Stations of the Cross for children: a sampling

I was surfing the net for some Stations of the Cross for children, and thought I would posts some links to a few I found. I also printed these out and have them available at the office:

-Large size colorable pages of the stations (just the images and the station titles, no description texts or prayers). I like this one best. I will print these out on cardstock so that we have a "portable" stations set that we can hang up in the daily mass chapel when requested (or, you can have a set printed out for your room--just ask, and we will make the copies:
http://www.catecheticalresources.com/
attachment.cfm?Attachment=ACF2600.pdf

-From CatholicMom.com another set of colorable stations, though these images are smaller than the ones found at the link above (also a little more carto0nish):
http://www.christiancoloring.com/cmpdf2006/
stations/stations_booklet.pdf

-from DomesticChurch.com:
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/
20040101.GRAPHICS/stations3b.pdf

-a stations for children, the images are not much, but there is a description text that you can check out. Also, a decent introduction to the Stations (explaining the meaning of a "station" etc.):
http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/index.html

-a printer-friendly text for the stations:
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/stations-prn.html

-A traditional stations of the Cross booklet from the 1930's, short, with beautiful color pictures. Can be printed out as one-sided sheets, or as two-sided booklet form:
http://familyfeastandferia.wordpress.com/
stations-of-the-cross-for-children/

Gearin' up for Lent

Lent is not too far away, so I am going to start posting some links to resources that might be helpful in teaching and living the season of Lent:

Jimmy Akin:
http://www.jimmyakin.org/2005/02/annual_lent_fig.html

Marcellino D'Ambrosio:
http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_category
/3/Lent_and_Holy_Week_Resources.html

ChurchYear.net has a lot of interesting pages:

http://www.churchyear.net/lent.html Lent history, information, prayers, resources, traditions & more

http://www.churchyear.net/lentprayers.html Good prayers for Lent

http://www.churchyear.net/lentfast.html Suggestions for your Lenten fast

http://www.churchyear.net/lentcanticles.html Lent hymns and canticles

Domestic Church:
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/
9980301/FRIDGE/EXPL_LENT.HTM Exploring Lent, Domestic-Church.com

http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/
20020301/FRIDGE/lent_activity.htm Lent for Little Ones

http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/
19990301/ARTICLES/fastrules.htm Guidelines for fasting, abstinence, and self-denial in Lent

Readings and Meditations for Lent & Holy Week:
http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/lent.htm


http://www.victoriadiocese.org/catechetical/
journey_files/journey.htm Disciples on the Journey--a 34 page Lenten lectionary based faith-sharing booklet for adult, family, and teen groups (I just saw an advertisement of this, have not previewed it, don't know if it is any good).

http://www.franciscanradio.org/Retreats/Lent/default.asp Lenten Radio Retreat

...MORE TO BE ADDED LATER...

Resources for Advent 2007

Advent Resources

A nice listing from PhatCatholic Apologetics:

http://phatcatholic.blogspot.com/2006/12/
resources-for-advent.html

Advent at CatholicMom.com:

http://www.catholicmom.com/advent.htm

Domestic Church [search the site for "Advent"]:

http://www.domestic-church.com/

Catholics United for the Faith:

http://www.cuf.org/familyresources/index.asp

St. Nicholas: Discovering the Truth About Santa Claus:

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23

Catholic Catechist.org:

http://www.catholiccatechist.org/Files/Advent.htm

Advent links from last year:

http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/12/
advent-links-for-celebrating-and.html

All Advent-Christmas posts on Swallowed Scroll:

http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/
search/label/Advent%20-%20Christmas

Poetry Break (The Victor Lives in Me)

It has been a while since our last one...

The Victor Lives in Me

What confidence we have

in laying claim to the Blood of the Lamb
A foolish boldness
A wreckless audacity
Almost a holy arrogance
That is born of abandoning myself
To the one who humbled himself

To call it confidence is far too little
Hope can sound too much like a concept
To a simple man
Exhausted
Left face down in the muck
Body bruised and barely breathing
Yet gasping in joy and exaltation
To hear the accuser finally cast out!

Choir of angels and saints in awe of this upset
The triumph of the Victor who fought for me!

A mercenary of light
Hired by the Father
His wage the Father’s Glory
And the hearts of those the Father gives Him
Dumb and hard-hearted I hardly know Him
Though he comes to me often

He won not only this cosmic battle
He won my life as well
And so I live no longer I
But the Victor lives in me!

an interesting film: saints counsel a young boy on how to deal with found money

Just watched an interesting British movie entitled "Millions" (2005) available on Netflix:

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Millions/
70011208?trkid=90529

Netflix description:

Acclaimed director Danny Boyle posits a tantalizing question in this engaging film: What happens when two boys stumble upon a cache of cash? Damian (Alex Etel) and his brother, Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), find a satchel filled with British pounds, but with the country just days away from switching to the Euro, they must quickly find a way to spend and share the wealth. Trouble is, Damian wants to give to the poor, while Anthony aims to live it up. Rated PG; 1 hr, 38 min., 2005

Watch the Preview

My remarks:

This is a decent film with an interesting premise: saints appear to a boy to give him advice in what to do with a moral problem (how to spend found money). The youngest son, Damian, who knows and loves the saints the same way many boys can spit out the stats off of the baseball cards of their favorite players (Damian identifies the saints who appears to them and states the years they lived or their patronage). St. Clare of Assisi, St. Francis, St. Joseph, and St. Nicholas all appear to Damian in some funny scenes (though it is odd to here St. Clare with a British accent, just as it is odd to see her casually smoking a cigarette--in heaven, would such run-of-the-mill vices be the mark of our joy, peace, and freedom?).

