Dinner tonight in downtown Chicago followed by Broadway in Chicago: The Addams Family – A New Musical!

In the meantime, be sure to access all of the goodies that I posted yesterday: resources for Advent from my Advent Webinar that took place Nov. 18. Have a great weekend!

• Preparing for Advent Lesson Overview and BIG IDEAS
• Advent Webinar Lesson Plans for Youth-Adult Activities
• Advent Webinar Lesson Plans for Children’s Activities
• Advent Prayer Service

Here are links to Advent resources on the Loyola Press Website:

• Finding God Activity Finder (Advent)
• Christ Our Life Activity Finder (Advent)
• Advent Intergenerational Event
• Advent Resources – General

Finally, here are links to the books I mentioned in the Webinar, just in case you’d like to take a closer look (remember, you can save 20% on these titles if you order before November 27, 2009 and use promotional code Advent1):

• Meeting St. Luke Today: Understanding the Man, his Mission, and his Message (Daniel Harrington, S.J.)
• Luke: The Good News of God’s Mercy (Six Weeks with the Bible)
  • Español
  • for teens
• The Power of Pause: Becoming More By Doing Less (Terry Hershey)
• Just As You Are: Opening Your Life to the Infinite Love of God (Paul Coutinho, S.J.)
• Simple Acts of Moving Forward: 60 Suggestions for Getting Unstuck (Vinita Hampton Wright)
• A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe (Joe Paprocki, DMin)
• Crafting Faith: 101 Crafts to Help Kids Grow in Their Faith (Laurine M. Easton)

Come, Lord Jesus! (I’m practicing!)

Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, 2009— are you ready? Joe Paprocki, National Consultant for Faith Formation for Loyola Press and veteran catechist, invites catechists, religion teachers, and RCIA leaders to join him in this Webinar that explores how to create engaging advent-themed faith-formation activities drawn from the Sunday Scripture Readings of Cycle C (the Gospel of Luke). Joe will take us through the readings for this Advent season, explore the theme for each week, and share some unique ways you can develop the theme into activities that inspire children, youth, and adults to enter more deeply into the beauty and holiness of Advent. In the days following the Webinar, Joe will offer additional Advent-related activities on his blog, Catechist’s Journey. If you are unable to attend the Webinar, you may view the video on Joe’s blog. It will be posted the week following the Webinar. This free Webinar is led by Joe Paprocki, an 8th-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe, National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, is the author of numerous books including the best-selling The Catechist’s Toolbox and A Well-Built Faith, as well as the host of the blog Catechist’s Journey. Register for this free Webinar today by clicking here. If you have additional questions about the Webinar, please contact Carrie Freyer at freyer@loyolapress.com.

Brought to you by

• From the moment I entered Archbishop Carroll High School where the event was held, I could feel a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation for the day.
• People were happily scurrying about, making last minute preparations for the conference, all while smiling and greeting each other with great affection.
• I was extended such warm hospitality and made to feel at home.
• The opening liturgy was perhaps the most amazing liturgy I’ve participated in for some time, primarily because of the incredible music provided by several combined choirs of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Even the auxiliary bishop who presided at the Mass couldn’t help but clap his hands during the rousing African-American spiritual that was sung following communion!
• I delivered my keynote to an audience of about 1000! What was disconcerting was that the spotlights shining in my eyes were so bright, I literally could not see the audience! I could tell they were there, however, from their lively interaction and responses!
• I spoke on the topic of: “Feast Your Eyes on God’s Transforming Word!” focusing on how our unique Catholic vision, which is characterized by a sense of sacramentality, a commitment to community, a respect for the dignity of human life and a commitment to social justice, a reverence for tradtion, and a disposition to faith and hope and not despair, holds the key to transforming hearts and minds.
• I was blown away by the numerous folks who stopped to talk to me afterwards, either in the hallways or at the Loyola Press display. I met so many wonderful people who shared their passion and enthusiasm for the catechetical ministry!
• Hats off to the folks running the show (at least the ones with whom I had contact): Augustine Carrillo, Mary Ann Harrington, Ann Menna, and Connie Scharff.
• Best wishes to all the good folks of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who are working so hard and succeeding at transforming all things in Christ!

church history powerpoint in pdf part 1

church history powerpoint in pdf part 2

November is, of course, the month of all souls

To mark this special month, as part of our opening prayer last night, instead of having the kids offer prayers of thanksgiving or petitions for needs, I asked them each to share the name(s) of loved ones who have passed away so that we could remember them in a special way this month.

We passed the candle and each of the kids mentioned someone dear to them. I begn by remembering my Dad who passed away 12 years ago next month. One of the kids remembered a soldier – a native of Evergreen Park - who recently gave his life in service of his country. Most remembered grandparents. One girl remembered a cousin who just died within the previous week. Lucy, my aide, mentioned both of her parents. It was a very solemn moment and a moment for each of them to recognize that we are all touched by the pain of death.

I also taught them the prayer that Catholics pray for those who have died: “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.” We repeated that 3 times.

After the prayer, I briefly explained our understanding of the Communion of Saints and how these loved ones are still with us, separated by a “veil” between this life and the next and that we can still communicate with them, praying with them and for them. I mentioned how I occasionally have conversations with my Dad and Lucy added that she converses with both of her parents. I emphasized that for Catholics, this is quite normal and is not strange because we know that even death cannot truly separate us from our loved ones.

It made for a very prayerful beginning for class and helped to sensitize me and I’m sure each of the young people to the depth of feeling that each of us is capable of.

I’m happy to share the Powerpoint with you in pdf form:

Who is Jesus – complete presentation pdf

As we view the Powerpoint, I’ll have the young people read aloud the sections that they themselves were responsible for last week. In addition, the young people will take notes in a booklet I put together for them to use. You can access that here:

Who is Jesus booklet

Our song of the week will be Shania Twain’s Wanna Get to Know You.

Finally, we’ll finish by reflecting on a 10-minute PowerPoint on images of Jesus that I put together a few years back. Here it is in pdf form:  Images of Jesus pdf

Lots to do…so little time!