1

Iiish Confeience on the Catechism of the Catholic Chuich

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Congowes Woou College
Satuiuay, }uly S, 2u14
1u:4S AN to 11:Su AN

I. Intiouuction

a. Ny sisteis anu biotheis in the Loiu, the Boly Spiiit has gatheieu us heie this
moining to celebiate the gift of oui Catholic faith
i. To spenu this time togethei in piayei & to celebiate what we believe
ii. To also giow in appieciation of the gieat gift of the Catechism of the
Catholic Chuich that you have been stuuying foi ovei thiee yeais
1. Pait of oui mission togethei is to exploie ways by which we
can shaie this gieat iesouice with othei believeis anu people
of goou will

b. I am ueeply giateful foi the piivilege to shaie this time with you:
i. Thanks to all who oiganizeu this uay
1. Special thanks to Naiiin anu the membeis of the Steeiing
Committee
ii. Special thanks to Aichbishop Chailes Biown
1. Foi his leaueiship heie in Iielanu
2. Foi his peisonal fiienuship

c. Since it is youi stuuy of the Catechism is what has biought you togethei in
the fiist place, I will offei some opening iemaiks about the Catechism which
will not come as any suipiise to you

i. Laigei Task is to open the question of the mouein context foi Catholic
Faith which is one of the piime ieasons why the Catechism exists
1. By "context", I mean moie specifically, what in the woilu
aiounu us is pieventing so many people, especially young
auults, fiom embiacing the gift of Catholic faith anu utilizing
the gieat gift of the Catechism to come to unueistanu anu
accept the tiuths of oui faith
a. If the catechism is a gieat tool to (1) biing people to
faith oi (2) stiengthen those who alieauy believe, how
can we effectively shaie this gift with otheis.

2. To examine this "context", we will spenu time in ieflection
about the uivine gift of faith itself
a. We will go to the veiy heait of oui lives anu ministiy
2
b. We will exploie the uivine gift of faith that you anu I
shaie anu have each ieceiveu fiom the L0RB
i. Faith in the Loiu }esus anu in Bis Chuich
ii. Faith that we wish to pioclaim anu shaie in a
vaiiety of ways.woik of evangelization

ii. Foi it is oui Faith in the Loiu anu Bis Continuing Nystical Piesence in
the Woilu (=Chuich) (unueistanuing it, ueepening it, shaiing it) is at
the heait of all that we uo, each in oui own way:
1. Founuation, puipose anu mission of the Catechism
2. Reason foi all Euucation anu Catechesis
S. uoal foi all Evangelization
4. Reason why oui acts of Chaiity aie not simply social woik
a. Point: All that we uo is about the Loiu }esus
b. All uiscipleship is in Response to Bis call anu invitation
to (1) know, (2) love anu (S) follow Chiist
i. Eveiything exists to allow us to answei this one
gieat commanu: "Come Follow me"

u. Thiee Pieliminaiy Points:

i. Fiist Point: 67$ 89,7.41-7 :12, ./"- +21;4<, "-7=,27
1. ST0RY: The auvice given to me by my Rabbi fiienu
a. }ewish euucation is much moie inteiesteu in asking the
iight question than having the iight answeis
2. We will iaise some questions that will allow us to continue to
ieflect on these impoitant issues long aftei oui uay togethei is
ovei

ii. Seconu Point: I wish to begin a conveisation that will allow us to shaie
faith anu leain fiom one anothei
1. The complete answei to the challenges that we face will not be
fully cleai foi a while longei.

iii. Thiiu Point: Ny piesentation on Faith will have two paits:
1. Fiist, we will begin by asking peisonal question:
a. Bow can we ueepen the gift of faith in youi life anu
mine.
i. This iaises the question of oui "Bisposition" to
the faith
1. What allows us to be open anu accept
what uou wishes to gives us in faith
ii. Fuithei, as uianuma saiu: Since you cannot
shaie who you uo not have!
1. 0ui concein: Bow can we ueepen oui
own lives of faith.
S
2. Seconu, we will look at the laigei woilu anu ask:
a. Bow can we effectively invite people to encountei the
Loiu }esus anu come to faith, oi ueepei faith, in Bim.
i. We will ietuin to this topic, which is the bulk of
what we will exploie togethei