Actually, I think that the scenes with the saints could have been more developed--there is a lot of clever things they could have done.

Still, this is an interesting take on how money can seem at first like the answer to prayers only to cause greed, division, and further conflict. Damian's character finds the money (bound to be destroyed by the government as they make the switch to Euro) when a burglar throws the bag of British pounds off of a train. The money falls into Damian's play fort and he assumes that it came from God. Damian feels that his mission is to give the money to the poor--which, as he finds out, is not as easy to do as one would think. Damian's brother Anthony uses the money to buy expesive gifts and impress his school friends. Finally, the father finds the money and must conquer his own demons, and decide between greed or doing the right thing.

One caveat: St. Peter has a conversation with Damian about how much of an impact one person's well-intentioned actions can cause. He then recounted the story of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. He actually spewed out the tired old historical-critical interpretation: Jesus did not ACTUALLY multiply the loaves. Rather, he encouraged all those around him to shed their selfish hoarding and share the bread they had hidden under their cloaks. THAT, he pleads, was the REAL miracle. And I roll my eyes.

All in all, some good themes, and, if select highlight scenes are shown, could be good for classroom catechesis.

The movie is PG and is free from foul language (to my recollection), and excessive violence. There is one short scene where the boys see a coumputer add for bras that makes visible a woman's breast. Lastly, there is a scene where the widower father is in bed with a woman that he meets who befriends him and the boys (no visible nudity, just the implication of a pre-marital fornication).

Holy Week and Lent recap

UPDATE: News & Current Events:
Holy Week amidst war and car bombings--an interesting post from Amy Welborn's blog:
http://amywelborn.typepad.com/
openbook/2007/04/holy_week.html

Audiences and Sermons of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI during Lent:
http://www.vatican.va/liturgical_year/lent/
ndex-lent2007-hf_en.htm

Music for Lent:
http://www.vatican.va/liturgical_year/lent/
index-lent2007-music_en.htm

Holy See's page for Holy Week:

http://www.vatican.va/liturgical_year/
holy-week/2007/index_en.htm

The Pope always has excellent Stations of the Cross texts (2006's was wonderful). This year, the meditations that Pope Benedict XVI will lead were composed by Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi, the Prefect of the Ambrosian Library and Gallery of Milan:

Presentation:

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2007/
documents/ns_lit_doc_20070406_
via-crucis-present_en.html

and the Meditations:

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2007/
documents/ns_lit_doc_20070406_via-crucis_en.html



[famous 19th century Catholic convert scholar John Henry Newman's Stations of the Cross meditations (longer version):

http://www.newmanreader.org/works/
meditations/meditations5.html


(shorter version):
http://www.newmanreader.org/works/
meditations/meditations5.html#stations ]
(in handy PDF format):
http://www.doxaweb.com/assets/stations.pdf





[Podcast alley has a March 3 2007 posting of an audio mp3 file of the Stations of the Cross based on the film "The Passion of the Christ":
http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast
_details.php?pod_id=10006 ]




[PhatCatholic Apologetics posts a lot of info on the Stations of the Cross:
http://phatcatholic.blogspot.com
/2007/03/on-stations-of-cross.html ]
_____________
Lent from a historical Christian perspective

Church historian Mike Aquilina talks about Holy Week [audio file]
http://www.kvss.com/programming/
program_aquilina.html

1917 Catholic Encyclopedia article on Holy Week:
www.newadvent.org/cathen/07435a.htm

and an article on the Sacred Triduum:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15041c.htm

History of Passiontide and Holy Week:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/LITURGY/HISTHW.TXT

Practice during Passiontide and Holy Week:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/LITURGY/PRACHW.TXT

Intro to prayer/fasting/almsgiving from the early church fathers:

1. Prayer: http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2007/02/21/
intro-to-lent-i-prayer/


2. Fasting: http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2007/02/22/
intro-to-lent-ii-fasting/


3. Almsgiving: http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2007/02/23/
intro-to-lent-iii-almsgiving/

Passion Sunday from the perspective of early Church father St. Andrew of Crete:
http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_
article/97/Palm_Sunday
____St._Andrew_of_Crete.html
_______________
Spiritual reading for Lent

http://www.spiritdaily.com/bookslent.htm
________________

Personal Prayer suggestions for Holy Week:

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/
library_article/410/Triduum___
Suggestions_for_Personal_Prayer.html

Meditate and instruct on the 7 last words of Christ:
http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/
library_article/43/Seven_Last_Words_of_Christ.html

Virtual Retreats
at Loyola Press' FindingGod.org
http://www.findinggod.org/m_frmwork.asp?id=118455

Sacred Space's Lent page:
http://www.sacredspace.ie/lent/

OTHER STUFF
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (blog: "What does the prayer really say") examines the liturgical text of the prayer over the gifts:
http://wdtprs.com/blog/quadragesima-lent/

Amy Welborn's April 1 post has some great pictures of how Palm Sunday was celebrated around the world:
http://amywelborn.typepad.com/openbook/
2007/04/the_palmpassion.html

How an iPod can help you learn the Faith

Perhaps many of you out there think--'well, I would like to learn more about my faith but I just don't have the time.' Perhaps you would also like to pray more but find that you lack the time. Of course, we must make time for God. However, do not discount the moments that you have while you are on the run.

