Archives for 2017

A Prayer for America

By Catechist's Aide on July 4, 2017 0

In 1789, John Carroll was appointed the first Bishop in the newly formed United States of America. In November of 1791, Carroll wrote Prayer for Our Government. The full prayer can be found here. It certainly stands the test of time, and reminds us that we need to pray not only for the Church, the clergy and our elected leaders, but for each other as well.

We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Carroll’s prayer that we “may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give” are words that need to be heard and prayed today as fervently as they were 200 years ago.

Carroll’s influence in the growth and structure of the Catholic Chuch in this country cannot be understated. For more about his life and impact on the Church, read the words of Cardinal Timothy Dolan from an address honoring Carroll in 2008.

The Real Presence

By Catechist's Aide on June 20, 2017 0

You may be surprised to know that many young Catholics (and some adults) are completely unaware of what we mean when we refer to the “Real Presence.” Having just celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi, now is as good a time as any to discuss this fundamental Catholic doctrine with your students and children. It is one of the great Mysteries of our Faith in which we believe that Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist – body, blood, soul and divinity.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” (CCC 1374)

The Youth Catechism very simply tells us,

“Christ is mysteriously but really present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.” (YOUCAT 216)

At Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the Offertory. Everything that we have comes from God, and this includes the offertory gifts of ordinary bread, water and wine. We offer these gifts back to God so that He will return them to us transformed – consecrated and extraordinary. This transformation happens during the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest, acting in the person of Christ, pronounces the words of consecration, “This is my body,” and “this is my blood.” The Church uses the word “Transubstantiation” to define what is happening here. It refers to the change in substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ, while maintaining their original appearance of ordinary bread and wine.

But, why does Christ offer himself to us as food?
We might begin our answer with another question: Why do we eat food? We eat food to sustain life, and to nourish our physical bodies. But we all know that one day our bodies will fail us and we will die. Jesus tells us that he is the living bread, which brings eternal life to those who receive it. The Eucharist does what no ordinary food can do. It sustains our spiritual life, and nourishes our souls. When we receive the Eucharist, we experience true communion with Christ. We share not only in his humanity – his body and blood, but in his divinity.

There is an old saying “You are what you eat.” St. Augustine said something similar when speaking about the Eucharist. To paraphrase, he said, “Receive what you are, and become what you receive.” These are good words to reflect on after receiving the Blessed Sacrament.

Veni Sancte Spiritus / Come Holy Spirit

By Catechist's Aide on June 1, 2017 0

As we prepare to celebrate Pentecost and the birthday of the Church, it’s a good time to consider a little more deeply who or what the Holy Spirit is, and what role he plays in our lives today. As a member of the Divine Trinity, we know that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force in the world, but a divine person. Beyond that, the Holy Spirit remains a mystery for many of us, and our use of imagery or symbols such as fire, the wind, a dove, etc. can confound our attempt to understand him fully.

Years ago I read an excerpt from Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s The Divine Romance that has stuck with me and led to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Third Person of the Trinity. Sheen spoke of the love between the Father and the Son that is “so powerful, so strong, and so perfect, that it forms between them a living bond.”

Sheen continues:

“They give themselves in a love so infinite that, like the truth, which expresses itself only in the giving of a whole personality, their love can express itself in nothing less than a Person, who is Love.

Love at such a stage does not speak; does not cry; does not express itself by words, nor by canticles; it expresses itself as we do in some ineffable moments, by that which indicates the very exhaustion of our giving – namely, a sigh, or a breath. And that is why the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity is called the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost.”

What magnificent imagery for who the Holy Spirit is! Can we doubt the power of the Spirit when we view him in this way?

At Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit was poured out onto the Apostles transforming them from men who were alone and afraid, hidden away, into courageous men who boldly set out to proclaim the gospel of the Lord to the ends of the earth. There would be no more hiding in their lives. There would be no more fear.

The very same Spirit was poured out on us at our Baptism, and if we are open to his working within us, as the Apostles were, we too can be transformed.

Veni Sancte Spiritus. Come Holy Spirit.

Essential Tools – YOUCAT

By Catechist's Aide on May 31, 2017 0

I used to bring the Catechism of the Catholic Church to the first day of class, hold it up and announce to my students that this book, all 900+ pages, contains everything that we, as Catholics, believe. After reassuring the class that we would not be reading the book, I would then share with them the Table of Contents. I showed them that the Catechism is organized into four main parts, which are the pillars of the faith, the Creed, the Sacraments, the Commandments, and Prayer, which would be the focus of our studies. And that was pretty much the full extent of our use of the Catechism in the classroom. But, all that changed a few years ago when I stumbled across the YOUCAT, which presents the compendium of our faith to today’s youth, in a language and style that is understandable and above all, engaging.

