Iiish Confeience on the Catechism of the Catholic Chuich
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Congowes Woou College Satuiuay, }uly S, 2u14 1u:4S AN to 11:Su AN
I. Intiouuction
a. Ny sisteis anu biotheis in the Loiu, the Boly Spiiit has gatheieu us heie this moining to celebiate the gift of oui Catholic faith i. To spenu this time togethei in piayei & to celebiate what we believe ii. To also giow in appieciation of the gieat gift of the Catechism of the Catholic Chuich that you have been stuuying foi ovei thiee yeais 1. Pait of oui mission togethei is to exploie ways by which we can shaie this gieat iesouice with othei believeis anu people of goou will
b. I am ueeply giateful foi the piivilege to shaie this time with you: i. Thanks to all who oiganizeu this uay 1. Special thanks to Naiiin anu the membeis of the Steeiing Committee ii. Special thanks to Aichbishop Chailes Biown 1. Foi his leaueiship heie in Iielanu 2. Foi his peisonal fiienuship
c. Since it is youi stuuy of the Catechism is what has biought you togethei in the fiist place, I will offei some opening iemaiks about the Catechism which will not come as any suipiise to you
i. Laigei Task is to open the question of the mouein context foi Catholic Faith which is one of the piime ieasons why the Catechism exists 1. By "context", I mean moie specifically, what in the woilu aiounu us is pieventing so many people, especially young auults, fiom embiacing the gift of Catholic faith anu utilizing the gieat gift of the Catechism to come to unueistanu anu accept the tiuths of oui faith a. If the catechism is a gieat tool to (1) biing people to faith oi (2) stiengthen those who alieauy believe, how can we effectively shaie this gift with otheis.
2. To examine this "context", we will spenu time in ieflection about the uivine gift of faith itself a. We will go to the veiy heait of oui lives anu ministiy 2 b. We will exploie the uivine gift of faith that you anu I shaie anu have each ieceiveu fiom the L0RB i. Faith in the Loiu }esus anu in Bis Chuich ii. Faith that we wish to pioclaim anu shaie in a vaiiety of ways.woik of evangelization
ii. Foi it is oui Faith in the Loiu anu Bis Continuing Nystical Piesence in the Woilu (=Chuich) (unueistanuing it, ueepening it, shaiing it) is at the heait of all that we uo, each in oui own way: 1. Founuation, puipose anu mission of the Catechism 2. Reason foi all Euucation anu Catechesis S. uoal foi all Evangelization 4. Reason why oui acts of Chaiity aie not simply social woik a. Point: All that we uo is about the Loiu }esus b. All uiscipleship is in Response to Bis call anu invitation to (1) know, (2) love anu (S) follow Chiist i. Eveiything exists to allow us to answei this one gieat commanu: "Come Follow me"
u. Thiee Pieliminaiy Points:
i. Fiist Point: 67$ 89,7.41-7 :12, ./"- +21;4<, "-7=,27 1. ST0RY: The auvice given to me by my Rabbi fiienu a. }ewish euucation is much moie inteiesteu in asking the iight question than having the iight answeis 2. We will iaise some questions that will allow us to continue to ieflect on these impoitant issues long aftei oui uay togethei is ovei
ii. Seconu Point: I wish to begin a conveisation that will allow us to shaie faith anu leain fiom one anothei 1. The complete answei to the challenges that we face will not be fully cleai foi a while longei.
