On Catechesis in Our Time, part three

Evangelization and Systematic Catechesis

Continuing our look into Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, On Catechesis in Our Time, we will now move from understanding catechesis as maintaining the integrity of the deposit of faith to the notion of systematic catechesis.

Systematic catechesis is the process whereby an individual is brought from the moment of initial conversion to Jesus to a mature discipleship in the Church. The questions of method and approach are subordinated to the broader concept of this systematic catechesis because the pedagogy serves the goal and may be changed in order to properly meet the ends of those receiving instruction in the Gospel, which we talked about in the last post.

From our previous understanding of keeping the integrity of the message and balancing it with the disposition of the intended audience, we now proceed on how to make that accommodation worthy of the title "catechesis."

Systematic Catechesis: From Initial Proclamation
The pope is framing this systematic catechesis within the “moment of evangelization” as Pope Paul VI put it in his Evangelii Nuntiani. Evangelization "is a rich, complex and dynamic reality, made up of elements, or one could say moments, that are essential to and different from each other, and that must all be kept in view simultaneously." Catechesis cannot be separated from evangelization, but its "specific character" is that

"catechesis is an education of children, young people and adults in the faith, which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life." (CT 18)

In this regard, catechesis is related to, but not the same as, the initial proclamation of the gospel or missionary preaching, "apologetics or examination of the reasons for belief, experience of Christian living, celebration of the sacraments, integration into the ecclesial community, and apostolic and missionary witness." Catechesis is complementary with all of these works of the faith, remaining "one of these moments - a very remarkable one - in the whole process of evangelization."

CT 19 speaks to this relationship between evangelization and catechesis by making it “distinct from the initial conversion” of the individual. Catechesis has two objectives: to “mature the initial faith” and to educate the student “by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and message of our Lord Jesus Christ” (CT 19).

And it is here that the pope makes an important observation about the relationship between initial proclamation and catechesis in various scenarios. For example, it is true that many children today have been baptized into the faith and come to the church for instruction "without receiving any other initiation into the faith and still without any explicit personal attachment to Jesus Christ." This probably the most common experience of the typical America parish. Kids who have been Catholic since infancy have no real commitment to Jesus or the Church. This affects the way we catechize, for it

"must often concern itself not only with nourishing and teaching the faith, but also with arousing it unceasingly with the help of grace, with opening the heart, with converting, and with preparing total adherence to Jesus Christ on the part of those who are still on the threshold of faith. This concern will in part decide the tone, the language and the method of catechesis."

We see here in the language of the pope the desire to intentionally frame catechesis to initiate the individual systematically into the Mystery of Christ. Systematic catechesis does not mean just lesson plans, scope and sequences, and a five year curriculum. It means discerning the place of the hearer and making decisions on how to proceed to develop them into mature disciples. Method and language are the means to that end.

Systematic Catechesis: It's Specific Aim

Now we proceed to CT 20, which is a crucial component to understanding our work as catechists.

“The specific aim of catechesis is to develop, with God’s help, an as yet initial faith, and to advance in fullness and to nourish day by day the Christian life of the faithful, young and old. It is, in fact, a matter of giving growth, at the level of knowledge and in life, to the seed of faith sown by the Holy Spirit with the initial proclamation and effectively transmitted by Baptism.”

Our work is that of the farmer, who utilizes his skills and knowledge in order to cultivate the land and make the craps grow. Patience with our student is key, as we seek not only cognitive apprehension of data, but life-changing understanding. In short, we preach ongoing conversion to Christ to an audience who little knows Him and in an age which has found itself moving past Him. The steady cultivation of the faith of each disciple must be as systematic as the farmer, knowing when to utilize apologetics and when to cultivate prayer, how to engage the culture and when to stand against the tide of society. This is why our work is more an art, keeping in mind always the tension that catechesis brings.

We have mentioned numerous times the aim of catechesis. The pope restates this aim in a more specific way:

"Catechesis aims therefore at developing understanding of the mystery of Christ in the light of God's word, so that the whole of a person's humanity is impregnated by that word. Changed by the working of grace into a new creature, the Christian thus sets hiself to follow Christ and learns more and more within the Church to think like Him, to judge like Him, to act in conformity with His commandments, and to hope as He invites us to."

