Lots of stories in the sports pages today about Brett Favre getting the “itch” to return to football after announcing originally that he planned to retire.
Around this time of the summer, I get the “itch” for the religious education year to begin! Being off (from teaching) for May and June and having a wonderful vacation in Marco Island, Florida, works wonders for restoring one’s energy. Don’t get me wrong…I still look forward to having July and August off from teaching. However, the “itch” is a general urge to be “in the game” again. I look forward to growing as a catechist in the coming year and trying new things. Of course, I’ll talk about those experiences here and I hope to hear from you about your experiences as well.
I hope you are enjoying your summer. Anyone want to offer some advice for summer reading especially for catechists?
It’s vacation time for me, my friends! Time to allow the brain to lie fallow. That means no posting for a couple of weeks. I’ll post again right after the Fourth of July weekend (July 7 to be exact). I hope you enjoy the start of summer and I’ll see you back here in a few weeks. Peace. -joe
Lots of Catholics are talking about the controversy over Fr. Michael Pfleger’s politically and racially charged talk last week at Trinity United Church. Unfortunately, lots of knee-jerk reactions are happening. I have met Fr. Pfleger on a number of occasions over the years and have great respect for the way he has taken the Gospel to the streets. On the other hand, I also have many reservations about his tactics. It’s important for us as Catholics to turn to our teachings for guidance in forming our opinions in this matter. In this particular case, I think it is imperative that we explore the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit (especially since the community of Saint Sabina, Fr. Mike’s parish, takes pride in being “dependent upon the Word of God and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit”), the Virtues, and the concept of prophecy.
The power and presence of the Holy Spirit is beyond our ability to control or harness. Jesus told us that the “wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8). Too many people have interpreted this passage as describing a Spirit-filled person rather than the power of the Spirit himself (no gender implied). Being Spirit-filled does not grant one license to do or say as one please. Too often, people jump to the conclusion that, to be a Spirit-filled person, means that you can do or say whatever you want and that the “rules” do not apply. It’s not that simple. For example, on the one hand, a Spirit-filled person must rely on the Gift of fortitude to challenge conventional thinking. By the same token, however, he or she also must rely on the Gift of Counsel which provides him or her with the ability to see the best way to follow God’s plan when we have choices to make. Fr. Pfleger has always been known for his fortitude which is admirable. In this most recent situation, however, I dare say that Fr. Pfleger lacked counsel. His mockery of Hilary Clinton is clearly not the best way to follow God’s plan as we make choices in this election.
A Spirit-filled person exemplifies the Fruits of the Holy Spirit as well. One of these traits is faithfulness which describes the conviction that one has in respect to the Gospel. At the same time, Spirit-filled people exemplify the fruit of self-control, i.e. the act of allowing God’s love to overcome our compulsive need for security, affection, esteem, power, and status. Fr. Pfleger is to be admired for his faithfulness to the Gospel…his convictions are deep and strong. Unfortunately, in this latest instance, he lacked self-control, allowing his need for affirmation from a congregation to cloud his thinking and to block God’s love from coming through. Not to mention the lack of the following Fruits of the Spirit in his talk: charity, kindness, and gentleness.
Finally, we can turn to the Virtues for guidance. The Virtues are attitudes or ways of acting that enable us to do good. In particular, we can look at the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. A Spirit-filled person no doubt is called to practice these virtues. Fr. Pfleger is well-known for his commitment to justice and the fortitude that he draws upon in the face of injustice. In this latest episode, it would seem quite clear, however, that he lacked prudence (the ability to carefully and thoughtfully consider one’s actions) and temperance (self-control, restraint in both actions and speech).
I have no doubt that Fr. Pfleger is Spirit-filled. This does not mean, however, that he is free to do and say as he pleases when it comes to preaching the Gospel. Quite the contrary, the Spirit frees us to speak the truth but also makes us prisoners of Christ which means that we are bound to think and act in ways that are pleasing to Christ.
