Religion

Imprimatur: John M. D'Arcy, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, 2003

Designed to be used in Religious Education programs, this manual is also "homeschool friendly". First and foremost, it is faithful to the teachings of the Church, based on both the Catechism for the Catholic Church (1997) and the Holy Bible (Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version). Second, the authors emphasize in the Introduction that "a child's own parents occupy a special role in the formation of their children for the sacraments" (page 12) and they include practical means for getting parents more involved in a Religious Ed program. Finally, the majority of the educational activities in the book could be used just as easily in the home as in the classroom.

The manual is divided into 8 lessons: "God's Great Love", God's Rules for Living", "Sin and Conscience", "Baptism and Other Sacraments", "Forgiveness", "the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Part I", "Sacrament of Reconciliation, Part II", and "Living Reconciliation". Each lesson has a "Know It" section for the catechist, which summarizes Church teaching on the topic and presents information about the developmental level of children preparing for their First Confession (assumed to be around the age of reason, ages 6 or 7). The next section is "Teach It", with reproducible pages of practical teaching suggestions, games, crafts, and activities for the classroom. Finally, there's a "Share it" page, in both Spanish and English, which is a reproducible letter the catechist would send home to the parents.

Many of the "Teach It" suggestions involve movement and activity, ideal for kids at this age (especially little boys). For example, there are directions for acting out the story of the Prodigal Son, and for a "lost sheep" hunt in the classroom. Other "Teach It" ideas include small-motor activities such as coloring a small booklet about Baptism, and playing a matching game about the Seven Sacraments. I intend to use some of the exercises this year for my seven year old son as we prepare him for the sacraments.

The Blackbird's Nest is the story of St. Kevin of Ireland (498 A.D-618 A.D.). I first became acquainted with his legend in Seamus Heaney's poem, St Kevin and the Blackbird. In both Heaney's poem and in this beautiful picture book it's a fabulous story about a real historical figure, the abbot and founder of the monastery at Glendalough. And it's full of the most marvelous of medieval flights of fancy, typical of that era's hagiography, that carry deep spiritual truths, even if they may perhaps seem a little hard to swallow as historical fact.

The crux of the story is that St. Kevin, kneeling in prayer one day with his arm stretched out the window, has a blackbird build its nest in his hand. He then must continue to hold that posture for forty days until the eggs have hatched and the babies grown up and flown away. The book points out that the forty days has a spiritual significance:

Just as Kevin waited for the baby birds to break open their eggs and come to new life in his hand, during Lent we wait for Christ to break open the tomb and bring new life into our hearts.

The book follows St. Kevin from his miracle-touched birth (the snow melted all around his house) to his holy death at the age of one hundred and twenty and has a wonderful message about loving nature and our fellow men.

The story also highlights that Kevin is an imperfect person who grows in holiness. At first he is rather anti-social preferring to spend time with animals. He tormented other children, puzzled his parents, and often wearied the monks. His experience with the blackbird's nest teaches him reliance on God's strength as he turns to God in prayer to carry him through his ordeal (He repeats, "Lord have mercy," three times and concludes with "Amen" when the last of the baby birds flies away,) and teaches him gentleness and compassion toward his fellow men, not just to animals.

My two-year-old daughter loves the pictures of the animals and is especially enchanted with the image of infant Kevin's baptism. When we read the story she chatters about the priest "putting water on the baby's head" (just as her sister was baptized recently).

I love the fact that the book concludes with a historical note that includes a beautiful icon of St. Kevin, a short biography, and a prayer to St. Kevin, reminding readers that he's more than just a storybook figure, he's also an intercessor in heaven, a real person with whom we have a wonderful relationship as fellow members of the Body of Christ. I always conclude our reading of the story by reciting the prayer and having my daughter repeat, "St. Kevin, pray for us."

You were privileged to live in the age of saints, O Father Kevin, being baptized by one saint, taught by another, and buried by a third. Pray to God that he will raise up saints in our day to help, support, and guide us in the way of salvation.

Although the publishers recommend the book for ages 9-12, I think the inspiring story and beautiful illustrations will appeal both to much younger children as well as to older children and to adults, who can also benefit from the spiritual insights the book offers.

The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, brings to life the era when Jesus walked on the earth. The book is written through the eyes of Daniel bar Jamin, a poor village boy, who is desperately seeking to revenge the crucifixion of his father at the hands of Roman soldiers. Daniel lives in the hills above Ketzah with a band of thieves, who ruthlessly attack Romans at every opportunity. The stark hatred that drives Daniel contrasts sharply with the love that he receives from his friend, Joel, and his own gentle sister. The movement of Jesus and his apostles form a shadowy sub-plot. The novel moves from the overwhelming hatred of Daniel towards the Romans, to the kindness of the Christians that he encounters. The Bronze Bow was written in 1961 and won a well-deserved Newberry Medal for excellence in literature in 1962. It is a superb example of compelling historical fiction and a terrific family read-aloud. Highly recommended.

This beautiful new Catechism is truly a gift and a treasure in an era when "new" so often means "bad." Although I have not yet read every word of it (it's quite a big book!) I have had the pleasure of leading Catechism study groups for mothers and found much success in using this text to help some who were previously very lukewarm in their faith to better understand not only what the Catholic Church really teaches, but why these teachings make sense - yes, even in our modern world!

The Catechism is divided into four main sections. The First, the Profession of Faith, covers the basic beliefs and dogmas of the Church - based upon the Creed. Part Two, "The Celebration of the Christian Mystery", discusses liturgy and the Sacraments. Part Three, "Life in Christ", covers moral life - particularly in light of the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments. Part Four is on Christian Prayer.

The text is both difficult and joyful to read. It is difficult (in some places) because of the unfamiliar vocabulary - catechesis, pedagogy, asceticism, fecundity - these are not part of our every day vocabulary (although many should be learned by high schoolers). Even so, the new edition has an in-depth glossary in the back and these more unfamiliar words come up once every few paragraphs rather than every other sentence. It is joyful to read because it is so rich, so beautiful, so true. Throughout the text, the reader is referred to Sacred Scripture, Church documents and the writings of the Saints. An additional volume The Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published by Ignatius Press, provides the text from all of the footnotes for easy reference and further study.

A few sample passages:

(407) "The doctrine of original sin, closely connected with that of redemption by Christ, provides lucid discernment of man's situation and activity in the world. By our first parents' sin, the devil has acquired a certain domination over man, even though man remains free. Original sin entails 'captivity under the power of him who thenceforth had the power of death, that is, the devil.' Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social action and morals."

(1395) "By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church."

(2521) "Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity."

(2712) "Contemplative prayer is the prayer of the child of God, of the forgiven sinner who agrees to welcome the love by which he is loved and who wants to respond to it by loving even more. But he knows that the love he is returning is poured out by the Spirit in his heart, for everything is grace from God. Contemplative prayer is the poor and humble surrender to the loving will of the Father in ever deeper union with his beloved Son."

Many beautiful writings of the Saints are included (in addition to those which are merely footnoted), such as this passage from St. Ignatius of Loyola (taken from the Spiritual Exercises):

"Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved."

This book belongs in every Catholic home. It should be read over, and prayed over, and cried over, and smiled over often.