Franciscan at Home

The election of Pope Francis has brought with it a renewed focus on the attractiveness of the Christian message. There are already two magisterial documents from this pope’s hand offering insights into his vision for catechesis. Perhaps the best known of his observations can be found in Evangelii Gaudium, where he has drawn attention to the fundamental bedrock of what we ought to be passing on—the Kerygma:

Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.[1]

The structure is disarmingly simple, and yet it allows us to touch on every important aspect of the Christian life. We are reminded that the foundation of all we do as Christians is the love of Christ. Before every program, prior to any inspirational conference, above all petty politics or personal clashes of any kind, we do what we do because Jesus Christ loves you. This finds its most powerful expression in what Christ did: he gave his life to save you. This is not some distant event that is no longer relevant, for Jesus is living at your side every day—made present mysteriously through the sacraments and made personal through our ongoing dialogue in prayer. Finally, there must be some element of struggle and personal transformation involved in this; for Christ stands by us for a good purpose: to enlighten, strengthen and free you. This is an incredibly powerful summary of what we are trying to pass on to those in our care, by living it out ourselves. It is so important that “all Christian formation consists of entering more deeply into the kerygma.”[2]

The education of the young, particularly in matters of faith and morals, is not merely a career but rather a calling. St. John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers, in his Meditations on Christian Education, declared that those who teach the young are “cooperators with Christ in the salvation of souls.” Theirs is a task that must not be taken lightly. It requires much zeal and vigilance, indeed being “ambassadors for Christ” and “guardian angels” for their students, for on the Judgment Day the Lord God will ask these educators to render an account of the souls entrusted to their care.

Pius XI, in his encyclical on Christian Education, declares: “Perfect schools are the result not so much of good methods as of good teachers, teachers who are thoroughly prepared and well-grounded in the matter they have to teach; who possess the intellectual and moral qualifications required by their important office; who cherish a pure and holy love for the youths confided to them, because they love Jesus Christ and his Church.”[i] All Catholic educators must be professional, competent, and set an example of prayer and virtuous living. They must seek to “practice what they preach” and thus give integrity to the Gospel message.

Yet while the aforementioned characteristics can and ought to be embodied by both religious and laity who teach in Catholic schools, there further exist traits that can only be personified in one or the other. Thus by virtue of their different vocations, laity and religious both bring something unique to the world at large and to the educational apostolate specifically.

Use the questions and comments on these two pages as a study guide of The Agony in the Garden by Mantegna.

Suggested uses: First Communion, First Confession, Lent, Exploring the Mass, Confirmation, RCIC

1. Find the three groups of people (and angels) and describe what they are doing.

What are the Angels doing?

What are the Apostles doing?

What are the Roman soldiers doing?

Why do we need to develop the virtues?

Arguably, the cornerstone of the moral life is the theological and the cardinal virtues. Each of us can recognize that our human nature is wounded due to the effects of Original Sin because we experience every day that it is very difficult to maintain a moral balance in our lives. We know that we must combat, above all, the selfishness and pride which hinders the perfect love for God and our neighbour to which we are called. Living virtuous lives helps us to live in true peace and joy, because we ‘not only perform good acts but give the best of ourselves’ (CCC 1803). Therefore, we should all want to pursue this goal. However, developing the virtues is not something that we simply accomplish through our own will power. ‘Christ’s gift of salvation offers us the grace necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the virtues’ (CCC 1811). At the core of all virtue is love and actions are needed to express this love.

The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity are infused along with sanctifying grace into the soul of the person at Baptism. These virtues are supernatural, meaning that they are above our nature. These virtues form the foundation of the Christian life because they bestow on us the capacity to live in a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This relationship consists in acting as God’s children by believing in Him and everything that He has revealed to us; hoping in His promises because we can trust Jesus, who says, ‘He Who made the promise is trustworthy’ (Heb.9:23); and loving our neighbor because of our love for Christ.

Catholic Schools Week gives us all an opportunity to express our gratitude to the parents and families, pastors and parishes who entrust to us the privilege of teaching, and sharing in the Church’s teaching mission. They are good supporters of our work, and with them we share the weighty responsibility of bringing children to Jesus Christ; and bringing Jesus Christ to our children.

During these special days, I hope that you as administrators, teachers and staff, also hear the appreciation of God’s people for your vital work. You are the teaching Christ. You are participants in the work of the bishops, shepherding our young people. You are close co-workers with the parents. You love these children and spend so many hours with them, not only instructing them but also forming them in mind, heart, body and soul. You listen to them and correct them and encourage them. Sometimes you toss and turn at night because of them.

Thank you, dear teachers. Thank you for answering God’s call – fulfilling not just the contractual obligations of a job, but carefully and prayerfully responding to a vocation. When I was at one of the schools recently and asked the students what they were doing during Catholic Schools Week, one young boy answered that they were going to have a teacher appreciation day. He whispered to me that exactly what they were going to do was a secret. I hope you have received many signs of thanks and affection from your students.

St. John Bosco, the patron saint of working with youth, was known not only for how he taught the boys about the faith but how he formed them in the faith. John Paul II, in his letter Iuvenum Patris, wrote that St. John Bosco’s concern for the evangelization of his boys ‘was not limited to catechesis alone, nor to liturgy alone, nor to those religious practices which call for an explicit exercise of faith and lead to it, but covered the whole vast sector of the youth condition.’

