Frequently Asked Questions about Vatican II
Word on Fire has prepared a list of twelve FAQs on the Second Vatican Council along with several helpful resource links.
Engaging Faith
Practical Lesson Ideas and Activities for Catholic Educators
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Mass Dispensations and Other Mass Related Issues!
Many Catholics have been "dispensed" from the Sunday Mass obligation during the time of the Covid pandemic. What does canon law teach about such dispensations? Share church teaching on the subject with your students. Also, ask: What did you miss about attending Sunday Mass? What are your diocesan regulations about Mass attendance during pandemic? How safe do you feel returning to Mass? What are other times in history Catholics have been dispensed from Sunday Mass? What do you think about the girl's attitude toward Mass in the video "One Minute in a Catholic's Head"? How can you avoid distractions while attending Mass?
Reintroducing the Engaging Faith Blog
Ave Maria Press is reintroducing its Engaging Faith Blog with a new design to accompany our updated website. Please take a look at over 700 entries with lesson, icebreaker, video, and prayer suggestions for many different areas of Catholic religious education with teenagers. Ave Maria Press is reintroducing its Engaging Faith Blog with a new design to accompany our updated website. Please take a look at over 700 entries with lesson, icebreaker, video, and prayer suggestions for many different areas of Catholic religious education with teenagers.
How Do You Plan and Record Your Lessons?
Hello Teachers! Happy July! Ave Maria Press is always looking for ways to offer helpful teaching approaches delivered in an easy-to-use manner. In that spirit, would you mind answering the following questions: How do you plan weekly and daily lessons? (For the sake of normalcy, let's imagine lessons will be shared in person with students in a classroom.) What does your semester plan look like? How do you chart main topics, curriculum points, and book chapters over a semester? What does your daily lesson plan look like? Do you write out student objectives and share them with your students so they are aware of what both you and they are responsible in the class? How do you vary teaching approaches? Do you consciously make the choice to vary lessons, videos, discussions, presentation, writing, quizzes, and more over a variety of days? How do you vary approaches through a 50 to 90 minute class period? How do you assess your students on a daily basis to see if they met the day's objectives? Did you ever use a lesson planner like the one in the photo? Do you now? What else do you use to record your lesson plans? Answer in the comment space below or own our Ave Maria Press HS Theology Teachers Facebook page. Thank you in advance!
A Mini-Course on Religious Liberty
Ave Maria Press offers a five-day, free mini-unit called Religious Liberty and Catholicism in the United States. Developed in 2012, it is timeless topics that fit over a five-day period. Through the sharing of materials digitally, the course can also be used for students and teachers who are at home. It would make a perfect remedial or enrichment course for summertime use. The topics are: Introduction Day 1: Religious Liberty and Catholicism in the United States Day 2: Catholics and the Formation of a Nation Day 3: The Wave of Catholic Immigration Day 4: Current Threats to Religious Liberty Day 5: Religious Liberty and Catholicism in the United States The mini-unit includes lesson plans, video links, and student handouts.
Twilight Zone Reflection on the Narrow Gate
"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.'" † (Matthew 7:6, 12-14) Read the Gospel passage to your students. The artwork above was included in the traditional Baltimore Catechism to illustrate the human choice between everlasting life or everlasting death. Allow your students to examine the image closely and describe and explain what they see. Share that the gate was narrow in the ancient walled city of Jerusalem because traders would be forced to unload their camels of merchandise before entering through.This way they could not escape paying taxes on their goods. Jesus' words also remind us that we must be stripped of our possessions before we can enter God's eternal Kingdom. To do that the gate is definitely more narrow than the easier road to destruction. An episode of the classic television series The Twilight Zone called "The Hunt" is an excellent illustration. It follows the path of an old country man who doesn't realize he has died and nearly makes the wrong choice between heaven and hell. Play the 22 minute video and compare the message with Jesus' words about the narrow gate. The video is available on YouTube for a one-time fee of $2.99.
Reflections on Family, Religious Life, and Death
Sadly, the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, the crypt church, Fr. David Scheidler, CSC, passed away recently. He was a young man of 55 years old, a dynamic preacher, and a dorm chaplain at Notre Dame, a brother to seven siblings, and an uncle to many. He suffered from a rare form of cancer. Sharing something of this priest’s story with your students and watching all or parts of Fr. David’s funeral Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame can help your students have an up close view and be able to reflect on several aspects of the Catholic faith. For example: The love of family (note the family members in the front rows, Fr. David’s sister serving as cantor, and other siblings doing the readings) The family of a religious community (note the priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross in attendance) The connection between ordination classmates (the bishop-celebrant and Fr. David were classmates) The connection between Baptism and death The connection between the vows of Holy Orders and death The message of hope in the readings and the homily Assignment Read about the life of Fr. David Scheidler CSC from the links above. Watch his funeral Mass. Write a four-paragraph reflection on what you witnessed. Write a prayer for the soul of Fr. David.
National Flags in Catholic Churches
With Flag Day in the United States celebrated on June 14, it’s a good opportunity to consider the placement of national flags in Catholic churches. Is an American flag displayed in your church? If so, where? Surprisingly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has no formal regulations for the placement of American flags in Catholic churches, other than to recommend that the flags are not placed in the sanctuary. Activities: Discuss or debate the placement of national flags in Catholic churches. Assign students to visit 5 to 10 Catholic churches in their area and 1) note whether a United States flag is on display or not and 2) name the location in the church where a flag is displayed. They might also take photos each church they visit and prepare a short summary of the assignment along with their photos.
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