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Here we are at Day 1!!
Just a few reminders…
Fr. Mike is using The Ascension Edition of The Catechism which includes The Foundations of Faith Approach
BUT…
You can follow along with ANY RECENT VERSION of The Catechism of the Catholic Church
It is going to be WORD FOR WORD
So we’re good there 🙂
You can download The Catechism in a Year reading plan by visiting: www.ascensionpress.com/ciy
You can click, follow, or subscribe in your podcast app for The Catechism in a year
GOSH!!
YOU GUYS!!
So heeere weeeeee gooooo!
There is The Prologue at the beginning of The Catechism
It is 25 paragraphs long
The paragraphs are not massively long
They’re kind of like “bullet points” (bullet points, you say? That somehow seems familiar, doesn’t it? 🤔😉)
It’s kind of like “Syllabus Day”
Today and tomorrow, that is
Today we are reading Paragraphs 1-10
Tomorrow we will read Paragraphs 11-25
It kind of gives a LAY OF THE LAND
Ok it’s NOT just “Syllabus Day”
“Syllabus Day” is ok here is what we’re going to be reading and here is how this is all going to be very boring
MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS!!
The Prologue is amongst THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STUFF WRITTEN
Fr. Mike is BLOWN AWAY BY ALL THIS
What we are talking about today is WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR HUMAN BEINGS?
That is where we start!
The VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH in the ENTIRE CATECHISM begins by saying, “HERE IS THE MASSIVE REVELATION OF GOD TO HUMANITY…”
IT IS JUST SO GOOD!!
The first three paragraphs are: HERE IS THE STORY OF SALVATION, HERE IS WHO GOD IS, HERE IS WHO YOU ARE, AND HERE IS GOD’S PLAN FOR US
Then it goes on to say since we know that, what do we do with it?
And THAT is what we call CATECHESIS
Catechesis is HANDING ON THE FAITH
Catechesis is TEACHING THE FAITH
Catechesis is an EDUCATION IN FAITH of children, young people, old people, etc.
We’ll talk all about that
In the last couple of paragraphs for today, The Church says, “Ok because of all this, and based off of people who are REALLY REALLY SMART and REALLY HOLY for the LAST 2,000 YEARS, what we set about doing is we set about writing a new Catechism.”
So that’s where we are RIGHT NOW!!
So let’s say a prayer and just DIVE INTO TODAY!!
OH MY GOSH!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise and thanks. You have made us. You have made us for yourself. And we are restless. Our hearts are restless until they rest in you. God, what is your plan for us? What is your plan for us, generally speaking? What is your plan for us, personally this day? Lord God, we just open our hearts to you today and open our minds to you. God, remove any sense of intimidation. Remove any sense of fear. Remove any sense of even resistance to what it is that you have revealed in your Scriptures and through the teachings of your Church for these last 2,000 years. Open our hearts and our minds today as we begin this journey. So that, again without fear, without resistance, without any hesitation, we just launch ourselves into your arms today. What is it that you want for us? What is it you want from us? And what is it that you can do in us this day if we just open our minds and open our hearts to you? Lord, reveal the answer to this. Reveal yourself to us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.”
Ok so one thing to keep in mind is there is a document called “Catechesi Tradendae” (1979) and the first paragraphs we read will reference that document quite a few times
So that’s what we’re going to get
SO HEEEEERE WEEEEE GOOOOOO!!!!
OK!!!!
That was 10 paragraphs!!
You probably caught on as we’re reading if we’re going to quote from Scripture, we’re going to mention that, or if we quote from Catechesi Tradendae, we’re going to mention that etc.
OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS!!
Here is the structure and the flow of these first 10 paragraphs
Those first three…SO GOOD!!
“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in Himself in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in His own blessed life.”
“For this reason, in every time and in every place, God draws close to man.”
WHICH IS INCREDIBLE!!
This declaration of such goodness!!
It goes on to say, “He calls us to SEEK HIM.”
WE KNOW THIS!!
We know that EVERY TIME we seek the Lord, it is actually a RESPONSE
It is a response to His INITIATION
HIS INITIAL OFFER OF GRACE
We are called to share in His blessed life
It goes on to say, “So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth The Apostles He had chosen…”
That’s what happened, right?
So here’s Jesus who enacted the SALVATION OF THE WORLD
So that the world could be SAVED
NOT JUST THOSE TWELVE PEOPLE
NOT JUST THOSE INITIAL DISCIPLES
BUT…
So that Salvation could go to THE WORLD, Christ sent forth The Apostles!!
THEY DID THAT!!
THEY WENT FORTH!!
Paragraph 3: “Those who with God’s help have welcomed Christ’s call and freely responded to it are urged on by a love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world.”
In THREE PARAGRAPHS here is The Catechism saying:
HERE IS GOD’S PLAN
HERE IS HOW HE FULFILLED THAT PLAN IN JESUS AND BY SENDING US THE HOLY SPIRIT
HERE IS HOW THAT PLAN WAS CARRIED OUT THROUGHOUT TIME BY THE COMMISSIONING OF THE APOSTLES AND THEIR SUCCESSORS
It goes on to say, “All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation by professing the Faith, by living in it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.”
Maybe you went through The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike before
The reason why we are going through The Catechism is NOT just because we want to have HEAD KNOWLEDGE of who God is
NOT just because we want to have HEAD KNOWLEDGE of who we are as belonging to The Lord
It is because we recognize that WE NEED TO BE CONVERTED
WE NEED HEART TRANSFORMATION
WE DON’T NEED JUST MORE INFORMATION
WHY?
