Category: Catechist Chat

Plague Journal, Catechesis & Socialization Edition

Plague Journal as a theme is getting mighty old.  Good news: After asking a few friends to pray, I’ve upgraded from “death warmed over” to “death minced with bacon and turned into a proper hash, thank you very much.”  So I’m back to writing stuff again, that’s good.

Meanwhile, since you’re reading this it means you either have time to pray more, or else you have something dreadful to offer up. I’m asking specifically for prayers that: (a) I’ll get an accurate dx on this most recent round o’ plague, and (b) that I’ll get done everything I need to do.  The stuff I don’t need to do? Whatever.  Just the important things, thanks, that’s all I’m asking for.

Meanwhile, some things I wrote before this bout set in quite so aggressively:

At CatholicMom.Com, I answer the old “socialization” question.  I know. I thought I didn’t care about that argument anymore,either.  Then I saw a real live human being worry about it. So it became a topic again.

And if that doesn’t raise your blood pressure enough, at AmazingCatechists.com, I wade into the raging debate over whether we ought to have religious education classes for children at all. Lisa Mladnich tells me I’m insightful and clear-thinking, so that settles it.  Read the other opinions, than go see my article to find out what you’re really supposed to think.

12 Days of Plague – Cats, Acts, Magic Books

Since last I wrote:

1. Yes, we’re having a lovely Christmas.  Some of the neighbors kept the lights up until 2014, but it appears we’re the only ones going in for the full 12 days.

2. On the 1st Day of Christmas, we upgraded from Plague Lite to Plague Medium.

3. Using the ever-reliable “ask at the office method”, we had a successful Cat Day of Christmas.  SuperHusband’s colleague seemed very, very eager to deliver her son’s gently-used cat to us.

4. So I had about 30 minutes from “Just calling to see if you guys wanted to meet the cat today” to “Here she is!”.  That, because said colleague lives on a farm outside of town.  I told the children that if they wanted a new cat, they had 30 minutes to clean the house.  I said, “It’s okay if it looks like we’re busy, but not if it looks like we’re slobs.”

They wanted a cat, so they did what was necessary to perpetuate that particular lie.

5.  She is mostly a petite, very friendly, tortoiseshell-colored cat who’s had her kitten shots, and is due for a follow-up with the vet now that she is all grown-up.

6. But she’s partly a walking 12th-day-of-Christmas present.  We’re taking bets on when the kittens are due.

7. Colleague swears she had no idea.

8. I know! I said the same thing.

In other news, not-about-a-cat edition:

9. I’ve been writing a ton, but all of it offline.  I’m hoping it will see light of day in a year or two.  More later.  Much later.

10. I’m getting wildly excited about the retreat coming up in February.  Discovered that certain hymns you’d swear would be easy-peasy to find online out-of-copyright just aren’t.  Luckily, there are other hymns.

I solved my previously-mentioned problem by using iBreviary’s web page to download the LOTH for the 22nd (Feast of the Chair of St. Peter – man is that cool or what?), but not before I had stumbled upon the magic green book. Read more about it here.

For the maximum of magic, you want the one for your archdiocese.

So, btw, do I.  I lost mine already.  It’s so small.

11.  You probably already saw what I came up with for New Evangelizers for December.  It’s here.  Short version: When you tell me, “It’s the thought that counts,” I certainly do agree with you.  But if there’s an action involved, the action counts, too.  Don’t be all goofy and go around thinking that what you do with your body doesn’t matter.  It matters.

12. I know.  Easier thought than done.

Small Success Thursday

Small Success Thursday

Before I fall off the internet again, a list:

1. That homeschool co-op thing is going pretty well. Over at CatholicMom.com, I wrote about why I think we’re doing as well as we are, and what you should be doing now so that you can be as cool as us, this time next year.

2.  I read a good book.  That made me think about hats.  Hint: PG Wodehouse + Free Book = Happy Jennifer.  Also, as always, I ended up with bacon.

3. Without giving the game away, since I’m not actually a mantilla-blogger, the hat thing comes back to this.  (Yes, that link is not to my success, it’s to a good post by Dan Burke.  You should read it.)

4. I have a post in the queue for tomorrow.  It has seven parts.  See how organized I am?

5. I dropped the boy off in Bethune today for Boy’s Weekend.  On the way home, I had a BLT in Camden.  I am thinking that if someone wanted me to undertake a special project in which I drive US 1 testing all the BLT’s . . . that would be okay with me.  I would totally get Marian on that one.  Fiat, all that.

