In the book Speaking the Truth in Love , Dr. Petroc Willey offers a triadic framework for transmitting the faith: the heart, head, and hand, where hand is the process of “handing on” the Deposit of Faith. [1] I hope he won’t mind if I borrow this triadic framework and modify it slightly for teaching St. John Paul II’s theology of the body (TOB) to the very young by changing “hand” to refer to “hands-on teaching,” i.e., manipulatives. In this way, all three—head, heart, and hand—can come together in forming the young child’s Trinitarian-Catholic identity. A Mini-Scripture Study Where did... Read more
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Articles Under: Marriage and Family
St. John Paul II dedicated the entire sixth chapter of his theology of the body (TOB) catechesis to reaffirming and deepening the Church’s teaching on responsible parenthood, providing his most direct and extensive application of TOB to the Church’s teachings on sexual morality. Drawing upon the teachings of Gaudium et Spes and Humanae Vitae , St. John Paul II concentrates primarily on the “essential difference” between contraception and periodic continence (in America typically called Natural Family Planning or NFP) as the basis of the ethical difference between them expressed in the teachings of the Church (TOB 122:2). St. John Paul... Read more
In the second chapter of his Theology of the Body (TOB) catechesis, [1] Pope St. John Paul II underscores the special value of TOB for men and women seeking to understand the teachings of the Church in the area of sexual morality (TOB 59:5). The ultimate conclusion of these teachings is that, in order to conform to the demands of human dignity, a sexual act must be procreative and unitive in the context of genuine marital love. The full impact of this conclusion calls for careful reflections on each of the values in play. The special value of TOB rests... Read more
Family life is formed by the decisions made in the first years. Will we use NFP? How many children will we have? How will we educate our children? Will we pray daily? Will we go to Mass every Sunday, no matter how difficult it is? What will be first priority: sports, activities, vacation, a successful career, or something else? What movies will we watch? What will be the place of technology in our home? What kinds of lifelong friends do we want our children to have? We believe that a life in Catholic community with other families is necessary today... Read more
"Y le anunciaron la Palabra del Señor a él y a todos los de su casa" Hechos 16,32. En la primera parte establecimos la razón fundamental por la cual el sabio proceso del RICA debe de tomar la delantera de nuestros esfuerzos por evangelizer y catequizar a familias enteras. Guiándonos del Directorio para la catequesis , nuestro enfoque es “una catequesis de inspiración catecumenal para aquellos que han recibido los Sacramentos de Iniciación Cristiana, pero que aún no están suficientemente evangelizados o catequizados, o para aquellos que desean reanudar el camino de la fe” [1] . Este artículo explora los... Read more
Developing a Process “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house.” Acts 16:32 In part one we established the rationale for the wise process of the RCIA to move to the forefront of our endeavors for evangelization and catechesis of entire families. Taking guidance from the Directory for Catechesis , our focus is on a “catechesis of catechumenal inspiration for those who have received the sacraments of initiation but are not yet sufficiently evangelized or catechized or for those who desire to resume the journey of faith.” [1] This article... Read more
Because of the pandemic, instead of working directly with children, many parish catechists are helping parents gain confidence in preparing their children for sacraments without traditional classes. I believe this new process can ennoble families to better assume their role in society. “Ennoble,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means to “make noble or elevate.” [1] Kings and queens elevate or “ennoble” a “commoner” to the status of “noble.” One cannot ennoble himself. He receives his nobility either through family inheritance, marriage, or as a gift bestowed by the proper authority. As Catholics, our ennoblement begins at Baptism when we become... Read more
“Porque la promesa ha sido hecha a ustedes y a sus hijos, y a todos aquellos que están lejos: a cuantos el Señor, nuestro Dios, quiera llamar” (Hechos 2,39). Tiempos desafiantes requieren de soluciones innovadoras. Estos son, en verdad, tiempos desafiantes, tanto en el mundo como en la Iglesia. Es importante que los catequistas laicos brillen como faros de luz en la oscuridad para atraer a familias enteras hacia la sola Luz verdadera – la del mismo Cristo en la Iglesia Católica. Más importante aún, es el momento para que el sabio proceso del RICA tome la delantera de nuestros... Read more
“For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” Acts 2:39 Challenging times require innovative solutions. These are indeed challenging times, both in our world and in the Church. It is important for lay catechists to shine as beacons of light in the darkness to draw entire families to the one, true Light—that of Christ himself in the Catholic Church. Most importantly, it is the time for the wise process of the RCIA to move to the forefront of our endeavors for... Read more
Hay un tema fundamental que corre a lo largo de la Sagrada Escritura: ser llamado por su nombre . Dicho de otra manera, en los ojos de Dios, tú y yo no som os simplemente uno del montón, ni tampoco somos un número seriado. Nuestro número de seguridad social bien puede ser un registro de que habitam os en los Estados Unidos de América, pero ese mismo número fracasa en definir quiénes somos tú y yo. En los ojos de Dios, tú y yo somos amados y no un simple p ie de página en la historia de la humanidad... Read more