackpot. I’ll follow that, however, with a little disclaimer that shows it wasn’t all roses.
Anyway, last night I led a guided meditation on the Corporal Works of Mercy. In this meditation, Jesus enters the room and sits down next to the young person and they engage in conversation about what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus then slowly lays out the works of mercy that his disciples are called to do. In all, the meditation lasted about 15 minutes and I did it for 4 separate groups of 8th graders.
The “jackpot” moment was after one of the meditations, when I was explaining to the group that they had just meditated and that they key is to use their imaginations to engage in conversation with Jesus. A young man then said, “Yeah, it’s like he was sitting right next to me.”
WOW! Isn’t that what we catechists live for? I was thrilled to hear him say this, especially in front of his peers. I told the group that this is something they can practice at home: go to their room, get in a comfortable position, pay attention to their breathing until they slow it down, and then imagine Jesus entering the room to sit and talk with them.
Now, before you think that I had them eating out of my hand all night, here’s what else I dealt with:
- a cell phone going off in the middle of one meditation
- 3 young people who just couldn’t stop chatting with one another
- one young person who felt compelled to just blurt out a comment every few minutes during the meditation despite my directions for quiet
- a mysterious laser pointer whose source I was never able to determine
- 2 young people with the giggles during a meditation
- 1 young person who fell asleep during the meditation
Out of the 4 meditations, I would say 2 went extremely well, 1 was OK, and 1 was a struggle. The bottom line is that we have to let the weeds and the wheat grow together (Matthew 13:24-30). We need patience and endurance to put up with the frustrating part of our ministry, knowing that God’s grace can, does, and will penetrate and make an impact on some who are ready.
Here’s the text of the meditation. Feel free to use it.
Meditation on the Corporal Works of Mercy
Today, we’re learning about what it is that Catholics believe and do. During the next 20 minutes, we’re going to focus on some very specific things that Catholics do. They’re called works of mercy because, when we perform these works, we share God’s merciful love with others.
Let’s take a moment to get comfortable now.
Make sure you’re in a position where you can be comfortable and still for the next 20 minutes.
Let’s quiet ourselves. Slowly and quietly breathe in to the count of 5. (1,2,3,4,5)
Hold your breath for 1 second.
Now slowly and quietly breathe out to the count of 5 (1,2,3,4,5)
Let’s do that again. (repeat)
Now, imagine that everyone else in this room just vanished and that you are all alone, enjoying the quiet.
Before long, Jesus walks in and sits next to you.
He asks how you are doing. Talk to him.
He explains that he is here today to ask you to be one of his followers.
You ask him, “Jesus, what do I have to do to be one of your followers?”
Jesus says, “the most important thing to do is to care for the needs of others. I want you to show mercy to others by tending to their needs whenever you can.”
You ask Jesus, “what do you mean? What kind of needs?”
Jesus says, “let me tell you about the needs that people have and how you can help them:
I want you to recognize when people are hungry and thirsty. Start in your own home. People don’t have to be starving to be hungry. Think about how you can help at meal time in your family. Help set the table. Help to prepare the food in the kitchen. Help to clean up afterwards. But also, keep in mind all the people in the world who don’t have food and water like you do. Pay attention to how you can help with food drives, support food pantries, work at a soup kitchen, or give money to people who feed the hungry.
I want you to shelter the homeless. You are very lucky to have a good roof over your head. Take care of your home. Help your neighbors to care for their homes. Pay attention to some of the ways that you can support people who work with the homeless. Homeless shelters need donations of soap, shampoo, and other personal items…maybe you can help by donating some of these.
I want you to clothe those who have no clothing. Again, you are very lucky to have warm clothes and shoes on your feet. Thank your parents for providing you with clothing and try not to get hung up on spending a lot of money on clothes. Go through your drawers and your closet and pack up some clothing that you can give to someone less fortunate.
I want you to visit the sick and imprisoned. I know that you’re not old enough to visit people in jail and hospitals even have age limits. But there are other ways you can be present to people. You can call or send a card to someone who is sick. If you have relatives that can’t get out of the house often because of their age or sickness, spend some time with them. People don’t have to be in jail to be imprisoned. Some people are imprisoned in their own homes because of sickness. Of course, if any of your friends are sick, be sure to visit them or call them…it will mean a lot to them.
