Engaging Faith

Practical Lesson Ideas and Activities for Catholic Educators

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The Latest

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Contemplating the Contemplative Life

Use a class period to introduce your students to the beauty of the contemplative vocation to which our Lord calls some men and women. 1. The contemplative life has origins in the life of the Blessed Mother. According to tradition, Mary was consecrated in the temple as a young girl, where she lived, studied, and prayed until her betrothal to Joseph. Just as Mary lived hidden within the temple, entirely devoted to God, so too do monastic religious live “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), separated from the world so that they can intercede and fast for the needs of the world day and night. In a uniquely beautiful way, cloistered nuns live as Christ’s Brides, providing an icon of the intimacy we are all called to enjoy with Christ in heaven. 2. To give students an introduction to cloistered life, watch these two trailers for documentaries that have been made about men’s and women’s monasteries: Official Into Great Silence US Trailer (youtube.com) Cloistered:God's Women of Steel-A Life of Adoration and Prayer (youtube.com) 3. Divide students into groups (separate guys and girls) and have them use their laptops to open cloisteredlife.com. 4. Have each group pick a different religious order to explore on the website. Boys should look at male monasteries and girls should look at female monasteries. They should be able to answer these questions: Which saint founded the religious order? What is their charism (special focus in prayer and way of life)? What does their habit look like? What are the closest monastery of this order to your school or diocese? 5. Regather the groups and have them share about their community with the class. 6. Discuss the following questions as a class: Do you know anyone who has entered a monastery? Why did he or she enter? What seems beautiful and appealing about the cloister? What seems difficult and frightening? What are ways that we can grow in openness to our personal Vocations? Do we actually believe that the Lord is still calling souls to be His hidden spouses here on earth? How can we support those with a contemplative vocation? (Donating to monasteries, writing to loved ones in the monastery, writing to monasteries asking for them to pray for specific intentions, discussing cloistered religious life as an actual possibility for ourselves or our peers who are not yet in their permanent Vocation) 6. Conclude with praying the following prayer for the World Day of Cloistered Life from cloisteredlife.com: Eternal Father, We praise and thank you for those sisters and brothers who have embraced the gift of the cloistered and monastic life. Their prayerful presence is indispensable to the Church’s life and mission, and is the foundation of the New Evangelization. As we celebrate World Day of Cloistered Life, let us honor the holiness and glory of the Blessed Virgin. May she, who was presented in the Temple, intercede so that many young people might dedicate themselves entirely to Your divine service by hidden lives of contemplative prayer and selfless sacrifice. May all of us be mindful of the spiritual and material needs of those who commit their lives to seeking God by fixing their gaze on those things which are eternal. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Larisa Tuttle University of Dallas Senior

Thursday, January 02, 2025

Reflecting on the Wounds of Christ

Use this reflection to help students prayerfully meditate on the wounds of Christ and to enter deeper into his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. This exercise will encourage students to grow in their personal relationship with Christ as they reflect upon his infinite love. First, invite students to pull out their notebooks or journals. Explain that during this activity, they are to enter into personal, individual prayer. This can look different for everyone. Some people prefer to pray by journaling while some prefer internal prayer. Some like to close their eyes while others prefer to keep their eyes open. Some bow their heads and fold their hands while others prefer a different posture. Encourage students to find a posture of prayer that is reverent, comfortable, and allows them to focus on their prayer. Next, project the following image, which was painted by Matthias Grunwald, in a slideshow, or pass out the following image to each student. Read the following meditation out loud, giving students time to reflect and meditate on the image. Look at the image before you. Where are your eyes drawn first? What do you notice first? Stay there for a moment. Observe what first caught your eye. What strikes you? What emotions do you feel? What do you see? Now, allow your eyes to slowly scan Jesus on the cross. Begin at His head and move to His feet. Notice his hand, pierced for your sake. Notice his had, crowned with thorns. See his precious face. Look at the bones in his rib cage and torso, and imagine the suffering he endured for you. Look at his feet, which were nailed to the cross for you. Now, look at the people surrounding him. Notice St. John and how he holds Mother Mary, who is stricken by grief. Do you think that our Mother holds you in this way when you are suffering? Do you think she understands the pain you experience since she, too, has a wounded heart? What do you think she felt as she watched her Son be crucified and die upon the cross? How can you console her heart by being her child today? Look at the other people in the image and the lamb that stands by the cross. Who stands out to you among them? Why? How do you think you would respond if you were at the foot of the cross, gazing upon your Savior? Would you fall to your knees, or would you stand? Would you bow in reverence? Would you kiss His bloodied feet? Would you be silent, or would you speak to him? How do you imagine Christ would look at you from the cross? Do you believe he would gaze at you with love? Do you believe that his blood and water would wash over you as a beautiful cleansing and a sign of his mercy? If Christ had to be crucified again and go through his suffering all over again just for you, He would. His love for you is endless, unconditional, and unfailing. There is no length to which he would not go to know you and to love you. Take a moment to talk to Jesus – the One who gave everything to save you. Amen. Megan Neuman is an Editorial Curriculum intern at Ave Maria Press. She is a senior English major at Franciscan University.