6.  Last night Christina Knauss (say: Kuh-Now-ss) from the Catholic Miscellany and I talked on the phone about bullying, special needs students, and classroom management.  I did not sound completely lost and confused, because we talked for a couple minutes 45 minutes *before* the interview, and she gave me a head’s up on the topic.  And then I got to think about it while I cleaned my house and she made dinner.  And then we talked.  All intereviews should be conducted this way.

7.  It was very helpful preparation for my author panel coming up on Saturday.  I don’t really know what people are going to ask me, but maybe something about those topics.

8.  You’re wondering what I suggest.  See page 91, highlighted in boldface:

There should be no tolerance of mockery, teasing, bullying, or rudeness from any quarter.

I’m looking at you, grown-ups.

9.  Why yes, I will be saying that on Saturday.  Grown-ups, prepare to squirm.

Updated: 10: Writing posts without typos is not one of my successes this week.

Faith, Science, Halloween – assorted links and book recommendations

Faith, Science, and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge

(1) Link for those who haven’t seen it: Up at the blorg, my thoughts on the belief in invisible things, and a book recommendation for who those who believe in invisible things both animate and inanimate.

(2) Julie D. reminds you that Nov. 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation.

(3) I demonstrated my incompetent streak yesterday by attempting to open my review copy of SImcha Fisher’s new book, but luckily the author herself came to my help when I pleaded.  She regrets associating with me, I’m sure.

But hey! I read the book!  It’s very good, and fills a niche about the size of a deep sea trench in the literature on NFP.  Also, I laughed at select passages — not out loud, but that silent, tears-rolling-down-cheeks thing that you do when something is too funny for laughing out loud.  (There were other parts that exhort the reader to maturity and selfless love and all that.  I was duly solemn during those parts.)

Giveaway opens Friday, and I will sit on my hands and not quote any punch lines.  Therese-like self-control here.

 

Cover art courtesy of MTF.  LOVE these guys.  Love ’em.

A review!

Christian LeBlanc does a chapter-by-chapter comparison of what I say in my book to what he does in his class.  Full disclosure: Christian had the chance to save me from me disaster early in the process — he’s one of the dozen or two teachers and catechists I had as beta-readers on my manuscript.  Turns out the book more than passes, despite edits and additions since he did his reading of the first draft.

On the topic of manuscript-readers, take a look at this quote from Christian’s review:

Enforce: I like the sound of that- ENFORCE. But Jen first points out that “You cannot control your students. You cannot.” A timely observation: just this week I experienced the oddest behavior I’ve ever seen in a classroom in my entire life, and we just worked around it ’til class was over. Anyway, Jen lists about 10 discrete problems and solutions from her own classroom; and to the extent that I have those problems, my solutions are virtually the same.
The money concept — that you cannot control student outcomes, but can only control your own reactions and behaviors — is one that John McNichol gave me a big thumbs-up on.  When I went to cut the book in half for my first re-write, that bit stayed in mostly because John said it was so important.  I figured if he who teaches middle school said something was important, it was.

Retreating Not Deserting, Episode 1

Click here to see what I’m going to be doing in February: Retreat Flyer 2014 (You’ll remember this post here, that inspired my proposal when the organizer wrote looking for a speaker.  We’re doing that, but not for catechesis.  Sort of a pre-Lent warm-up.)

***

So I googled Our Lady Star of the Sea, and confessions start at 3:30.  So I’m thinking at 3:15 I should just send all the ladies to go get in line?  Yes?

Meanwhile, the e-mail with a copy of the flyer reminded me that I’d better quick turn my notes into something presentable. And I need to know: How do I get the text for the divine office for that day . . . before the day?  Long before the day?  Because I’m not sure folks are going to have their iBreviaries along, which is my method. Printed matter might be wanted.  Printed matter requires lead time.

Also: If we’re going to be praying midday prayer (ha! I think we might be!), what’s the protocol in these situations concerning the invitatory?  I think it’s a safe assumption that for most present, it will be their first hour of the day.  But we’re working with the theory that at least some in the room will have already said morning prayer before they arrive.  Do we arm wrestle?  How does this work?

And hey – Anyone got an especially nice one-page, largish print, “I haven’t been to confession in 23 years, what do I do??” examination of conscience and how-to tutorial?  Public domain / Creative Commons, yes?  Yes?  It’s going in the packet. Your name in lights if you produce the goods.

Joe Wetterling – Ho Kai Paulos – It’s Up!

 

Joe Wetterling, who is one of my all-time favorite presenters for the Catholic Writers Guild, has relaunched his catechetical website, Ho Kai Paulos.  Which means something to some of you, and the rest of us can look here for the explanation.  I always have to remind myself it’s not a Hawaiian island or a Korean pork dish.  (But there could eventually be a mixed drink by the name, I’m sure.)