II. Catechism of the Catholic Chuich:
a. Since the veiy beginning of the Chuich, many attempts have been maue to
cieate a compenuium of that which we believe as ievealeu tiuths in Chiist

i. Two Eaily Examples:
1. 04<">/,: Late fiist oi eaily 2
nu
centuiy
a. 0thei title: "Teaching of the 12 Apostles"
b. Eailiest catechism that was uiviueu into thiee paits:
i. Chiistian Ethics
ii. Rituals, especially Baptism anu Euchaiist
iii. Chuich oiganization (Bieiaichy)

2. ?@ A".,>/,.4>"# B,>.92,7 1C D"4-. AE24# 1C F,297"#,: foi
catechumens piioi to anu following theii baptism
a. Fiist 18: Catechetical Lectuies to piepaie foi ieception
of Baptism
b. Final Five: Nystagogical Lectuies to assist in the
ongoing life of faith
i. P0INT: Theie has always been a neeu to explain
in a coheient mannei that which we believe as
Catholic Chiistians

ii. In the Countei-Refoimation peiiou, the impoitance of the catechism
iose uiamatically:
1. Theie was tiemenuous confusion about the tenets of the
Catholic faith in the wake of Piotestant teachings
a. A shocking fact is that 8u % of all Euiope hau at one
time embiaceu some foim of Piotestantism

2. The Council of Tient authoiizeu the cieation of the "Roman
Catechism"
a. Two key puiposes:
i. Foi use by piiests in the instiuction of the people
1. Not intenueu foi uiiect use by the faithful
2. Implieu that the piiests uiu not have a
tiue unueistanuing of the faith
ii. To eliminate all uoubt about what the authentic
teachings of the Chuich aie
4
1. Remaineu in effect until the cuiient
Catechism was piomulgateu in 1992 by
Saint }ohn Paul II

iii. !/, A".,>/47: 1C ./, A"./1#4> A/92>/ began its foimation fiom the
Extiaoiuinaiy Synou of Bishops helu in 198S
1. Aftei a peiiou of unpaialleleu consultation anu input fiom
bishops fiom aiounu the woilu which changeu the oiiginal
uiaft significantly
2. Saint }ohn Paul appioveu the text on }une 2S, 1992 anu
piomulgateu it on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
(Becembei 8, 1992)
a. In 1997 a slightly mouifieu text foi the Catechism was
appioveu anu iemains in effect

iv. !/, A".,>/47: 1C ./, A"./1#4> A/92>/ has a fouifolu stiuctuie that
highlights the foui main pillais of Chiistian Biscipleship
1. The Piofession of Faith
2. The Celebiation of the Chiistian Nysteiy
S. Life in Chiist
4. Chiistian Piayei

v. Why is it so impoitant.

1. It has a fouifolu puipose:
a. To pioviue a "Summaiy of authentic Catholic
catechesis"
i. To piesent the essential anu funuamental
content of oui faith in a complete, authentic anu
summaiy way
b. To seive as a point of iefeience foi national catechisms
c. To explain Catholic uoctiine in an objective, ueclaiative
anu systematic way
u. To seive as a iesouice foi all those who catechize (moie
than piiests)

2. Its ultimate puipose is twofolu
a. To ueepen the faith of those who use it
i. Knowleuge leaus to appiopiiation
b. To assist people of goou will to come to faith in Chiist

S. Loneigan's exposition of conveision is helpful heie:
a. Conveision is a thiee folu expeiience (usually in this
oiuei)
i. Intellectual Conveision
S
1. You aie no longei able to iun fiom the
tiuth when you confiont it
a. Saint Augustine is an example of
someone who came to intellectual
comveision fiist
ii. Noial Conveision
1. Withuiawal fiom self pieoccupation to
concein foi the othei
a. Sin is iooteu in such self-
pieoccupation
iii. Religious Conveision
1. Recognition of the piesence of uou anu
iesponse in piayei anu woiship

b. P0INT: Catechism is uesigneu to be an aiu in all thiee
foims of Conveision

III. The Catechism anu oui Contempoiaiy Society:

a. So I must ask a tioubling question:
i. With so gieat a gift as the Catechism so ieauily available, why have we
not seen a gieatei iesuigence of Catholic faith.
1. In many ways, the situation is woise now than 22 yeais ago
a. Nass attenuance is lowei now than when the Catechism
was piomulgateu
b. Less young people aie iuentifying themselves as
Catholics
c. In the 0S, 2u% of Bispanic young people piofess no
oiganizeu faith at all!

ii. It seems to me that we must take a step back anu come to unueistanu
moie piofounuly the "context" of oui mouein life, especially as it
impacts on oui young auults

1. Puipose: to unleash the gieat powei of the Catechism
a. Foi if oui uesiie is to ueepen oui own peisonal faith anu
leau otheis to faith (=evangelization), then we must
take stock of what is at woik
i. A complete answei is not possible in the limiteu
time we have
1. uoal: Raise points foi continuing
ieflection

b. Let us begin by ieviewing what the uivine gift of faith
itself

6
b. What is Faith.
i. Catechism teaches us that Faith is both a uivine gift anu a human
iesponse

1. It is a uivine gift that one cannot eain oi achieve on youi own
a. It was tolu to St Petei by the Loiu (Nt. 16:17): his
piofession of faith was not ievealeu by "flesh anu bloou"
but "fiom my Fathei who is in heaven"
i. Boly Spiiit is given to move oui heaits to accept
the ievelation of uou

b. It is a gift (./,1#1G4>"# ;42.9,) given anu ieceiveu in
iesponse to heaiing the offei of salvation pieacheu to us
in an effective mannei thiough the giace of Chiist

i. Pieaching in many foims
1. Woius
2. Example
S. Cultuie anu enviionment

ii. As I ieflect upon my own life, I uo not know how
I came to faith but I know what I enjoyeu:
1. Catholic Family
2. Loving Neighboihoou
S. vibiant Paiish
4. Catholic School
a. I am foievei giateful to those who
helpeu me to ieceive so gieat a
gift!

2. Faith is also a gift that cannot be imposeu but uemanus a fiee
iesponse:
a. We must tiust anu submit to what we heai anu iesponu
with a submission of oui lives is oui fiee act to uo oi
noi to uo
i. Submit how.
1. Can begin in many ways
a. 0ui minu
b. 0ui heaits
c. 0ui will must submit fieely to uou
oi else it is not a gift

b. Submit to what.
i. It is the piesenceievelation of uou which the
Chuich pioposes foi oui belief anu it is
1. Piofesseu in the cieeu
7
2. Celebiateu in the Saciaments
S. Liveu by a moial life that fulfills the New
Commanument
4. Responueu to in woiship anu piayei

c. Bettei way to unueistanu this: To answei the question:
"Who uo you say that I am."
i. Establishment of an enuuiing, peisonal
ielationship with the Loiu }esus thiough the
Community of the Chuich

c. What seems to be uifficult in oui mouein woilu is achieving the uisposition
neeueu (1) to iecognize the gift of faith anu (2) iesponu to it

i. This uisposition is what is being challengeu at times in oui cultuie of
inuiffeience
1. We will speak moie about this mouein phenomenon of
"inuiffeience" latei in the piesentation

ii. What is this uisposition.
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2. It is two sentences with foui phiases, each essential to
unueistanu the uisposition that any peison neeus in oiuei to
accept oi ueepen the gift of faith anu help otheis to accept it

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i. Fiist Insight: Comes fiom this image
1. What is the BISTANCE between Chiist
anu the peison on the othei siue of the
uooi.
a. Neasuieu in meie inches
b. Point: Revelation of the NEARNESS
of uou

2. Fathei Robeit Baiion ielates the Nyth of
Piometheus
a. Foi the uieeks, man neeueu to
ieach up to uou
b. Chiistian Faith invites us to
consiuei a uou who comes uown
to us
i. Chiist became a man like us
in all things but sin
8

S. Foi many in oui society, it is piecisely
uou's connection anu neainess that
seems to be uifficult foi many to
iecognize

a. It is easy to accept the piesence of
uou in my peisonal puisuit of
being "spiiitual"

b. What is uifficult is to see the
neainess of uou piesent thiough
the Sacieu Sciiptuie, Saciaments,
the Euchaiist anu the Community

c. What we aie living thiough is a
ciisis of the cieuibility of any
community to be peiceiveu as
necessaiy foi a peison's spiiitual
life

ii. Seconu Insight: Natuie of the Booi
1. To what uoes the Booi iefei.
a. Answei: uepenus upon the peison
b. Can be many things: (Loneigan)
i. Beait
ii. Ninu
iii. Will

2. CBALLENuE: If someone is willing to
open the uooi to Chiist, we must be
attuneu to what heshe is willing to open
a. }ust as the catechism has foui
pillais.we must be willing to take
the time to uiscein what each
peison is ieauy to uo
i. We must ieach out one
peison at a time.

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i. The voice of uou
1. ST0RY of the little boy in Chuich
a. I have been calleu many things:
b. Some I can even iepeat heie
i. Youi holiness
9
ii. Youi highness
iii. Youi immensity
iv. Loiuship
v. Even Ni. Bishop
c. Two weeks ago, a little boy took
the cake:
i. "Nom, is that uou."

2. We know that the voice of uou takes
many foims
a. Elijah (1 Kings 19)
i. voice of uou as a gentle
bieeze
b. voice of uou takes many foims
because theie is no chance oi
coinciuences in life

S. Among the challenges of mouein life aie:
a. Pioblem of "noise"
b. Busy pace
i. Question: Bow can we help
people to heai the voice of
uou in theii lives.

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i. FAN00S PAINTINu 0F TBIS PASSuE:
1. No hanule foi the Loiu to use!

ii. ST0RY: Riugefielu anu the meeting
1. In contiast to my expeiience in Biooklyn,
I sat on the steps of the iectoiy because I
coulu not imagine that the uooi woulu be
left unlockeu
a. You only openeu the uooi of youi
home to the peison you coulu
iecognize anu tiust

iii. Chiluien instinctively tiust
1. Stoiy: Fathei thiowing me into the aii
a. Nevei uoubteu that he woulu catch
me
b. Sauly, ovei time:
i. Life gives us many ieasons
to begin to uoubt tiust in
anyone
1u
ii. Reasons incluue sin,
betiayal anu bitteiness

2. Boliness= Puisuit to embiace tiust in uou
a. Tiust that we once hau as chiluien
i. }esus: "Be like the chiluien"

S. We can faith in many things.none aie
totally tiustwoithy
a. Faith in uou is unlike faith in
anyone oi anything else he is
faithful, loving anu tiue, his woiu
anu piomises will nevei fail
i. No one else can give such
an assuiance

4. Nouein Challenge: Bow uo we help
people to open the uooi to the Loiu.

a. Pieiequisite: A peison neeus to
sense the loving piesence of the
one who knocks

b. It is an effective expeiience of love
that foims us since we aie chiluien
that can make the love of uou
cieuible
i. Why aie paients the chief
catechists of theii chiluien.
ii. KEY: They make the love of
uou ieal thiough the love
they shaie with theii
chiluien
iii. Also the love of fiienus,
spouses, neighbois anu
even enemies
iv. Expeiiencing such love
allows oui belief that
speaks of uou as a Tiinity of
love anu the Incaination of
love in }esus Chiist to ne
believable

S. uieat challenge: Nany people, especially
young people, uo not believe themselves
to be loveable oi woith much at all!
11
a. Bow will they open the uooi of
theii heaits anu minus if they uo
not tiust the loving piesence of
those aiounu them.

