This presentation was given on August 10, 2013 to the parish catechetical leaders in Savannah, GA. The first half is the importance of continually forming yourself and the second half is about forming your catechists . Ongoing formation is important for all of us.
4. LECTIO – Reading
Reading of the Day – 2 Cor. 9:6-9
St Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians
LISTEN for one word/phrase
that seems to speak to you tonight
almost jumps out at you
Keep repeating it to yourself
5. Meditatio - Meditation
• IT WILL BE READ A SECOND TIME
• You can read along as well as listen.
• Ponder and ruminate on what was read.
• Meditation engages thought, imagination,
emotion and desire.
• What, in particular, strikes you?
• What, if anything, raises questions?
• What, if anything, can you affirm?
6. 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8
Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sad-
ness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every
grace abundant for you, so that in all
things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for
every good work.
7. Meditatio - Meditation
• TAKE A MOMENT OR TWO BEFORE
MOVING INTO A DISCUSSION
• Ponder and ruminate on what was read.
• Meditation engages thought, imagination,
emotion and desire.
• What, in particular, strikes you?
• What, if anything, raises questions?
• What, if anything, can you affirm?
8. ORATIO- Prayer
CONTEMPLATIO - Contemplation
Contemplatio
•What is God saying to you?
•What is God asking of you?
•What are you being asked of in
your being and in your doing?
9. 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8
Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sad-
ness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every
grace abundant for you, so that in all
things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for
every good work.
10. ORATIO- Prayer
CONTEMPLATIO -
Contemplation
Contemplatio
•TAKE TIME TO CONTEMPLATE AND LISTEN
FOR THE VOICE OF GOD
•What is God saying to you?
•What is God asking of you?
•What are you being asked of in
your being and in your doing?
•SHARE if you so desire.
11. Saint Lawrence (d. 258?)
• Catholic saints are holy people and
human people who lived extraordinary
lives. Each saint the Church honors
responded to God's invitation to use
his or her unique gifts. God calls each
one of us to be a saint.
SAINT LAWRENCE
Patron Saint of Cooks
& the Poor
12. • Saturday, August 10, 2013
• Feast of Saint Lawrence
• “These are the
• treasures of the
• Church.”
13. Pope Francis
• “The measure of the greatness of a
society is found in the way it treats
those most in need, those who have
nothing apart from their poverty.“
• “…never tire of working for a more
just world, marked by greater
solidarity.“
• Committed himself shortly after his
election in March to the vision of a
"poor church for the poor."
14. Mother Teresa
• I do not pray for
success, I ask for
faithfulness.
• Be faithful in small
things because it is
in them that your
strength lies.
• To keep a lamp
burning, we have
to keep putting oil
in it.
15. Mother Teresa
• “Hungry for love, He looks at you.
Thirsty for kindness, He begs of you.
Naked for loyalty, He hopes in you.
Homeless for shelter in your heart, He
asks of you. Will you be that one to
Him?”
• “. . . Let no one ever come to you
without leaving better and happier. Be
the living expression of God's
kindness; kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes, kindness in your
smile, kindness in your warm
16. You are God’s Witness
Be always Joyful
Pray without ceasing
and Give Thanks
in all circumstances,
For this is the will of
God for you.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
17. B E L I E V E
Aaron Neville
Steer Me Right,
Sweet Jesus
Steer me right.
Don’t let me fall.
Steer me right,
Sweet Jesus
Be my all
in all.
18. Center of My Life
Refrain:
O Lord, you are the center of my life
I will always praise you
I will always serve you
I will always keep you in my sight
19. So What If . . .
Mattie Stepanek, February 1998
What if the world fills up
with so many people
that the earth can’t hold us all?
Is that a reason for war?
No.
Is that a reason not to love unborn babies?
No.
Is that a reason to let sick people die?
No.
It is a reason we need to make extra room,
first in our hearts and then into our world
It is a reason to make room for prayer
because God is the only “I AM.”
Who can answer such a “What If?”