Finally, I don’t know where we have gotten this notion that a person who is seen as prophetic is incapable of speaking untruth. I believe that we have less to fear with the concept of papal infallibilty than we do with what seems to be this popular acceptance of “prophetic infallibility.” People defend Rev. Wright and Fr. Pfleger by saying that they are prophetic, as though somehow they are immune to preaching erroneously. A prophet is someone who is called to speak the truth of God and to communicate God’s will in order that people may be led back to the Covenant that God made with humankind. Just because a person’s “career” has been characterized by prophetic work and words does not excuse or justify momentary lapses of judgment. Fr. Pfleger laments the fact that his reputation to many in this country will now be based on a short YouTube snippet rather than on his years of prophetic acting and speaking. This is indeed unfortunate but it does not exonerate a serious lapse in judgment. My wife and I continuously remind our kids (now college age and beyond) that all it takes is one slip up - one momentary lapse of judgement - such as getting behind the wheel after a few drinks, to damage all the good you’ve done up to that point. The fact is, preaching and living the Gospel is like cultivating a garden. You cannot hope to nurture a small patch of weeds off in the corner that (you hope) few will see. (I borrowed that idea from Stephen Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People)
Fr. Pfleger has offered an apology which is the appropriate action and that apology should be accepted. He must now work to show his contrition and that may involve humbly accepting the consequences that are handed to him by Cardinal George.
I just want to take this opportunity to offer congratulations to all of this year’s graduates that catechist’s are involved with in any way! From students we teach in Kindergarten, 8th grade, senior year high school and college to members of our own families who are graduating to all of the catechists who are completing formation programs and achieving certification by their dioceses! Praise God for these accomplishments and for the grace that enabled(s) all of us to achieve them!
Two of the wonderful Gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gift of Reverence, also referred to as Piety, and Fear of the Lord. How sorely these gifts are needed in our society today! Both of these gifts lead us to recognize and accept the reality that we are humble creatures at the service of our Creator and others. Both of these gifts lead us to recognize the proper attitude and response to take in any given situation. And just what is the proper attitude and response in any given situation? One of humility, selflessness, and temperance. We enter into any given situation recognizing that we are not the center of the universe and that the moment we are a part of is “bigger” than ourselves.
Why do I bring this up? Over the weekend, I attended my son’s graduation from college, the University of Illinois at Chicago (College of Architecture and the Arts). My wife, daughter, and I were absolutely mortified by the behavior, not of the graduates, but of many of the families in the audience. The hooting, hollering, screaming, and yelling was unbelievably immature and disrespectful. What was lacking from so many people there (not from the university, which did a very nice job of the festivities) was any sense of respect for the moment or for others. To scream and yell at the sound of your child’s name being called to come forward for his or her diploma is selfish: it ignores the fact that there are other people present. It is also extremely disrespectful to the family of the next graduate, whose name cannot be heard over the din.
Reverence and Fear of the Lord are not just attitudes that we practice in Church. We are to practice them in life. Isn’t this what we try to teach our students in our religious education classes? We try to teach them that in every situation in life, we are called to humble ourselves, to show respect for others, and to do unto others as we would have done to ourselves. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit enable us to love our neighbors properly…they allow us to live moral lives. Society and community as a whole rely upon the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in order that all members of the community may thrive, grow, and be respected.
Let’s keep right on teaching our young people how to make the best use of the Gifts of Reverence and Fear of the Lord. They may not be “in vogue” but they are not obsolete!
At my D. Min. graduation ceremony Saturday, I had a brief moment with Cardinal Francis George after he handed me my diploma and we waited for the photographer to snap a picture. After we shared greetings and pleasantries, we enjoyed the following exchange:
Joe: “So, I’ll see you again this Tuesday night at the Catechetical Ministries Awards Banquet.”
Cardinal George: “Oh, that’s right.”
Joe: “After all, I am a catechist. And that’s more important than being a doctor!”
Cardinal George: “Yes, yes, you’re right. But it sure is nice to be a doctor too!”
Here are some pics from my Doctor of Ministry graduation Saturday…a wonderful experience!
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Today is my graduation from the Doctor of Ministry program at St. Mary of the Lake University, Mundelein, Illinois! I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to grow in faith. I’ll share some pix in the days to come!
Some of you may recall one of my posts from last year at this time when I shared a meditation for catechists to reflect on their year. Here it is again:
Many of us catechists are either finished or close to wrapping up the “year” in religious education. This is a good time to reflect on this past year, asking the Lord to help us learn and grow from the experience. Here is a reflection you may want to use to review your past year. (I’ve written it in such a way that it is best read aloud by an individual who is leading others in the reflection, however, it can also be used in private with minor adaptations).
