{"id":2560,"date":"2014-06-21T13:00:07","date_gmt":"2014-06-21T18:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/happycatholicbookshelf\/?p=2560"},"modified":"2014-06-19T08:02:01","modified_gmt":"2014-06-19T13:02:01","slug":"3-great-new-books-to-help-you-teach-your-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/happycatholicbookshelf\/2014\/06\/3-great-new-books-to-help-you-teach-your-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Great New Books to Help You Teach Your Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I\u2019ve been a catechist for over ten years, and in that time I\u2019ve found a number of helpful books. While nothing beats the essentials<\/a>, I\u2019ve been thrilled recently with the resources I\u2019ve seen published. Here are three that caught my eye and that I just had to share.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Totally Catholic!: A Catechism for Kids and Their Parents and Teachers<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND (Pauline Books & Media, 2014)<\/p>\n

For adults, there\u2019s the\u00a0Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em>. For teens, there\u2019s the\u00a0YouCat. And now, for the rest of us, there\u2019s Totally Catholic!\u00a0<\/em>I actually read this cover to cover and enjoyed every bit of it. As I prepared for Confirmation Boot Camp<\/a> and for some other lessons, I found myself referencing it quite a bit.<\/p>\n

Glavich has a knack for making things applicable and relevant. She describes complicated matters of faith in a way that is fun and interesting. For example, in the chapter on the communion of saints, there\u2019s this:<\/p>\n

The people in the Church\u2019s three states, like a family, lovingly help one another.<\/p>\n

Saints on earth.\u00a0<\/em>Did you ever say to someone, \u201cI\u2019ll pray for you\u201d? We can pray and offer our good works and sufferings for people on earth, and they can do the same for us.<\/p>\n

Saints in purgatory.<\/em> We can also pray and offer good works and sufferings for people in purgatory in order to hurry their purification. That is why after someone dies, we have Masses said for them. You can pray for your deceased relatives or even for people in purgatory who might not have anyone to pray for them. Those in purgatory (sometimes called poor souls) can also pray for us.<\/p>\n

Saints in heaven.\u00a0<\/em>Likewise, we can turn to the saints in heaven and ask them to intercede, or pray for us. Friendship with the saints can help us grow closer to Christ.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are 39 chapters, two appendices, and an index. It\u2019s arranged much like the big green\u00a0Catechism<\/em>, and it\u2019s written for a younger crowd (I would call it middle grade). Each chapter starts with a reference from the\u00a0Catechism<\/em> and an introduction. There are \u201cDid You Know?\u201d callout boxes, \u201cBTW\u201d facts, and a \u201cCatholic VIP\u201d highlighted in each chapter. Each chapter has a \u201cScripture Link,\u201d with a relevant passage from the Bible, \u201cBrainstorm\u201d activities that aren\u2019t hard or weird, and ends with a \u201cFrom My Heart\u201d and \u201cNow Act!\u201d that could well be assignments.<\/p>\n

In fact, I think this is maybe the closest I\u2019ve found to a perfect \u201ctextbook\u201d for grade school age kids. (And you should know this: I\u2019m NOT a fan of textbooks for religious education.)<\/p>\n

Each chapter has a short bulleted \u201cRecap\u201d list, and it\u2019s laid out in a way that I can only call brilliant. It\u2019s fun to look at and read, and it sure doesn\u2019t hurt that the content is stellar.<\/p>\n

The Faith: A Question-and-Answer Guide to the Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fr. John Hardon, S.J. (Servant Books, 2014)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, you looked at the\u00a0Catechism<\/em> and thought, \u201cThere\u2019s NO WAY I can read that and understand it, retain the information, have any luck at all.\u201d I was shocked when I started reading the\u00a0Catechism\u00a0<\/em>(after my spiritual director had encouraged me for, oh, three years or so) and it was NOT SO BAD!<\/p>\n

Even so, there\u2019s a lot in the\u00a0Catechism<\/em>. It\u2019s really more of a reference than a fun reading adventure (though it can be that, don\u2019t get me wrong). What Servant has pulled together here is a great companion to your reference shelf. I caught myself diving into this when I was looking for additional information on different topics for Confirmation Boot Camp<\/a>, and I know I\u2019ll use it in preparing talks and columns.<\/p>\n