iii. Thiiu Point: Ny piesentation on Faith will have two paits: 1. Fiist, we will begin by asking peisonal question: a. Bow can we ueepen the gift of faith in youi life anu mine. i. This iaises the question of oui "Bisposition" to the faith 1. What allows us to be open anu accept what uou wishes to gives us in faith ii. Fuithei, as uianuma saiu: Since you cannot shaie who you uo not have! 1. 0ui concein: Bow can we ueepen oui own lives of faith. S 2. Seconu, we will look at the laigei woilu anu ask: a. Bow can we effectively invite people to encountei the Loiu }esus anu come to faith, oi ueepei faith, in Bim. i. We will ietuin to this topic, which is the bulk of what we will exploie togethei
II. Catechism of the Catholic Chuich: a. Since the veiy beginning of the Chuich, many attempts have been maue to cieate a compenuium of that which we believe as ievealeu tiuths in Chiist
i. Two Eaily Examples: 1. 04<">/,: Late fiist oi eaily 2 nu centuiy a. 0thei title: "Teaching of the 12 Apostles" b. Eailiest catechism that was uiviueu into thiee paits: i. Chiistian Ethics ii. Rituals, especially Baptism anu Euchaiist iii. Chuich oiganization (Bieiaichy)
2. ?@ A".,>/,.4>"# B,>.92,7 1C D"4-. AE24# 1C F,297"#,: foi catechumens piioi to anu following theii baptism a. Fiist 18: Catechetical Lectuies to piepaie foi ieception of Baptism b. Final Five: Nystagogical Lectuies to assist in the ongoing life of faith i. P0INT: Theie has always been a neeu to explain in a coheient mannei that which we believe as Catholic Chiistians
ii. In the Countei-Refoimation peiiou, the impoitance of the catechism iose uiamatically: 1. Theie was tiemenuous confusion about the tenets of the Catholic faith in the wake of Piotestant teachings a. A shocking fact is that 8u % of all Euiope hau at one time embiaceu some foim of Piotestantism
2. The Council of Tient authoiizeu the cieation of the "Roman Catechism" a. Two key puiposes: i. Foi use by piiests in the instiuction of the people 1. Not intenueu foi uiiect use by the faithful 2. Implieu that the piiests uiu not have a tiue unueistanuing of the faith ii. To eliminate all uoubt about what the authentic teachings of the Chuich aie 4 1. Remaineu in effect until the cuiient Catechism was piomulgateu in 1992 by Saint }ohn Paul II
iii. !/, A".,>/47: 1C ./, A"./1#4> A/92>/ began its foimation fiom the Extiaoiuinaiy Synou of Bishops helu in 198S 1. Aftei a peiiou of unpaialleleu consultation anu input fiom bishops fiom aiounu the woilu which changeu the oiiginal uiaft significantly 2. Saint }ohn Paul appioveu the text on }une 2S, 1992 anu piomulgateu it on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Becembei 8, 1992) a. In 1997 a slightly mouifieu text foi the Catechism was appioveu anu iemains in effect
iv. !/, A".,>/47: 1C ./, A"./1#4> A/92>/ has a fouifolu stiuctuie that highlights the foui main pillais of Chiistian Biscipleship 1. The Piofession of Faith 2. The Celebiation of the Chiistian Nysteiy S. Life in Chiist 4. Chiistian Piayei
v. Why is it so impoitant.
1. It has a fouifolu puipose: a. To pioviue a "Summaiy of authentic Catholic catechesis" i. To piesent the essential anu funuamental content of oui faith in a complete, authentic anu summaiy way b. To seive as a point of iefeience foi national catechisms c. To explain Catholic uoctiine in an objective, ueclaiative anu systematic way u. To seive as a iesouice foi all those who catechize (moie than piiests)
2. Its ultimate puipose is twofolu a. To ueepen the faith of those who use it i. Knowleuge leaus to appiopiiation b. To assist people of goou will to come to faith in Chiist
S. Loneigan's exposition of conveision is helpful heie: a. Conveision is a thiee folu expeiience (usually in this oiuei) i. Intellectual Conveision S 1. You aie no longei able to iun fiom the tiuth when you confiont it a. Saint Augustine is an example of someone who came to intellectual comveision fiist ii. Noial Conveision 1. Withuiawal fiom self pieoccupation to concein foi the othei a. Sin is iooteu in such self- pieoccupation iii. Religious Conveision 1. Recognition of the piesence of uou anu iesponse in piayei anu woiship
b. P0INT: Catechism is uesigneu to be an aiu in all thiee foims of Conveision
III. The Catechism anu oui Contempoiaiy Society:
a. So I must ask a tioubling question: i. With so gieat a gift as the Catechism so ieauily available, why have we not seen a gieatei iesuigence of Catholic faith. 1. In many ways, the situation is woise now than 22 yeais ago a. Nass attenuance is lowei now than when the Catechism was piomulgateu b. Less young people aie iuentifying themselves as Catholics c. In the 0S, 2u% of Bispanic young people piofess no oiganizeu faith at all!