Joe W. makes my favorites list because he’s well-read, and insightful, and hilarious, and as best I can tell a nice guy on top of all that.  He re-opens his site with a 101 on Objective vs. Subjective.  Which reminds me of the other thing I like about the guy: He explains things that matter in plain English. If you need to bring a catechist up to speed, this is the place.

Plague Week – Things to Read, Buy, Be Happy About, Etc.

Plague week here at the castle.  We started light with a round of coughing and sneezing, and just when we thought we were in the clear (thank you, praying friends), in entered Part 2: Stomach Virus Edition.  Miserable child now in quarantine, and teen boy being left to sleep, because this waking up business is getting overrated.

Meanwhile, things to read:

1. Up this morning at New Evangelizers, my thoughts on what to do with very bad priests, and other sinners who haunt our parishes.  You know you’ve done something right when this guy (the one at the top of the pile) e-mails you with his favorite quote from your column.  Happy day.  (I’ll leave you to pick out your own.)

2. Here, I say all kinds of things about what’s going on exciting in the Catholic Writers Guild. By “warm fuzzy feeling”, I mean both the usual understanding of the phrase, and the kind of warm fuzzy that grows in the vegetable bin if left unchecked.  You get both.  Consider running for office, it’s great.

3. More me, possibly fuzzy, and other smart people, less fuzzy:  Links here to my CWG radio gig the other day, and to the Catholic Underground, who picked up on the thoughts of this guy.  I had no idea the USCCB put out its own style guide.  I want one.  Sort of.

4. I don’t think I’ve posted here since I put up my review at AC of the Arma Dei coloring catechism-y things.  Short version: They are really cool, and loaded with content.  One packet, carefully chosen, will last your class the whole year.  In the same review, I mention the Inklings game from Cactus (scroll down on the page).  What I don’t mention: When I saw the game this summer at CMN, I was totally stoked, because it completely affirmed me in one of things I said in my book.

5. People who teach well: Christina LeBlanc.  Sure, I knew he said smart stuff and wrote a really good book, and he doesn’t expect snacks with his beer, which is to his credit, for certain.  And then I heard him talk this weekend.  Wow.  I totally want that man on the speaking circuit.  Big time.  Great presenter.

Book him now while he doesn’t cost as much.  Videos.  I want a video series.  Someone put that man in front of a camera.

6. I’m once again affirmed at home on the effectiveness of quiz games for teaching. My littles are both acquiring vocabulary and liking Latin, learned via the shiny flashcards from Classical Academic Press, which are well-suited to about about 5,000 different games.  Yes, I know, juvenile: A talking monkey is what it takes for us to get school done.  But hey, the talking monkey sells to my younger crowd.  Song School 2 DVD is finally coming out, and they have a coupon code for 20% off, which applies to either the DVD alone, or the whole shebang.  From my e-mail:

20% Pre-order Discount Code: SSL2DVD 

Valid through Oct 6th. Product ships on or before Oct 7th

BONUS – Free SSL2 Coloring Pages HERE!

7. Meanwhile, what we’re using for Latin until the Monkey arrives (and then some), is this:

Patricius et Hilda, Alone in Rome

Mr. Dunphy is a local, and I bought his textbook used off a friend whose son was in Mr. D’s class and loved the book.  Now it’s available to the general public here: https://www.createspace.com/3955399.  The book follows the adventures of a pair of escaped slaves; the text is in English, with gradually more and more Latin mixed in.  At the end of each chapter there’s a vocabulary list and a set of exercises.  There’s also a bit of Irish, because, you know, why not?

Another homeschooling friend says her kids love the book too.  Suitable as an intro to Latin for boys ages 4 and up, and for girls a little bit older.  Because: Swords.  Figure for the less-violent types, target age is 2nd – 8th grade, but it’s fun for grown-ups, definitely.

More like this, Latin scholars.  Please oh please.

***

8. Reason #648 I’m happy this week: Simcha Fisher agrees with me about something.  Yes, I am that cool.  Simcha Fisher looked at my blog.  I’m pretty stoked.  She’s my hero.

 

Come See Me Listen!

If you subscribe to all the right diocesan newspapers, you might have seen this advertisement: 09052013 St Francis Shop ad.

Summary: You should attend On Fire with Faith.  Not to hear me speak, but to watch me listen to the likes of this guy. Who is way smarter than me.  And thus I quote him in my book, which you could get signed in between workshops, when I wander over to indulge my preponderant vice, spending too much money on books*.

Sheesh – get it signed by both of us, and get Christian’s book** signed, too.  I’m not speaking. I’m listening.  Good slate of presentations.