For last Christmas I received an Apple iPod. Many of my late-twenties, early-thirties peers have had iPods. I resisted the idea because I was trying to simplify my life Franciscan-style. I finally gave in to the idea of receiving an mp3 player for Christmas. I am glad I did. The iPod is not just the gadget du jour of your teenage kid. It can also be an excellent tool to halp you grow in your faith!

I am directing this article to those catechists and anyone else who has no idea about the iPod technology...

What the heck is a "podcast"???

A podcast is a broadcast of a radio program (and now--TV and video is available) that you can download and listen to through your iPod. First you need an internet connection (preferibly high-speed) to download (for free!) Apple's software iTunes: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Radio and TV programs will be saved onto mp3 audio files (now, I see them called mp4 files?) and then you can download those audio files to your own computer via the internet and your iTunes software. In fact, you do not even need an iPod to listen to podcasts. All you need is an internet connection and the iTunes software. Once you download a podcast, you can simply listen to it via iTunes on your computer at work or home. If, however, you want to be able to take those podcast programs with you wherever you go... you will want an iPod (or some other mp3 player). The iPods cost $150 and up... but for just $80 you can get the tiny iPod Shuffle which amazingly is the size of a matchbook, clips on to your clothing and can hold 24o songs or the equivalent amount of podcasts. The larger iPods can hold up to 2,000 songs.

Once you have iTunes, you can go to the iTunes Store and search for podcasts. There is a vast number of podcasts of various radio and TV programming that you can suscribe to for free.
When you click on a program to suscribe then your iTunes program will check for updates every day to the podcasts that you suscribe to. If, for example, you suscribe to a podcast of an EWTN program that you like, then every time that the folks at EWTN make available a new audio file of a recent program then you iTunes will automatically download it. You do not have to remember, the program does it for you (it is kind of like getting the newspaper delivered to your door every morning). Once you have received the podcast file, then you can listen to it from your computer or drag it and download it into you iPod. Once you are done listening to it, you can delete the podcast from your iPod (that way, you save room for more future podcasts). Some new cars come set up with a jack to plug your iPod in so that you can listen to it through car speakers. You could also just buy a casette adapter and plug your iPod into that and listen that way.

What podcasts are out there?

You can dowload podcasts of any kind of program--news programs, sports programs, etc. However, there are many prodcast available to help you learn more about your faith. I will list just some of the ones that I have encountered (all these programs can be found from iTunes store by typing the name in the search window):

1. CATHOLIC ANSWERS LIVE: For those who have access to Catholic radio stations such as EWTN radio or Ave Maria Radio (which is none of us out here in central Iowa) you might be familiar with this excellent program. CA Live airs two hour long episodes a day that will have a guest apologist expert in expalining and defending the Catholic faith. The guests will talk about a given topic (Lent, the Mass, the different rites of the Church, particular dogmas of the Church, controverial topics, etc.) and then take calls from listeners asking questions. This is an excellent way to learn more. Some programs even deal with current films, current hot topics (such as the DaVinci Code book and movie, or the alleged discover of Jesus' tomb, etc.), etc. Search "Catholic Answers Live" or see http://www.catholic.com/radio/podcast.asp
   
2. EWTN programs: You can suscribe to audio podcasts of your favorite TV shows: EWTN Bookmarks, Life on the Rock, The World Over, Sunday Night Live with Fr. Benedict Groeschel. Personally, I like Marcus Grodi's the Journey Home. On this program, converts to the Catholic faith (often times ministers from Protestantism or other non-Catholic faiths) come on and tell the story of their conversions... and also take phone call questions. This can be a good kick-in-the-butt for the cradle Catholic who takes his faith for granted.
   
3. The K-Street Catholic: This is the podcast of the Washington D.C.-based Catholic Information Center ( www.cicdc.org/ ). I recently heard about these podcasts from a radio show, and they are excellent. Recent episodes have dealt with the Jewish ordigins of Baptism, the Mass, and the Paschal Mystery and an episode dealing with the "Jesus Tomb" controversy.
   
4. Cardinal Arinze Podcast: Cardinal Arinze is the prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the Holy See. This one time papal prospect has written beautifully on the litugy of the Catholic Church. In recent podcasts he has covered Pope Benedict XVI's 2006 encyclical Deus Caritas Est (God is Love).
   http://arinzewebcast.com/
   
5. Understanding the Scriptures: This is a podcast of an adult education class in a parish in Texas. They are using Scott Hahn's excellent textbook Understanding the Scriptures: A Complete Course on Bible Study. If you would like to get an understanding of the overall story of the Bible, and how the Old Testament relates to the New Testament, this is the podcast for you. ( www.catholicboard.com/ )
   
6. The Inner Life (on Relevant Radio): This program airs on the Catholic radio station Relevant Radio. http://www.relevantradio.com/
   NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=793&srcid=217
   This program hosts different priests as spiritual directors for each day. Callers call in with questions about discernment in issues small (personal decisions) and great (a vocation), questions about prayer and growth in the spiritual life, etc. Recent episodes included a discussion on Franciscan spirituality. On iTunes Store search for "Relevant Radio" and you will find this and other programs.
   
7. Keep the Faith www.keepthefaith.org
   
   This site has mp3 lectures downloadable for a buck: topics include: many Archbishop Fulton Sheen talks, The Existence of God, St. Augustine, the development of the Latin rite liturgy, Saints of the Reformation, the Enlightenment revisted, Sacred Music and Liturgy, the re-definition of marriage, the Antichrist, the demonic today, etc. [some of this would be of particular interest to traditionalist catholics] This is not a podcast that you can suscribe to as far as I know... you go to the site, download the mp3 files you like, and then you can suck them up into your iPod or other mp3 player.
   