We work for two things: understanding and change. As our Lord prayed in John 17: "Now this is eternal life: that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you have sent, Jesus Christ." The individual meets Christ and converts to Him, but needs further instruction on what this new life of grace means for him and how he is to be "filled with the fullness of God" (Ephesian 3:19). The following of Christ for the rest of one's life is the purpose of being His disciple and it is the task of the catechist to present the depths of the wisdom of God's word so the following of Jesus can actually take place.

"To put it more precisely" says the pope in the third paragraph of CT 20, "within the whole process of evangelization, the aim of catechesis is to be the teaching and maturation stage". The initial proclamation is "the period in which the Christian, [has] accepted by faith the person of Jesus Christ as the one Lord and [has] given Him complete adherence by sincere conversion of heart". Encountering Jesus as both my Savior and my God begins conversion. Catechesis, then,

"endeavors to know better this Jesus to whom he has entrusted himself: to know His 'mystery,' the kingdom of God proclaimed by Him, the requirements and promises contained in His Gospel message, and the paths that He has laid down for anyone who wishes to follow Him."

Being a Christian means living a life of faithfulness, not just the initial response of our confession of faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must go deeper as believers and as catechists:

"It is true that being a Christian means saying 'yes' to Jesus Christ, but let us remember that this 'yes' has two levels: It consists in surrendering to the word of God and relying on it, but it also means, at a later stage, endeavoring to know better and better the profound meaning of this word."

Systematic Catechesis: Needed Now More than Ever

Pope Paul VI gave some closing remarks to the fourth general assembly of the synod of bishops on the topic of systematic catechesis and how he views this moment of evangelization. It is precisely through the "reflective study of the Christian mystery" that is systematic catechesis which "distinguishes it from all other ways of presenting the word of God."

There are four key points that Pope John Paul wants to emphasize for our instruction:

"It must be systematic, not improvised but programmed to reach a precise goal

It must deal with essentials, without any claim to tackle all disputed questions or to transform itself into theological research or scientific exegesis

It must nevertheless be sufficiently complete, not stopping short at the initial proclamation of the Christian mystery such as we have in the kerygam

It must be an integral Christian initiation, open to all other factors of Christian life."

Our instruction must be relational. We need to know our student and where they stand before Christ as best we can before we presume to engage them in the message of the Gospel. Some children or adults may be surprisingly advanced in personal prayer and morality, causing us to refocus our teachings along doctrinal and sacramental lines, taking such a soul into mature knowledge. This means we have to have real goals set for each catechetical session and in a broader sense as well.

For me in working with high school youth I have a 4 year curriculum plan framed by CT 20: understanding and change. These are goals: what will the teenager in my ministry understand after 4 years of being involved and what in their life will have changed. Then I get even more specific with my semester breakdowns. Each semester forms a catechetical unit, such as on the Person of Jesus, or the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, following the USCCB guidelines and the Life Teen resources. Within each semester all of the individual Life Nights, as we call them, are broken down by the twin goals of understanding and change. I ask myself this question every single time I plan a Life Night or educational event: what will they understand about Jesus Christ at the end of the night through my talks, the prayers and small groups and what in their lives will have changed.

This keeps our focus on living the Christian life and not just having information accumulated. The pope goes into the relationship between orthodoxy- right teaching- and its relationship with orthopraxis- right living, showing how catechesis and life experience are inseparably united. Understanding and change bring about true conversion as every new thing we learn about our Lord becomes yet another reason to love Him more.

God love you,

Michael Gormley

AMDG

On Catechesis in Our Time, part two

“He had been instructed in the way of the Lord" (Acts 18:25). We ought to develop an understanding of the Word to change the world with the Word. The aims of catechesis is to develop an understanding of Christ, and with this knowledge, to impregnate the world. We must change people by the working of God’s grace through evangelization and catechesis that is faithful to the whole message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What, though, is the content of catechesis? It is the Deposit of Faith.

