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?
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.All Saints’ DayBackground: In a culture that is living more and more in a denial of death, this festival reminds us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” who “have run the race and kept the faith.” Yet when we
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers — All Saints Day to Christ the King Sunday, Year A
In a previous article, we explored why taking things step by step is important in helping people on their faith journey. But how does this work in the real world? How can catechumenate teams put the idea of gradual initiation into practice? I am not going to pretend it’s easy to do. A classroom structure
Nurturing gradual conversion: Tools for catechumenate teams
I celebrated my first Communion when I was in first grade, as did my entire class. And I celebrated confirmation in third grade, as did all the children in my school. That’s because that was the year the bishop came to our parish to administer the sacrament. Our sacraments were scheduled on the school calendar
The slow work of God: Why initiation is a gradual process
In a previous article, we explored the importance of contemplative prayer for personal spiritual growth and how to introduce it to seekers and catechumens. In this article, we will explore how to involve the entire parish in the practice of contemplative prayer as a means of seeking and discerning God’s will for the catechumens and
Discerning God’s will through contemplative prayer within the parish community
A young man in his junior year of high school phoned the parish office, inquiring about becoming Catholic. He had been baptized Methodist. Several of his friends from high school were Catholic, and he would soon be with them at the university. These friends talked about their faith, Mass, and sacraments, sparking his curiosity. However,
The evolution of faith: one family’s journey