8. PODCAST ALLEY
   ( http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast
   _details.php?pod_id=15721 )
   This neat site has podcasts on a range of topics: the art of contemplative prayer; stations of the cross meditations (inspired by the Passion of the Christ and with quotations from various Catholic writers, including Josemaria Escriva, Pope John Paul II, and Dietrich von Hildebrand); "De-coding the DaVinci Code"; music from a parishes 2006 Easter vigil; marriage as a vocation; the artist and the sacraments (Barbara Nicolosi tells Catholic artists in Holywood about the need for the sacraments and spiritual direction); the Real Presence of Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist; teaching your children about the sacrament of confession; etc. A virtual treasure trove of good stuff!
   
9. MARIA LECTRIX
   http://marialectrix.wordpress.com/
   Listing of assorted blogs and audio books.
   
10. What does the Prayer Really Say? ( http://wdtprs.com/blog/podcazt/ )
    I just discovered this little gem of a site. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf covers matters liturgical... reflections on the text of liturgical prayers (as they are translated with "slavish accuaracy"). He has a lot of great podcasts where he reads and discusses the writings of the great ancient Church fathers--Augustine, Gregory the Great, Cyprian, etc. In a recent podcast he reads St. Augustine's commentary on Psalm 61 and discusses how we as Catholic Christians can more fully enter in the mystery of the Holy Mass--prayer that is "full conscious and active participation". Search iTunes Store by typing
    
11. The Light of the East: Pope John Paul II said that the universal Chuch must breathe with both lungs (the East and the West). Do you want to learn more about the treasures of the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church? Check out this broadcast by Fr. Thomas Loya (which airs on Relevant Radio). Fr. Loya is also an expert in Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body.( www.byzantinecatholic.com/radio.htm )
    
12. the Maronite Podcast: a Place to Pray:
    This is a daily reading of the Prayers of the Faithful or Divine Office for the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church.
    
13. St. Michael's RCIA podcast: This is a podcast of some local parish's RCIA classes. I have not really listened to this one, so I cannot vouge for it personally. However, the point is, there are things like this out there. Many adult Catholics would be well-suited to go through RCIA... they could learn a lot or get a refresher on things they once learned but have lost a hold of. If you have a friend who is thinking about coming into the Church but is not ready to join an RCIA program, they can listen in on one from the privacy of their home.

Musical Praise on the go

Many Catholics listen to the local Protestant Christian music station. Nothing wrong with that, but you should know that there are also ways to gain access to specifically Catholic praise music (many Catholic artists out there cannot break into the mainstream Christian stations). I do not like all the music that I hear on these programs (mostly because they do not always fit my musical taste... lyrically, they are great), but you can find a lot of good music. Check out these programs and also the website www.catholicjukebox.com :

1. Catholic Praisecast (search for the podcasts through these titles)
2. Catholic Rockers Podcast
3. (I am looking for some sacred liturgical music podcasts... if anyone finds one, let me know, eh?)

What else can I do with my iPod?

You can pray. Do you own a favorite CD of the rosary? You can download it to your iPod and pray the rosary while walking, running, gardening, vacuuing, etc. I have posted an article about running with the rosary before
(see: http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/11/
runnin-with-rosary.html).

I like to pray the rosary while I run because it allows me the time of meditation... and also keeps my mind off the fatigue and boredom of some longer runs. My mind tends to wander when I mentally pray by myself, so having a recording sometimes keeps me in track. You also can order podcast recordings of rosaries for free (one time downloads).

Franciscan University of Steubenville has a free recording of a recitation of the scriptural rosary.

This is particularly useful to those who like to pray the rosary with short snippets of Holy Scripture between each prayer. Without a book, this would be difficult (unless you have stores of scripture passages stored in your memory). So, if you are running, driving, or otherwise on the go... and reading from a book is not possible... then listening to this scriptural rosary on your iPod can be ideal. If you cannot locate the podcast of this recording through a search on iTunes Store, then you can get this download from their website (by just right clicking on their link):
http://kolbe.franciscan.edu/rosary/ (Type "Latin Rosary" in iTunes store and you can learn how to pray the rosary in the ancient language of the Church).

Another scriptural rosary can be downloaded from this high-church Anglo-Catholic's website "Pious and Overly Devotional": http://jjostm.blogspot.com/2006/01/
all-mysteries-all-time.html

Try typing in "Divine Mercy Chaplet" in the iTunes store search window and you can also download the Divine Mercy Chaplet (this one did cost me $1) spoken or sung. If you are waiting at the dentist's office, discreetly slip in your ear plugs and pray the chaplet in 10 minutes!

Pray-as-you-go: The Irish Jesuits have a daily podcast with about 10 minutes of meditation available at www.pray-as-you-go.org/ . This podcast includes sacred music, the Gospel reading from the day's Mass, and a brief reflection and guided meditation. Taking 10 minutes a day out for mediation can do wonders.

