Department of Catholic Formation and Evangelization

-Diocese of Raleigh-

“The fundamental task of catechesis is the formation of disciples of Jesus Christ”

(National Directory for Catechesis, #20)

Faith must be…..

known

celebrated

lived

expressed in prayer

Catechesis Comprises Six Fundamental Tasks: Knowledge of the Faith Liturgical Education Moral Formation Teaching to Pray Education for Community Life Missionary Initiation

Catechesis must attend to each of these different dimensions

of the faith; each becomes a distinct yet complementary task. (NDC#20)

These six tasks of catechesis constitute a unified whole by which catechesis seeks to achieve its objective: the formation of disciples of Jesus Christ.

National Directory for Catechesis Operators manual for the Catechism

Of particular note are:

- Chapter 2– Catechesis Within the Church’s

Mission of Evangelization

- Chapter 8 – Those Who Catechize

Every principal and faith formation director

should have a copy!

Task 1 – Knowledge of the Faith

Catechesis promotes knowledge of the faith Not just know “about Jesus” but to “know Him”

“Encounter with Christ”– His life, the content of His message

Gives believers a knowledge of the content of God’s self-revelation and by introducing them to the meaning of the creed Found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition

There are Many Factors that Work Against Knowing Christ

Can you name some?

The Apostle's Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into Hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

A Look at the Apostles Creed My Personal Creed I believe God is… I believe Jesus is… I believe the Holy Spirit is… I believe the Church is… I believe Reconciliation is… I believe Death is… I believe the Last Judgment is… I believe Mary is… I believe the Eucharist is…

Task 2 – Liturgical Education Catechesis promotes a knowledge of the meaning of

the Liturgy and the Sacraments

Promotes: an active, conscious genuine participation in the liturgy of the Church, not merely by explaining the meaning of the ceremonies, but also by forming the minds of the faithful for prayer, for thanksgiving, for repentance.

The Liturgical Year

Our Liturgical Year Advent- Begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends after mid-afternoon

prayer on Christmas Eve

Christmas- Begins with evening prayer on Christmas Eve and ends after evening prayer on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Ordinary Time – Comes from the word ordinal which means “counted”

Full of solemnities, feasts, and memorials of the Lord and the saints

Lent – Begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the celebration of the

evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday

The Paschal Triduum - Begins on Holy Thursday with the evening Mass of the Lord’s supper and ends after evening Mass on Easter Sunday

Easter - Begins on Easter Sunday and Ends after evening prayer on the Solemnity of Pentecost

Ordinary Time…..

Help your students to understand the cycle of the Liturgical Season!

Task 3 – Moral Formation One word – Jesus “Life in Christ”

Catholic Identity based on:

-Scripture

-Tradition

-Magisterium

The Language of Sin Before Vatican II -Sin is personal

-Venial

-Mortal

-Commission/Omission

After Vatican II

-Sin is social

-Sin is selfish

-My actions affect the Body of Christ

Morality Before Vatican II

Telological – An end to be achieved

– John 18 “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Deontological – Law to be followed, duty, moral obligation – Matt. 17: 5-20 “I have come not to

abolish the law.”

Relational – Perspective now Matt. 25:35

“For I was hungry and you gave me food…”

Task 4 – Teaching To Pray Catechesis teaches the Christian how to pray with

Christ

Catechesis should invite the believer to join Christ in the Our Father

Prayer should be the ordinary environment for all catechesis

Ways to Pray With Children Create an environment that is open to prayer

Set up a prayer space that the students will respect

Use the Bible as a focal point and include scripture

Use a variety of prayer types:

-memorized prayers

-prayers of petition

-reflective prayers

-spontaneous prayers

-Teach the children to be at home with prayer-

Task 5 – Education for Community Life Catechesis prepares the Christian to live in community and

to participate actively in the life and mission of the Church.

Jesus Christ said to his disciples, “Love one another. As I have loved you…(Jn 13:34)

Catechesis provides the basis for the disciples’ life in community.

Catechesis encourages an apprenticeship in Christian living that is based on Christ’s teaching about community.

Catechesis encourages the believer to understand and articulate the meaning of vocation and to pray to discern one’s own vocation.

• Know and articulate the meaning of vocation • Pray to discern one’s vocation; Priesthood, religious life, Christian marriage, single life • Pray for an increase in vocations to the permanent diaconate, priesthood, and consecrated religious life • Pray for the diocesan seminarians by name • Pray for faithfulness in one’s vocation

Vocation: A call from God to salvation and holiness

Education for Community Life Encourages

Spirit of simplicity and humility

Special concern for the poor (particularly the alienated)

A sense of fraternal correction

Common prayer

Mutual forgiveness

Fraternal love

Catechesis encourages the disciples of Jesus to make their daily conduct a shining and convincing testimony to the Gospel

Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

Rights and Responsibilities

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

Solidarity

Care for God’s Creation Source: Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, Challenges and Directions USCCB - Revised 2009

Task 6 Missionary Tradition Catechesis promotes a missionary spirit that prepares the

faithful to be present as Christians in society.

In fostering missionary spirit of evangelization, catechesis nourishes the evangelical attitudes of Jesus Christ.

Catechesis recognizes that other religious traditions reflect the “seeds of the Word” that can constitute a true “preparation for the Gospel.” (LG #16)

Catechesis encourages knowledge and understanding of ecumenism; which seeks to bring about unity among all Christians.

Ecumenism

The movement that seeks to bring about unity among all Christians Indicates the initiatives and activities encouraged and organized, according to the various needs of the church and as opportunities offer to offer to promote Christian unity

Evangelization and the

Formation of Disciples

What is evangelization?

Sharing the good news; transforming humanity…

1 Jn 1: Believe this so much that I want to share it

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Evangeli Nuntiandi – Dec. 8, 1973 Pope Paul VI EN #22

Evangelii Nuntiandi Pope Paul VI At every new phase of human history, the Church,

constantly gripped by the desire to evangelize, has but one preoccupation: whom to send to proclaim the mystery of Jesus? In what way is this mystery to be proclaimed? How can one ensure that it will resound and reach all those who should hear it? This proclamation - kerygma, preaching or catechesis - occupies such an important place in evangelization that it has often become synonymous with it; and yet it is only one aspect of evangelization. (EN #22)

Process of Evangelization Pre-Evangelization

Before we can evangelize we must first find out if their basic needs are being met

Evangelization

Sharing the good news of the Gospel to others

Catechesis

Instruction and formation in the Catholic Faith

Audience for Evangelization Those who never encountered Christ

Those who need initial announcement of the Gospel

Those never baptized or formed in the faith at childhood

Those alienated from Church

(We are to find out what people’s issues are)

Those who lost their faith

Those who have been Baptized but never catechized

Key to Evangelization Hospitality

Evangelization continued… Sister Susan Wolf – “Our role as catechists is not

enough. Our role must now include that of evangelizer. We must teach young people to share the faith they know”

What is your Damascus story?

What is your Emmaus story?

What brought you to this moment in your life?

Mary, Star of Evangelization

Mary, Star of Evangelization

O Mary, Star of Evangelization,

Intercede with your Son to bring about in each of us

a renewed enthusiasm for our faith. Inspire in us the courage and zeal to live the Gospel

and to bring Christ to everyone we meet. Open our hearts to the gift of the Holy Spirit,

the agent of evangelization, and enable us to transform the world

in the image of your Son. O Mary, Star of Evangelization,

enlighten us with the radiance of your Son, walk with us in faith,

strengthen us in hope, and unite us in love

as we strive to become disciples in mission. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.

Amen.