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How can the MINISTRY of CATECHESIS

enrich the MINISTRY of PREACHING?• Disciplined

METHODOLOGY that leaves much room for creativity and innovation

• Sound DOCTRINAL foundation

• INTEGRATION of faith and life

• Sensitivity to DIVERSITY-the uniqueness of every audience

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Sanay na tayo sa masamang balita.It’s an everyday thing. Nothing really surprises us anymore.

Mabenta ang masamang balita.Peope have become obsessed with bad news.

May mga taong walang bukam-bibig kundi masamang malita at mga trahedya nila sa buhay. “BAD NEWS PEOPLE”

All the more that we have to PROCLAIM the GOOD NEWS!

What is the GOOD NEWS?

WRONG QUESTION

is the GOOD NEWS?

JESUS CHRIST!

CATECHESIS is an “Essential Moment of Evangelization”cf. St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae 1979; General Directory for Catechesis

• Catechesis, as an essential moment in evangelization, shares in the central characteristics of evangelization, but expresses them in a particular manner.

• To put it more precisely: within the whole process of evangelization, the aim of catechesis is to be the teaching and maturation stage, that is to say, the period in which the Christian, having accepted by faith the person of Jesus Christ as the one Lord and having given Him complete adherence by sincere conversion of heart, endeavors to know better this Jesus to whom he has entrusted himself

• The Christian YES has 2 levels: 1. Surrender to Christ; 2. Endeavoring to Know Christ Better. (CT 20) IT IS A LIFELONG TASK!

• KERYGMA – The Proclamation of the Mystery of Christ primarily intended for non-believers

• DIDACHE – Instruction given to converts• LEITOURGIA – Public Worship – Breaking of the Bread• KOINONIA – Community Life• DIAKONIA – Service to the poor, widows, orphans etc.

CATECHESIS IS AN ASPECT IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCHIt is essential, yet it does not exhaust the Church’s missionary activity.

Faith comes from what is

heard, and what is heard comes

through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

The term catechesis comes from a Greek word, ‘kateehein’ which means to ‘RESOUND’ or ‘RE–ECHO.’

EVANGELIZATION CATECHESIS

Initial Proclamation of

the GOOD NEWS

Systematic and Authoritative Instruction on

the Faith

Initial CONVERSION

MATURITY in the Faith

CATECHESIS: the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating hearers into the fullness of Christian life. (CCC,5)

Renewed Catechesis

• While we are outwardly devoted to the practices of our faith, we often do not understand their meaning. Much less do we put into practice what they really mean.

• Our faith is not lived in the public sphere. It is separated from life.

• Our faith is ritualistic and devotional, i.e., centered on externals and non-essentials. Our faith is also sometimes fatalistic, attributing almost everything to God without our own responsibility. Thus we say bahala na angDiyos when we take unnecessary risks

• Because we really do not know our faith well, we are often easily persuaded by religious teachers who interpret the Sacred Scriptures different from our own interpretation.

• First element: RENEWED CATECHESIS!

Evangelization – Proclamation

of the Good News

of Salvation

Integral – holistic; completely

incorporating proclamation

and witness, word and

sacrament, interior change

and social action.

Renewed –

new fervor,

new methods,

new expressions

• Christocentric

• Rooted in Scriptures

• Authentically Filipino

• Systematic

CHRISTOCENTRIC CATECHESIS

A. Aimed at Intimacy with Christ

B. Jesus is the Source and Content

C. Retelling of the Story of JesusD. Jesus is the TeacherE. Faithful to the Methodology

of Christ

SCRITURALLY-ROOTED CATECHESIS

Role of the Bible in Catechesis:“primary catechetical book”

3 roles according to NCDP

Formative InformationEducation in Salvation HistoryKnowledge and Love of Christ.“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”

AUTHENTIC FILIPINO CATECHESIS

Role of Catechesis in Inculturating the Faith:Help the learners discover the correlation between faith and life

Express the Christian message through images, symbols, rites that are indigenous to Filipino culture (eg. Meal orientedness of Filipinos and the Eucharist)

Analyze Filipino cultural values, attitudes, and practices in their basic Christian dimensions.

SYSTEMATIC CATECHESIS

Clearly Defined GoalsContains the Essentials

Appropriate Approach and Methodology and Strategies – INNOVATION, CREATIVITY while remaining FAITHFUL TO THE CONTENT.

Integration – Indissoluble unity of doctrine, moral, and worship – THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF FAITH

Essential Content of Catechesis:THE 4 Pillars of Our Catholic Faith

The 3 Dimensions of FaithThe TRIPOD of FAITH

BELIEVING

TRUSTING

DOING

DOCTRINEfaith is knowledge;absolute certainty

MORALITYfaith is morally

demanding, incomplete unless it leads to active

love

WORSHIPfaith grows when we listen more and more carefully to

God’s word and enter a lively exchange with him in

prayer; faith gives us a foretaste of thejoy of heaven

PARALYSES of FAITH

- The USUAL condition is that ONE DIMENSION is LEFT OUT

DOCTRINE-MORAL PERSON

believes the right things, does what is good, but

hardly prays and goes to Church

DOCTRINE- WORSHIP PERSON

believes the right things, always goes to Church , but lives a questionable

Christian life.

MORAL-WORSHIP PERSONDoes good to others, goes to Church quite often, but does not really know what he/she

believes in

The Catechetical Methodology

HUMAN EXPERIENCE

PROCLAMATION of the CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

REFLECTION/ INTEGRATION

RESPONSE

RESOLUTION CELEBRATION

.The effectiveness of any method depends

on its intelligent use.

Challenges to Catechesis Today

• Materialism, Secularism, the dictatorship of Relativism. (Pope Benedict XVI)

• Information overload, and unwise use of information technology.

All Christians, by virtue of Baptism,ARE CATECHISTS.

"To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of EACH

BELIEVER" St. Thomas Aquinas

BUT, among the Baptized, there are those who are CALLED by CHRIST to

embrace this MINISTRY as a WAY OF LIFE.

To “be” catechists! Not to “work” as catechists: this will not do. But unless you “are” a catechist, it is no good! You will not be successful

… you will not bear fruit! Catechesis is a vocation: “being a catechist”, this is the vocation, not working as a catechist. So keep this in mind:

I didn’t say to do the “work” of catechists, but to “be” catechists, because this is something that embraces our whole life.

Pope Francis’ Address to Catechists, 27 September 2013

At the origin of the catechist's vocation, therefore, apart from the sacraments of

Baptism and Confirmation, there is a specific call from the Holy Spirit, a "special

charism recognized by the Church" and made explicit by the Bishop's mandate.

It is important for the catechist candidate to recognize the supernatural and

ecclesial significance of this call, so as to be able to respond, like the Son of God,

"Here I come" (Heb 10:7), or, like the prophet, "Here I am, send me" (Is 6:8).

The catechist is

• a lay person

• specially appointed by the Church,

• in accordance with local needs,

• to make Christ known, loved and followed

• by those who do not yet know Him

• and by the faithful themselves". CEP

ROLE OF CATECHISTS IN THE CHURCH

Who are catechists? They are people who keep the alive; they keep it alive in

themselves and they are able to revive it in others.Pope Francis, homily during the Year of Faith Pilgrimage of Catechists, September 29, 2013

Ano ang inaasahan sa isangKatekista?

• Be close to Christ

• Imitate Christ by leaving ourselves behind and going out to ENCOUNTER others.

• Go with Christ to the outskirts.

San Lorenzo Ruiz, patron ng mga Pilipinong Katekista, at San Pedro Calungsod, Katekistang Martir,

ipanalangin po ninyo kami.