Pray the Prayer of the Church: the Liturgy of the Hours is not just for clergy and religious... it is also a prayer that the laity are encouraged to take up. The litugry of the Hours is the prayer of the Psalms throughout that various times of the day. Do a iTunes Store search for "Liturgy of the Hours" or "Morning Prayer" and "Evening Prayer." Podcasts for these are supposedly plentiful. Go to the following link for podcasts of the Office of Readings: http://odeo.com/channel/286253/view

The US Bishops' Conference also has a daily podcast of the daily readings for Mass; type "daily readings from the New American Bible" in the search window, or go to the US Bishops' website:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/nabpodcast.shtml

The bottom line: you have more time than you think... and w/ the creative use of technology... you can make use of those spare minutes in the day. Plug in your headphones, your car stereo hook up, or play from a speaker docking station (they sell those too) and you can use an iPod while doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, waiting at the bus station/laundromat/doctor's office, etc. Perhaps some might think me weird for listening to my iPod while grocery shopping. But why should that be weird... for 15-30 minutes while I shop, I am by myself... I am not going to be talking to anyone... so I just plug in and enjoy. I recommend that you do the same.

There is probably a ton of other great things out there that you can download and take with you... as I find more things I will post them. If anyone out there knows of other good podcasts... leave a comment below and let me know about it... I will add it to this post.

Resources for Lent

Here are some links to Lent resources available on the web. I will try to post more links as I stumble upon them:

Lent resources from US Bishops website:
http://www.usccb.org/lent/2007/

Women for Faith and Family page:
http://www.wf-f.org/LentSeason.html

Via the site Catechetical Resources: (www.catecheticalresources.com), go to Class room resources and search under Lent:
http://www.catecheticalresources.com/TRSearch_
Form.cfm?&FromPage=General&SearchFor=Activity

From CatholicMom.com :
http://www.catholicmom.com/lent.htm

DomesticChurch.com:

Exploring Lent, Mary Ellen Vice
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/
19980301/FRIDGE/EXPL_LENT.HTM

Family Stations of the Cross:
www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/
20020301/FRIDGE/lent_activity.htm

MANY Group activities for groups age 6 and up… (Stations of the Cross, Seder meal, etc.) [scroll down to Lent/Easter section]:
www.domestic-church.com/index.dir/index_fridge.htm

Articles related to the theme of Lent and Easter, giving interesting and useful information about celebrating Lent and Easter, the liturgical life ... etc.
www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19980301/
ARTICLES/TWRDSGOD.HTM

Some good articles and stuff from catholic-pages.com (History of Lent, the meaning of ashes, etc.):
http://www.catholic-pages.com/DIR/lent.asp

A Bible study on Jesus’ passion:
http://css.catholicexchange.com/docs/product.asp?
ProductModelid=104

Christ Our Life (www.christourlife.org) [go to resources, and click seasonal resources]
http://www.christourlife.org/m_frmwork.asp?id=83413

FindingGod.org:

http://www.findinggod.com/m_frmwork.asp?id=7944

The history of Lent:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/LITURGY/HISTLENT.TXT

Lent and social justice (almsgiving):
http://www.justpeace.org/lentent.htm

What is apologetics?

"Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have..." 1 Peter 3:15

Have you ever been challenged about your Faith? Have you ever had anyone ask you whether or not you were saved... why Catholics baptize infants...

why Catholics honor the Virgin Mary... why we obey the Pope... why we call our priests Father when Scripture tells us 'call no man father'?

For some people, it is enough just to say--"I am Catholic, my parents were Catholic, and it's good enough for me." Or, they will just consider asking their pastor some time. However, in today's world, such an attitude is not good enough. All Catholics have an obligation to learn about their faith and WHY they believe what they believe. Part of the mission of the laity is to evangelize. How can we evangelize if we do not know the reasons for our beliefs?

The term "apologetics" is derived from two Greek words meaning "to speak from." Catholics speak from the position of their Faith which they seek to explain and defend. There are three branches of apologetics: Natural apologetics builds the case for truths we can know from the "natural" light of reason (the existence of God, the spirituality of the human soul, etc.). Christian apologetics builds the case for divinely revealed truths common to all Christians (biblical miracles, divinity of Christ, the Resurrection, etc.). Catholic apologetics focuses more on specific truths of the Christian faith that are unique to Catholics (the Sacraments, the papacy, teachings about Mary, the Catholic Church founded by Christ, etc.). Scripture itself exhorts us to know and be able to defend our Faith: "Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have..." (1 Peter 3:15).

See below for links to various apologetic website and books:

Websites

• Catholic Answers (the best one-stop site): www.catholic.com
• Catholic Answers Question/Answer Forum (ask any question, engage in a discussion with knowledgable Catholics): http://forums.catholic.com
• Bible Christian Society: www.biblechristiansociety.com
• Scripture Catholic: www.scripturecatholic.com
• Catholic Apologetics International: www.catholicintl.com
• Cor Unam Apologetic Website (shows what the early Christian "fathers" believed): www.cin.org/users/jgallegos/contents.htm
• Nazareth Resource Library: www.cin.org/users/james/index.htm
• Internet Question Box: www.cin.org/users/james/questions/questions.htm
• Jimmy Akin's blog: www.jimmyakin.org
• Catholic apologist Stephen Ray: www.catholic-convert.com
• Crossroads Initiative (Marcellino D'Ambrosio): www.crossroadsinitiative.com
• James Likoudis (convert from Eastern Orthodox):
  http://credo.stormloader.com/jlindex.htm
• Thy Faith, Inc.: www.handsonapologetics.com
• An Apologetics Blog: http://socrates58.blogspot.com
• Envoy Magazine (Patrick Madrid): www.envoymagazine.com
• Fellowship of Catholic Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses: www.catholicxjw.com/
• El Regreso a Casa (apologetics in Spanish): www.chniprodigos.org/
• Order good apologetics resources (Beginning Apologetics series): www.catholicapologetics.com

