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Articles:
“Let’s Get Fired Up! Swap and Share” Workshop—A Workshop for Catechists and Religion Teachers
Creativity in Catechesis
Catechesis as a Transformative Process
The Heart of Prayer
Mary in the Church
The Tapestry of Faith: Teaching the Six Tasks of Catechesis
Finding Jesus
From Slavery to Freedom
The Journey to Moral Consciousness
The Ethics of Life and Death
The Paschal Mystery: God’s Blessing
Downloadable:
“Swap and Share” Workshop—Save the Date Flyer (JPG)
“Swap and Share” Workshop—Invitation (JPG)
“Swap and Share” Workshop—Closing Prayer (PDF)
Strategies for Asking Questions(PDF)
Links:
Catechist Prayers
Catechist Formation
“Let’s Get Fired Up! Swap and Share” Workshop—A Workshop for Catechists and Religion Teachers
Session Plan (2 hours)
Theme: This workshop provides an opportunity for catechists/religion teachers to exchange with their peers creative ideas, tips, and activities that have helped them to be successful in sharing faith in the classroom.
Note: If both a parish religious education program and a Catholic school are part of the total parish catechetical effort, the “Swap and Share” workshop can serve as an opportunity to build community between the two groups. Schedule the workshop at a time when both groups can attend—in the evening or on a Saturday morning. Both Catholic school teachers and parish catechists may be able to obtain credits for certification for participating in the session. This is often an incentive for both catechists and school religion teachers to attend. Check with your diocesan office about how to arrange for participants to earn credit for this session.
Preparation Checklist:
Plan to schedule this workshop mid-year so that both veteran and new catechists can participate fully.
Two to three months before the workshop, complete the attached “Save the Date” flyer and distribute it to all catechists/religion teachers. The flyer alerts them to the specifics of the workshop and encourages them to begin preparing for it by thinking of a creative idea or tip they can share with others in areas such as arts and crafts, prayer, learning games, music, teaching doctrine, sharing Scripture, or seasonal activities.
Make a poster advertising the workshop and post it prominently in the religious education center or faculty lounge. In your weekly memos to the catechists/religion teachers, remind them of the upcoming workshop and encourage them to prepare by choosing an idea, activity, or tip for teaching religion that they want to share with others.
One month prior to the workshop, complete the attached Invitation flyer and distribute it to all catechists/religion teachers. The invitation gives specific information about the workshop and tells the participants how to prepare for the event. Note that the flyer instructs the staff to write out a description of their creative idea and to bring two copies of it to the workshop.
Some of the catechists/religion teachers may want to share more than one activity or tip at the workshop. In these cases, ask that the ideas they submit be in different areas of catechesis. Assure that in their eagerness to contribute they do not monopolize the session. Keep in mind that everyone on staff should have an opportunity to share ideas with the group.
Select experienced catechists/religion teachers to facilitate each of the three groupings of catechists/religion teachers (primary, intermediate, and junior high). Explain that their main role is to keep their group on task and to give all the participants in their group an opportunity to contribute ideas. Prior to the workshop, meet with the facilitators to go over the process for the session.
Arrange for two or three parent volunteers or junior high students to help throughout the workshop. They can assist in setting up the room, stocking the refreshment table, and duplicating the packet of ideas each participant will take home at the conclusion of the workshop.
If you have a very small staff, consider inviting the catechetical leader of a neighboring parish/school to join you in sponsoring the workshop. Having more participants will generate more ideas and activities for the catechists/religion teachers to share.
Set Up
Use a large, open room for the workshop. Arrange the tables and chairs into three groupings: one for primary grade catechist/religion teachers (K-grade 3); one for intermediate grade catechists/religion teachers (grades 4-6); and a third for junior high catechists/religion teachers (grades 7-8).
Create an attractive prayer area at the front of the room using colors and objects that reflect the appropriate season of the Church year.
Set aside an area for refreshments. Plan to serve food and beverages suitable to the time of day/evening when the workshop is being held.
Create an “Idea Wall” in the workshop area. Prepare three signs: Primary, Intermediate, and Junior High. Tape the signs on a long blank wall before the workshop begins. Leave enough space between each sign to tape the participants’ written instructions/descriptions for the activities and tips they bring to the workshop. During the workshop, direct your volunteers to photocopy the pages so that each participant will receive a packet for their level (primary, intermediate, and junior high) at the conclusion of the session.
Workshop Materials
• nametags
• tables and chairs
• masking tape
• refreshments
• a Bible
• a cassette or DVD of instrumental background music
• a DVD or tape player
• a copy of the Closing Prayer for each participant
• a large, lighted candle, placed on the prayer table
• small individual candles for each participant, placed on the prayer
Part 1 (10 minutes)
• Greet the catechist/religion teachers as they arrive. Have them sign in and make nametags for themselves.
• Begin on time. Direct the participants to be seated in their grade level area (primary, intermediate or junior high). If you have a large staff, you will want to have several tables to accommodate each level.
