5 Minutes with Christ – A Book of Reflections for Teachers

I was privileged to be both a contributor and developmental editor for the book 5 Minutes with Christ: Spiritual Nourishment for Busy Teachers. This book was developed and written by the Alliance for Catholic Education, an organization dedicated to the service of Catholic schools.

As a teacher I remember rushing from class to class, event to event, assignment to assignment, with sometimes no end to my work in sight. With Christmas events and exams just around the corner, November and December was always the busiest time of year. I would do my best to take time to pray either in my classroom or in the school chapel, but I wasn’t always successful.

When our lives are the busiest, there is no better place to turn for inspiration than Christ himself. I was very blessed to be involved with the development of this book of reflections for teachers. Each reflection is written by teachers and other educators as a meditation on the life of Christ. The contributors share their own stories–stories that all teachers can relate to–and provide inspiration that teachers can read in five minutes but meditate upon the whole day through.

In my reflection, for example, I related my experience of rejection by a group of middle school students during my first year of teaching with Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth (Matthew 13:54-58). That first year of teaching was a rough year for me as it is for most teachers. It is easy to doubt ourselves in the face of rejection. Here is what I offered as a thought to consider throughout the day: “The source of Jesus’ identity and work was in God the Father, not in the apparent success and failure, praise and rejection, of his daily life. When we doubt ourselves, let us turn to God, the true source of our identity.” (5 Minutes with Christ, 114)

5 Minutes with Christ Reflections

Other reflections include some of these moments in Jesus’ life:

• The Annunciation
• The Baptism of Jesus
• Forgiveness
• The Good Shepherd
• Jesus Calls the Disciples
• The Transfiguration
• The Crucifixion
• The Resurrection
• The Great Commission

Sample teacher reflections are available at the Ave Maria Press website at www.avemariapress.com/5minuteswithchrist. Just sign-up with your email address to get the samples.

You can buy the book for yourself or as a gift for teachers at Ave Maria Press or Amazon.com.

5 Minutes with Christ Book Trailer

Having trouble viewing the video? Click here.

Full disclosure: I am a graduate of the ACE program, a contributor to the book, and an employee of Ave Maria Press…but I would love the book anyway.