The Formation of the Christian Family
The journey of the Catholic Catechist must be one where he/she is deeply rooted in the Gospel and thus soaked in the heart and mind of the Church through the Sacred Deposit of Faith, e.g., Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture.
“. . . and they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and prayers.” – Acts 2:42
The heart and mind of the Catechist must be one where he takes on the mind of Christ. At the heart of all sound catechesis is, in essence, the person of Jesus of Nazareth. (Catechesis In Our Time, 5)
- Christocentric in essence is not just a term or a definition; it is an application towards a call to Christian witness.
- This centralized focus on Christ must be exhibited in every facet of teaching. Thus, the art of teaching and the art of catechizing work hand in hand because the ultimate aim is to develop an understanding of the mystery of Christ in the light of God’s Word . . . (Catechesis In Our Time, 20)
Evangelization of the Family: The Role of Parents
The Family, specifically the role of parents, serves as the principal means of evangelization within a family structure. We must understand that the primary witness and model of evangelization for all children comes from the parents.
While understanding the immense importance of being a witness of holiness to all, the Parent and Parish community must be aware that at any given moment, we will encounter the following type of person or behavior,
- Atheist (Does not believe in God)
- NONE (No general belief in God)
- Agnostic (Belief in self)
- Ignorant (Unaware of God)
- Indifferent (Sees no value in a divine being)
- The Unbaptized-Un Catechized
- Baptized un-catechized, (fallen away) Catholic
- The nominal active Catholic (Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter)
- Active Practicing Catholic
St. Paul reminds us of the beauty of witnessing to the masses through his words to the people of Ephesus:
“. . . be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Eph 5:1-2
The Methods of Evangelization for the Parish Family
Some things to consider when evangelizing for the sake of conversion,
- Be a witness of Christian Living to all. (Jn 15:5)
- Proclamation of the Gospel. (Mt 28:17-20)
- Full and active participation in the Sacramental Life. (CCC 1324)
- Actively live a holy moral life per the teachings of the Catholic Church. (Rom 2:14-16)
- Promote and be a witness to an active prayer life. (Mt 5:23-24, 44-45; 7:21; 9:38; Lk 10:2; Jn 4:34)
The Four Tenets of Family Catechesis
The mission of the Parish Family is to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ according to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
I. Establishing a Profession of Faith through a belief in the Trinity and an adherence to the Deposit of Faith, i.e., Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Church’s teaching authority (Magisterium).
II. Celebration of the Christian Mystery by:
- An active understanding of the Liturgy (Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist)
- Participation in the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist
- Renewal of Baptismal Promises and maturation of the grace of Confirmation.
III. Life in Christ through living a just, moral life per Christ’s teachings. (e.g., the Beatitudes, Ten Commandments, the Natural Moral Law)
- Following the theological and cardinal virtues and putting them into practice.
- Understanding the evil of sin.
- Receiving grace through a life of holiness: the Precepts of the Church
IV. Developing a mature Christian Prayer life.
- Emphasis on the recitation and contemplation of the “Our Father.”
- Application of the Lectio Divina (praying with the scriptures)
- Proper veneration (angels, saints, our Blessed Mother) and adoration (Christ in the Holy Eucharist)
My brethren show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory . . . for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it . . . what does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or a sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead . . . you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. – Jas 2:1, 10, 14-17, 24