The Bible Tells Me So

*People have figured this out about me.  Remember that birthday party situation?  I didn’t plan it this way, but it turns out large numbers of people figured the best solution to their penance problem was to spend alms getting me gift certificates for the local Catholic bookstore***.  Smart friends! So now, to shop.  Must make self wish list.

**Christian’s book is at least as good as mine.

***A few people picked up on some of my other vices — coffee, tea, chocolate, scotch, wine, alternative book-buying locations, etc.  I had no idea you got presents at grown-up birthday parties.  Kind of overwhelming.  I have the coolest friends.

FID Concluding Thoughts: A Soul at a Time

LawnChairCatechism

So now what? That’s the question Sarah R. poses for us as we wrap up the summer-long study of Forming Intentional Disciples.  You read this book.  Is it going to change anything?

In answer, here’s my timeline:

2012 – People keep telling me I need to read this book.  But wait.  Book budget blown.

Fall 2012 – Acquire book via Catholic Company review program.  Yay.

Jan 2012 – Write book review.  Yep.  It was that good.

Meanwhile . . . Fall 2012: Friend across town has been steadfastly organizing Little Flowers Lite one Sunday a month.  Handful of Catholic moms hanging out in the living room while girls learn a virtue and do a craft in the dining room.  Yay faithful friend.

More Fall 2012: Neophyte Dads Who Don’t Know Better do the Good Married Man thing and turn out with ladies for LFL.  Bored.  Feeling like third wheel.

More Fall 2012: It’s our turn to host LFL.  SuperHusband is making his escape, when Neophyte Dads show up, observe Mr. Boy preparing for AirSoft battle with neighborhood hooligans friends. Mr. Boy gamely provides training and opportunities to suffer.  Neophyte Dads get grass stains all over good church clothes.  –> “Stinging Nettles”, the testosterone wing of Little Flowers Lite is born.  Boys and Dads suddenly very gung ho about spiritual development of little girls.

Spring 2013: Monthly Sunday afternoon get-together of Catholic families => tiny stable Catholic community.  Dads start doing crazy stuff like leading everyone in a Rosary before pot-luck supper.

More Spring 2013: Celebrity Internet Priest gives inspiring talk about What’s Killing American Catholicism.  SuperHusband listens to wife talk about talk.  Nods vigorously.  Says, “E-mail Internet Priest.  Our friends need to hear this.”  Internet priest replies*, “Your friends need to read this book. You may have heard of it.  Forming Intentional Disciples.”

May 2013: Jen mentions in e-mail to Sarah R. that forming book club is on now on to-do list.  Sarah R. decides the whole internet should join in.  Persuades Lisa H. at CatholicMom.com to be the host site.  OSV happy, very accomodating.

June 2013: Real life book club forms.  Invite a combination of LFL / Stinging Nettles Families and a few other likely candidates from parish and around town.

Meanwhile . . . May 2013, Homeschooling Moms get together to look at favorite text books, get ideas for coming school year.  Friend from LFL/SN shows Jen program Jen wants to try.  Jen knows she is too undisciplined to succeed on own.  Says, “Could we maybe form a teeny-tiny co-op to meet every other week as we start the new chapter?  Just enough to keep me honest?”  Friend hesitates.  She’s really quite busy.  Jen makes puppy eyes.  Friend says she’ll think about it.**

Early June: Handful of Homeschool moms meet at home of hesitant friend to get ideas for a co-op.  Massive list of desired classes emerges.  Pray for host parish to appear out of nowhere.  Because there’s no Mass at the public library.

Middle of June: Jen phones Fr. Excellent, asks if maybe he’d consider perhaps possibly one day if it’s okay letting parish form homeschooling support group at parish.  Fr. Excellent replies, “Don’t need to think about it.  Yes.  Go ahead.”

End of June:  First real-life book club meeting for FID.  One or two have read book or started to read book.  Some have vaguely skimmed study guide.  All get into lively discussion about WKAC.***  Decide to meet again, maybe even read book.

Beginning of July: Second real-life book club meeting for FID.  A few more have read more pages.  All agree need for evangelization is pressing.  Conclusion: Wait a minute.  Can’t really help others develop personal relationship with Jesus until my own is in half-decent shape.  Determine that next meeting we should ditch book — goal accomplished — and go straight to becoming a discipleship group for ourselves.

Middle of July: Homeschool Moms meet to finalize proposed plans for co-op / support group.

More Middle of July: Pray Fr. Excellent will approve proposal.

More Middle of July: Fr. Excellent approves proposal in world’s shortest meeting, goes straight to helping us book rooms.