What is the Deposit of Faith?

The deposit of faith is the revelation of Jesus Christ imparted to his Apostles in the Church, through both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. It is the life, words and deeds of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the institution of His Church governed by His Apostles and their successors. His whole life - three years of public ministry, the Paschal Mystery, the 40 days after the Resurrection where Jesus spent time opening the scriptures to them (Luke 24:13-35) and teaching them about the kingdom of heaven (Acts 1).

Thus, the deposit of faith is the content of the whole gospel. It is Jesus Christ and all that His Spirit led the Apostles and His Church to teach. He commissioned His Apostles to make disciples of all nations in Matthew 28:18-20, and to do this He gave to the Apostles the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-23) to lead them into all truth and to guide their proclamation of the gospel.

In summary, then, the deposit of faith is the Gospel of our salvation in Jesus Christ.

Saint Paul charged one of the bishops in the early Church, Saint Timothy, to “guard what has been entrusted to you” (1 Tim 6:20). Some biblical translations have “guard the deposit.” This is the deposit of faith of Jesus and the Apostles. Thus, as catechists, we are to guard the Deposit and entrust it to future generations of believers. This involves our intentional protection of what has been handed down to us as we teacher seek to hand it down to others.

Maintaining Its Integrity: Catechetical Tensions

The entire gospel message must be shared in a way that is responsive to the audience's limitations, experiences and potential. In order to present the whole gospel truth to the disciple, one must engage in systematic and organic catechesis, putting aside the foolishness of thinking one can just show up and "wing it". When catechizing, such a haphazard approach can cause more harm than good.

Each catechesis is caught up in the tension between two poles: one must teach the entire deposit, while also adapting the message to the concerns, need and understanding of the audience. If you do not make it relevant, then the message will be lost; however, if you water it down or otherwise alter the content, then you render the message meaningless and deficient. We cannot be stuck in closed inflexibility in our catechesis, nor facile accommodations.

Now you know why St. Paul told Timothy to "guard the deposit" and why prayer is so important in catechesis! The integrity of the gospel must not be lost in our teaching.

Catechesi Tradendae: Integrity of Content

Hosea 4:6 declares: "My people perish for want of knowledge." If Jesus is not taught fully and faithfully, then how can anyone come to say "yes" to Him? In CT 30, Pope John Paul II dives into the crucial problem of a lack of integrity in the content of catechesis following the Second Vatican Council. If the aim of catechesis is to insert the person into the Mystery of Christ, to have a real relationship with the Blessed Trinity, then the content must not only be guarded, but systematically and organically proclaimed in a way that leads souls to be conformed to Jesus Christ.

Catechesis: Ordered to Holiness

One's holiness is dependent upon their discipleship, which may depend on our catechesis! Thus the Pope starts out his section on the integrity of the content with these words in CT 30.

"In order that the sacrificial offering of his or her faith should be perfect, the person who becomes a disciple of Christ has the right to receive 'the word of faith' not in mutilated, falsified or diminished form but whole and entire, in all its rigor and vigor."

We cannot be mistaken here. As a catechist you bear awesome responsibility that echoes loudly into eternity. Catechesis that mutilates parts of the deposit- for whatever reason- interferes with the disciple's ability to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. This affects worship, the "sacrificial offering" of ourselves!

I think special importance needs to be placed on the phrase "rigor and vigor." The gospel is not an easy path. It is not easy to carry one's cross, to deny oneself, to die daily to self so that Christ might live all the more in one's heart. It is a rigorous life, demanding simply everything you are, do and have! There are today grave temptations in the catechist to waterdown the moral teachings of the Church in order to present a gospel more palpable to contemporary tastes.

This dilution of the rigors of the Christian life empties the cross of its power and its true "vigor". The gospel is life-giving. It is truly vigorous, but in stripping pieces of it away, we lose its vital power for the sake of social conformity.

The pope continues:

"Unfaithfulness on some point to the integrity of the message means a dangerous weakening of catechesis and putting at risk the results that Christ and the ecclesial community have a right to expect from it."