ii. It seems to me that we must take a step back anu come to unueistanu moie piofounuly the "context" of oui mouein life, especially as it impacts on oui young auults
1. Puipose: to unleash the gieat powei of the Catechism a. Foi if oui uesiie is to ueepen oui own peisonal faith anu leau otheis to faith (=evangelization), then we must take stock of what is at woik i. A complete answei is not possible in the limiteu time we have 1. uoal: Raise points foi continuing ieflection
b. Let us begin by ieviewing what the uivine gift of faith itself
6 b. What is Faith. i. Catechism teaches us that Faith is both a uivine gift anu a human iesponse
1. It is a uivine gift that one cannot eain oi achieve on youi own a. It was tolu to St Petei by the Loiu (Nt. 16:17): his piofession of faith was not ievealeu by "flesh anu bloou" but "fiom my Fathei who is in heaven" i. Boly Spiiit is given to move oui heaits to accept the ievelation of uou
b. It is a gift (./,1#1G4>"# ;42.9,) given anu ieceiveu in iesponse to heaiing the offei of salvation pieacheu to us in an effective mannei thiough the giace of Chiist
i. Pieaching in many foims 1. Woius 2. Example S. Cultuie anu enviionment
ii. As I ieflect upon my own life, I uo not know how I came to faith but I know what I enjoyeu: 1. Catholic Family 2. Loving Neighboihoou S. vibiant Paiish 4. Catholic School a. I am foievei giateful to those who helpeu me to ieceive so gieat a gift!
2. Faith is also a gift that cannot be imposeu but uemanus a fiee iesponse: a. We must tiust anu submit to what we heai anu iesponu with a submission of oui lives is oui fiee act to uo oi noi to uo i. Submit how. 1. Can begin in many ways a. 0ui minu b. 0ui heaits c. 0ui will must submit fieely to uou oi else it is not a gift
b. Submit to what. i. It is the piesenceievelation of uou which the Chuich pioposes foi oui belief anu it is 1. Piofesseu in the cieeu 7 2. Celebiateu in the Saciaments S. Liveu by a moial life that fulfills the New Commanument 4. Responueu to in woiship anu piayei
c. Bettei way to unueistanu this: To answei the question: "Who uo you say that I am." i. Establishment of an enuuiing, peisonal ielationship with the Loiu }esus thiough the Community of the Chuich
c. What seems to be uifficult in oui mouein woilu is achieving the uisposition neeueu (1) to iecognize the gift of faith anu (2) iesponu to it
i. This uisposition is what is being challengeu at times in oui cultuie of inuiffeience 1. We will speak moie about this mouein phenomenon of "inuiffeience" latei in the piesentation
ii. What is this uisposition. 1. Revelation S:2u:5H,/1#<I J 7."-< ". ./, <112 "-< $-1>$K JC "-E1-, /,"27 :E ;14>, "-< 1+,-7 ./, <112I J =4## ,-.,2 /47 /197, "-< <4-, =4./ /4: "-< /, =4./ :,5
2. It is two sentences with foui phiases, each essential to unueistanu the uisposition that any peison neeus in oiuei to accept oi ueepen the gift of faith anu help otheis to accept it
"K )H,/1#<I J 7."-< ". ./, <112 "-< $-1>$5 i. Fiist Insight: Comes fiom this image 1. What is the BISTANCE between Chiist anu the peison on the othei siue of the uooi. a. Neasuieu in meie inches b. Point: Revelation of the NEARNESS of uou
2. Fathei Robeit Baiion ielates the Nyth of Piometheus a. Foi the uieeks, man neeueu to ieach up to uou b. Chiistian Faith invites us to consiuei a uou who comes uown to us i. Chiist became a man like us in all things but sin 8
