by Jeff Schinstock
As summer reaches its midway point, the time is coming where parishes and schools are beginning to prepare for the coming year.
Catechesis plays a major component in this preparation. I believe that it is always a good principle for us to look at why we Catholics do what we do. Whether it be religion classes in school, CCD, Godteens or OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), what is the point of the catechesis being done in your parish or school setting?
Pope St. Paul VI, in his 1975 encyclical letter Evangelii Nuntiandi, reminds the world that the Church “exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass.” Each piece of this is closely related. Note he first says preach. This is the proclamation of the good news that though we are sinners who have turned from God, Jesus Christ became man and took on our sin to reestablish relationship between God and man. This initial proclamation, kerygma in Greek, is meant to draw us in, to give us hope and to be the accompaniment in the journey of Christian life. Before the detailed parts of the story, we must boldly proclaim this good news.
The teaching or catechesis that we do is intimately linked with this evangelizing preaching. The point of our teaching is to bring about an encounter with God, and then to deepen and strengthen it. We cannot encounter God enough! He is so present in our lives, but we often fail to be aware of his presence with us. God wants to share in the whole of our lives, and he wants us to know him and know about him.
Jesus very succinctly tells us the most important of the commandments: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt. 22: 37-39). We, as Christians, truly participate in loving our neighbor by teaching him about God. After all, who can love someone without knowing that person?
The Church has prepared people to catechize in beautiful and systematic ways. The very structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church walks us through what we need to know in a structure that is both satisfying and inviting. As wonderful as that structure is, it cannot do the work for us. In the end, we must be the witnesses of the message. People are attracted to the gospel message so often because the messengers are happy or kind. They often give of their time to help spread the word, often even if they feel inadequate. We in the Church are the entryway to relationship with our creator. It can be demanding. If I am having a bad day, I rarely have the conscious thought that I am still a witness in those moments. But if I reflect, many of the great witnesses in my life who brought me to the gospel did so in the beauty of suffering; being constantly hospitable, even if their own needs at the moment were greater than mine.
The accompaniment of the Christian community helps sustain us. This accompaniment is itself a catechesis. It draws people in to give a response of faith. Whenever we give a response in faith, we are drawn deeper into conversion. Our friendship with God grows stronger as we experience life with him. I imagine that most readers of this column can picture in their minds a few key people who have been a big part of their journey of faith.
The truth is that our pastors want this relationship with God for us more than anything. That is why they are preparing for another year of catechesis. I would like to challenge you to ask your pastor if you can help. We are all catechists, meant to share and aid each other in the journey. Perhaps you think that is for someone else who is more qualified, but perhaps God has equipped you more than you know. Be bold, act in faith and see what God has in store for you.