Journals/magazines (paid subscriptions, OR some of these have websites with searchable database of old articles on-line for free):

This Rock magazine (http://www.catholic.com/magazines/thisrock.asp)

Envoy Magazine (www.envoymagazine.com)

The Catholic Answer (Our Sunday Visitor):

http://www.osv.com/TCANav/NovemberDecember2006/
JanuaryFebruary2007/tabid/1907/Default.aspx

Books (these are just some... there are many that can be listed!... the Catechism of the Catholic Church, of course, is foundational to any self-study)

• Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions, Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli (InterVarsity Press) [touches no natural apologetics and Christian apologetics]
• Fundamentals of the Faith: Essays in Christian Apologetics, Peter Kreeft (Ignatius Press) [included articles on the major world religions and how they compare to Christianity]
• The Essential Catholic Survival Guide: Answers to Tough Questions About the Faith, Staff of Catholic Answers (Catholic Answers)
• Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs, Alan Schreck (Servant) [highly recommended brief, readable book]
• Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on 'Romanism' by 'Bible Christians', Karl Keating (Ignatius Press)
• Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic, David B. Currie (Ignatius Press)
• Why is That in the Bible?, Patrick Madrid (Our Sunday Visitor)
• Why is That in Tradition?, Patrick Madrid (Our Sunday Visitor)
• Catholic Doctrine in Scripture: A Guide to the Verses That Are Key to Affirming the Faith, Gregory Oatis (CHResources)
• Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God, Scott Hahn and Leon J. Suprenant, Jr. eds. (Emmaus Road)
• Not by Scripture Alone: A Catholic Critique of the Protestant Doctrine of Sola Scriptura, Robert A. Sungenis (Queenship Publishing)
• Not by Bread Alone: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for the Eucharistic Sacrifice, Robert Sungenis (Queenship Publishing)
• Not by Faith Alone, Robert Sungenis (Queenship Publishing)
• Jesus, Peter & the Keys: A Scriptural Handbook on the Papacy, Scott Butler, Norman Dahlgren, and Rev. Mr. David Hess (Queenship Publishing)
• The Divine Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Modern Eastern Orthodoxy: Letters to a Greek Orthodox on the Unity of the Church, James Likoudis (St. Martin De Porres Lay Dominican Community)
• Pope Fiction, Patrick Madrid
• Ending the Byzantine Greek Schism, James Likoudis (St. Martin De Porrest Lay Dominican Community)
• The Salvation Controversy, James Akin (Catholic Answers)

Many publishers also have cassete and CD presentations and Catholic-Protestant debates, check out Catholic Answers (www.catholic.com), St. Joseph Communications (www.saintjoe.com), and Patrick Madrid's sites (www.surprisedbytruth.com) for such items.

Pro-Life resources for catechists

RESPECT LIFE

January 22nd marked the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Since 1973 an estimated 40 million children have lost their lives to abortion. It is important to ask ourselves how much the culture of death has pervaded our world. How do our children view the dignity of human life? We need to incorporate the Church's teachings about the universal dignity of all human life from conception to natural death into our teaching of the Catholic faith. Whenver we teach about mankind being made in God's image and likeness, about the commandment prohibiting murder, about the need to work for social justice... the great scandal of abortion should not be far from our minds... nor the minds of our young Catholic children.

Here are some links--and I am trying to post more as I find them...

Resources for the classroom

The Catholic diocese of Richmond, Virginia has an excellent site on education materials for social justice issues: http://www.richmonddiocese.org/cst/ From this site, check out the link on
abortion... and you will find resources and links for middle school, high school, and adult.

Catholic Teaching and the Bible concerning Conception and Abortion:
http://www.scriptureforlife.org/

What does the Bible teach about abortion:
http://www.nprcouncil.org/bibleteaching.htm

What did the early Christians teach about abortion:
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1990/9005frs.asp

A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum (Knights for Life). This is a lengthy intensive curriculum for HS, college, adults, etc. available on-line via PDF. Also available is the Huntsville Respect Life Curriculum for Pre-K to grade 12. One could wade through and pick out parts that seem useful. [ via Christian Patriots for Life’s Pro-Life Education Program http://www.cpforlife.org/pro_life_education.htm ]
http://www.cpforlife.org/curriculum.htm

Athletes for Life http://www.lifeathletes.org/ founder, Chris Godfrey, has a whole course "That's Where I Live" on chastity and pro-life for school use that may be able to be adapted in some way for a catechism class. [The book can be ordered if you go into the "locker room" page]

www.lifeprinciples.net Life Principles: some more good things, some geared to college-age, but also some nice articles that can be used with high school age kids.

The Legionaries of Christ have a new site www.ourfaithinaction.org ("connecting faith to current events") that has some archived articles that could be useful: on embryonic stem cell research: http://www.ourfaithinaction.org/archive_pages/sept_05.htm ; Abortion survivor shocks Colorado legislators: http://www.ourfaithinaction.org/archive
_pages/sept_06.htm

Websites and organizations-ABORTION and general life issues

News on the life issues:
LifeSite: http://www.lifesite.net/
Life News.com: http://www.lifenews.com/

U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life activities page:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/

Abort73.com “Abortion unfiltered”: The case against abortion, facts about abortion, finding help, etc.
http://www.abort73.com/

More facts regarding abortion: http://www.secondlookproject.org/

Pro-Life Action League http://www.prolifeaction.org/ and

Students for Life of America http://www.studentsforlife.org/

Feminists for Life
http://www.feministsforlife.org/

Priests for Life
www.priestsforlife.org

Defendlife.org
http://www.defendlife.org/

Swallowed Scroll post on abortion:
http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/11/
abortion-great-malady-of-our-time.html