End of July: First discipleship meeting.  Launch theme of loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength, and neighbor as self.  Because: Easy. Haha.  SuperHusband displays his superness by preparing massive study for testosterone wing: Men and teen boys meet on screen porch, spend two hours studying theme of “love” in Scripture and in Deus Caritas Est. Ladies teach kids first few lines of the Latin Gloria, just ’cause, then do coloring sheet, chat and have snacks.  Jen pleased with split format, allows SuperHusband to do research, Jen to borrow notes for ladies’ meeting following session.

August: The Month of Crazy.  And yes, thank your prayers, the kick-off lunch for co-op went well.  Catholic School folks turned out, and I really really like what I learned.  What they are doing totally complements what we are doing.  Thrilled to have established a means to channel young families towards the school.

Meanwhile, completely separately: Youth Ministry volunteer couple, now parents of several young children, realize parish needs ministry to young families.  Starts hosting monthly event.

***

So where are we at the start of September?  

It’s beginning to look a lot like those multiple overlapping opportunities for finding  a small group within the parish.  We’ve got:

  • A parish ministry to young families meeting once a month, thank you leaders for seeing that need and running with it.  Which gives us an easy invite for new faces on the playground after Mass on Sunday.
  • The home-based family discipleship group, involving a mix of families from around town, with plans to meet twice a month.  Format put together for adults, teens, boys & girls so that everyone gets some study and some fun.
  • Homeschooling co-op on Fridays doing a combination of academics and spiritual extras (Benediction, Mass, apologetics for kids, Latin/English chorus, Catholic memory work stuff) that fills some needs parents were asking for.
  • Preschool co-op every other week, using the curriculum from Catholic Icing, actively inviting parents of young children from the parish to get involved.
  • Local Catholic school at neighboring parish offering flexible half-day and 3x/week preschool options for parents who need more than the co-op, less than a full-day five days a week program.  And more-n-more scholarships for Catholic families who want K-8 Catholic education.  If we hadn’t asked, we wouldn’t have known.

Do you understand how magnificent it is, to be able to say to someone you meet on the playground, “You might be interested in . . . ” and have a place to send them?  Our parish was already doing good stuff. The usual complement of ministries – RCIA, religious ed, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul — you name it, doing things that need to be done, and giving folks an outlet for this or that part of the Christian life.  But what has arisen over the summer fills some gaps.  We had a big hole in the “parent of young children” department, and no way for our existing ministries to meet that need.

All these things are small.  We’re talking a handful of families here or there.  That’s how it should be.  You can’t know 15,000 people well. You can’t listen to 15,000 people talk about what’s going in their life, or ask a burning question, or vent about this or that frustration in the Christian life.  Lord help our priests, you can’t in 10 minutes on a Sunday say the one thing that all 15,000 people need to hear and know about in order to take their next step in building their relationship with the Lord.  You can’t hear 15,000 confessions, or dispense sufficient pastoral ministry in the handshake line after Mass.  It’s too much.

Sherry Weddell shares stern words about the Eucharist as the “source and summit” of the Christian life.

How does lay-run discipleship — the multiple overlapping opportunties — fit into this?

(A) Eucharist is the wellspring from which we ordinary lay Catholics draw our everything.  That gives us the ability to create our little bits of lay discipleship about the parish.

(B) The Eucharist draws in people thirsty to God, like the sound of running water.  A lot of times, people don’t even know why they’ve walked in the doors of the local parish.  But they have.  And you show them: Drink.  They taste and they want more.

(C) Multiple overlapping opportunities for getting involved in small communities = chance to drink deeply of the Christian life.  And make that climb towards the summit of Christian life . . .

(D) Which is the Eucharist.  Foretaste of Heaven.

–> Where does Fr. Excellent and all those other sacraments fit in?  If the Eucharist is the source and summit of the spiritual hike towards Heaven, the other sacraments are the outfitters, trail head, ranger station, and EMS.  Or whatever you like.  Fill out your analogy.

Fr. Excellent brings the Jesus.  The rest of us layfolk have the mission of getting ourselves to the Jesus.

***

So that’s my change report.  Get the souls to the Jesus.  Doesn’t happen in a big giant talk.  It happens soul by soul, in these small initiatives that meet the particular needs of the particular souls who’ve walked through the parish doors. Favorite part:

No matter what our particular charism, doing our individual parts to bring the Lord to others is the one thing that’s going to get our own souls ready for Heaven.

Sheesh that’s a marvelous system.

__________________________________________________________________

*Not exact words.

**Not strictly sure whether Jen made puppy eyes.  But something similarly desperate.

*** WKAC = What’s Killing American Catholicism.