20. T A I Z E
Ubi caritas, et a-mor
Ubi Caritas, Deus ibi est
Jesus, remember me, when you
come into your kingdom
Jesus, remember me, when you
come into your kingdom
21. Sharing the Abundant Love
We must go out because we want to
share with all people the abundant love
and hope, joy and peace that Jesus
brought to us. We want to "proclaim the
unfathomable treasure of Christ" and
"throw light on the inner workings of the
mystery kept hidden through all ages
in God, the creator of everything"
St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 3:8-9
22. Give Thanks
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ His Son (repeat)
And now let the weak say
"I am strong"
Let the poor say "I am rich"
Because of what the Lord
Has done for us. (REPEAT)
23. The Patience of Ordinary Things
Pat Schneider
It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea,
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they're supposed to be.
I've been thinking about the patience
Of ordinary things, how clothes
Wait respectfully in closets
And soap dries quietly in the dish,
And towels drink the wet
From the skin of the back.
And the lovely repetition of stairs.
And what is more generous than a window?
25. Creation Stories
Elohist
• • Does God Have
a Big Toe?:
Stories About
Stories in the Bible
Authors:
• Rabbi Marc
Gellman,
• Oscar De Mejo
(Illustrator)
27. What story do you like best?
TODAY – Right Now!
• What story best describes your
view of life and the way you
approach every day with God?
• Which story symbolizes your
view of God the Creator?
• Which story would you choose
to tell and why?
Sharing one’s faith is catechesis
28. The Creation: The Story of How God
Created the World
Authors: Sheila Cassidy, Emma Hunk (Illustrator)
29. All Things Considered
August 7, 2006
Betsy Chalmers
Faith in a God
who has not
abandoned me;
faith in a man
who loves me;
faith in myself.
I believe in
faithfulness.
30. God is constantly knocking
at the gate of my heart
to invite me to go
beyond the state
I have reached,
because my whole life
should be a journey
on the way to Love.
- Charles
Cardinal
Journet
31. F O R M A T I O N
“To set high standards,” said Pope John Paul
II, “means both to provide a thorough basic
training and to keep it constantly updated.
This is a fundamental duty.”
Effective formation methods address the
whole person: emotions, imagination, will,
heart, and mind. It is the whole person
who ministers, so the whole person
is the proper subject of formation.
- Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord
32. Those Who Catechize
Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord
STANDARDS
•Human Formation
•Spiritual Formation
•Intellectual Formation
•Pastoral Formation
The Church has always required
proper preparation of those who
exercise a ministry. -Code of Canon Law
33. What’s common to all?
Bishop , Diocesan Staff, Pastors, Priests, Deacons,
women and Men in Consecrated Life, Parish
Catechetical Leaders, Youth Ministers, Campus
Ministers, Catechists, Catholic School Principals,
Religion Teachers, Catholic School Teachers,
Others Who Catechize
•Recruitment, FORMATION, ON- GOING
DEVELOPMENT, and Evaluation
•Attention to their own personal,
spiritual and professional development
34. …informs, forms, and transforms.
• Grow in your relationship with God
throughout your lives
• Live as disciples of Jesus Christ at home, in the
workplace, in the community and the world
• Develop an understanding of the Bible and
your particular Catholic faith Tradition
• Deepen your spiritual life and practices
• Engage in service and mission to the world
• Relate the Catholic Faith to Life today
• Participate in the life and ministries
of your faith community
35. I am with you always
• Incarnation:
New and
Selected Poems
for Spiritual
Reflection
• Author:
Irene
Zimmerman
36. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you
when you’re running out of wine
at your child’s wedding feast
and you know
the shame of it will last forever.
I will be for you
the Best Wine of all.
37. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you
in your storm-tossed boat
when joy, hope, life
seem lost at sea
and you come close
to falling overboard.
I will still the storm,
restore you to tranquility.
38. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you when you’re caught out on a limb –
a social climbing tax collector, treed!
I too will climb a tree
and be mocked on it.
I will honor you
by coming to your house to eat.
39. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you when your body is so bent
that friendly faces, trees, sky are lost to view
and all you see
are feet hurrying by.
I will empower you
to stand up straight again.
40. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you
when men catch you in adultery
and your death is
but a stone’s throw away.
