The Full Radiance of His Glory:
A Devotional Project in Honor of the Saints
Catechetical Day for Diocese of JolietPresentation for Students and Teachers
October 22, 2013
In Our Time Together…
•Who are the saints?•Why learn about the saints?•How can you best teach your peers about the saints?
1. Who are the saints?
“
”
SAINT: The ‘holy one’ (sancti) who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the
reward of eternal life.Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary
• Lives in union with God• Receives gift of eternal life in Heaven
Ten Things You Need to Know About the Saints
(AND, TEACH TO OTHERS)
1. Saints are God’s friends.
They are holy, like God.
2. Saints are NOT sad!
“God save us from
sour-faced saints!”
-St. Teresa of Avila
3. Saints live lives of heroic virtue.
Virtue—a good habit
4. Saints serve.
“Whatever you did for one of
these least brothers of
mine, you did for me.”
-Matthew 25:40
5. Sometimes saints manifest extraordinary
gifts…
…and sometimes, they don’t!
6. Saints inspire us by their witness.
7. Saints intercede for
us.
“I will spend my heaven doing good
on earth!” - St. Therese of Lisieux
8. Saints come from all
backgrounds and walks of
life.
9. The Church is a “communion of
saints”
• Souls in Heaven• Souls in
Purgatory• Followers of
Christ on earth
10. You and I are called to be saints!
“Holiness is not the luxury of a few people,
but a simple duty for you and me.”
- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
2. Why teach about the saints?
• We are ALL called to be SAINTS
• The saints inspire us to be all that we are called to be
• The saints are part of our family history
• The saints are real heroes• We need all the help we can
get…and the saints are ready to give us a hand!
3. How can you best teach others about the saints?
• Help your peers to know that the saints did normal things….in an extraordinary way
• Tell stories from the saint’s life• Try to pull out from each saint’s life a concrete way that
students can imitate the virtues of that saint (adjust for grade level)
• Make sure that the students know that they are called to be saints
Ways you can honor the saints in school:
• Set up a shrine for the saint of the week (picture or statue)
• See if anyone has the relics of that saint for veneration• Ask the saint’s intercession at the end of each prayer • Find a quote from the saint and make a calligraphy• Write a class prayer to that saint• Imitate the virtues of that saint—practice being kind,
generous, etc.
Being an effective junior catechist:
• Be prepared (www.Domestic-Church.com)• Be genuine• Be enthusiastic• Be a witness, striving to be “Saint Me”
