As teachers, during the month of October my wife and I always dedicated a number of class prayers to praying the rosary. October is a perfect opportunity to teach children how to pray the rosary in their own lives. She found that with her fourth graders and I found with my middle school and high…
Prayers
Prayers of St. Augustine of Hippo
In preparation for his feast day on August 28th, here are some prayers attributed to Saint Augustine of Hippo. As a teacher or catechist, you might share them with your students or use them in your own personal prayers for the day: From the introduction of The Confessions (Chapter 1): “Great are You, O Lord,…
Learning Hope through Prayer: Part IV
Hope in Meditating on Salvation We have hope in a salvation that will be an unknown experience and mostly indescribable. Many of our students have an understanding of this experience that is based on their exposure to the entertainment industry. Rather than strengthen their desire for salvation, these movies and books often limit their understanding…
Learning Hope through Prayer: Part III
Hope in “Offering Up” Many adults today can remember the common practice of “offering up” the irritations of our day to day lives. In his second encyclical, Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict suggests that this practice, which seems to be less common today, may be worth reviving in our daily living. The purpose of offering up…
Learning Hope through Prayer: Part II
Hope in Prayer Intentions Prayer can be an exercise in desire and a place where we open ourselves up to the performative power of hope. Prayer can be an experience that is able to purify our hearts and foster within us the desire to truly ask God what is worthy of Him. I often hear…
Learning Hope Through Prayer: Part I
In his second encyclical, SPE SALVI, Pope Benedict XVI encourages Christians to have hope in salvation. For catechists, this can be an opportunity not only to teach about hope but to teach how to allow hope to transform our students. The Holy Father explains that the Gospel message of hope is not only “informative” it…
3-Minute Retreat
http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm Need a quick prayer or reflection to start of your class today? Check out the 3-Minute Retreat at http://www.loyolapress.org/. Previously found at http://www.findinggod.org/, the 3-Minute Retreat is still available at its new home: http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm. The 3-Minute Retreats usually follow this simple structure: 1. The day’s Gospel2. A brief reflection on the reading3. Reflection question(s)4….
Saint Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer Activity
Copy and paste the prayer into a word document. Number each section, print it out, and then cut it into sections to distribute to your students. If you have time, include the last line of the preceding stanza in each section. For example: “…The Creator of the Universe” I bind myself today The virtue of…