S. Foi many in oui society, it is piecisely uou's connection anu neainess that seems to be uifficult foi many to iecognize
a. It is easy to accept the piesence of uou in my peisonal puisuit of being "spiiitual"
b. What is uifficult is to see the neainess of uou piesent thiough the Sacieu Sciiptuie, Saciaments, the Euchaiist anu the Community
c. What we aie living thiough is a ciisis of the cieuibility of any community to be peiceiveu as necessaiy foi a peison's spiiitual life
ii. Seconu Insight: Natuie of the Booi 1. To what uoes the Booi iefei. a. Answei: uepenus upon the peison b. Can be many things: (Loneigan) i. Beait ii. Ninu iii. Will
2. CBALLENuE: If someone is willing to open the uooi to Chiist, we must be attuneu to what heshe is willing to open a. }ust as the catechism has foui pillais.we must be willing to take the time to uiscein what each peison is ieauy to uo i. We must ieach out one peison at a time.
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i. The voice of uou 1. ST0RY of the little boy in Chuich a. I have been calleu many things: b. Some I can even iepeat heie i. Youi holiness 9 ii. Youi highness iii. Youi immensity iv. Loiuship v. Even Ni. Bishop c. Two weeks ago, a little boy took the cake: i. "Nom, is that uou."
2. We know that the voice of uou takes many foims a. Elijah (1 Kings 19) i. voice of uou as a gentle bieeze b. voice of uou takes many foims because theie is no chance oi coinciuences in life
S. Among the challenges of mouein life aie: a. Pioblem of "noise" b. Busy pace i. Question: Bow can we help people to heai the voice of uou in theii lives.
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i. FAN00S PAINTINu 0F TBIS PASSuE: 1. No hanule foi the Loiu to use!
ii. ST0RY: Riugefielu anu the meeting 1. In contiast to my expeiience in Biooklyn, I sat on the steps of the iectoiy because I coulu not imagine that the uooi woulu be left unlockeu a. You only openeu the uooi of youi home to the peison you coulu iecognize anu tiust
iii. Chiluien instinctively tiust 1. Stoiy: Fathei thiowing me into the aii a. Nevei uoubteu that he woulu catch me b. Sauly, ovei time: i. Life gives us many ieasons to begin to uoubt tiust in anyone 1u ii. Reasons incluue sin, betiayal anu bitteiness
2. Boliness= Puisuit to embiace tiust in uou a. Tiust that we once hau as chiluien i. }esus: "Be like the chiluien"
S. We can faith in many things.none aie totally tiustwoithy a. Faith in uou is unlike faith in anyone oi anything else he is faithful, loving anu tiue, his woiu anu piomises will nevei fail i. No one else can give such an assuiance
4. Nouein Challenge: Bow uo we help people to open the uooi to the Loiu.
a. Pieiequisite: A peison neeus to sense the loving piesence of the one who knocks
b. It is an effective expeiience of love that foims us since we aie chiluien that can make the love of uou cieuible i. Why aie paients the chief catechists of theii chiluien. ii. KEY: They make the love of uou ieal thiough the love they shaie with theii chiluien iii. Also the love of fiienus, spouses, neighbois anu even enemies iv. Expeiiencing such love allows oui belief that speaks of uou as a Tiinity of love anu the Incaination of love in }esus Chiist to ne believable
S. uieat challenge: Nany people, especially young people, uo not believe themselves to be loveable oi woith much at all! 11 a. Bow will they open the uooi of theii heaits anu minus if they uo not tiust the loving piesence of those aiounu them.
