Lessons and Activities

by Mary McEntee McGill Today’s prayer will focus on Moses’ discovery of a bush that is burning—a bush that burns but is not consumed...

Young and old, we are called to be saints. And since we realize our true selves through acts of love, it is critical for us, as catechists, to present the path of sanctity in ways that are attractive, relevant, and concrete to children.

Two anniversaries of importance to the Catholic Church were marked on October 11, 2012. On that date, the Church celebrated both the fiftieth anniversary of the opening session of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the publication, in French, of the original, provisional edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To celebrate this anniversary, this article will provide a brief introduction to the Catechism (henceforth CCC), including its history, an overview of the CCC, and finally, suggestions on how it can be used most effectively within ministry.

Temptations can make our straight paths hard to navigate. But we can avoid temptations and stand firm for what we know is right by being alert from step to step.

Although the Triduum takes place over three days—counting from sundown to sundown, according to Jewish tradition, from Holy Thursday night to Easter Sunday evening—help your students begin to grasp that the Triduum is one three-day, continuous celebration. Unless we see these days as an organic whole, we miss their interconnectedness.

Many people live “cafeteria style” lives, self-service only. Catholics try to live life like Jesus, who “did not come to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). The Year of Faith is a perfect time to explore this calling.

Maria Josefa was a person of compassion; she dedicated her life to caring for people who were sick. She wanted to help them deal with the challenges of being ill at home and in the hospital.

This Complete-A-Project Bible Search activity is for teacher and students (grades 4-6) working together. This Bible Search is based on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, the Gospel that is read on Ash Wednesday.

February celebrates St. Valentine's Day with hearts, flowers, and tokens of love. This month offers us another, more serious look at love as we enter into the Season of Lent. We are invited to reflect on how much God loves us.

In today's high-tech world, our students stay connected with their classmates and peers using umpteen gizmos and gadgets: cell phones, smart phones, social networking options, and online applications. Any effort to introduce religious education with this medium has the potential of exciting students and keeping them engaged. In the fifth-grade religious education class of Queen of Peace in Queens, New York, we have successfully used the technology and would like to share this so that any instructor could use this time-tested and successful model.