The optional Rite of Sending is a very simple ritual for your catechumens who are ready to move into the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. If you pay some attention to two specific moments, you can help make this significant liturgy more meaningful and powerful for both your catechumens and your parishioners. Bulletin Insert: Seeking […]
How to make the Rite of Sending come alive
A blessing is God’s loving action that invites us into deeper relationship with him. We respond by praising God and seeking to bless others in our daily lives. Any baptized person can speak words of blessing. As catechists, we should model offering simple blessings as part of ordinary Catholic life. When catechumens see us blessing
Advent is a good time to think about the dignity and meaning of names. The stories of Advent remind us that names hold deep meaning: Jesus was named by the angel before his birth (Luke 1:31), John was named by Zechariah after he regained his speech (Luke 1:13, 63-64), and Elizabeth and Mary recognized each
The sacredness of our God-given names
Let’s talk about the Holy Trinity for a minute. The church teaches that this is the central mystery of our faith (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 234). But most of us claim to not understand it very well, consigning it to the “too hard to explain” file of dogmas. Free download: Discernment – Listening
Holy Trinity: The central mystery of our faith
Among the legends of Christmastime, stories of St. Nicholas stand out and are popular especially among our Germanic and Italian communities. With the sense of his knowing the needs of persons and doing secret things to help them, delightful customs arise. In our family home back in the Midwest, two favorites stay in my memory.
Advent, St. Nicholas, and the Christ child
Each Advent, our Christian initiation group began to see, literally, some strong connections between the stories and figures of the Old Testament linked with Advent, the Nativity and the New Testament. As a classroom teacher years ago, I had a burlap December calendar with pockets identified for each day of the month from the first
Advent, Scripture, and the Jesse Tree
I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been there too—discouraged, overwhelmed, burnt out. You pour your heart into this ministry, work countless extra hours trying to get everything done, and still feel like you’re drowning. The responsibilities seem endless, new challenges arise daily, and despite your best efforts, things still slip through the cracks. You
Feeling overwhelmed as a catechumenate leader? Empower the assembly as your team
Perhaps it was the strong German background we had growing up, and the customs surrounding Advent that our parents kept alive, but along with the change in weather in the Upper Midwest came a distinct love of celebrating the liturgical seasons. Back then, we had simple ways of winding down the liturgical year, usually tied
Advent at home: Celebrating and waiting with the domestic church
I recently saw someone ask on social media what resource they should use for catechizing their seekers. Within minutes, there were many replies listing catechisms, textbooks, handouts, and video series. But no one mentioned the single most powerful formation tool we have — celebrating the liturgical year. Celebrating the liturgical year with your seekers is,
Use the power of the liturgical year to form your seekers
There’s an optional part of the Rite of Acceptance that we often automatically include without much thought. But there are some good reasons to think more deeply about this simple Presentation of a Bible that will help shape and catechize both your catechumen and your entire assembly. Can you help me out? I’d love to
Should you do a presentation of a Bible in the Rite of Acceptance?