• Welcome all participants and thank them for attending. Ask if they are all ready to get “fired up” with new tips and activities to energize their classes. Express your hope that the workshop will be an opportunity for creative sharing and community building.
• Pray. Remind the group that the Holy Spirit has long been the inspiration of the Church. The Bible was written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit guided the first Apostles and the first Christians in sharing the Good News and spreading the Gospel throughout the world. Today, the Holy Spirit guides us as we explain the teachings of the Catholic Church and help our students to celebrate their faith and live it in their daily lives. Encourage the catechists/religion teachers to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit as they listen and learn from one another’s ideas during the workshop. Together, pray aloud the Prayer to the Holy Spirit (found in the Catholic Prayers and Practices section of the Faith First Legacy Catechist/Teacher Guide). If the participants do not know this prayer by heart, pray it as an echo prayer, reciting one phrase at a time and inviting the group to repeat each phrase.
Part 2 (45 minutes)
• Explain the Process. Begin by explaining that all participants will leave with a packet of one another’s ideas to take home. Collect the extra copy of instructions or descriptions of the activity, tip, or project the participants have brought with them. Have your volunteers post these in the appropriate area on the Idea Wall as the groups begin sharing their ideas.
• Group Sharing. Have the facilitators invite volunteers to begin to share their ideas with the group. If the group is initially reluctant to share, facilitators can offer the first idea to get the ball rolling. After each activity or tip is offered, facilitators can stimulate discussion by making positive comments about it and inviting group members to do the same or by offering suggestions for adapting the ideas and tips for different grade levels. The facilitators should make every effort to give each participant an opportunity to contribute. Samples of completed arts and crafts projects can be displayed on the grade level tables for participants to examine during the break.
• Play a DVD or tape of instrumental music as background during the group sharing.
• Watch the clock. After approximately forty-five minutes, invite the participants to break for refreshments, to mingle, and to peruse the ideas posted on the Idea Wall. Before the break, assure those who have not yet shared that they will have the opportunity to do so after refreshments.
Break (15 minutes)
Part 3 (45 minutes)
• Ask the participants to return to their grade level groups to continue sharing their activities and tips. Allow 30 minutes for each group to finish up. While the groups are sharing, have volunteers duplicate the participant’s written idea sheets and create a packet for each catechist/religion teacher to take home.
• Call the entire group back together. Invite a few of the participants to share briefly with the large group an idea they heard that they are eager to try with their class. Point out the creativity and energy to share our faith that you have observed throughout the session.
• Conclude by praying together the closing prayer service (attached). As the participants depart, have them collect their idea packets. Thank everyone for participating. Encourage the catechists/religion teachers to continue to share their successful tips, ideas, and activities with one another throughout the year.
Creativity in Catechesis
by Gretchen Hailer, RSHM
This title reminds me of the first part of the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. The opening poetic verses of that first account of creation describe what things were like before Someone brought creative energy to the universe. That Someone, of course, we know as our Creator God. In this colorful description of God’s creativity, we notice that before God acts, there is nothing—a void, a sort of chaos. Things needed to be put into action and God was right there, the Creative Spirit breathing light into a dark space and then saying with satisfaction, “It looks very good!”
It is a little like this with us catechists, especially when it is our first time sharing our faith with others, regardless of their age. There sometimes can seem to be a lot of chaos in our minds and hearts as we try to envision what our first catechetical session will be like. And there is a lot to be said about planning that first session and the many others that will follow our debut!
First of all, we need to realize that we are not alone in our planning. We have all sorts of aids to assist us. Our director or coordinator or mentor is there to help us. The catechist’s guide that accompanies the resource material that we will use in our sessions is chock full of great options. Our families, especially those members who are about the same age as those with whom we share faith, can provide us with wonderful ideas from their own experience.
That being said, however, we should be aware that our greatest asset is the creativity that resides within each of us. By reason of our Baptism, we can rejoice in the fact that we, by the power of God whose image we bear, are also capable of bringing light and color and song and stories and dance and meaningful activities into our catechetical sessions. Look back at that Genesis story. What do you see? The Creator God uses all kinds of people, places, sounds, and natural surroundings to unleash the wonder of such a marvelous environment.
We can mirror that same spirit. For each session that we prepare, we can generate meaningful designs that will enhance the time we spend from beginning to end. Sit down to prepare by praying the process. Think of all those with whom you will share the faith, conjure up their faces, imagine the sometimes chaotic home settings that many of them experience. Then pray for each of them by name. Do not forget to pray for yourself that you will be a worthy instrument of the Gospel.
Now read over the pages that the children, youth, or adults will be reading. What do you notice? What pictures or photos, Scripture quotes, or other text appears on each page? What activities are suggested? Next, look over the suggestions in your catechist’s guide on how to present the material. Now think of what kind of feeling you want to invoke in your session. Certainly, joy and enthusiasm should be at the top of your list. Sharing faith is not meant to be just another “classroom” experience. We are reminded in the General Directory for Catechesis, which in turn quotes Catechesi Tradendae, “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion with Jesus Christ” (GDC 80, CT 5). If that is the aim, our sessions should be full of loving relationships which mirror the relationship that God in Jesus through the Spirit desires to have with each of us. If our model is the Trinity, then we should encourage unity in diversity.