I have found the YOUCAT invaluable, not only as resource material during my lesson preparation but to share directly with my students. The book is written in a Q&A style, like the old Baltimore Catechism, with additional commentary. Perhaps what I like best about the YOUCAT can be found in the margins, which are filled with relevant Scripture passages, definitions, and inspirational quotes from the saints and religious leaders.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote the foreword, and I think he sums up quite eloquently why this book is so important for young Catholics:

“You need to know what you believe. You need to know your faith with that same precision with which an IT specialist knows the inner workings of a computer. You need to understand it like a good musician knows the piece he is playing. Yes, you need to be more deeply rooted in the faith than the generation of your parents so that you can engage the challenges and temptations of this time with strength and determination.” – Pope Benedict XVI

The Precepts of the Catholic Church

By Catechist's Aide on May 30, 2017 0

If you find yourself with 5 or 10 minutes to fill at the end of class, take that time to teach your students about the Precepts of the Catholic Church. The Catechism says, “The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life.” CCC 2041

They remind us that we should have within us a commitment to prayer, and participation in the liturgy and the Sacraments. And they represent the required behavior for all faithful Catholics. If time permits, discuss with the students how one might go beyond these required minimums. For instance,

Go to confession on a regular schedule, say every three months.
Attend Mass on First Fridays or First Saturdays, or on special feast days (in addition to Holy Days of Obligation).
Schedule time to pray each day.
Make a daily examination of conscience (Daily Examen).
Spend some time alone with our Lord by attending Eucharistic Adoration.
Learn a new prayer and commit it to memory.
Volunteer your time at your local parish.

Click on the link below to download an infographic. Feel free to use it as a handout for your students.

Precepts of the Church

3 Reasons Why the Ascension Really Matters

By Catechist's Aide on May 22, 2017 0

Forty days after Easter we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. When we think of Easter our thoughts go immediately to Christ’s suffering and death on Good Friday and of course his glorious resurrection on the third day. By the time we reach Easter, after the long season of Lent, we are all ready to celebrate some good news, or shall I say The Good News. We are thankful for the great redemptive sacrifice of Jesus and reminded that one day we will all share in the resurrection. We tend to view Easter as the full and final culmination of God’s saving plan, reducing the Ascension to nothing more than Jesus going back to the Father for a pat on the head for a job well done. It is no surprise then, that the Ascension is, possibly, the most overlooked feast of the Liturgical year. But, the Easter season does not end with Easter Sunday. And, we sometimes forget that the Paschal Mystery does not conclude with Christ’s Resurrection, but with his Ascension.

“The wonderful works of God among the people of the Old Testament were but a prelude to the work of Christ the Lord in redeeming mankind and giving perfect glory to God. He accomplished this work principally by the Paschal mystery of his blessed Passion, Resurrection from the dead, and glorious Ascension, whereby ‘dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life.’ For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth ‘the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church” – Catechism of the Catholic Church 1067

Here then are three reasons why the Ascension really matters:

1. It gives us hope that we too will share eternal life in heaven.

Perhaps the most overlooked message of the Ascension is that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he brought his earthly body, his humanity, into the heavenly realm. Jesus’ human nature was not a costume that he wore on earth and then cast off before he returned home. Jesus did not play the role of a man for 33 years and then go back to his day job after the Ascension.

The Jesus that the apostles witnessed after the resurrection was not a ghost, nor was he a resuscitated corpse. He was the same, yet different. He walked and talked with his friends, and ate and drank with them, but he could also enter a room through a locked door. The apostle Thomas even examined the crucifixion wounds of the risen Christ. It’s important to remember that the Hypostatic Union continues in heaven. Jesus returned to heaven as God AND man. This gives us hope that one day we too will enjoy eternal life in our own resurrected bodies. Jesus told the apostles that he was going to prepare a place for them. Without the Ascension how could we enter heaven?

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where [I] am going you know the way. Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” – John 14: 2-6

2. From his place at the right hand of the Father, Jesus intercedes for us.

After his Ascension, Jesus took his place at the right hand of the Father. It is from this position that Jesus intercedes on our behalf, and we can have confidence that the Father hears us and will have mercy on us. Jesus, who through the Incarnation became man, understands us. Who better to intercede for us?

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” – Hebrews 4: 14-16

3. After his Ascension, he sent us the Holy Spirit.

He sent us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. Before his Ascension, Jesus told the apostles that it would be better for them if he went back to the one who sent him. But, he also promised that he would not leave them orphans. He would send someone to guide them.

“But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. … But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own. But he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.” John 16: 7, 13

The Holy Spirit is the living presence of God in the world today. He gives grace to those who are receptive to him. He guides the Church (and each of us) to the truth – not “my truth” or “your truth” but THE truth. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostles were able to continue Christ’s ministry and grow his Church on earth. That same power is available to us today. We sometimes ask ourselves how would we respond if Jesus were in our midst, as he was with the Apostles. Well, the Holy Spirit is in our midst right now, and he is speaking to us. He offers us the same guidance and strength that he gave to the Apostles two thousand years ago. As we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, it’s a good time to ask ourselves how receptive are we to his gifts?