I am the Gate to the sheepfold.
I will lay my body down
between your enemies and you.
41. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you when you claim you
do not know me.
I have prayed that you will
overcome despair
and bring the heavy burden of your
sin to me.
I have forgiven you
ahead of time.
42. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
I am with you when your dearest
friend and brother
Passes through
the dark door of death,
leaving you disconsolate.
I know the pain of loss.
I AM the Resurrection
and the Life.
43. I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)
• I will be for you the Best Wine of all.
• I will still the storm, restore you to
tranquility.
• I will honor you by coming to your house to
eat.
• I will empower you to stand up straight again.
• I will lay my body down between your
enemies and you.
• I have forgiven you ahead of time.
• I AM the Resurrection and the Life.
44. Go forth and teach all nations…
The four pillars of the
Catechism remind us
of a symphony that
has four movements.
The fullness of the
faith and the fullness
of the symphony
share this wholeness.
Symphony of Faith
• Woodwinds
• Brass
• Strings
• Percussion
45.
46. G R A T E F U L
A Song of Giving Thanks
• By John Bucchino
• Illustrated by Anna-
Liisa Hakkarainen
• Recording by Art
Garfunkel
47. Grateful, Grateful
I've got a roof over my head
I've got a warm place to
sleep
Some nights I lie awake
counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep
48. Grateful, Grateful
I've got a heart that can hold
love
I've got a mind that can think
There may be times when I
lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can't stay depressed
When I
remember
how I'm
blessed.
50. Grateful, Grateful
In a city of strangers
I got a family of friends
No matter what rocks
and brambles fill the
way
I know that
they will
stay until
the end
51. Grateful, Grateful
I feel a hand
holding my hand
It's not a hand you can see
But on the road
to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair
Holding tight
and always
there
53. Grateful, Grateful
It's not that I don't
want a lot
Or hope for more, or
dream of more
But giving thanks for
what I've got
Makes me
happier than
keeping
score
54. Grateful, Grateful
In a world that can
bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that
whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone
life may sling
We can moan
or we
can sing
56. GRATEFUL
A Song of Giving Thanks
• By John Bucchino
• Illustrated by Anna-
Liisa Hakkarainen
• CD with an original
recording by Art
Garfunkel included
57.
58.
59. Alleluia to Pachelbel Canon in D
• Alleluia to
Pachelbel
Canon in D
• Robert Gass &
On Wings
Of Song
60. Let’s Go for a Walk
I’m choosing your partner
Talk about four (4) Things
•How has the day been for you so far?
•What is something good that has
happened to you today?
•What is something you learned today
that you can use?
•What are your hopes for this
afternoon?
Done or not, when you hear the
chimes, make circles of eight (8)
61. Names for God
• Person with the most jewelry goes FIRST
• Speak a name or phrase that is used for
God or to speak about God or any one of
the three persons in God.
• Go clockwise, you must respond every
time with either a name or say “PASS”
• Names cannot be repeated, HOWEVER
using another language is acceptable.
• Keep going until either you all pass in a
row or your hear the chimes. Be
62. Names for God
• In God’s Name
• Author:
Sandy
Eisenberg
Sassso,
Phoebe Stone
(Illustrator)
64. God is
You want to know me?
You want to see my face?
I do not age with time;
I do not fit into a space
I transcend the capacity of
your eye,
so who am I?
65. God is
It is the question of the moment;
It is the question for all time
I am you and you are mine
I am the beginning in the end
I am the faith in your believing
I am the color of truth
I am the dreamer of your dreams
I am the falling in your love
I am the words of a prayer
I am the silence in the music
I am the music in the silence
66. God is
I am your father; I am your mother
I am the man who cannot cry
I am the story in your eyes
I am the orphan of war
I am the leper begging on the corner
I am the black slave in chains
I am the Muslim bride who cannot
show her face
I’m the cross you carry again
67. God is
I am the beginning in the end
I am the faith in your believing
I am the color of truth
I am the dreamer of your dreams
I am the falling in your love
I am the words of a prayer
I am the silence in the music
I am the music in the silence
68. God is
I’m all you have forgotten
I am all this you have not been
I am in you – all that is within you
Let the journey begin. Amen
I am in you, Amen.