The oneness of the session ought to reflect many diverse kinds of activities. Variety in presentation is called for—sometimes a story first, then some conversation about what it might tell us about being faith-filled disciples. A song might be next, and even though we do not consider ourselves the best singers, there is always a machine called a CD or cassette player that can enhance the song. Our participants might even be challenged to create an “Amen” or “Alleluia” that can be sung as part of the Eucharist or prayer service.
Art displayed with the session theme in mind can do much to center believers on a particular aspect of our life in God. And, of course, creating their own artwork allows personalized incorporation of the topic by participants. Prayer experiences, either with Scripture, gazing at some sacred object, or simply sitting quietly listening to God in our heart, can be object lessons that disciples of any age can take with them into the rest of their lives. Teaching about the life of Jesus and how he went around doing good to all he met can be broken open so that participants can be challenged to do likewise.
Whatever the creative design we generate for each of our catechetical sessions, let us remember our Creator God who looked at darkness and chaos and started something brand new!
For Reflection
• What do you think the barriers are that block creativity for many of us?
• What ideas did you gain from this article that you would like to try and incorporate into your catechetical sessions?
Gretchen Hailer, RSHM, a Sister of the Sacred Heart of Mary, is a seasoned catechist and media educator who designs print, audio, and video resources for faith formation for children and adults.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith Plus, Getting Started, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 2007.
Catechesis as a Transformative Process
by Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, STD
Catechesis is an integral dimension of the life of the Church. It is certainly a significant part of mine as a bishop. Good catechesis is always done in the context of the evangelizing mission of the Church. Whether it is catechesis by Catholic school teachers or parish religious educators working in classrooms, sacramental preparation, RCIA, or adult faith formation groups, all are aspects of evangelization.
The purpose of this evangelization is to bring about faith and conversion to Christ. Faith involves a profound change of mind and heart, a change of life. Such a change can only arise from deep within the interior of one’s being, where one faces the truly important questions about human life. Such a change, engendered by the action of the Holy Spirit, shows itself in the transformation of one’s life. One begins to live “in Christ” and is able to confess with Saint Paul, “[I]t is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
The National Directory of Catechesis (NDC) encourages us to envision catechesis as the presentation of an invitation to this whole new order of life and way of being and thinking. It also recognizes that in the new evangelization the “Word” must be presented as transformative. The faith must engage both the person and the culture, bringing both to a new level of life in Christ.
We must be acutely aware of the circumstances in which we exercise our catechetical ministry. The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults points out that American Catholics can be described as a “generation of seekers” (p. 6). Religious seekers in the United States live within a culture that, in important ways, provides support and belief in God but at the same time discourages and corrodes the faith in practice. Yet, many find the surrounding secularism unsatisfactory and search for deeper meaning in life. This search provides an entrée as we proclaim the person of Christ, an encounter that gives focus, direction, and meaning to our lives.
Conversion and Transformation
The task of catechesis today against the backdrop of our culture, then, must be transformative. We are God’s people; we are Christ’s Church, his new body. As such we have a life force—the Holy Spirit. We have a vision—the Gospel. We also have a way to transform ourselves in oneness with Christ and, therefore, with one another—the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Conversion into Christ is a lifelong task. We are caught up in it at every stage of our lives. It is also totally dependent on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Prayer plays a vital part in personal conversion, and, for this reason, it must be incorporated in an integral way into our catechetical process.
Conversion, however, is not simply individual reconciliation with God. The great commandment is to love the Lord God, Jesus tells us, and then to love our neighbor. The NDC points out that our catechetical effort should be to inspire individuals and communities in such a way that life in Christ becomes the vital principle of all their activities. Catechesis as a transforming force sees the action of God’s Spirit at work at a number of levels simultaneously. First is the grafting of the person to the life of the vine that is Christ while at the same time seeing the branch bear good fruit in a life of discipleship reflective of the Gospels and rich in the works of justice and charity.
Truth Leads to Life
We turn to Jesus and therefore to his Church in order that we might hear, accept, and live the words of spirit and truth—the words of everlasting life. Catechesis is all about introducing people into a higher level of life and a new way of living. We live in the transforming power of the Spirit, and we are enabled to do so because we walk in the truth of God’s revelation. The truth and the life are intimately related because entrance into new life, a supernatural reality that transcends the parameters of this human life, takes place precisely to the extent that we hear and receive the truth that opens us to this spiritual transformation.
For Reflection
• How could you make prayer a more integral part of your catechetical process?
• In what ways does your catechesis challenge others to take up the work of the Gospel and live lives of Christian discipleship?
Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, STD is the bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington DC.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith Plus, Adult Faith Formation, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 2007.
