Franciscan at Home

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.

Leonard Franchi proposes uses for the Compendium in the education programmes for Catholic teachers.

Catholics schools best fulfill their mission when they are staffed by teachers who are committed heart and soul to their own faith tradition. This applies to teachers at all stages in the educational journey. If the role of the Catholic teacher is pivotal to the Gospel witness of the school, it follows that the educational institutions which prepare Catholic students for the vocation of teaching should have the faith formation of their students at the core of their course design. How can this be done?

During the celebration of the Eucharist, our minds and hearts are turned towards Christ through our senses – we sing hymns, gaze at the crucifix, and hear the Word of God. Our physical movements – standing, kneeling and processing – tangibly reinforce our spiritual encounter with our transcendent God. In the same fashion, through the use of their senses and the practice of physical gestures, even very young children can enter more fully into the celebration of the liturgy and life in the church.