69. Which one of the eight (8) statements
speaks to you? Stand if you wish to
share – I will give you a partner.
I am the beginning in the end
I am the faith in your believing
I am the color of truth
I am the dreamer of your dreams
I am the falling in your love
I am the words of a prayer
I am the silence in the music
I am the music in the silence
70. NDC, no. 21 C, p. 65,
The Catechist
• Has encountered Christ
• Has been converted by Christ
• Follows Christ
• Shares in Christ’s life and mission
• Possesses a living social conscience
• Well-rooted in the cultural
environment
71. First Requirement
• How do we love as Christ did?
• Christ has a thousand disguises
• When was the last time you
encountered the Risen Christ?
• What is the first encounter you
recall with the Risen Christ?
72. Live and in-person
• Most catechists prefer to have their
formation LIVE and IN PERSON.
• Therefore, the options are:
– You
– Someone on the parish team
– A colleague
– Another parish catechist (one of your own)
– A local expert
– A consultant (60 miles or more away)
– A combination on-line content/group
73. Catechists’ Need for Formation
• Like all Christians, catechists are
called to continual conversion
and growth in their faith and, for
this reason, are called to ongoing
spiritual formation.
• In addition to spiritual
formation, the catechist is also in
need of pedagogical formation,
especially as society, teaching
methods, and culture change.
74. C A U T I O N
• Inadequate and faulty formation harms
rather than helps the mission of the
Church. – Co-Workers in the Vineyard
• Under no circumstances should the initial
formation of new catechists “be
improvised or left to the initiative of the
candidates themselves.” – NDC
• The ongoing formation of catechists
is to include all aspects of the
catechist’s life. - NDC
75. Context and Meaning
National Directory for Catechesis
Chapter 2 Evangelization
• The six principle tasks of catechesis
–Knowledge of the Faith
–Participation in liturgical and sacramental
life
–Moral Formation
–Learning to Pray
–Preparation and participation
in faith community
76.
77. Lawrence Kolberg’s Six Levels of
Moral Development Level I
• The punishment and obedience
orientation
• Avoidance of punishment and
unquestioning deference to power
are values in their own right, not in
terms of respect for an underlying
moral order.
I don’t want to get in trouble.
78. Lawrence Kolberg’s Six Levels of
Moral Development Level II
• The instrumental relativist
orientation
• Reciprocity is a matter of "you
scratch my back and I'll scratch
yours", not loyalty, gratitude, or
justice.
I want a reward.
79. Lawrence Kolberg’s Six Levels of
Moral Development Level III
• Interpersonal concordance or "good
boy-nice girl" orientation
• Good behavior is what pleases or
helps others and is approved by them.
One earns approval by being nice.
I want to please somebody.
80. Lawrence Kolberg’s Six Levels of
Moral Development Level IV
• The "law and order" orientation
• Right behavior consists in doing
one's duty, showing respect for
authority, and maintaining the
given social order for its own sake.
I follow the rules.
81. Lawrence Kolberg’s Six Levels of
Moral Development Level V
• The social-contract legalistic
orientation (generally with
utilitarian overtones)
• Right action tends to be defined in
terms of general individual rights and
standards that have been critically
examined and agreed upon by the
whole society.
I am considerate of other people.
82. Lawrence Kolberg’s Six Levels of
Moral Development Level VI
• The universal ethical-principle
orientation
• Ethical principles that appeal to logical
comprehensiveness, universality, and
consistency. These principles are
abstract and ethical (the Golden Rule);
they are not concrete moral rules like
the Ten Commandments.
I have a personal code of
behavior and I follow it.
83. New Evangelization
• When the pope
talks about
evangelization
that is new he
states
"evangelization
can be new in
its ardor,
methods and
expression.”
84.
85.
86. Blessings
• It was the last words she ever
said to him.
• When she came out, she
made a vow.
• “I walked out into life. I will
never say anything that
couldn’t stand as the last
thing I will ever say.”
