Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the

earth. 

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,

did instruct the hearts of the faithful,

grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise

and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord,

Amen

CATECHETICAL PRAXISIntegrating Catholic faith across the curriculum

AT YOUR TABLE…

How ready/comfortable/equipped do you feel when it comes to educating for the Catholic faith in your subject area(s)?

Share your thoughts with one person at your table.

Rank your readiness/comfort on a scale of 1 to 10 (10= all set to go; 1= you have a pulse)

Take the rankings of all at your table and give an average of your readiness level.

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ON FAITH AND SCIENCE 159. Faith and science: "... methodical research in all branches

of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are." (Vatican II GS 36:1)

283. The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers....

284. The great interest accorded to these studies is strongly stimulated by a question of another order, which goes beyond the proper domain of the natural sciences. It is not only a question of knowing when and how the universe arose physically, or when man appeared, but rather of discovering the meaning of such an origin....

Philtrum

Also known as a infranasal depression

Vestigial medial depression

Reveals an evolutionary link between humans and fish?

Life is sacred God loves us Journey to God,

growing in holiness, is reconnecting with authentic self

Learning is “remembering”

WHERE DID THE DENT UNDER YOUR NOSE COME FROM?Here is how her mom explained it to her…

SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION:

Psalm 139 13For it was you who formed my inward parts;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully

made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.

BREAKTHROUGH… An inductive method of catechesis proceeds

from the sensible, visible, tangible experiences of the person, and leads, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to more general conclusions and principles. (National Directory of Catechesis, n. 29)

This approach to catechesis can be used to "bridge the gap between belief and life, between the Christian message and the cultural context" (General Directory for Catechesis, n. 205)

This approach has similar aspects to the pedagogical method of Jesus.

LIFE – FAITH – LIFE By life to Faith to life we mean

a methodology that begins with the life experience of the faithful

invites them to consider that experience in light of the wisdom and practices of the Church

and then to bring those new insights back to their lived experience.

In this case “life” is can be your subject area. This certification process is one way to deepen

connections to wisdom/practices of the Church but so are personal prayer, worship, Sacramental experiences, serving others, etc.

Families, your parish, Catholic media, small groups, etc.

Shared Christian Praxis - Thomas Groome(process of experiential learning; reflection and action on the world in order to transform it)

Focusing Act (FA): Engage people with a real life or faith theme – generative topic*LIFE*M1 (Movement 1): Have people respond to the theme as it pertains to their lives.M2: Encourage them to reflect critically on the theme in conversation together*FAITH*M3: Share the Story and Vision of Christian faith in ways pertinent to the theme and meaningful for this group, context and occasion.*LIFE*M4: Encourage participants to appropriate and integrate Christian faith with life.M5: Invite people to make a decision - cognitive, affective, or behavioral in response to the whole process (p.299-300).

Content Standard I:Discover, recognize and use God’s revelation in Sacred Scripture as a resource in one’s life.

Content Standard II:Discover, recognize and use God’s revelation in the Sacred Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.

Content Standard III:Discover, recognize and participate in the life of the Church through prayer, liturgy and sacraments.

Content Standard IV:Discover and recognize the development of the Christian person and experience the baptismal call to dignity, relationship, moral decision making and service.

Resources:

Diocesan Religion Graded Course of Study USCCB’s Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum

Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age (“the Framework”)

USCCB’s Our Hearts were Burning Within Us Principal, Pastor, DRE Teachers Materials Diocesan Consultants/Library Professional organizations: OCEA, NCEA, etc. Periodicals: Creative Catechist, Catechist

Online resources on Catholicism:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm Online Catechism of the Catholic Church

http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

www.usccb.org www.americancatholic.org www.wordonfire.org www.catholicsurf.com

Online Catechetical Resources

www.thereligionteacher.com – Jared Dees

catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com – Joe Paprocki

www.eCatechist.com – Dan Pierson http://www.rtjscreativecatechist.com/ www.catechist.com Websites associated with textbook

publishers

Adapted from the U.S. Bishops' Guideline on Doctrine for Catechetical Materials, 1990:

1. Authentic: in harmony with Catholic tradition and Magisterium/Church authority2. Complete: gradual, balanced presentation of interrelated parts of the whole doctrine3. Incarnate and Dynamic: related to experiences of life, "signs of the times," biblical, liturgical, and ecclesial signs4. Holistic and Progressive: moves toward maturity of faith and lifelong conversion5. Respectful of Hierarchy of Truths: recognizes some teachings as more central and important than others6. Respectful of the Learner's Situation: sensitive to the learner's developmental stages and to the circumstances of the local church community7. Incarnated in Cultures: appreciates the diversity and cultural dimensions of the Catholic faith experience8. Fosters Unity and Community: provides common experiences and a shared language of faith9. Fosters Catholic Identity: so that believers will hear, live, and share the Gospel message as Catholics

Additional web site resources:

www.nctm.org – for articles on teaching math for social justice

www.magisreasonfaith.org – “explaining the harmony among faith, physics and philosophy”

New Teacher + Holy Spirit = AWESOME

Assignment:

Using available resources, prepare one of the two options for praxis: A catechetical lesson plan A prayer environment

This assignment is to be completed and turned in to your principal by September 13, 2013.

Use the evaluation on the back of the assignment page to generate ideas and approaches.

Feel free to consult with your facilitator and peers to brainstorm or clarify.