St John Bosco did not only want his students to succeed in faith; he wanted them also to succeed in life. He knew that leading the boys to holiness required an orthodox curriculum. And he saw that it required other things as well. It involved him in building community, in job training, in involvement in government, in a whole range of social interactions, in finding the boys a place to live, and so on.

The National Directory for Catechesis, released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, seems to agree with the saint’s vision. ‘The most effective catechetical programs for adolescents are integrated into a comprehensive program of pastoral ministry for youth that includes catechesis, community life, evangelization, justice and service, leadership development, pastoral care, and prayer and worship.’[i]

The phrase ‘comprehensive program’ and the list of components involved came out of Renewing the Vision, a USCCB document about youth ministry. Some wondered, ‘Are the bishops saying only youth ministry can do effective catechesis? Can nothing be done in the classroom anymore?’

The sixteenth century in Europe was an axial period in history. Major changes were taking place in society, and in the midst of much strife there was also creativity. The Renaissance was giving way to more serious Christian theology, and the question of education was to receive a major leap forward with the foundation of a number of Teaching Orders. While the great events of the day might have been seen as diets, synods, the Council of Trent and wars, a creative initiative took place within the schools which was to be a major factor in creating a Christian heart in the classroom.

To look at this in the context of Church history, I propose a glance first at the long tradition of guilds, confraternities and sodalities; then at the events of 1563; then the spread and development of the confraternities, and finally the question of what lessons these developments hold for us today.

As the Bishop of Lancaster, I published my teaching document Fit for Mission? Schools on Catholic education and the ethos of Catholic schools in November 2007. It was distributed to all parents, teachers, and school governors in my diocese.

To be honest, my document isn’t groundbreaking, just a simple and clear presentation of the Church’s understanding of the identity and role of Catholic schools, and a frank assessment of problems, with some practical suggestions.

We need a renaissance of catechesis in Catholic schools.

To put it simply, the purpose of Fit for Mission? Schools is to promote a renaissance of evangelisation and catechesis in Catholic schools. If a school does not present the fullness of Catholic faith to our students, so that they have the opportunity of entering into a living relationship with the person of Jesus Christ, then they offer nothing worthy of the name ‘Catholic’.

At the heart of my strategy is the expectation that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is placed at the heart of the life of schools and colleges in my diocese. Little did I realise the reaction such a proposal would cause in my own country and around the world. Nowadays for a bishop to insist that schools present the fullness of Catholic faith with clarity and conviction is to invite controversy, opposition and hostility, from both inside and outside the Church – from those Catholics who dissent from the teaching of the Church and from powerful groups in secular society.

Subsequent events have convinced me that in order to face such challenges catechists, more than ever, need to deepen their co-operation with the gifts of the Holy Spirit received through the sacrament of Confirmation, especially the gift of courage. The sacrament of Confirmation is a much neglected and underdeveloped source of grace and strength in the life of the Church.

“If youth can lead one another to sin, why not to sanctity?” So wondered St. John Bosco as he undertook his life’s work with poor boys in Turin in the 1850s. And youth ministers have asked themselves the same question ever since.

In the last issue of The Sower Jose Varickasseril highlighted Paul’s methods for catechesis. Here is a practical application of his lessons in the area of youth evangelization and catechesis. Reprinted here with permission from Celia Siriois.

Peer ministry is built on the premise that young people can indeed influence one another to the good, that they can be light and leaven in the world in which they find themselves. In many ways peer ministry is the goal toward which all youth ministry tends. It takes with radical seriousness the words of the prophet Joel echoed by Peter in his first sermon: “’And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams’” (Acts 2:17; cf. Joel 2:28). Peter announces the good news that the saving work of Jesus has inaugurated the last days. The Spirit has been poured out on all God’s people without distinction. Now young and old alike are sent to bear witness to the gospel.

Peer ministry seeks to awaken the baptismal imagination of the young, to make them mindful of the gift and call of their Baptism. It encourages them to begin even now to participate actively and responsibly in the work of evangelization. In many ways it is a school, educating the hearts, minds and wills of young people, equipping them to make an intelligent and imaginative contribution to the Church and the world.

There is a word, which starts with the letter ‘M’, which almost never fails to prompt a strong reaction in catechetical circles. Whether you love the concept behind this word or hate it, its mere mention has been known to cause an immediate hush to fall over a group of otherwise happily chatting catechists. For many today, the ‘M-word’ is a nasty word, bringing one back in memory to the not too distant ‘dark ages’ of catechesis. For others, the absence of this word from our catechetical conversation is one of the significant reasons for a drop-off in understanding and literacy in the truths of the Faith.
The newly published Compendium Catechism of the Catholic Church is quite careful in its reference to the ‘M-word’ in its description of how the Compendium can be best used. When describing its question and answer format and the fact that what is presented in the text is the truly essential, the Compendium states, ‘the dialogical format also lends itself to brevity in the text, by reducing it to what is essential. This may help the reader to grasp the contents and possibly to memorize them as well.’ Imagine that - ‘possibly’ memorizing chosen selections from the Compendium!
Yes, the controversial ‘M-word’ is back! - although part of the purpose of this article is to demonstrate that it never left the Church’s late-twentieth century magisterial catechetical vision.