87. Dead Man Walking
"I want the last face
you see in this
world to be the face
of love, so you look
at me when they do
this thing. I'll be the
face of love for
you."
-Sr. Helen Prejean
88. The elements of a blessing
The first element in any blessing is that
there has to be a relationship with God.
When we bless, when we ask for
goodness, we ask from the source of all
goodness, we ask God. When things are
going well in our lives – when the road
seems to rise and meet us – our
relationship with God will be positive.
Cursing is the furthest thing from our
minds.
89. The elements of a blessing
When things are not going so well in
our lives – when the road does not rise
to meet us – everything in life can
seem like an uphill struggle. It is during
these times that we run the risk of
losing our relationship with God. If we
allow this to happen, we are unable to
bless. We become like the embittered
psalmist who can only curse.
Relationship with and belief in God
are essential to blessing.
90. The elements of a blessing
The second element in a blessing is
the ritual of transfer of the blessing or
the goodness. Historically, this
transfer of the blessing takes place
physically through words that we
pronounce and gestures that we
make, such as uplifted arms or actual
laying-on of hands. The person giving
the blessing transfers the blessing in
such a manner that it will somehow
be experienced by the receiver.
91. The elements of a blessing
The sense of touch, whether it is the
wind at your back, the sun shining
upon your face or the firm hand of a
person signing your forehead, can
convey an enormous life-sustaining
power. A blessing is the bridge
between heaven and earth. The
transfer of the divine that occurs
when we bless is truly a sacred
moment.
92. The elements of a blessing
The third element of a blessing is the
enhancement of the receiver, wherein we
envision the goodness of the blessing.
Even Jesus, when he pronounced the
Beatitudes, envisioned a goodness that
would give comfort and hope to millennia
of believers. We have in our possession
the ability to envision virtually any future
for humanity. The power to bless is
incredibly awesome. It is the vision of
divine enhancement, of a people resting
in the palm of God’s hand, that is the
hallmark of a blessing.
93. Y O U R T U R N
NEVER dismiss w/o a Blessing
Bless (Give) and be Blessed (Receive)
•Form groups of seven (7)
•LEADER – Birthday closest to today (either)
•Get envelope with blessings
•Take TWO, Don’t look/choose, Pass envelope
•One for you, ONE to bless others
•Hand on shoulder, pray blessing, sign
cross on forehead, AMEN. Next
94. Helpful Hints and Reminders
• Go clockwise
• LOOK at the person when you pray the blessing
• Don’t start to bless until the person on your
right blesses you and moves on so there is no
one on your immediate right.
• Person on the Leader’s right will be the last
person to bless everyone.
• When you are all done, please be seated,
wait quietly for the others to finish.
• Thanks for coming – SAFE TRAVELS
97. Print Master
• Your Text here
• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
adipisc ing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh
euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna
aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim
veniam, quis nostrud exerci tati on ullamcorper
suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo
consequat.
• Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in
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Editor's Notes
Now we are ready to pray and we are going to engage in a practice tat could be adapted by a family as part of their preparation for Sunday. It’s quite simple. There are four parts: Reading, Meditation, Prayer and Contemplation We are going to do an abbreviated version tonight.
Listen to the reading and when yo hear a word or phrase that strikes you, just keep repeating it over and over to yourself. When the reading is complete we will start (Indicate who will start and how you will go around the room) and go
It will be read a second time and you can even follow along as the words will be on the screen. When the reading is finished please contemplate these questions, which will appear on the screen. After you have had some time to reflect, you will be invited to share in small groups of 4 or 5. Invite reader forward and switch to next slide.
After a minute or so, invite them back into their small groups of 4-5 people.
This is the final step we will use this evening. Sometimes people will write after this but we are just going to take a little time to contemplate. Once again you may read the words while you listen. Once again the questions will appear after the reading is done. Switch slides
It might be advisable to play some meditation music at this time but not necessary. Please encourage people to respect the silence , especially for the introverts. Allow at least a minute before inviting anyone to share in their small group. You can invite anyone to share with the larger group or you can do small groups first but watch your time.