I spent a couple of days in prayer at a monastery not long ago and when I got back and told my students about the experience and the life of a monk, they’re response was a little disheartening. “How boring!” one student exclaimed. “ALL day long? They just pray all day long?” asked another student…
Prayers
Praying the Rosary for Your Students
On Day 13 of the book, 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, I suggest that one way to become a better disciple/servant to God and our students is to pray for the kids we teach. In the book, I suggest more than just a general class prayer, but specific prayers and intentions for…
The Basic Steps of Lectio Divina
Lectio divina is an ancient Catholic prayer method for reading and praying with the Bible. Don’t let the Latin scare you away from learning to do it yourself or from sharing it with your students. It is an essential practice for all Catholics to learn and certainly not something we should avoid teaching young people…
The Angelus Prayer for Children
Since Advent of last year I have had an incredible experience praying the Angelus every day. At first I started praying it at noon each day. Then I added it to my morning prayer routine. Now, I have reminders set in my phone for 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. to tell me that it…
Holy Week Prayer Services
There are a number of great Holy Week prayer services for kids that religion teachers and catechists can use in class the week before Easter. We should all use this time, known as the Triduum, as a special week of preparation for the joys of Easter with particular focus on preparing our hearts with the…
Prayer Service for Vocations
Mid-January of every year in the United States is declared National Vocations Awareness Week by the USCCB to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Why is this week so important? From the USCCB website: “National Vocation Awareness Week gives dioceses and parishes across the country a chance to promote vocations through prayer…
Our Lady of Guadalupe Prayer Service
In many areas of the United States, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe may be one of the most important feast days in the Catholic school/parish religious education year. As the number of Hispanic Catholics rise in the United States, so does the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Consider using this prayer service,…
The Five Finger Prayer Method for Kids
As religious educators we are always looking for prayer ideas and activities that involve movement and hand motions for our children to participate more fully in their faith. As Christians we are programmed to pray with our hands usually held together tightly. The five finger prayer method is a great way for children to literally…
Prayer Table Ideas for Religious Educators
Somewhere inside almost every religious education room or religion teacher’s room is a prayer table. Teachers and catechists use these prayer tables at various times and at various levels in throughout the year. Some pray with it daily; some let them collect dust in the back of the room. The following prayer table ideas are…
The Come Holy Spirit Prayer
I have had the privilege of attending a number of masses with Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the legendary President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. In each of these masses, Fr. Ted has given different variations of the same homily, all of which advocate for the use of one simple prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Fr. Ted…
