St Peter Catechists Presentation by James J Bitting

St. Peter Catechists Presentation by James J. Bitting Jr

The Importance of the Vocation �-Belief is necessary for salvation – � “For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. ” (Jn 8: 24) �-The Faith must be proclaimed in order to be believed �(See For, "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. " But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? (Rom 10: 13 -14).

The Importance of the Vocation �If a man were to give immense treasures to the poor, that good deed would not be equal in merit to that of a man who contributes to the salvation of one soul. This alms deed is to be preferred to the distribution of ten thousand pounds; it is worth more than the whole world, however large it may appear in our own eyes; for a man's soul is more precious than the whole universe. God has nothing so much at heart, nothing gives Him so much pleasure, as the salvation of souls. -ST. CHRYSOSTOM

Importance of the Vocation �Catechists feed the Poor! �“to feed implies, first of all, to teach. "I will give you pastors according to my own heart, " God promised through Jeremiah, "and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine…If, assuredly, the alms with which we relieve the needs of the poor are highly praised by the Lord, how much more precious in His eyes, then, will be the zeal and labor expended in teaching and admonishing, by which we provide not for the passing needs of the body but for the eternal profit of the soul! Nothing, surely, is more desirable, nothing more acceptable to Jesus Christ, the Savior of souls…” (Acerbo Nimis 7 -8).

How important is Catechesis? �“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” Hos 4: 6 �“ignorance of God is the principle and explanation of all moral deviations” (CCC 2087) �“if we cannot expect to reap a harvest when no seed has been planted, how can we hope to have a people with sound morals if Christian doctrine has not been imparted to them in due time? ” St. Pius X

How important is Catechesis ? �“He [St. Paul] also places the foundation of holiness and sound morals upon a knowledge of divine things-which holds in check evil desires” St. Pius X �“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28: 19 -20)

The Greatest Work �“the greatest work of charity is evangelization, which is the ‘ministry of the word’. There is no action more beneficial – and therefore more charitable – towards one’s neighbor than to break the bread of the word of God, to share with him the Good News of the Gospel, to introduce him to a relationship with God: evangelization is the highest and the most integral promotion of the human person” –Benedict XVI Lenten Message 2013

Syllogism of Catechetical Greatness! �Premise 1 - The Greatest is Love (See St. Paul 1 Cor 13) �Premise 2 –Evangelization is the “greatest work of charity (i. e. love)” (Pope BXVI) �Premise 3 – Catechesis is a moment of evangelization (See Catechesi Tradendae 18) �Conclusion – As catechists you do the greatest thing, which is love and you do the greatest work of love, namely evangelization.

Priority of the Task �Catechesi Tradendae 15 - …The more the Church, whether on the local or the universal level, gives catechesis priority over other works and undertakings the results of which would be more spectacular, the more she finds in catechesis a strengthening of her internal life as a community of believers and of her external activity as a missionary Church. As the 20 th century draws to a close, the Church is bidden by God and by events - each of them a call from Him - to renew her trust in catechetical activity as a prime aspect of her mission. She is bidden to offer catechesis her best resources in people and energy, without sparing effort, toil or material means, in order to organize it better and to train qualified personnel. This is no mere human calculation; it is an attitude of faith. And an attitude of faith always has reference to the faithfulness of God, who never fails to respond.

GDC 231 On the Vocation to be a Catechist �- The vocation of the laity to catechesis springs from the sacrament of Baptism. It is strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation they participate in the "priestly, prophetic and kingly ministry of Christ". �… In addition to the common vocation of the apostolate, some lay people feel called interiorly by God to assume the service of catechist. The Church awakens and discerns this divine vocation and confers the mission to catechize. The Lord Jesus invites men and women, in a special way, to follow him, teacher and formator of disciples. �…This personal call of Jesus Christ and its relationship to him are the true moving forces of catechetical activity. "From this loving knowledge of Christ springs the desire to proclaim him, to 'evangelize, ' and to lead others to the 'Yes' of faith in Jesus Christ".

From the Guide for Catechists: Vocation of the Catechist �Catechists…are considered to be irreplaceable evangelizers �JPII quoting AG, “catechists offer…an 'outstanding and absolutely necessary contribution to the spread of the faith and the Church'“ �…Undisputed effectiveness of lay catechists - Under the direction of priests, in fact, they continue with frankness to announce "the Good News“…Through religious instruction, preparation for the sacraments, animation of prayer and other works of charity, they help the baptized to grow in the fervor of the Christian life. �Sacrifice - Often, they are called to witness to their faith by harsh trials and painful privations…even to the giving of life itself. (e. g. St. Pedro Calungsod)

From the Guide for Catechists: Vocation of the Catechist �From the Guide for Catechists: � JPII -- makes use of every opportunity to stress the importance and relevance of the work of catechists as a "fundamental evangelical service". � “from the very beginning of Christianity and wherever there has been missionary activity, catechists have made, and continue to make, "an outstanding and indispensable contribution to the spread of the faith and of the Church“ (Cf. RM 73). � Vocation and Identity – “Within the lay state there are various vocations…Within the general vocation of the laity there are particular ones” (p. 9) � “At the origin of the catechist's vocation…there is a specific call from the Holy Spirit, a "special charism recognized by the Church“…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). ” (p. 9). � “the catechist's vocation is both specific, i. e. for the task of catechizing, and general, for collaborating in whatever apostolic services are useful for the building up of the Church” (p. 9). � “The CEP insists on the value and distinctiveness of the catechist's vocation. ” (p. 9).

From the Guide for Catechists: Vocation of the Catechist �Role of the Catechist (p. 10). �“The Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, for instance, describes catechists as "specialized workers, direct witnesses, indispensable evangelizers, … (Cf. RM 73). �"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…"the catechist is not a simple substitute for the priest, but is, by right, a witness of Christ in the community". (p. 10 -11). �Specific Task of Catechizing “includes educating young people and adults in the faith, preparing candidates and their families for the sacraments of Christian initiation, and helping with retreats and other meetings connected with catechesis” (p. 11).