"The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old is unveiled in the New." ~St. Augustine
I remember in late college when I was first introduced to the idea of typology during a Bible Study. Finding clues in the Old Testament that pointed to the coming of Jesus (and Mary, the Church, the Sacraments, etc.) and then seeing how those promises were fulfilled in the New Testament became like a curiosity-driven treasure hunt as I read and studied Sacred Scripture. Many years have passed, and Typology has become one of my very favorite ways to pray with the Old Testament. But I do remember wondering why it took so long for me to be introduced to this ancient idea!
Fortunately, today's Catholic kids don't have to wait for a college level class to begin understanding Biblical Typology. The Old and New Series is my absolute favorite typology tool to use in my classroom, and the books make it so easy for kids to make connections between the Old and New Testaments. As my students have read these, I literally get to watch those "light bulb" moments happen where they start to see all of the puzzle pieces come together.
I love them so much that when I had a donation to use on books for my classroom a couple of years ago, I requested that part of the money be used on a class set of these books so that I can better use them as a teaching resource. I have 5 or 6 copies of each title and specifically use them during a unit on the Old Testament with my 7th graders. They are able to analyze and discuss the content, but younger children will certainly enjoy the stories, especially as a read aloud where you look to find all of the connections in the matching illustrations and text.
The Old and New Series was written by the wonderful Maura Roan McKeegan with illustrations by the talented Ted Schluenderfritz. The last book in the series, The Word Within, was also coauthored by none other than Dr. Scott Hahn. The End of the Fiery Sword was actually one of the very first books that I every reviewed, so it is exciting to see the series come full circle with its sixth and final book. The titles include:
You can find the whole set at Emmaus Road Publishing here.
.jpeg)
.jpg)
I'm super excited to share this new collection of activities with you even though I know that it will probably only apply to a certain niche group of my audience. It has become one of my favorite units to teach and my students have given great feedback- so it's a win-win!
It has been a huge hit! On the first day, I really make a big show of putting on my backpack and sunglasses, asking if they packed good walking shoes, tell them that we are going to be late to the airport, etc. They are still playing along, which is so sweet. I also really like that this is primarily a work-at-your-own-pace task, so it allows them to work independently and hopefully explore more deeply an area of interest.
Each Passport Study has these elements:
.jpg)
.jpg)
This summer, my parish got a new name! Combining the legacy of my Immaculate Conception parish with our neighbors whose church had originally be dedicated as St. Mary, our Catholic community is now called Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. It's a perfect name honoring Our Lady and the devotion already present. We've been both remembering the history of each parish and celebrating this new beginning. I'm sure that many of you have been through or seen similar changes in your dioceses, and while there are many obstacles to overcome and emotions to process, we can also see the good fruit that is born through collaboration and building up community.
I made a bunch of new resources for our parish celebrations, bulletin, etc., and took advantage of the new creations to design some fresh IHM resources to share with you too! Click below to download these new printables:
Click here for a coloring page Bible Study explaining the meaning of the symbols of the IHM including where to read about them in Scripture:
