Avoid Gossip

“Gossip is not a work of the Holy Spirit, it is not a work of the unity of the church. Gossip destroys the work of God. Please stop gossiping,” Pope Francis said recently in a talk on the Sacrament of Confirmation.The pope emphasized…

Pope Francis and the Call to Holiness in Today’s World

Pope Francis released a new apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Esultate (Rejoice and Be Glad) with details on how to follow the Beatitudes by being of service to the marginalized, poor, and migrants. The pope equates defense of people on the fringes…

A Mini-Unit on Adoption for High School Students

Adoption: A Choice worth Making is a five-day mini-unit to support any course in a Catholic high school theology curriculum. It is also appropriate for parish youth ministry. The purpose of the mini-course is to acknowledge the value of human life…

Reflection Exercise: I Forgive Me

Here is a short exercise on how to forgive oneself. Use the following information to make a handout. Distribute to the students and have them work individually to complete the items. Tell them you will check to see that they did the work, but that…

Current Event: Teenage Protestors Confronted by School Official

You may have seen the video of a teenage brother and sister protesting against abortion on the sidewalk near a Philadelphia area public high school.They were confronted verbally by the school's assistant principal. The incident brings up several…

Understanding Facets of “White Privilege”

Conduct a discussion as a way to allow white students in your class to be aware of some preferential treatments they experience because they are white. Likewise, allow students of color to discuss their perspectives of some of these experiences.

Considering Serious Sin

Review with your students the definition and conditions of mortal sin, perhaps in anticipation for celebrating the Sacrament of Penance. Definition A mortal sin is a serious violation of God’s law of love that results in the loss of…

The Poor Box: Prayer for the Poor

A sweet and simple way to encourage your students to think of the poor of the world.

Word of Mouth: An Outside da Box video

Outside da Box has produced a video that deals with issues of bullying, meanness, kindness, and proper Christian living as commonly presented around a Catholic high school.

An Argument Against Abortion: Using the S.L.E.D. Acronym