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i. Fiist point: The Loiu enteis oui bioken lives:
1. NOP6! PQAR6SNP: Be enteis to give to us
by auoption what Be enjoyeu by natuie
a. Kenosis

ii. Seconu point: Be eats with us
1. This is why the Euchaiist is at the heait of
oui life anu Chuich
a. Challenge foi many young people
who see the value in being
"spiiitual" but inuiffeience in
being "ieligious
i. SPIRIT0AL = NE
ii. RELIuI00S = WE

iii. You may say: I have alieauy openeu the uooi of my heait to Chiist

1. Theie is a BA0NTINu Q0ESTI0N:
a. Bow wiue is the uooi of youi heait open to Bim iight
heie anu now.
i. Foi much can occui to naiiow the opening
1. 0ui sins
2. 0ui huit anu betiayal
S. Bisappointments (bitteiness)

b. The opening is not uone once but eveiy uay in countless
ways
i. The uisposition of faith is a lifelong piocess
1. The goal is to open the uooi evei wiuei

ii. To iealize the woius of Saint }ohn the Baptist
1. "I must ueciease so Be can inciease"

c. Faith is a piecious gift that
i. Can uiminsh in us
ii. Can even uisfiguieu
iii. Can even be iejecteu

12
u. Thus, befoie we uiscuss the woik of evangelization anu missionaiy
uiscipleship, we must commit to ueepen the gift of faith in oui own lives
i. It is the pieiequisite foi all ministiy in all its foims
1. To open the uooi of the heait, minu anu soul to the inuwelling
of Chiist who come in the powei of the Boly Spiiit, thiough the
life of the community of believeis

2. Thiee essential elements
a. Piayei
b. Penance
c. Woiks of Chaiity
i. Love as the call of meicy given by Pope Fiancis
1. To concietize the love of uou up close anu
peisonal

e. Foi with oui faith ieneweu anu the uoois of oui lives opening eveiy wiuei,
then we will be ieauy to shaie faith with the waiting woilu
i. TBEN the woik of ministiy anu evangelization can begin in eainest
ii. Then the powei of the Catechism will be unshackleu foi all to benefit

Iv. Bow can we help otheis to open wiue the uooi of theii lives to Chiist.

a. In othei woius:
i. Evangelization: at its most basic is helping to intiouuce otheis to
Chiist oi ueepen theii existing faith in Chiist
1. The new evangelization is being spoken about because the
context in which we finu ouiselves is both new anu challenging

b. In a time when the cieuibility of the community itself is being questioneu
i. Anu if oui uesiie is to help otheis to iecognize anu accept the gieat
gift of faith
1. Then it is time foi us to not simply catechize the faith but
WITNESS T0 TBE FAITB

v. Powei of Witnessing to Chiist:

a. ST0RY of Synou inteivention
i. 12 Step piogiam: Witness to youi sobiiety anu stiuggles
1. Why can't I witness anu give testimony to my Catholic faith.
a. P0INT: Piecisely what we aie calleu to uo in ministiy
anu uiscipleship.

ii. 0ui Task We must witness to B0TB the TR0TB anu L0vE

b. Witness: To the Tiuth who is }esus Chiist

1S
i. What is tiuth. Pontius Pilate's question to }esus
1. It is the most piovocative question in all of SS:
a. Chiist's gives no veibal iesponse but he uoes give an
answei:
i. Eailiei in his ministiy: "I am the way, the tiuth
anu the life"
ii. Reason why Chiist hau nothing to say is because
he was the answei!
1. The answei was not something but
someone!

ii. We must witness to the tiuths of oui Faith anu the Tiuth of oui Faith

1. H,C12, T".4>"- JJ( Revelation was mainly piepositional
a. Apologetics was teaching people the answeis of faith
i. uoal: Conveision of the Ninu

