This Issue

• Lent and Reconciliation: Reconciling Ourselves to God
• For Principals and School Boards
• For Educators
• For Parents
• Forming Adult Faith
• Compendium Corner

Lent and Reconciliation: Reconciling Ourselves to God

In order to respond to the call of God and start on our journey, it is not necessary to be already perfect. We know that the prodigal son’s awareness of his own sin allowed him to set out on his return journey and thus feel the joy of the reconciliation with the Father. Weaknesses and human limitations do not present an obstacle, as long as they help make us more aware of the fact that we are in need of the redeeming grace of Christ.

—Pope Benedict XVI,
Spiritual Thoughts: In the First Year of His Papacy

The season of Lent is a wonderful time to pause and reflect on the opportunity each of us has to reconcile ourselves to God and to one another. As Pope Benedict states, “it is not necessary to be already perfect,” and we know that we are not perfect. However, our awareness of our imperfections can be a part of this Lenten journey and a call to take positive steps in our life to accept and celebrate the transforming love of God and to truly be the Easter People that we are called to be.

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For Principals and School Boards

• After February reflections on the population of our school, evaluate what you have we learned: What do we see as the three key needs of our families? What are our positive accomplishments? Develop a plan for the coming year on how to meet the key needs and creatively celebrate our accomplishments. Engage members of your PTA/PTO and school board to participate in the discussion.
• What penitential practice does your school, staff, and administration need to focus on for the remaining weeks of Lent? Share and post a link to the bishops’ brochure Penitential Practices for Today’s Catholics at your website, in your electronic newsletter, and as part of your email signature block for the month of March.
• Use your staff, PTA/PTO, and school board meetings to communicate with parents and families on the importance of the 2010 Census. Ask PTA/PTO members, especially those who are bilingual, to take a leadership role in reaching out to others in the community to promote the census and encourage community participation.
• Promote participation in The Catholic Relief Services Collection (weekend of March 14 in many dioceses). Funds collected go to caring for the urgent needs of our brothers and sisters around the world who are victims of war, persecution, disasters, and poverty through the efforts of Catholic Relief Services, CLINIC, and USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services and Justice and Human Development offices.
• Make available a copy of the Rite of Penance in your chapel, library, or religion teacher resource area. Encourage your religion teachers to use the prayers from the ritual as part of their teaching on the Sacrament of Penance.
• Begin your staff, PTA/PTO, or school board meeting with a reflection from one of the Church Fathers in Lent and Easter with the Fathers of the Church.

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For Educators

• Continue your reflection on holiness, community, and service that began in January. What have you learned about yourself? With whom do you need to reconcile? How can you more effectively model the risen Christ to yours students and colleagues?
• Make journaling a part of your Lenten practice using the Reader’s Guide to the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. Use the chapters suggested below as a starting point. As you reflect on these, identify what you have learned about yourself and God’s call in your life? How can you use this information to be more effective in your work, with your family and in your daily life?
• Let the Church Fathers guide your personal reflection during Lent in Lent and Easter with the Fathers of the Church.
• Celebrate your class’ participation with Operation Rice Bowl with an article in the school newsletter.
• Read the gospel for each Sunday in Lent and pick out one word or phrase to highlight during each week of Lent. Post the word or phrase in the bulletin board in your classroom and include it each day in prayer or a moment of reflection. Invite students to become involved.
• Use the celebration of St. Patrick’s (March 17) or St. Joseph’s (March 19) Day to discuss the gifts that individuals of various cultures have given to our society. Have younger students make posters celebrating various individuals. Have middle school students research the individuals and share their findings with the class. Use the World Report on Cultural Diversity as a background piece to prepare for these conversations.
• Distribute copies of Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and How to Go to Confession to all students who have received or are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Encourage students to take these resources home and learn the prayers by heart with their parents.
• Use prayers and readings from the Rite of Penance as part of your teaching on the Sacrament of Penance or daily reflection at the start or end of the session.

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For Parents

• Use the Catechetical Sunday resource on Lent and Easter 2010 as a resource for family conversations during Lent, based on the Sunday readings.
• As parents, and as a family, what are the areas in our life that need reconciling? How do we as a family learn to extend forgiveness to others and ask for forgiveness from others?
• Talk through what to expect during confession at your parish’s Lenten reconciliation service. Use How to Go to Confession as a reference and resource.
• As a family, celebrate the reception of palms on Palm Sunday and utilize Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers Placing of Branches in the Home ritual. Use this ritual to begin a new family tradition.
• For the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25), read the Gospel reading (Luke 1:26-38) at the evening meal. Print copies of the Angelus, found in the Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers or Essentials for Christian Living. Give a copy to each of your children and your spouse in a small size that can be used as a bookmark or prayer card, and invite them to pray the Angelus prayer each day at noon.

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Forming Adult Faith

"Forming Adult Faith" is a new feature of To Teach. It includes suggestions from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA) on how to promote ongoing faith formation among the adults in your school community.

There are three chapters from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults that reflect on appropriate themes of penance, and a Christian approach to the economy.

• Chapter 15. Baptism: Becoming a Christian
• Chapter 18: Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: God Is Rich in Mercy

Both individuals and groups—a full staff or a grade level gathering—can use the following suggestions. Most suggestions can be completed in 10-15 minutes.

• In a journal, write the three discussion questions on a separate page. During the week, read one section of one chapter each day, then reread and respond to the discussion questions each day, noting any new insights or reflections. At the end of the week, review your overall reflection. Share your insights with a colleague, your spouse, or a close friend.
• Begin your reflection with the prayer. After reading one section of chapter, reflect on and jot down any new insights you have gained regarding the prayer and the paschal mystery of Jesus' death and Resurrection.

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Compendium Corner

"Compendium Corner" is also a new feature of To Teach. It provides a list of questions and answers in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that are related to this month’s topic. (The number before the question is the question number in the Compendium.)

• Review the questions and answers in preparation for your class.
• Consider how to use appropriate questions and answers as part of your lesson plan.
• Develop learning activities that help youths and young adults learn this information by heart (memorization).
  

50. What does it mean to say that God is Almighty?
201. Why does the Church have the power to forgive sins?
230. For what reason are the sacraments necessary for salvation?
294. Why do we say “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?
295. How is forgiveness possible?
296. What is the name of this sacrament?
297. Why is there a sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?
98. Why did he institute this sacrament?
299. Do the baptized have need of conversion?
302. What are the essential elements of the sacrament of Reconciliation?

To obtain a copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, visit www.usccbpublishing.org or call 800-235-8722.

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