Friday, December 06, 2024

Learn More about Our New High School Textbook Series

We are happy to introduce a new Ave Maria Press High School Textbook Series. Check out some below with more information! Introducing the Series Schedule a Live Meeting to Hear an Overview of What’s New Join Our Ave Theology Teaches Facebook Page Sign Up for Classroom Resources* Must be a theology teacher at a Catholic high school

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Announcing Our New High School Textbooks!

We are pleased to premier our new high school textbooks. We invite you to read about each new text and watch a short introductory video. If you and/or your theology department would like to set up a Zoom meeting with me in the coming weeks to run through the features and elements in both the Student Texts and Teacher's Manual, please sign up here! I look forward to hearing from you! Michael Amodei Curriculum Manager Executive Editor

Friday, October 11, 2024

Learning to Live in the Moment: A Prayer Exercise from the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska

Use this prayer from the diary of St. Faustina Kowalska to encourage students to meditate on their past, present, and future. This exercise can help students to learn to appreciate the blessings that surround them, to surrender the past to Jesus, and to entrust the future to his will. Begin by passing out handouts with the prayer printed on it. O My God, when I look into the future, I am frightened, but why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, as the future may never enter my soul at all. It is no longer in my power to change, correct or add to the past; for neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced, I must entrust to God. O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire. I desire to use you as best I can. And although I am weak and small, You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence. And so, trusting in your mercy, I walk through life like a little child, offering You each day this heart, burning with love for Your greater glory.” Excerpt from the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, Notebook 1, Section 2 Invite students to close their eyes and find a posture of prayer. Then read the prayer aloud, slowly and intentionally. Next, tell the students to silently read through the prayer a few more times, praying with the words and contemplating what they mean to them. Encourage them to think about the following questions (write on board): How does this prayer relate to your life today? What do you struggle to surrender to Jesus the most? Have you ever struggled to live in the present moment and to appreciate the blessings around you? Perhaps you find yourself constantly thinking about your past, weighed down by your wounds or regrets. Maybe you find that you are always looking ahead and waiting for what is to come, and this distracts you from the ways God is working in your life today. What are some practical ways you can learn to be grateful for this day? Maybe consider starting a gratitude journal, or documenting your blessings and joys through pictures on your phone. What does it mean to “walk through life like a little child?” Optional: Have the students meet in small groups to discuss the questions, write answers to the questions in their journals, or write a short essay on one or two of the questions. Megan Neuman is an Editorial Curriculum intern at Ave Maria Press. She is a senior English major at Franciscan University.

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Tuesday, September 24, 2024

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary

October is the “Month of the Holy Rosary.” Dedicate some time to have your students unearth some of the history and graces of the Holy Rosary during the month by answering the Student Questions and completeing the Student Assignment below. To begin share these fifteen promises to those who pray the Rosary. Whosoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies. It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and it will lift them to the desire of Eternal things. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plentitude of His Graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during life and at the hour of death. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my Only Son Jesus Christ. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination. Student Questions When was the Rosary first prayed? Which saint is associated with its origins? Why? What do St. Dominic and Fr. Alan de Rupe have to do with the Fifteen Promises of the Rosary? Why is October the month of the Holy Rosary? When was this tradition established? Student Assignment Write a sentence for each of the fifteen promises explaining what you believe them to mean. After the students complete the assignment, discuss their response. See “Our Lady’s Fifteen Promises for Praying the Rosary Explained” for reference.

