“Let us go forth to love and serve the Lord.” We hear these words each Sunday as the Eucharistic celebration comes to a close. To “go forth” means to extend ourselves in Christian hospitality, in service, in peace. Each of us is called to carry the love of Christ in our heart and live out the teachings of Christ in our lives as we exit the doors of our Churches each week. We are called to offer our compassion, our kindness, our prayers, our time, and our money, and confidently respond to this acclamation with a resounding “Amen.”
This issue of To Teach provides ideas and strategies as we each strive to “go forth to love and serve the Lord”. . . . and each other.
Create a link on your school website for Lino At Large, a fast-paced half-hour weekly program geared toward young adult Catholics and non-Catholics. It explores the beauty, excitement, and challenges of being Catholic in today's world.
As new members join your school board or staff, provide each with a copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This 200-page volume offers a clear synopsis of the essential contents of the faith as promulgated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 598 questions and answers.
Provide a copy of Adolescent Catechesis to the catechists who work with teens as a means for ongoing study. This collection of scholarly and thought-provoking articles focuses on current topics in adolescent catechesis. Use this resource as the basis for an on-line study group, assigning learners to read and then “e-mail chat” about one article per week.
Expand your knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith by participating in one of the many Catholic Distance Learning Programs available. Hosted by accredited Catholic colleges, universities, seminaries and schools of theology, these programs offer classes to lay people that enable give students living far from a campus access to educational resources.
Before school is dismissed, distribute a prayer card to students to encourage them to pray for those in need throughout the summer.
Learn more about the Renewing the Mind of the Media Campaign. The campaign includes educational materials for parishes, and schools to disseminate the message of the Renewing the Mind of the Media statement, as well practical ideas for classroom activities with students of all ages.
Send out a Prayer for Students card to each faculty member as a reminder to keep all of the school students in prayer throughout the summer months.
Schedule some time each week to view and discuss the Catholic Communication Campaign video clips called One-on-One as a family. These short clips provide interviews with well-known Catholics who discuss and share insights about their faith.
Establish a media watch group with other parents in your parish or from your children’s school. Check out the Renewing the Mind of the Media Campaign to learn more information about creating a group or for background articles and information about being media smart.
Sign the Renewing the Mind of the Media Pledge to help “urge government representatives to use their influence appropriately so that the media will strive to serve the common good and not only their own interests." Pledge to reject media that produce immoral content and demean the dignity of the human person.
"Forming Adult Faith" 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.
"Compendium Corner" 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).
1. What is the plan of God for man?
25. How does man respond to God who reveals himself?
43. What does it mean to believe in only one God?
56. How do we collaborate with divine Providence?
123. Why does Jesus call upon his disciples to take up their cross?
155. In what way does the people of God share in the three functions of Christ as Priest, Prophet and King?
172. Why must the Church proclaim the Gospel to the whole world?
188. What is the vocation of the lay faithful?
189. How do the lay faithful participate in the priestly office of Christ?
190. How does the laity participate in the prophetic office?
191. How do they participate in the kingly office?