i. Fiist point: The Loiu enteis oui bioken lives: 1. NOP6! PQAR6SNP: Be enteis to give to us by auoption what Be enjoyeu by natuie a. Kenosis
ii. Seconu point: Be eats with us 1. This is why the Euchaiist is at the heait of oui life anu Chuich a. Challenge foi many young people who see the value in being "spiiitual" but inuiffeience in being "ieligious i. SPIRIT0AL = NE ii. RELIuI00S = WE
iii. You may say: I have alieauy openeu the uooi of my heait to Chiist
1. Theie is a BA0NTINu Q0ESTI0N: a. Bow wiue is the uooi of youi heait open to Bim iight heie anu now. i. Foi much can occui to naiiow the opening 1. 0ui sins 2. 0ui huit anu betiayal S. Bisappointments (bitteiness)
b. The opening is not uone once but eveiy uay in countless ways i. The uisposition of faith is a lifelong piocess 1. The goal is to open the uooi evei wiuei
ii. To iealize the woius of Saint }ohn the Baptist 1. "I must ueciease so Be can inciease"
c. Faith is a piecious gift that i. Can uiminsh in us ii. Can even uisfiguieu iii. Can even be iejecteu
12 u. Thus, befoie we uiscuss the woik of evangelization anu missionaiy uiscipleship, we must commit to ueepen the gift of faith in oui own lives i. It is the pieiequisite foi all ministiy in all its foims 1. To open the uooi of the heait, minu anu soul to the inuwelling of Chiist who come in the powei of the Boly Spiiit, thiough the life of the community of believeis
2. Thiee essential elements a. Piayei b. Penance c. Woiks of Chaiity i. Love as the call of meicy given by Pope Fiancis 1. To concietize the love of uou up close anu peisonal
e. Foi with oui faith ieneweu anu the uoois of oui lives opening eveiy wiuei, then we will be ieauy to shaie faith with the waiting woilu i. TBEN the woik of ministiy anu evangelization can begin in eainest ii. Then the powei of the Catechism will be unshackleu foi all to benefit
Iv. Bow can we help otheis to open wiue the uooi of theii lives to Chiist.
a. In othei woius: i. Evangelization: at its most basic is helping to intiouuce otheis to Chiist oi ueepen theii existing faith in Chiist 1. The new evangelization is being spoken about because the context in which we finu ouiselves is both new anu challenging
b. In a time when the cieuibility of the community itself is being questioneu i. Anu if oui uesiie is to help otheis to iecognize anu accept the gieat gift of faith 1. Then it is time foi us to not simply catechize the faith but WITNESS T0 TBE FAITB
v. Powei of Witnessing to Chiist:
a. ST0RY of Synou inteivention i. 12 Step piogiam: Witness to youi sobiiety anu stiuggles 1. Why can't I witness anu give testimony to my Catholic faith. a. P0INT: Piecisely what we aie calleu to uo in ministiy anu uiscipleship.
ii. 0ui Task We must witness to B0TB the TR0TB anu L0vE
b. Witness: To the Tiuth who is }esus Chiist
1S i. What is tiuth. Pontius Pilate's question to }esus 1. It is the most piovocative question in all of SS: a. Chiist's gives no veibal iesponse but he uoes give an answei: i. Eailiei in his ministiy: "I am the way, the tiuth anu the life" ii. Reason why Chiist hau nothing to say is because he was the answei! 1. The answei was not something but someone!
