Every baptized Catholic has a responsibility to grow in their faith, share their faith with others, and to be a witness to the Gospel.
The word catechesis has its roots in a Greek word which means “echo”. Catechesis is echoing the teaching of the Jesus which was taught to the Apostles and has been handed down by the Catholic Church for centuries.
A catechsim is a book that contains the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Some individuals serve the Church as formal teachers as part of their parish’s religious education program but all Catholics should be willing and able to pass the faith on to family, friends, and neighbors.
The Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday on the 3rd Sunday in September by acknowledging the individuals who donate their time teaching in their parish, as well as parents and guardians who are the primary catechists of their children.
You can only love what you know:
“The echo of Christ’s voice”:
The Church has always considered catechesis one of her primary tasks, for, before Christ ascended to his Father after his resurrection, He gave the Apostles a final command – to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to observe all that He had commanded. He thus entrusted them with the mission and power to proclaim to humanity what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked upon and touched with their hands, concerning the Word of Life. He also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what He had taught them, his words and actions, his signs and commandments. And He gave them the Spirit to fulfill this mission.
Pope John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, October 16, 1979
A need for intelligent and enthusiastic catechesis:
The Church has suffered from poor catechesis:
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: “As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus.
Acts 8: 29-35
Learning to be disciples of Christ and grow in our faith:
Handing on the faith to future generations:
Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church’s efforts to make disciples, 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.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 4
Reinforcing the faith to Catholic teenagers:
Know your faith to live it, share it, and defend it:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
Truth makes us free:
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