The Heart of Prayer
by Jo McClure Rotunno
Saint John Damascene called prayer “a raising of the mind and heart to God.” Saint Therese of Lisieux called it “a surge of the heart.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that the wellspring of prayer lies in the human heart, that seat of the soul or “hidden center” where only the Spirit of God can go. (CCC, 2563)
Sacred Scripture shows us that the origins of human prayer arise in history after the entry of sin into the world. From this moment, God desires to restore us to friendship. In the Hebrew Scriptures we learn the qualities of a prayerful life. From Abel we learn that prayer is walking with God. From Abraham and Sarah we discover attentiveness of heart and conformity to God’s will. From Jacob we learn that prayer can be a “wrestling” with God, but that perseverance has its rewards. In Moses we find a deep intimacy with God and see the power of intercession as Moses brings the needs of the people before God. From Samuel we learn the importance of listening for God, whose Word often comes as a whisper rather than an earthquake. From David we learn both how to praise and how to repent. From the prophets we learn of righteousness, and the power to proclaim the truth that is born of intimacy with God.
In the Psalms we find an entire school of prayer, so much so that some have said that all study of the Scriptures should begin with the Psalms. These masterpieces of prayer both nourish and speak the prayer of a community of faith. While they arose in a particular time and place, they have become universal expressions of praise and thanksgiving, of lamentation and repentance. In the Psalms, the Word of God becomes our word—our prayer (CCC, 2587).
Jesus is the perfect model of prayer. Jesus, though Son of God, was human like us. He took his first steps in prayer as we do, learning from his family and his religious tradition. Jesus found God in his human heart, where he discovered his deep intimacy, with his Father. He shows us the way to that intimacy, which is available to all of us who are willing to make the journey.
When did Jesus pray? He prayed before all the decisive moments in his ministry, most memorably before his Passion. He prayed before the great moments in the ministry of his disciples. He spent an entire night alone in prayer before the call of the Twelve. The night he was betrayed he told Peter he had prayed that Peter’s faith would be strong, that this man to whom he must entrust so much would not be tempted.
Where and how did Jesus pray? Jesus often prayed in solitude, sometimes apart from others, often at night. All of his words and works were empowered by these times of silent prayer. One of the great public prayers of Jesus occurs at the raising of Lazarus (John 11:41–42). Here Jesus teaches us that all prayer begins in thanksgiving. He acknowledges that in all cases “the Giver is more precious than the gift” (CCC, 2604); see Matthew 16:21, 33. And in all decisive situations, Jesus submits his own will to his Father’s will.
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He reminded them of the constant conversion of heart that bringing the reign of God would require. He encouraged them to strive for great things in their prayer—to be bold. In the Lord’s Prayer, he summarized for them his entire message, so much so that his disciples incorporated it into their worship from the very beginning. He cautioned them to be watchful in prayer, to be patient and humble as he had been. And he told them to always pray in his name, in the power of the Spirit which remains with us.
At the end of his earthly life, it was Jesus’ prayer, spoken from the depths of his heart, that was heard by God and effected salvation for us all. He stayed faithful to the attitude of prayer he learned first from his mother: “Let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
For Reflection
What insights have you gained from this article about the importance of prayer in the Christian life?
Jo McClure Rotunno is a lifetime religious educator and Director of Creative Development at RCL • Benziger. Jo worked as a religious education consultant for the Office of Religious Education in Los Angeles, and served there for twenty years in the formation of catechists and master catechists. She speaks nationally on topics related to catechist formation and enrichment. Jo holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, Prayer and Spirituality, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1998.
Mary in the Church
By Rev. Robert J. Hater, PhD
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
For centuries this prayer has encapsulated the meaning and the place of Mary for millions of believers all over the world. The role of the Virgin in our history, and in our lives, is reflected in the beautiful stories of the annunciation and birth of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. These stories have some differences as to detail, but the reality and truth that they reflect is the same, that is, that Jesus is fully human and fully God and Mary was an integral part of his earthly existence.
God sends angels to announce the coming of Jesus in each of the Gospels. Luke has the angel go directly to the Virgin. “Greetings, favored one,” the angel says, “The Lord is with you . . . The Holy Spirit will come upon you . . . The child born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:28, 35). In what has become one of our greatest assertions of faith, Mary responds to the angel, “Here am I, the [handmaid] of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Whenever God sends angels as messengers to people, it is a sign that we need to pay attention to the unfolding of a great mystery. In the case of the conception and birth of Jesus, the Gospels alert us to the depths of unknowing that swirl around the Good News of Jesus’ human birth. The consistent doctrine of the perpetual Virginity of Mary speaks for the Church’s uncompromising faith in the greatness of God’s love and power to enter into our lives in a myriad of surprising ways.
Mary was the first witness to Jesus, and his first disciple. She was chosen to be the Mother of God, and God gave her special gifts. The greatest gift given to her was to be completely filled with grace. That is, she was conceived without original sin and, because of her special relationship with Jesus; she was preserved from all sin throughout her life. The great love and devotion of Mary to Jesus, and Jesus to his mother, made it fitting that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven to sit next to her Son.