We often tell our learners to use their imaginations. Now it’s your turn. Use your imagination to reflect on this past year as a catechist. (Pause.)
First, find a position that feels most comfortable to you. (Pause.) If you like, close your eyes. (Pause.) Now relax your entire body—your neck . . . your shoulders . . . your arms . . . your legs. (Pause.) Feel all the tension flowing out of your body, into the air and away. (Pause.) Now be very still and listen to the rhythm of your breathing. Listen. (Pause.) Feel your breath go in and out, in and out, in and out. (Pause.) Now let’s begin. (Pause.)
In your imagination see yourself in the place where you’ve been teaching this past year. (Pause.) Imagine that you are there all alone, slowly walking about the room, recalling the times that you were teaching. (Pause.) Imagine that you can hear the echoes and see the shadows of the experiences you shared with your participants over the weeks and months. (Pause.)
Imagine that in the midst of this remembering, Jesus enters the room. As he comes in, you go to meet him. He’s obviously glad to see you. Listen to him tell you how glad he is to be with you. (Pause.)
Jesus asks you what you were just doing. Tell him that you’ve been thinking about this past year and your service as a catechist.
Listen as Jesus thanks you for being his disciple and for sharing his Good News with others. (Pause)
Jesus asks you, “What moments in your teaching this past year do you feel best about?” (Pause) Take some time to recall these moments and share them with Jesus. Tell him why these moments were special. (Pause)
Tell Jesus what you are most thankful for as you recall this past year. (Pause)
Jesus asks you, “What were your biggest struggles this year?” (Pause) Take some time to share with Jesus what you struggled with. (Pause) Listen as Jesus responds. (Pause)
Talk to Jesus about specific individuals in your group. Tell him about the gifts you recognize in them. Tell him what special needs some of them have that you are concerned about and how you tried to reach them. (Pause)
Jesus asks you how you are doing with your own faith life. Talk to him about where you feel your relationship with him is at this point in your life. (Pause)
Ask Jesus for the grace to grow closer to him. (Pause)
Jesus asks you if you will consider serving as a catechist again. Thank him for this special invitation and calling and talk to him about how you would like to respond at this time. (Pause)
If you feel ready to respond to this call, tell Jesus what specific help you will need to grow as a catechist in the coming year. (Pause)
If you are not ready to return as a catechist, ask Jesus for his help in discerning how you can best use your gifts to serve others. (Pause) Listen as Jesus speaks to you. (Pause)
Jesus reminds you that the Holy Spirit is always with you to guide you.(Pause.)
You’ve discussed a lot with Jesus already, so now just rest in his love. Words are no longer needed. Be still together. Know how much he cares for you. (Pause.)
You recognize that it’s time to go now. Thank Jesus for the gift of this past year and for this time you just spent together. (Pause.)
Gradually bring yourself back from your reflection.(Pause.)
End this prayer time by giving praise to the Trinity: “Glory be to the Father…”
With the end of most religious education program years occurring, this is a good time for catechists to do a little bit of self assessment. Feel free to use the following by yourself, with a peer or group of peers, or with your DRE.
1 = poor/I disagree
2 = fair/I somewhat disagree
3 = good/I somewhat agree
4 = excellent/I agree
I became more aware of my vocation as a catechist
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I took time to deepen my own understanding of the teachings of the Church
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I faithfully practiced my faith, participating in the life of the Church
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I paid attention to my own spiritual life and sought to grow spiritually
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I dedicated adequate time to planning my lessons
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I was welcoming to my students
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I got to know my student’s names quickly
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I became very familiar with the textbook/resources I was using
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I covered the material that I was responsible to cover
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I was prepared for my classes (materials, equipment, etc.)
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I used a variety of activities to keep the students engaged
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I made adjustments for various learning styles/special needs in my classroom
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I prepared my learning environment
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I kept my students engaged in the learning process
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I included opportunities for prayer in each session
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I became a more effective prayer leader
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I effectively handled discipline challenges
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I tried new things to stretch myself and widen my “repertoire”
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I kept a good sense of humor
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I included Scripture in my sessions
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I integrated technology in my sessions (CD, DVD, VCR, computer, PowerPoint, etc.)
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I facilitated effective class discussions when appropriate
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I effectively assessed the progress of my students
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