Tuesday, September 03, 2024

Bl. Carlo Acutis and Eucharistic Miracles

Follow these directions for a short lesson and activity on Blesed Carlo Acutis, a Catholic teenager with a great deication to the Eucharist who is expected to be canonized in the near future. Explain a little bit about Bl. Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006. Although his parents were only nominally Catholic, Carlo had a supernatural love for the Eucharist. His love inspired him to use his talents with computers to create a website that catalogs every Eucharistic miracle in history. Divide students into small groups and have them open Bl. Carlo Acutis’ website on Eucharistic miracles. Ask the students to explore the website and select a Eucharistic miracle that they find particularly interesting. Regather and ask each group to share their chosen miracle with the class. This activity was created by Larisa Tuttle, a senior at the University of Dallas.

Monday, August 19, 2024

Poetry Reflection: “Godhead Here in Hiding”

“Adoro te Devote” is a Eucharistic poem written by St. Thomas Aquinas and frequently used as a hymn in Eucharistic processions and other public acts of Eucharistic devotion. St. Thomas Aguinas is one of the greatest medieval poets (as well as theologians), but his stunning Latin poetry has become most accessible and well-known through Gerard Manley Hopkins’ translation of the poem, titled “Godhead Here in Hiding.” This exercise will introduce or better acquaint students with this classic poem while demonstrating that the Eucharist is the wellspring of the Catholic artistic imagination. Materials Copies of the Handout (see below) Recording of “Adoro te Devote” Instructions Have students follow along on the handout while you play a recording of the original Latin “Adoro te Devote.” Have students go around the room each reading a stanza of “Godhead Here in Hiding.” Discuss the following as a class: What is a line or image from the poem that stands out to you? (There doesn’t need to be an understandable reason why the line stands out, as beauty often catches us unawares!) What does it mean to be “lost in wonder” before the Eucharist? How should wonder affect the way that we participate in personal prayer, Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration? What does the second stanza teach us about transubstantiation? How should we respond to moments when we struggle to have Faith in Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist? What was “the prayer of the dying thief?” How do we become like the dying thief at Mass? What is the story of Thomas and Jesus’ wounds? How can our faith in the Eucharist fulfill Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe?” According to old legends, the pelican would pierce his own chest with his beak in time of famine so that his children could drink his own blood. Why does St. Thomas call Jesus a pelican? Handout [set in 2 columns] “Adoro te devote,” St. Thomas Aquinas Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, Quae sub his figuris vere latitas: Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit, Quia te contemplans totum deficit. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, Sed auditu solo tuto creditur: Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius: Nil hoc verbo Veritátis verius. In Cruce latebat sola Deitas, At hic latet simul et humanitas: Ambo tamen credens atque confitens, Peto quod petivit latro paenitens. Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor: Deum tamen meum te confiteor: Fac me tibi semper magis credere, In te spem habere, te diligere. O memoriale mortis Domini, Panis vivus, vitam praestans homini, Praesta meae menti de te vivere, Et te illi semper dulce sapere. Pie pelicane, Jesu Domine, Me immundum munda tuo sanguine, Cujus una stilla salvum facere Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere. Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, Oro fiat illud quod tam sitio: Ut te revelata cernens facie, Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae. “Godhead Here in Hiding,” Gerard Manley Hopkins Godhead here in hiding whom I do adore Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more. See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived; How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true. On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men; Here thy very manhood steals from human ken: Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer made by the dying thief. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But I plainly call thee Lord and God as he: This faith each day deeper be my holding of, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love. O thou, our reminder of the Crucified, Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died, Lend this life to me, then; feed and feast my mind, There be thou the sweetness man was meant to find. Like what tender tales tell of the Pelican, Bathe me, Jesus Lord, in what thy bosom ran-- Blood that but one drop of has the pow'r to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin. Jesus whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech thee, send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light And be blest forever with thy glory's sight. Larisa Tuttle, a 2024 Summer Editorial Curriculum intern for Ave Maria Press, is currently a senior at the University of Dallas where she is a double major in English and Theology.