What is often overlooked in the relationship of Mary and Jesus is her persistence and teaching of Jesus so that he would truly claim his own power. For example, in the Gospel of John, Mary challenges Jesus to begin his ministry. In the beautiful passage of the Wedding at Cana, Jesus is moved by the passion of his mother’s faith in him to turn the ordinary waters of life into the deep rich wines of a shared life (John 2:1–12).
The great depths of this mystery of faithfulness in the Sacred History of our Redemption places the Virgin in a special role as the Mother of the Church. Through her heartfelt assent to God, and her firm and loving hand in guiding the Christ child to adulthood, Mary is truly the Mother of All Believers. Jesus has gifted us with the presence of the Virgin as our Mother in Heaven. In her special relationship to Jesus, she intervenes in our behalf, she prays for us, and we can send our needs and prayers to her to give to her Son. This unique holiness that is Mary’s comes from Christ and from her unyielding desire to do the will of God. The Virgin was one of us, a human being born of a woman, and struggling to understand her role in the world.
We are inspired by Mary, though, because her dramatic YES! to God’s invitation models for us the holiness each one of us is called to by our Baptism in the Lord. With the help of our Heavenly Mother, we can aspire to have meaningful and holy lives as we walk with Jesus’ people today. Mary models for us how we ought to live our lives in a world too often filled with injustice and pain. It is, then, Mary’s total life of trust and faithfulness of God’s presence and commitment to her child, family, and community that captures our hearts and minds and truly places the Virgin at the very center of our lives as believers.
Mary is the Mother of the Church . . . truly the Mother of all believers.
Memorare
Remember, most
loving Virgin Mary,
never was it heard
that anyone who turned
to you for help
was left unaided.
Inspired by this
confidence, though burdened by my sins,
I run to your protection for you are my mother.
Mother of the Word
of God, do not despise
my words of pleading
but be merciful
and hear my prayer.
Amen.
For Reflection
How does Mary serve as a model for you in your life?
Reverend Robert J. Hater is a nationally recognized teacher, writer, and speaker on topics of theology, religious education, and pastoral ministry.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, I Believe, We Believe, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1997.
The Tapestry of Faith: Teaching the Six Tasks of Catechesis
by Kate Ristow
Like the multicolored threads and textures of a tapestry, the Catholic faith has many dimensions. As catechists we are called to weave together six interrelated dimensions that enable our students to develop an increasing sense of the authentic Christian message and mission. These dimensions, called the tasks of catechesis, help us to know, live, celebrate, and express our faith in prayer (General Directory for Catechesis 84). The six tasks if catechesis are outlined in the General Directory for Catechesis. Being mindful of the importance of the six tasks and incorporating them into your ministry will ensure that your students grow as disciples of Christ.
1. Promoting Knowledge of the Faith. Catechists introduce students to the life, mission, and message of Jesus Christ, through whom we come to know God and God’s loving plan of salvation for all people. As we learn about and respond to Christ’s presence in our lives, we grow in our understanding of God’s self-revelation through Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition. We teach students the meaning of the Creed so that, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, they may understand and live the Church’s beliefs that can be traced from the time of the Apostles.
2. Liturgical Education. Catechists foster liturgical knowledge by teaching about the liturgy and the Church’s sacramental life. We enable students to participate more fully in the sacraments by helping them experience the prayers, gestures, signs, and symbols that celebrate God’s love and Christ’s presence among us.
3. Moral Formation. Catechesis on morality includes teaching the content of Christ’s moral teachings and helping students recognize how they can live out these teachings in their daily lives. The goal of moral catechesis is to enable students to transform their lives according to the example and message of Christ and the Church.
4. Teaching to Pray. Knowing and celebrating our faith go hand in hand. Catechists teach students to pray, as Jesus did in the Our Father. Understanding the Our Father teaches us how to pray and live as followers of Christ. Catechists also help students cultivate the use of a variety of prayer forms, including adoration, praise, thanksgiving, blessing, intercession, petition, contrition, and meditation so that they may pray with Christ and the Church.
5. Catechists are called to create an atmosphere in their classrooms that makes it possible for students to understand the implications of Jesus’ command: “[L]ove one another” (John 13:34). Jesus calls us into a community that is characterized by simplicity, humility, and concern for the poor, communal prayer, forgiveness, and love. Through their classroom experiences, students grow in their appreciation of communal living and their responsibility to build up the Christian community.
6. Missionary Initiative. Faith is meant to be lived. Catechists teach students that we are all called to bear witness to our faith through our daily words and actions. We promote a spirit of evangelization and help our students find ways to prepare the way for the coming of God’s kingdom of peace, love, and justice.
The six tasks of catechesis are the fabric of our faith—the canvas on which our faith is lived out. As you work with the tasks in your classroom, know that you are teaching as Jesus did, educating your students, praying with them, being a model for them, and inviting them to respond to our true vocation in life—continuing Christ’s work in the world.