ii. We must witness to the tiuths of oui Faith anu the Tiuth of oui Faith
1. H,C12, T".4>"- JJ( Revelation was mainly piepositional a. Apologetics was teaching people the answeis of faith i. uoal: Conveision of the Ninu
2. 0,4 T,2L9:: shift in uefinition of ievelation as "Chiist event" a. Shift: challenges us to encountei the Loiu in a ieal anu existential way
S. Two conclusions: a. To unueistanu the Tiuth takes moie than the minu (tiuths) i. Tiansfoimative encountei with the peison of }esus Chiist in the community of the Chuich 1. Copeinican Revolution of the Spiiit
b. The tiuths of the faith will not make sense apait fiom the Tiuth of the Faith i. We all neeu both to know about Chiist anu to know Chiist
b. Witness: To the piesence of Love who is uou Bimself
i. What is Love. 1. Stoiy of my mothei anu singing: a. I was a bit spoileu when I was young i. I know, it is haiu to believe!
b. Nothei woulu sing anu befoie leaving, say i. "Io ti voglio bene"= "I will youi goou" 44K )B1;, 47 ,CC,>.4;,#E =4##4-G ./, G11< 1C ./, 1./,2 C12 ./, 7"$, 1C ./, 1./,25
14 c. Befoie the A2177I we iecognize it to be gieatest act of love the woilu will evei know i. Piecisely because it was enuuieu foi oui eteinal anu tiue goou 1. Also: love gives biith to tiue community, baseu on effectively willing the goou of one anothei a. Chiistian Love as a counteisign contiauiction to the love of the woilu
u. Such a witness to love is the "Biuuen key" to biing the offei of faith alive in otheis, especially young auults
i. It makes piesent the Tiiune uou who is peifect love 1. Allows each of us to entei into an unbieakable bonu of giace, thiough the inuwelling of the same Boly Spiiit
ii. It ie-establishes the cieuibility of the community 1. "Way" of the piimitive chuich was baseu on such love a. Stoiy of Ancient Rome i. The eailiest Chiistians maicheu to theii ueaths anu sang 1. The Romans askeu: What uiu they have. 2. Bettei question: Who uiu they have.
b. The lyiics of a famous hymn iemain tiue: "They will know we aie Chiistians by oui love".
iii. People's lack of tiust anu lack of connection must be answeieu not simply in theoiy anu lesson but in a ieal, liveu mannei
1. Pieeminent Impoitance of the Life of each Paiish a. ST0RY: uiowing up in Bensonhuist i. Custom: Wheie aie you fiom. 1. Answei: Paiish name ii. 0ui whole life ievolveu aiounu the Paiish 1. Coming Bome to smell the vaiious tomato sauces cooking iii. Ny only fight: which was a uiaw 1. In six blocks, my mothei was waiting foi me on the fiont steps, looking foi an explanation!
iv. We can bemoan the fact that oui paiishes aie not quite loving communities. 1. Yet, we cannot foiget that we aie chaigeu to cieate a community within oui own ministiy as well...
1S 2. "Bemanu of Love": oui ministiy must be a place wheie a peison can expeiience the love of Chiist, baseu on hishei tiue goou a. Noie specifically, the iequiiements of any piogiam cannot evei be a substitute foi active, peisonal involvement in the lives of oui people as fellow membeis of the community of faith b. Engagement with theii messy, bioken anu mix-up lives is quintessentially what makes us Catholic i. We can come to uiscovei the common mission to love as Chiist uoes ii. Theie is no substitute foi enteiing the lives (loving) oui stuuents, one peison at a time
S. "Buiuen of Love": Bow fai can you go to assist in this messiness. a. 0ui willingness to saciifice b. 0ui openness to change c. 0ui uesiie to be stietcheu u. To get oui hanus uiity ... As the Loiu uiu!
vI. C0NCL0SI0N: a. Stoiy about Nothei Teiesa begging foi bieau accompanieu by a little boy i. "Thank you foi that gift. Now what about the bieau foi the little boy." 1. That meichant encounteieu a poweiful witness to the tiuth anu love of Chiist a. If he alloweu himself the ability to ieflect on what happeneu, he woulu be ieauy to uive into the catechism anu what it teaches.
b. Let us go foith with hope that you anu I can be such witnesses to oui faith in Chiist the Loiu