Practice Makes … Catholic?

There are so many rich Catholic websites at our fingertips today.  One of the best I’ve seen is Catechist’s Journey with Joe Paprocki. If you spend a few minutes at this website, you’ll find that you need to spend hours to delve into its deep layers.

Joe is first and foremost a catechist for the last 30 years, and holds a masters degree in pastoral studies, but he has also authored books for adults, both those discerning the Faith as well as for seasoned and/or returning Catholics. He currently serves as the National Consultant for Faith Formation with Loyola Press. Joe’s Resource List for fellow catechists, as well as dozens of Catholic links, make it an almost one-stop-shop for a large cross section of people.  If that weren’t enough, he holds Webinars on a regular basis that, even if you’re not a catechist with a formal class to teach, you and your own children will probably find them very useful. His recent short video promoting the Sacrament of Reconciliation is touching and heartfelt.

As the author of several books, one in particular entitled Practice Makes Catholic, Moving from a Learned Faith to a Lived Faith explains the distinct practices that make us essentially Catholic. He says that the problem is that many Catholics don’t understand the “why” of our practices. In this book he articulates and expands on several key characteristics of Catholicism: a sense of sacramentality, commitment to community, respect for human life, a reverence for scripture and tradition and finding (or refining) an attitude of faith and hope.

Whether you’re a Catechist yourself or merely searching for ways to enhance your experience at Mass, understanding and enriching your faith or learning a tidbit of information that may not have occurred to you, why not visit Catechist’s Journey and be pleasantly surprised at just what you may find there.