For Reflection
• For which if the six tasks of catechesis do you feel most prepared? Which ones are more of a challenge for you?
• What are you doing to encourage children to take up the missionary mandate of the Gospel?
Kate Ristow in the National Catechetical Consultant for RCL • Benziger.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith Plus, Roles of the Catechist, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 2007.
“When did the Catholic Church find Jesus?” the catechist asked. She had been away from the Church in her early twenties and “found Jesus” in another denomination. Having returned to the Church, she was volunteering as a catechist. Her question points out the need for the National Directory for Catechesis (NDC).
The NDC was written specifically for Catholics in the United States who are responsible for catechizing others, whether adults, teens, or children. Most importantly for catechists, it sets catechesis within the context of evangelization. Evangelization is the context for catechesis because everyone needs to be evangelized, to be brought into communion with Jesus Christ and to know the power of his presence in their life.
As the example in the opening paragraph illustrates, it is possible to catechize people without evangelizing them. It is possible to teach people about Jesus and the truths of the faith of the Church without ever bringing them to know Jesus in a personal way. Consequently, evangelization needs to precede and accompany catechesis. Evangelization, therefore, is the overarching theme of catechesis and should permeate our teaching. Catechists must be able to lead people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and tech them the truths of the faith of the Church as those truths relate to being children of God and brothers and sisters to Jesus.
Since the NDC emphasizes evangelization so strongly, we Catholics must become comfortable with the word and the work of evangelization. What is evangelization? It is the “clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ, that is, the preaching of his name, his teaching, his life, his promises and the Kingdom which he has gained for us by his Paschal Mystery” (the Church in America [Ecclesia in America] 66). (See NDC 17.) This definition of evangelization is not scary. It does not call for knocking on doors as so many people think when they hear the word. But it does presume a personal knowledge of Christ and of the Scriptures. One cannot be a catechist without being converted oneself, without having a personal relationship with God and a basic knowledge of Jesus in the Scriptures. “This is crucial: we must be converted—and we must continue to be converted! We must let the Holy Spirit change our lives! We must respond to Jesus Christ” (Go and Make Disciples 14). (See NDC 17B.) Jesus must make a difference in the life of the catechist and the lives of the catechized.
A strong emphasis is placed upon the forming of disciples and Christian community, on teaching others to be able to hand on the faith in an ever-widening circle of believers until we reach the four corners of the earth as the Gospel mandates. Ours is a missionary Church. Again, discipleship and missions, or apostolate, may be words with which we are uncomfortable, but they belong to the Catholic vocabulary.
Echoing previous Church documents, another emphasis of the NDC is the centrality of adult catechesis, which quotes Catechesi Tradendae in affirming that “the catechesis of adults… is the principal form of catechesis…” (CT 43 in NDC 48A). Indeed the catechesis of adults is the axis around which all other catechesis in a parish is to revolve. (See GDC 275, NDC 48A.) Only adults are capable of mature faith which produces the fruits of evangelization and witness to Christ, seeking justice for all, and the promotion of Christian unity. (See NDC 48A, 1.) Since most of our parishes have been focused on the catechesis of children rather than adults, this calls for a reorientation of our thinking, our resources, and our time.
The NDC also outlines particular challenges and opportunities within the culture of the United States that we need to be aware of and address in our catechetical ministry. We experience great cultural and regional diversity in our population, which can provide wonderful opportunities for learning even while we confront the effects of divorce, increased mobility, and globalization, to name only a few concerns. The NDC challenges the Catholic Church in the United States to bring all people into a personal relationship with Christ and to fulfill Jesus’ instructions to “Go… and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). It is a tall order. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we go.
For Reflection
• Give an example of a time when you have felt you were effective in sharing the message of Jesus with others.
• What stories from your life might you be able to share with others to illustrate how God has been faithful to you?
Alice Noe is Coordinator of Catechetical Program Development and Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith Plus, Person of the Catechist, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 2007.
From Slavery to Freedom
by Mary C. Boys, SNJM
When Christians gather to celebrate the Easter Vigil, we draw upon Israel’s exodus from Egypt and use it as a key metaphor for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Exodus testifies to a God who suffers with the oppressed, leads them to freedom, and calls them to become a holy people. Each year, during the celebration of Passover, Jews ritualize the Exodus, as if each had personally been redeemed from Egypt. One text for the Seder (ritual meal) includes this prayer:
Therefore, we must revere, adore, glorify, and praise beyond platitude
who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and for us.
He took us
from slavery to freedom
from despair to joy
from mourning to celebration
from darkness to radiance
from enslavement to redemption
and we sing before Him a new song.
Hallelujah.