Catechetical experiments in the 70's and 80's have deprived generations of the full gospel, offering instead endless educational models that are devoid of content, but full of activity. This situation is what prompted the desire within Cardinal Ratzinger to help steer the project to write a new universal catechism for the whole Church.

He received a letter from a French catechist who wondered why there was not only no conversion or interest among her students, but that there was no retention of information by the end of each class! The kids were bored and disconnected. So this teacher took it upon herself to critically analyze what the materials she was given were exactly teaching and the why they communicated it. In the end she realized, as did Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict), that there was hardly any content at all, just endless ways to engage the kids in this or that learning experience without the actual transmission of information.

How many religious education classes are filled with hours of projects, crafts, songs, games and positive feelings without actually communicating to them truth accommodated to their abilities? Our students have a right to the truth and the Church has a right to expect results from our students. Let this be our wake up call!

Variations on a Common Theme: Selective Negligence

The pope is not done. Next he takes aim at those catechists who may not be fully convinced by the whole message of the gospel, so they deliberately remove elements of the deposit they do not like. Continuing from above, the pope speaks not of the rights of the student or of the Church, but rather he zeroes in on the problem of the unfaithful or agenda-based catechist.

"Thus, no true catechist can lawfully, on his own initiative, make a selection of what he considers important in the deposit of faith as opposed to what he considers unimportant, so as to teach the one and reject the other."

Remember, Jesus said, "I will build my church" in Matthew 16. He did not say, "You should build your church..." It is His, not ours, not yours, and certainly not mine. He builds His own church. We are simply the co-laborers with Him.

Recall what I said in the previous post on CT 5 and 6 about Christocentricity of catechesis. It is Christocentric because Christ is both the goal of all catechesis in the Church and because Christ is the content. It is not our teaching, but His and Him. CT 6 says it best:

"Every catechist should be able to apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: 'My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me'."

In our catechesis to the children, teens or adults, do we make distinctions between the gospel and our political or social beliefs, or are we so lax that we let them intertwine so that they are no longer two things, but one? Are we so wed to our agendas that we force the gospel to conform to them instead of the other way around? It is a slippery slope that is navigated only those who are prayerful, disciplined, and humble.

Relevant Catechesis: Suitable Pedagogical Methods

Turning from his focus on the need for transmitting the entire gospel message, the pope now looks to the needs of the hearers of the Word. In CT 31 the pope addresses within the context of the integrity of the deposit the need to adapt our catechesis to the present situation the catechist is dealing with. The pedagogy used to communicate the gospel can change in differing circumstances. On this the pope says:

"Integrity does not dispense from balance and from the organic hierarchical character through which the truths to be taught, the norms to be transmitted, and the ways of Christian life to be indicated will be given the proper importance due to each. It can also happen that a particular sort of language proves preferable for transmitting this content to a particular individual or group. The choice made will be a valid one to the extent that, far from being dictated by more or less subjective theories or prejudices stamped with a certain ideology, it is inspired by the humble concern to stay closer to a content that must remain intact."

Accommodating the message to the understanding and preparedness of the hearer is one the central tasks of all teachers. God Himself accommodates His revelation to the level of human understanding. For communication to happen the hearer needs to comprehend the message spoken. The Incarnation is the greatest of all acts of divine accommodation to the human condition. Our task as teacher is no different. Different audiences have different abilities, potentials, backgrounds, baggage, wounds, etc. We need to speak to them as the situation presents itself. For if we fail to realize the disposition of the hearer, if we fail in being systematic in our catechesis, then conversion cannot continue to take place.

"The method and language used must truly be means for communicating the whole and not just part of 'the words of eternal life' and the 'ways of life'."

And this is the tension of catechesis spoken of near the beginning of this post. Each catechist is caught between two poles: presenting the whole gospel and accommodating the gospel to the audience. There can be neither rigid uniformity nor compromised conformity, but only the complete message of the gospel. The youth minister will use different language and methods than the homilist or the adult formation leader, but as long as we get humble and stay as close to our Lord as possible, then our accommodation becomes the initiation of the student into the Mystery of Christ!

Sincerely,

Michael Gormley

aka gomer

AMDG