by Edward P. Sri
@ 1998, 1999 Catholics United for the Faith, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In his book The Mystery We Proclaim (Our Sunday Visitor, 1993), Msgr. Francis Kelly offers a five-step plan that provides catechists with a helpful framework for every time they teach the faith. What I would like to do in this article is build upon the insights of Msgr. Kelly and show how these five basic steps can help catechists impart the Catholic faith in a life-shaping way, enabling the teachings of Christ to take deeper root in the lives of the people they catechize. These are the five steps that Msgr. Kelly highlights:
In this article, we will look at the first two of these components, and in the next issue of Lay Witness, I will discuss the latter three.
First, in every catechetical lesson, we want to create an atmosphere that
will prepare people for hearing Gods Revelation and help them respond to it. This first step might be the simplest, yet it can have an enormous impact on the people we teach. Our catechesis is different from the ordinary day-to-day activities in life. Catechesis should not be perceived as just another meeting to attend or just another class to sit through. Rather, it is a time and a place for meeting God Himself. Thus, catechists should strive to create a religious atmosphere which subtly says, "Something very different,something sacred is going on here." Msgr. Kelly describes this catechetical technique as a "calculated disengagement," in which the catechist strategically detaches people from the secular world and prepares them for encountering the living mystery of God. By placing people in a religious environment and creating a spiritual atmosphere, we can help prepare them for really meeting Jesus. Catholic heritage of religious art, music, and architecture attests to the power that sacred atmosphere has to disengage our minds and hearts from the secular world and bring our souls in touch with the divine. For example, consider the aura of a church like St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Even after living and studying in Rome for two years, I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of St. Peter's. Walking into the basilica is like walking into another world. The statues, the paintings, the windows, and the domes all cry out with the splendor of God Himself. Even my father, who is not a believer, was awe-struck when he entered St. Peter's for the first time. We spent hours there together, and he didn't want to leave. I'll never forget his stopping in the middle of the basilica, staring upward into the central dome, and then turning to me and saying, "Wow! ... This place makes you think about God."
This is the type of mood we want to create in the places where we teach the faith. We want to create an atmosphere that "makes you think about God." As a seminarian friend of mine likes to say, St. Peter's Basilica is "a living catechism" that lifts up our souls and puts us in touch with the mysteries of Christ. Similarly, we want to do all we can to make our catechetical setting "a living catechism"--an environment that helps people become more open to God's work in their lives. Granted, most of our classrooms won't be able to top Michaelangelo's design of St. Peter's, but there are two little things we can do to help our students become more disposed to the faith. The first thing we can do is make sacred space. It is amazing how much impact little details such as using sacred art or lighting a candle in front of the room can have for setting a religious mood. This is why many catechists recommend establishing
some "holy space" in the classroom. This might simply entail displaying a large standing crucifix on a table. Some catechists use a large, opened Bible or Lectionary "enthroned" on top of a table alongside other religious items such as a crucifix, a burning candle, or an icon of Christ. The table itself might be covered with a white cloth or colored drapery corresponding to the appropriate color for the particular liturgical season. Even moving out of the traditional classroom, at least from time-to-time, might be a way to establish a more religious environment. A friend of mine recently told me how this notion of sacred space has helped transform the R.C.I.A. class he teaches. Last year, the R.C.I.A. group met in the parish school's cafeteria. This year, he decided to meet in the church in order to create a more prayerful, spiritual atmosphere. The change, he claims has made all the difference. This year, half of the catechumens began attending Eucharistic adoration regularly. Most have cultivated a daily prayer life, and a number of them want to become leaders in the parish, helping to pass on the Catholic faith to others. This is a significant turnaround from the previous year.
"Last year, the cafeteria was a good place for putting people in touch with informationabout the faith," he says. "But this year we're in the church, and we're doing a much better job of putting people in communion with Christ Himself." In addition to using sacred space, another thing we can do to prepare people for hearing God's Word is to make sacred time. People should have a sense that every catechetical session is a time set apart as holy. That is why many catechists begin with some type of liturgical prayer. This is not just "beginning with prayer" to ask for God's blessings on the class. Rather, catechists begin with a prayer service in order to show how their time together really is a sacred time--a time for encountering the mystery of God Himself. Starting with liturgical prayer puts people in communion with God right away and thus helps them become more disposed to hearing His teachings. Liturgy is especially effective at doing this because lituroical words, symbols, and actions communicate the very mysteries of the faith which we are trying to teach. Here are a few brief suggestions on different ways to set apart catechetical sessions as sacred time:
At first glance, making sacred time and sacred space might not seem very important for teaching the faith. Yet, these little details can make all the difference in preparing people's hearts and minds for hearing and accepting the catethesis we will offer. By simply taking time to cultivate the soil of people's souls, the seeds of God's Word are more likely to take deeper root and bear fruit in the lives of the people we teach. "God's Word Is Living and Active" This second step involves offering a basic proclamation of the particular aspect of the Catholic faith that is being taught. Before providing people with an in-depth, detailed explanation or an apologetic defense of a certain doctrine, the catechist should first introduce them to the basics of that doctrine. This simply involves proclaiming the teaching of Christ, drawing from the Scriptures and the Catechism in his presentation and adapting the message for the particular audience at hand. Although beginning with a basic proclamation of the faith might seem like common sense, it is worth noting that some modern catechetical approaches have not emphasized the actual content of the Catholic faith, but instead have tended to focus more on the participants' subjective feelings or personal experiences in relation to the faith.
While relating the Catholic faith to people's lives certainly is an essential catechetical task, the faith must be presented before it can be experienced: No one can arrive at the whole truth on the basis solely of some simple private experience, that is to say, without an adequate explanation of the message of Christ, who is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Pope John Paul lI, Catechesi Tradendae, no. 22, quoting Jn. 14:6). Our Catholic tradition tells us that grace is imparted simply by proclaiming the faith. Whenever God's Word is announced, the Holy Spirit begins working in the people who are listening, stirring their hearts to respond in faith. Thus, catechists should have a great confidence in announcing Christ's teachings, leading off with God's Word more than their own words of explanation. The New Testament itself attests to the effectiveness of God's Word: "For the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb. 4:12). Further, by beginning with a proclamation of God's Revelation, the catechist imitates the way God Himself teaches. Throughout salvation history, God takes the initiative, revealing Himself to humanity. We respond to His self-revelation in faith (cf. General Directory for Catechesis, no. 143). Thus, following God's own method, the catechist begins by proclaiming the Christian faith, communicating God's Word to the people he teaches. Those who hear (cf. Lk. 8:8) may then respond to this divine invitation and thus deepen their relationship with Christ.
© 1998, 1999 Catholics United for the Faith, Inc. (All Rights Reserved.)