|
|
May 7, 2008
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Faith Formation Update is a free monthly e-newsletter for catechetical leaders with a focus on parish catechesis beyond textbooks and classrooms. As spring gets into full bloom, the catechetical season is winding down. These are the wonder days when our students have an opportunity to look with awe at the creative, life-giving power of God. Spring is Pentecost in motion. In this issue, we will tap into the creative motion of the Spirit of God encouraging you to see your good work in a positive light. Share your views and program ideas about this month’s topic on our online bulletin board, “Faith Formation Forum.” —Jeanne Hunt
P.S. You're receiving this either because you signed
up, or because you're a loyal customer of St. Anthony Messenger Press. We will never send
you unwanted e-mail. There is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. |
||
|
|
|
 |
||
|
||
|
|
|
|
 |
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
Pentecost is traditionally pictured with 12 flames
and a bird. However, another bird comes to mind as we celebrate this year’s birthday
of the Church. It’s the amusing, doomsday bird that children know as Chicken Little.
This chicken was convinced the sky was falling. The Church is currently filled with Chicken
Little types. Their attitude is contagious. It is so easy to see the worst-case scenario
and cry, “The Church is dying.”
Our challenge as catechists is to proclaim the positive side of this
chapter of church life and to teach the wealth and beauty of our Catholic tradition. I
believe that this message is communicated by our own attitude. It is a time to live out
what we teach in the classroom.
As we end our classroom time, I invite you to restore your spirit
of hope this summer. It is time to change your attitude by looking at life’s burdens
as occasions to seek God’s comfort. Gloria Hutchinson offers a wonderful book for
a summer spiritual book club, called Be
Comforted. Whether you choose to read it alone or with a group, it is the perfect
antidote for a spiritual blue funk. Personal suffering or collective suffering undermines
our charism as teachers of the Word. Hutchinson mentions an old Chinese proverb: “That
the birds of worry and care fly about your head, this you cannot change. But that they
build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.” The sky is not falling; the Church
is not sinking. It is the time to speak the ancient prayer Veni Sante Spiritus and
walk on in hope. |
||||||||
|
|
|
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
Pentecost is the birthday of the Church,
and scripture is a key foundational element of our Church—our story, our beliefs
and our worship. It isn’t enough to simply hear the Sunday readings at Mass. Many
of us find it meaningful to reflect on them before or after we hear them proclaimed: “How
is God speaking to me through these scripture readings? How am I being called to respond?”
A new approach St. Anthony Messenger Press has taken with our weekly
lectionary-based resource, Bringing Home the Word, is offering an annual reprint
license so that it can be downloaded, photocopied or printed and distributed as broadly
as you wish for one low fee. See a sample issue and
contact Diane Houdek at DianeH@americancatholic.org to
sample an entire month.
Bringing Home the Word is a one-page, double-sided weekly publication.
It offers a reflection on the Sunday lectionary readings, reflection questions, suggestions
for active response, a family feature, a prayer based on the readings and listings of the
weekday readings for the coming week. Beginning with the June 29 issue, there will be a
weekly feature on St. Paul to help you celebrate the Year of Paul, the 2,000th anniversary
of the saint’s birth.
Make copies of Bringing Home the Word for your catechists.
Send a copy home with your school or parish newsletter or bulletin. Give copies to your
small Christian communities. Use the reflections and questions with your RCIA groups as
they break open the Word.
Shore up the foundation of your local Church community by strengthening
your love for and knowledge of scripture. While Pentecost may come toward the end of the
program and school year, it’s the perfect time for a renewed focus on what makes
us who we are—our stories, beliefs and worship—as found in scripture. |
||||||||
|
|
|
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
Pope Benedict XVI has declared that, beginning June
28, 2008, the Church will celebrate the Year of Paul, in honor of the 2,000th anniversary
of St. Paul’s birth. To help you with your planning, I’d like to suggest a
number of resources from the St. Anthony Messenger Press catalog.
If you’re looking for DVD programs that can be used with study
groups, you might look at Scripture
From Scratch, Unit III: Overview of the New Testament, which focuses particularly
on the Letters of Paul. Another DVD of interest would be Father Stephen Doyle’s program, Paul,
Apostle to the Church Today.
For a taste of St. Paul’s spirituality, you might look at St.
Paul: Called to Conversion: A Seven-Day Retreat, which can be used as a personal
retreat or with a group.
There are a number of four-page Scripture From Scratch newsletters
available, which can be purchased in bulk for use with small groups or for the whole parish.
A complete list of these and other suggested resources can be found in our special
Resources for the Year of Paul section in our online catalog. |
||||||||
|
|
|
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
Share your ideas on adult faith formation at our online bulletin board. Our editors will screen and post your thoughts, and you can learn from others' ideas. Submit your ideas by clicking here. |
||||||||