At the Easter Vigil, we proclaim that this same God brings life out of death, and calls Christians to be “…a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
The Exodus is an event at the bedrock of Judaism and Christianity, and Jesus’ Passover from grave to new life is the centerpiece of Christian proclamation. Each is a journey. By the Hebrews leaving Egypt and traversing the Sinai, Jews and Christians learn to walk in God’s ways. Similarly, as we trace in our own lives Jesus’ journey from death to life, we discover God’s sustaining presence even in moments of despair. These are the essential stories we keep telling one another as we walk along life’s way, because they tell about God’s passion to redeem us from whatever enslaves us, and to restore life to whatever deals death.
The Exodus and Easter stories are not only about freedom. They also involve our being set free for commitment to God’s people. The story of the passage through the Sea was soon joined by a second “chapter,” so to speak: the making of the covenant in the wilderness of Sinai (see Exodus 24:1-8), which specified the obligations of the people. In fact, those obligations helped to form the motley group of escaped slaves into a people of the Lord (see Judges 5:11, 13). In the covenant in the wilderness we begin to understand what the freedom of belonging to God requires.
To live up to the obligations of the covenant leads to freedom, the freedom of belonging to a God who teaches people to reject every form of slavery. Covenant is a call to grow out of the narrowness of excessive self-preoccupation and, instead, to commit oneself to a community. Covenant is a call to love others as God loves. Freedom and responsibility are inextricably woven together, and they constitute the very fabric of our covenant with God.
We who are Christians see this covenantal love embodied in Jesus of Nazareth. We who trace the sign of the cross on our bodies are called to live as an Easter people, committed to a God who cares so passionately for all people.
For Reflection
• What do you feel enslaved by in your life?
• What commitment would be required on your part to begin to free yourself from this spiritual slavery?
Mary C. Boys, a Sister of the Holy Names, is the Skinner and McAlpin Professor of Practical Theology at Union theological Seminary in New York.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, Introduction to the Scriptures, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1998.
The Journey to Moral Consciousness
by Evelyn Eaton Whitehead and James D. Whitehead
When we are children in faith, our parents and teachers guide our earliest growth toward moral consciousness. Caring for us with love, helping us to distinguish right and wrong, teaching us forgiveness and compassion, they show us the practical shape of Christian life.
Growing into youth and young adulthood, we become disciples of the Lord. Now, as we participate in a wider community of Christian value and commitment, our moral consciousness deepens. New formative experiences join with the early voices of family and teachers in shaping how we follow Christ. Gradually we find our own voice—the trustworthy inner guide that we call adult conscience.
Adult conscience is tested in our daily decisions of love and work and justice. We ask: “How should I follow Jesus in my own life?” As we struggle to discern a faithful response, our religious formation helps us to shape our imagination. The parable of the Good Samaritan instructs us how to respond to those in need. The account of the risen Jesus appearing on the road to Emmaus alerts us that the stranger in our midst may in truth be Christ. These stories enliven our imaginations and touch our hearts. Now we see through Jesus’ eyes.
Maturing in faith, our conscience becomes more reliable. We have been tested, and at times we have sinned and experienced God’s forgiveness. Through prayer and discernment we have learned which inner instincts to follow and which to turn away from. Forming a mature conscience does not make us isolated moral authorities, stranded outside the influence of the Scripture and our rich moral Tradition as Christians. Instead, mature conscience inserts us into the community of faith. Disciplined by our discipleship, we are ready to become stewards in the Christian community.
Saint Paul has described the chief virtue of the good steward: “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) Stewards are mature Christians, charged with making important decisions for their families, for the parish and the civic community.
Stewardship can be a challenging season of Christian faith. The moral choices that confront us here are complex and confusing. Frequently we must decide in the face of disagreement, before all the facts are clear. And often now our decisions affect more than just ourselves; we are responsible for other people, for institutions and organizations, for the future. We ask: “What is the truly moral response here? Can I trust my conscience to guide me in this decision? How can we work together—in this family, in this parish, in this country—to bring about justice?
By holding us alert to the wisdom of faith and the demands of the Gospel, mature conscience guides us in the responsible choices of adult life.
For Reflection
• In what ways have stories from Scripture challenged you in your own growth toward the seasons of discipleship and stewardship?
Evelyn Eaton Whitehead is a developmental psychologist specializing in adult maturity, leadership, and the social analysis of community and parish life.
James D. Whitehead is a pastoral theologian and historian of theology.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, Introduction to the Learner, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1998.
The Ethics of Life and Death
by Marie Egan, IHM
Birth and death, the edges of life, are moments charged with human feelings and emotion. They are moments that present some of the knottiest ethical problems and the most heart wrenching moral decisions we face. There are other moments in between that also test our moral sensibilities.
Developments in modern medicine and technology have made these decisions increasingly difficult. A variety of techniques have been developed for ending life before birth and for extending life at its end. Science has made it possible to have sex without procreation and procreation without sex—to separate lovemaking and baby making. Gene therapy may soon make it possible to shape the genetic blueprint of future generations, while human cloning threatens the very individuality that makes each of us unique before God.
It is because of such developments that people would do well to think through these issues before the urgent need for a decision presents itself. Today many are in search of ethical wisdom to guide them in decision making in our complex modern society. The Christian is no different, but the Christian is able to bring to these moral dilemmas a number of guiding convictions and time-honored principles.