I want you to be of help to others who are suffering the death of a loved one. I know it’s not fun to go to a wake or a funeral, but it means so much to the people who are grieving to just know that you care and that they are not alone. If you have grandparents or other relatives who are widows or widowers, spend some time with them. They can be very lonely missing their loved ones who have died. You probably even have friends who have lost a loved one. Be sure to show that you care and that you are there for them.
Finally, I want you to do what you can to help the poor. I know you probably don’t have a lot of money of your own but you’d be surprised to know just how many people in the world have far less than you have. Do what you can to share with those in need. Save your change in a jar at home and every once in a while, donate it to those who work with the poor. Instead of buying something for yourself, every once in a while, buy something for the poor or give the money to help those who are poor.
Jesus pauses and then says, I’m not asking you to change the world. But if you and all of my followers do what you can, the world will change. I want you to do works of mercy: feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, bury the dead, and give to the poor. Will you consider being my follower?
Tell Jesus that you are preparing for Confirmation…preparing to follow him in a new way as a young adult. Tell him that you want to follow him but that you need his help. Talk to Jesus about what’s keeping you from truly being one of his followers.
Jesus knows that it’s time for you to move on now. He asks if there’s anything else you want to say to him or ask him. Take time to do that now.
Thank Jesus for this time together.
Watch as he walks out of the chapel and down the stairs.
Spend a quiet moment now with the Holy Spirit.
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
For this evening’s Confirmation Intensive, my segment is to do a meditation on the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Remember, our Confirmation Intensives are 2-hours long and aside from an opening and closing segment in their “homeroom,” the young people move about to 4 different 20-minute mini sessions. My segment takes place in the chapel.
This evening we are focusing on what Catholics BELIEVE and DO. 2 of the mini sessions will be on the Creed (the Trinity and the Marks of the Church), one will be on conscience and moral life, and mine will be on performing works of mercy.
The meditation will invite the young people to, as always, center and quiet themselves (that alone can be a challenge!). Then I will lead them to imagine that Jesus has entered the room and sits himself down to talk individually with them. In the course of their conversation, Jesus asks the young person to consider following him. The young peoples’ reply is that they want to know what they have to DO as his follower. Jesus will then go on to describe how they can share his merciful love with others by peforming works of mercy. I have taken the Corporal Works of Mercy and described some practical things that young people can do to perform these works in their everyday lives.
At the end, Jesus once again restates his invitation to follow him. The meditation ends with the young people conversing in their own words about how ready they are to do this and asking Jesus to help them overcome any obstacles that stand in the way of following him more closely.
I will end the meditation by reading a brief segment of the Parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25) which form the basis for the Corporal Works of Mercy (”For I was hungry and you gave me food…)
If all goes well (and maybe even if it doesn’t go well!), I’ll share the text of the meditation in my next post.
Best wishes for engaging sessions this week!
I’ve updated my list of speaking engagements for the New Year (see the link in the right hand column). Maybe I’ll be in your neck of the woods at some point!
I’ve also updated my “What I’m Reading” link, also in the right column, at the bottom.
Monday, we’re back in business with religious education after the Christmas break…I’ll have more to talk about then!
The New Year often brings with it a bevy of Top Ten lists that look back over the previous year (e.g. ten best/worst movies, etc.).
With that in mind, I thought I would put together a list of the Top Ten posts from my blog in 2007, based on the number of comments they received. Enjoy!
10. Feed the Catechists!
9. The Law of Love - It’s No Secret
8. First Guided Reflection
7. How Closely Do You Follow Your Textbook?
6. Seating Arrangement
5. Lively Conversation on Intergenerational Catechesis
4. A Modest Proposal
3. Reflecting on the Year
2. A Catechist’s S.O.S.
1. Top Reasons to Become a Catechist
So what does this tell me? It tells me that catechists have a wide range of interests! These topics cover a very wide range of issues, from how to arrange our rooms to paradigms for catechesis! Catechists are certainly very ecclectic!
Happy New Year to all catechists and catechetical leaders!
With each year comes another opportunity for us to serve the Lord by proclaiming the Gospel to another generation.
May this New Year be filled with many blessings and may the Holy Spirit inspire us to teach with enthusiasm, confidence, boldness, creativity, and, above all, love!