Websites and organizations—STEM CELL RESEARCH

Do no harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/

Stem Cell Research Facts
http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.com/

Documents and addresses on stem cell research:

Pontifical Academy for Life: Declaration on the Production and the Scientific and Therapeutic Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/
acdlife/documents/rc_pa_acdlife_doc_20000824
_cellule-staminali_en.html

Pope Benedict XVI: Stem Cells-What Future for Therapy? Address to the Pontifical for Life symposium:
http://www.wf-f.org/06-4-Benedict_StemCells.html

Swallowed Scroll posts on Embryonic stem cell research:

http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2007/01/
house-passes-destructive-stem-cell.html

http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/10/
embryonic-stem-cell-research-lets-look.html

http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/11/
more-on-evils-of-embryonic-stem-cell.html

Websites and organizations—DEATH PENALTY

http://www.americancatholic.org/News/DeathPenalty/
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12565a.htm (Catholic encyclopedia)
http://www.cacp.org/ (Catholics Against Capital Punnishment – I don’t know much about this group, just found it via a google search)

Marriage, Family, Openness to children, Contraception, etc.

Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body
http://www.theologyofthebody.net/

Couple to Couple League: Better marriages through Natural Family Planning
http://ccli.org/

One More Soul: Fostering God’s Plan for love, chastity, marriage, sex, and children:
http://www.omsoul.com/

Natural Family Planning Outreach

http://www.nfpoutreach.org/

New Jersey Natural Family Planning

http://www.njnfp.org/

Fr. Peffley's website on marriage and family issues
http://www.transporter.com/fatherpeffley/
Family/index.html

Humanae Vitae (1968) – Pope Paul VI on the regulation of birth:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/
encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968
_humanae-vitae_en.html

Familiaris Consortio – Pope John Paul II on the role of the Christian Family in the Modern World
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/
apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122
_familiaris-consortio_en.html

Evangelium Vitae – Pope John Paul II encyclical on the Gospel of Life
http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/_INDEX.HTM

Euthanasia

Pope John Paul II speaks out on end of life issues:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/
speeches/2004/march/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20040320
_congress-fiamc_en.html

Political involvement

Activate your political voice in defense of life and the family:
http://www.yourcatholicvoice.org/

National Committee for a Human Life Amendment:
http://www.nchla.org/


ARTICLES

A blogger’s March for Life coverage
http://studeo.blogspot.com/search/label/Life%20Issues

Critique of Washington D.C. Archbishop Donald Wuerl on pro-abortion Catholic politicians receiving Holy Communion
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07012501.html (LifeSite news)
http://amywelborn.typepad.com/openbook/
2007/01/theres_your_ans.html (Amy Welborn)

“Roe v. Wade Week” at Yale features do it yourself abortion demonstrations
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07012503.html

CBS Poll says most Americans want abortion illegal/restricted:
http://www.lifenews.com/nat2897.html

Catholic bio-ethics priest cuts through spin on stem-cell research debate:
http://www.catholic.org/international/
international_story.php?id=21666

Priest with disability opposes stem-cell initiative:
http://www.stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=11465

A fascinating letter by Bishop Morlino (Madison, WI) to his priests regarding the need to speak out in defense of Church teaching on marriage, the death penalty, and embryonic stem cell research:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/nov/061102a.html

Pregnancy Support

(Crisis Pregnancy Centers):
http://www.pregnancycenters.org/

Do you know someone who has been affected by abortion? There is help and hope after abortion (Project Rachel retreats):
http://www.hopeafterabortion.com/

Vocation Spotlight: more vocation links

VOCATIONS

Here is a brief list of some links for information regarding vocation in the Church:

Vocations website for Archdiocese of Dubuque: www.dbqpriesthood.com
Vocations website for Archdiocese of Philadelphia: www.heedthecall.org
Vocations website for Diocese of Rockford, IL (includes profiles and vocation
stories of seminarians--see "meet our seminarians" link): www.rockvoc.org

Institute on Religious Life: www.religiouslife.com

Research different religious orders, find a personal match for your interests:
www.vocation-network.org
www.religiousministries.com
www.vocationplacement.org

Learn the lingo! Vocations glossaries (what is a "postulant"... a "friary"... a "charism," etc.?)
http://www.heedthecall.org/schoolvocab.html
http://religiouslife.com/glossary.phtml

A blog on vocations by a Dominican priest:
www.dominicanfriars.org

ARTICLES

“Priests Need to Ask Men to Consider the Priesthood”, Edward J. Burns http://www.usccb.org/vocations/articles/fishers.shtml

Contemplative Nuns See Boom in Vocations
http://ncregister.com/site/article/1807

Six Habits of Highly Effective Diocese
http://www.catholic.org/views/views_news.php?id=22805

Faith Facts: On priest shortage, parish clustering, etc. (CUF)
http://www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=163

Vocations and Visibility: Practical Ideas for Priests (CUF)
http://www.cuf.org/LayWitness/online_view.asp?lwID=712

Pope John Paul II: Biblical catechesis on vocations
http://www.cuf.org/LayWitness/online_view.asp?lwID=360

Pope John Paul II: Eucharist: Source of all vocations
http://www.cuf.org/LayWitness/online_view.asp?lwID=1232

