The liturgical catechesis approach of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies has been successfully “bringing the Gospel to life and bringing life to the Gospel” for over forty years. Drawing each lesson’s theme from the Sunday Gospel, the Gospel Weeklies connect children and their families to the Sunday Mass. Our lessons illustrate that “liturgy and catechesis are inseparable and nourish one another” (Directory for Catechesis, 96). Liturgy and catechesis are both “oriented toward bringing to life the experience of God’s love” (95).
The Gospel Weeklies both begin with and lead to the Sunday liturgy. The new directory states: “The liturgy is one of the essential and indispensable sources of the Church’s catechesis . . . because the two belong to one another in the very act of believing” (95) and “catechesis reaches its true fulfillment when the one being catechized takes part in the liturgical life of the community” (96). The Gospel Weeklies strive to prepare children for the “full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations” called for in Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (14).
To promote belief in the Real Presence of Christ in Holy Communion, every lesson of the Gospel Weeklies since Fall 2020 has included a Eucharist Quote. These come from a variety of voices—saints and popes to theologians and Doctors of the Church. The quote used is the same for all levels—from preschool to high school-adults. These quotes constantly reinforce the importance of the Eucharist and our certain belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist Quotes and reflections on them are available at gospelweeklies.com/eucharist as designed memes that parishes and schools may share in newsletters or bulletins and on social media or websites. On the same webpage, there are links to videos, articles, conference recordings, coloring pages and resources for children, and a listing of products from the Bayard family of companies: Pflaum Publishing Group, Twenty-Third Publications, and Creative Communications for the Parish. The Eucharist Quotes, reflections, and some of the other resources are also available in Spanish at gospelweeklies.com/eucaristia.
Eucharist Connections in the Gospel Weeklies Lessons / Conexiones con el Eucarística en las lecciones de GospelWeeklies highlights 2023–24 lessons or activities that emphasize the Eucharist and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. While all lesson themes are drawn from the Sunday Gospels, themes for the same week may vary according to the age level of the children. Our new Summer Solemnity Unit features an entire lesson on the Eucharist for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Note that lessons in the Summer Solemnities Unit are undated and may be used at any time of year.
Image credit: Jean Michel MAZEROLLE/CIRIC (#14439)