This book is designed and arranged to be a companion to the\u00a0Catechism<\/em>. It\u2019s easy to use and it\u2019s cross referenced with paragraphs in the\u00a0Catechism<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a little excerpt, from Part Two, Chapter Four: Other Celebrations of the Liturgy.<\/p>\n

ARTICLE 1: SACRAMENTALS<\/p>\n

The Church\u2019s liturgy is primarily the sacraments, which directly confer the grace they signify. Besides the sacraments, however, there are also sacramentals. Both should be seen together, because both are sources of divine grace. But sacramentals were not immediately instituted by Christ. They were, and are, instituted by the Church, which is guided by her Founder, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

663. What are sacramentals?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sacramentals are sensibly perceptible prayers, and often actions or things, which resemble the sacraments and which signify spiritual effects obtained through the intercession of the Church. (1667)<\/p>\n

664. How do sacramentals differ from the sacraments?<\/strong><\/p>\n

They differ from the sacraments in not being instrumental causes of grace. Rather, they arouse the faith of believers to better dispose themselves for the reception of grace from the sacraments.<\/p>\n

665. What is the characteristic of all the sacramentals?<\/strong><\/p>\n

They always include a prayer and normally an object or action that signifies some profession of faith, such as the Sign of the Cross recalling Christ\u2019s crucifixion, or holy water recalling our baptismal incorporation into the Church. (1668)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is an indispensable guide for all Catholics. Whether you want to learn more about your faith, need a boost in teaching it, or are just curious, this book is sure to provide clear and concise information.<\/p>\n

Tackling Tough Topics with Faith and Fiction<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Diana Jenkins (Pauline Books & Media, 2014)<\/p>\n

There are topics that make parents and catechists shudder and quake, and Diana Jenkins has gathered them all in the covers of this book. She\u2019s addressed them with the fearless face of faith and her approach is unique and more than a little brilliant.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s young teens will face many challenges before they reach adulthood,\u201d she writes in the introductory section, \u201cand they\u2019ll need faith to guide them along the way. But it\u2019s not easy for kids\u2014or adults\u2014to apply Catholic principles to real life when they\u2019re overwhelmed by temptations, peer pressure, media influences, stress, family issues, physical changes, society\u2019s problems, and a culture that is increasingly out-of-sync with Christian values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each chapter includes seven elements:<\/p>\n

The Facts: This is the statistical informational part. As a teacher or parent, you may or may not actually share this with students.<\/p>\n

Scripture and the Catechism: While this too is designed for the adult leader, many times it will be helpful for the students.<\/p>\n

The Story: Each chapter is centered around a fictional story. Depending on your set-up, you might decide to read it aloud, to have students read it on their own, or to rework it a bit.<\/p>\n

Discussion Questions: Though I roll my eyes at the plethora of discussion questions in everything these days, in this application, they\u2019re not only helpful, but they\u2019re well done.<\/p>\n

Activity: While there\u2019s an activity for each topic\/chapter, there\u2019s also an index with ideas for adjusting them too.<\/p>\n

Prayer: These are great. GREAT. And let\u2019s not forget that, among the many teaching tools we have as parents and catechists, that prayer is the most powerful.<\/p>\n

The Message: This is a round-up of practical suggestions for students to apply the chapter\u2019s issue.<\/p>\n

All in all, this is a resource I am glad to have on-hand and which I\u2019ll be sharing with all the parents and catechists I know.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been a catechist for over ten years, and in that time I\u2019ve found a number of helpful books. While nothing beats the essentials, I\u2019ve been thrilled recently with the resources I\u2019ve seen published. Here are three that caught my eye and that I just had to share. Totally Catholic!: A Catechism for Kids and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1133,"featured_media":2565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[174,198],"tags":[131,191],"class_list":["post-2560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faith-y-stuff","category-resources","tag-catholic","tag-resource"],"yoast_head":"\n3 Great New Books to Help You Teach Your Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I've been a catechist for over ten years, and in that time I've found a number of helpful books. 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