The sanctity of human life. Christianity has always affirmed the basic value of life, recognizing each and every life as made in the image of a creative and loving God. Life is the primary gift of God to each individual. Pope Pius XII described it as the foundational good, the necessary condition for all other values, achievements, and relationships. Without physical life, no other human good is even possible. Thus, since physical life is so essential, health is a value and the promotion and preservation of health are worthy goals and moral responsibilities.
Human life is not an absolute good. The Christian also recognizes that life is a relative, not an absolute, good, and the duty to preserve it is a limited one. Christianity does not demand the preservation of physical life at any cost. There are greater values worth the sacrificing of life. Jesus himself taught us this when he said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) Jesuit moralist Richard McCormick asserts that life is of value precisely because of its potential for human relationships that make possible growth in love of God and neighbor. Life is good. Love is possible. Death is inevitable.
Death is part of the life cycle. For the Christian, death is not the enemy; sin is. Accepting one’s mortality is very much a part of the Christian wisdom. As the Mass of Resurrection reminds us, in death life is changed, not taken away. Such a perspective sheds light on decisions about withholding or withdrawing treatment at the end of life when the treatment offers no hope for a return to meaningful existence. The decision is not one of abandonment. Rather, it manifests an acceptance of death as a natural part of the life cycle and the surrender of the dying into the hands of the loving God who first gave life.
Decisions surrounding momentous events in life—birth, death, reproduction, sickness, organ donation, human experimentation, care of defective newborns—are complex and taxing. The Christian can best prepare for these decisions by being as informed as possible about scientific and medical developments, by seeking guidance from magisterium and the theological community, and by prayerfully reaffirming basic beliefs about the value of life, the inevitability of death, the assurance of resurrection, and the ongoing assistance of a loving God.
For Reflection
• What principles described in this article will assist you when you are faced with bioethical dilemmas in your own life?
Dr. Marie Egan, IHN, is a moral theologian with a doctorate from the Catholic University of America.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, Catholic Morality, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1998.
The Paschal Mystery: God’s Blessing
by Catherine Dooly, OP
Paschal mystery is one of those things that we teach and we experience but often cannot describe. The Catechism of the Catholic Church places the Paschal mystery in the context of the biblical understanding of blessing. Think of the last time that you said, “That was such a blessing for me!” When you remember that event or person that was a blessing for you, you will have some idea of why the Catechism offers blessing as a description of Paschal mystery. A biblical understanding of blessing, which includes praise, thanksgiving, and acknowledgement of dependence upon God, presumes that we have experienced and recognized God’s life-giving action in our lives. Blessing, then, is something we have known and acknowledged.
The ongoing story of salvation shows us that “[f]rom the beginning until the end of time the whole of God’s work is a blessing” (CCC, 1079). It is God who blesses all created things, who blessed Abraham, the patriarchs, the people of Israel, all that they experienced from birth to aging to death. God creates in love; God sustains in love. God’s people have received blessings; therefore they are to bless. The people of Israel bless their children; leaders and kings bless their people. Immersed in the blessings from God, the people send the blessings back to the source.
Blessing, therefore, has two aspects. When applied to God, it means God’s initiative, God’s saving action in our lives now. On our part, it designates our own response and surrender to God our Creator in thanksgiving for God’s saving presence with us.
In the liturgy of the Church, God’s blessing is fully made known and communicated. We praise our God, our Father and Creator, as the source of all blessings. We give thanks for God’s merciful and saving actions in our lives.
In the Eucharistic liturgy we celebrate and make present what God has done in Christ, God’s blessing, the Paschal mystery. The Paschal mystery is unique; it is a historical event that occurred in the past but cannot remain in the past. By dying Christ destroyed death; by rising he restored life. Jesus who became incarnate, died, and was raised out of love for us, fills us with many blessings. “Through his Word, he pours into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1082).
In the Eucharistic liturgy we recall all that God has done for us in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We celebrate the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, a mystery which is the paradigm for the true ultimate meaning of Christian life. Our celebration sends us forth to enter the mystery of Christ’s dying and rising in our daily lives.
The Paschal mystery is the lens through which we view and interpret our human experience. Living the Paschal mystery is a “letting go.” It means coping with the inevitable fact of our own mortality and that of those whom we love. The Paschal mystery means that in the midst of pain and disappointment, there is the possibility of change and new life. The rising of the Paschal mystery means reconciliation, fidelity, forgiveness, and hope in the face of adversity. We die to our enslavements in order to live in the freedom with which Christ has made for us free. The Church proclaims and celebrates this Paschal mystery in the liturgy in order to live from it and carry on God’s blessings in the world.
For Reflection
• What insight have you gained into how we live the Paschal mystery in our daily lives?
Sr. Catherine Dooley is an associate professor of catechesis and liturgy at the Catholic University of America, and a widely published author of texts and resources in liturgy and catechesis.
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, Liturgy and Sacraments, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1998.