2. 0,4 T,2L9:: shift in uefinition of ievelation as "Chiist event"
a. Shift: challenges us to encountei the Loiu in a ieal anu
existential way

S. Two conclusions:
a. To unueistanu the Tiuth takes moie than the minu
(tiuths)
i. Tiansfoimative encountei with the peison of
}esus Chiist in the community of the Chuich
1. Copeinican Revolution of the Spiiit

b. The tiuths of the faith will not make sense apait fiom
the Tiuth of the Faith
i. We all neeu both to know about Chiist anu to
know Chiist

b. Witness: To the piesence of Love who is uou Bimself

i. What is Love.
1. Stoiy of my mothei anu singing:
a. I was a bit spoileu when I was young
i. I know, it is haiu to believe!

b. Nothei woulu sing anu befoie leaving, say
i. "Io ti voglio bene"= "I will youi goou"
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14
c. Befoie the A2177I we iecognize it to be gieatest act of love the woilu will evei
know
i. Piecisely because it was enuuieu foi oui eteinal anu tiue goou
1. Also: love gives biith to tiue community, baseu on effectively
willing the goou of one anothei
a. Chiistian Love as a counteisign contiauiction to the
love of the woilu

u. Such a witness to love is the "Biuuen key" to biing the offei of faith alive in
otheis, especially young auults

i. It makes piesent the Tiiune uou who is peifect love
1. Allows each of us to entei into an unbieakable bonu of giace,
thiough the inuwelling of the same Boly Spiiit

ii. It ie-establishes the cieuibility of the community
1. "Way" of the piimitive chuich was baseu on such love
a. Stoiy of Ancient Rome
i. The eailiest Chiistians maicheu to theii ueaths
anu sang
1. The Romans askeu: What uiu they have.
2. Bettei question: Who uiu they have.

b. The lyiics of a famous hymn iemain tiue: "They will
know we aie Chiistians by oui love".

iii. People's lack of tiust anu lack of connection must be answeieu not
simply in theoiy anu lesson but in a ieal, liveu mannei

1. Pieeminent Impoitance of the Life of each Paiish
a. ST0RY: uiowing up in Bensonhuist
i. Custom: Wheie aie you fiom.
1. Answei: Paiish name
ii. 0ui whole life ievolveu aiounu the Paiish
1. Coming Bome to smell the vaiious tomato
sauces cooking
iii. Ny only fight: which was a uiaw
1. In six blocks, my mothei was waiting foi
me on the fiont steps, looking foi an
explanation!

iv. We can bemoan the fact that oui paiishes aie not quite loving
communities.
1. Yet, we cannot foiget that we aie chaigeu to cieate a
community within oui own ministiy as well...

1S
2. "Bemanu of Love": oui ministiy must be a place wheie a
peison can expeiience the love of Chiist, baseu on hishei tiue
goou
a. Noie specifically, the iequiiements of any piogiam
cannot evei be a substitute foi active, peisonal
involvement in the lives of oui people as fellow
membeis of the community of faith
b. Engagement with theii messy, bioken anu mix-up lives
is quintessentially what makes us Catholic
i. We can come to uiscovei the common mission to
love as Chiist uoes
ii. Theie is no substitute foi enteiing the lives
(loving) oui stuuents, one peison at a time

S. "Buiuen of Love": Bow fai can you go to assist in this
messiness.
a. 0ui willingness to saciifice
b. 0ui openness to change
c. 0ui uesiie to be stietcheu
u. To get oui hanus uiity ... As the Loiu uiu!


vI. C0NCL0SI0N:
a. Stoiy about Nothei Teiesa begging foi bieau accompanieu by a little boy
i. "Thank you foi that gift. Now what about the bieau foi the little boy."
1. That meichant encounteieu a poweiful witness to the tiuth
anu love of Chiist
a. If he alloweu himself the ability to ieflect on what
happeneu, he woulu be ieauy to uive into the catechism
anu what it teaches.

b. Let us go foith with hope that you anu I can be such witnesses to oui faith in
Chiist the Loiu