SWALLOWED SCROLL POSTS ON VOCATIONS

Dominican nuns in Michigan reaping vocation harvest
http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2007/01/
vocation-spotlight-dominican-nuns-in.html

What has my Church done--what have I done to promote vocations?
http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2007/01/
vocation-spotlight-review-of.html

Will the Church ever ordain women priests?
http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2007/01/
vocation-spotlight-will-church-ever.html

Is priestly celibacy biblical?
http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/12/
vocation-spotlight-is-priestly.html

Where have all the monks and nuns gone?
http://swallowedscroll.blogspot.com/2006/08/
where-have-all-monks-and-nuns-gone.html

PUBLISHERS

LifeWork Press
http://lifeworkpress.stores.yahoo.net/

PRAYERS

Prayers for vocations in English (US Bishops)
http://www.usccb.org/vocations/prayereng.shtml

Study the Bible on-line in just minutes a day

I just thought that I would draw your attention to a couple on-line Bible study resources. Some of these would not take too much time to read each day, and they would be an excellent way to grow in your biblical knowledge.

From Catholic author Amy Welbourne's blog (http://amywelborn.typepad.com/) I see a link to a Priest's blog ("Pontifications") who is going through a gradual reading and discussion of St. Paul's theological opus the Letter to the Romans. I will try to follow that a bit myself. Link is here:

http://catholica.pontifications.net/?p=2149 [Ruminating Romans part I]
http://catholica.pontifications.net/?p=2150 [Ruminating Romans part II]

I also like Patrick Henry Reardon's reflections via the Touchstone ecumenical journal website. Reardon is an Orthodox priest. He has an excellent book entitled Christ in the Psalms. He is currently covering chapters in Genesis. I will probably provide a permanent link in my links section.
http://www.touchstonemag.com/frpat.html

Of course, the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology also has nice on-line Bible study courses for free (courses in salvation history, biblical apologetics-the Mass in Scripture, Mary in Scripture, etc. :
http://www.salvationhistory.com/online/index.cfm

I will continue to keep an eye out for other interesting Bible studies on-line.

UPDATE: Here is another one... study the upcoming readings for Mass:
http://scborromeo.org/biblestudies.htm

Advent: links for celebrating and catechizing

Here are some links from the web that might help you celebrate and teach about this wonderful season...

CLASSROOM RESOURCES:

The history of Advent:
http://www.intermirifica.org/advent/hisad.htm

Try making a Jesse tree in your class:
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19971201/FRIDGE/FRIDGE1.HTM
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19981101/SCRMNTL/jessetree.htm
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19981101/ARTICLES/jesse_sym.htm

From CatholicMom.com (Advent index)
http://www.catholicmom.com/advent.htm

From CatholicMom.com (includes Advent crossword, Advent bingo, Jesse Tree, etc.)
http://www.catholicmom.com/lesson_plan.12.10.06.htm

From CatholicMom.com (Mass worksheets for Advent) [scroll down]
http://www.catholicmom.com/coloring_pages.htm

Extend your lessons by putting on a play based on the Sunday Gospel (these could even be used for a Christmas pageant) [PDF file]:
http://www.boundbygracepress.com/Lesson%20Extensions.html

Advent resources from Finding God site (Loyola Press)
http://www.findinggod.com/m_frmwork.asp?id=7941

Animated Advent Calendar on Poverty (from US Bishops website, Catholic Campaign for Human Development)
http://www.usccb.org/cchd/adventcalendar/

CATHOLIC TRADITIONS (for families… and classroom):

Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas:
www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=7
…and…
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0372.html

History of the Advent wreath
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0132.html

The “O” Antiphons
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0494.html

Advent prayers and devotions
http://wf-f.org/ADVPray.html

A song with “hidden meanings” teaches the Catholic Faith:
The symbolism of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
http://www.catholicmom.com/christmas05.11.htm

SAINTS

Meet the saints of December! (St. Nicholas, Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, etc.)
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/bydate.asp

The premier Our Lady of Guadalupe site (or so I am told)
http://www.sancta.org/

Meet the real St. Nick!
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23
http://wf-f.org/st.nicholas.html

A new Public Television documentary on artistic images of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(to air on Dec. 24 @ 1:00pm in Iowa):
www.picturingmary.com

SCRIPTURE

Scriptural reflections for the First Sunday of Advent
http://www.salvationhistory.com/library/scripture/
churchandbible/homilyhelps/advent1_c.cfm

OTHER WEB ARTICLES:

“Christmas, Christians, and Christ” by Fr. Frank Pavone
http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/7724

“Advent Dynamism”
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0773.html

Reviews of the new movie The Nativity Story:

From Catholic Exchange:
http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/7638

From US Bishops Conference:
http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/7859

But does the film portray Mary from a Protestant perspective?
http://www.airmaria.com/vlog/stnd/stnd0001Revw.asp
http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/8476

From American Papist:
http://www.americanpapist.com/2006/11/
amp-advance-movie-review-nativity.html


MAGAZINE ARTICLES:

Ancient Catholic customs can control Christmas materialism (This Rock magazine)
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9911fea3.asp

Will Christ Soon Return? (This Rock) PART I
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9712clas.asp

Will Christ Soon Return? (This Rock) PART II
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9801clas.asp

Listen to some beautiful Advent music from the Vatican website:
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/cap-mus-sistina/documents/index_inni_en.htm#Advent

PRAYER

A cyber-retreat for Advent
http://www.sacredspace.ie/retreat/advent06/

An opening and closing prayer for Advent
http://www.boundbygracepress.com/
First%20Sunday%20of%20Advent.html