BECAUSE THE LORD IS SENDING US OUT!!
THIS IS KEY!!
It is made VERY VERY CLEAR in Paragraph 3!!!
ALL CHRIST’S FAITHFUL ARE CALLED TO HAND IT ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION!!
NOT JUST PRIESTS
NOT JUST BISHOPS
NOT JUST NUNS
NOT JUST MISSIONARIES
NOT JUST THE SUPER-RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
BUT…
EVERYONE IS CALLED TO PASS ON THE FAITH
So what is HANDING ON THE FAITH called?
CATECHESIS!!
That’s what you find in The Catechism
THAT IS SO POWERFUL!!
The Catechism spells out how we do this, handing it on from generation to generation
One is by PROFESSING OUR FAITH THROUGH SHARING WITH WORDS
Secondly by LIVING IT IN FRATERNAL SHARING
Thirdly and fourthly by CELEBRATING IT IN LITURGY AND IN PRAYER
You may have noticed that The Catechism is made up of FOUR PILLARS
Those FOUR PILLARS are:
WHAT WE BELIEVE (THE CREED)
HOW WE LIVE (THE MORAL LIFE)
HOW WE WORSHIP
HOW WE PRAY
So there it all is in Paragraph 3 where it talks about how we hand on the Faith
Not just by saying it out loud
Also by LIVING IT
Also by WORSHIPING
Also by PRAYING
SO GOOD!!
So in Paragraphs 4-10, it talks about based off these initial truths of how GOOD God is and He made us to know him and share in His life and we need to pass that on to other people
Paragraphs 4-10 go on to say why we made this book, here is why we made The Catechism
God is SO GOOD that we cannot keep this hidden
God is SO GOOD that as an updated message for modern times, for modern minds, for modern eyes and hearts and ears, for modern people, we have this new Catechism
Because it is SO IMPORTANT to make disciples
It is SO IMPORTANT to equip those disciples with the TRUE TEACHING
Paragraph 6: “While not being formally identified with them, Catechesis is built on a certain number of elements of the Church’s pastoral mission which have catechetical aspects, that either prepare for catechesis or they spring from it.”
It lists a couple of things here, which is really cool:
1. The initial proclamation of The Gospel or missionary preaching to arouse faith…so we need catechesis to have any kind of apostolic preaching or missionary preaching.
2. The examination for the REASONS for belief
Fr. Mike went to college expressly to study theology
St. Peter said, “Always be ready to offer a reason for your hope. Be ready to defend your faith.”
The next one is SO IMPORTANT: Experience of Christian Living
Because this is not just about INFORMATION but it is about TRANSFORMATION
How do we live?
It goes on to say The Celebration of the Sacraments, Integration into the Ecclesial Community (Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation), and Apostolic and Missionary Witness aka how are we going out into the world with the Gospel?
So here we are at the end of Day 1
That question that we asked at the very beginning of today is the question we continue to ask
WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR HUMAN BEINGS?
WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN NOT JUST FOR HUMANITY IN GENERAL, BUT WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU?
WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR ME?
That plan is to KNOW HIM and to SHARE INTIMATELY IN HIS LIFE
And by that knowledge we are moved by LOVE OF GOD to share that, to SHARE HIM with EVERYONE WE MEET IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN
THAT IS THE CALL
THAT IS THE CHALLENGE
THAT IS THE INVITATION THAT WE ARE STARTING ON THIS FIRST DAY OF CATECHISM IN A YEAR!!
It is going to be a LONG JOURNEY!!
Fr. Mike KNOWS you are going to make it
Fr. Mike KNOWS that we all are going to make it
STICK WITH IT!!
KEEP PRESSING PLAY!!
Pray for Fr. Mike!!
Pray for each other!!
Scripture References & Reflections
- compiled by Andrew Adamany
Scripture Reflections (RSVCE)
CCC Prologue
John 17:3
“And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”
1 Timothy 2:3–4
God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Acts 4:10-12
“by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
CCC 1- "God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life."
Galatians 4:3-7
“So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.”
CCC 2 “So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel”
Matthew 28:18–20
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”
Mark 16:20
“And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.”
CCC 3 “This treasure (The Gospel), received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors.”
1 Timothy 3:15
“If I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
2 Timothy 2:1–2
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
II. HANDING ON THE FAITH: CATECHESIS
CCC 4 “Catechesis - to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:4–8, 11-14
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”…
…And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.”
CCC 5- “Catechesis- an education in the faith… the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted … initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life.”
1 Timothy 4:13–16
"Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."
1 Corinthians 11:2
“I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.”
CCC 6 “catechesis is built on a certain number of elements of the Church's pastoral mission… They are:
The initial proclamation of the Gospel or missionary preaching to arouse faith
Acts 2:22-24
(Peter spoke) “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it…”
“examination of the reasons for belief”
Acts 2:25-36
“For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me,for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.’
“Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.’
Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
celebration of the sacraments”; integration into the ecclesial community; and apostolic and missionary witness.”
Acts 2:37-42
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
“experience of Christian living”
Acts 2:43-47
“And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
CCC 7 "Catechesis is intimately bound up with the whole of the Church's life… her inner growth and correspondence with God's plan depend essentially on catechesis."
Colossians 1:9–12
“And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
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