How do we each play our part in passing on the Catholic Faith in today’s society? The Gospel reading for the fourth Sunday of Easter points us in the right direction. Jesus is depicted as the Good Shepherd –the one who lays down his life for his sheep. Sheep are known for their tendency to stray and to become disorientated. With so many voices calling out to us today we too can become profoundly lost. Yet Jesus reminds us that the sheep that belong to him know His voice and follow Him.
The greatest fruit, in my experience of studying the Catechism, has been a deepened sense of knowing and following God and the Church which He has founded. Quietly reading the Catechism at home over time and sharing my thoughts with others in a group guided by a facilitator and priest, has been great faith formation.
The somewhat burdensome-sounding task of ‘passing on the faith’ has shifted in me now to ‘how might I live my life in a way that makes God known and loved to those around me.’
Focus
I am a retired Architect, living in Kinsale. I attend a weekly Catechism class in Cork city consisting of about 12 people. This focus enables a deep listening to the voice of God and His Church. The sense of belonging to each other through belonging more deeply to God is palpable and profound, as if we are pilgrims on the same path.
It is a compendium of all Catholic doctrine of both faith and morals and an invaluable point of reference”
The upcoming pilgrimage to Knock on May 31, I know, will endorse what I have experienced. I long for the time that every parish in Ireland could offer a similar ‘deep listening space’ around the Catechism. The Church is truly our Mother leading us to safety. What better place to rekindle this than at Knock.
Joseph McEnery adds: My friend, Claude, enrolled in the Catechism class at Bru Columbanus, Wilton, Cork, last September. I decided to join him in February. What an inspirational choice! The Catechism contains the teachings of the Catholic Church. While it requires some perseverance as we gently move through it, I find it both understandable and richly rewarding. As stated in the Catechism introduction, it is a compendium of all Catholic doctrine of both faith and morals and an invaluable point of reference. For me, it is the Truth; it is a rich resource that deepens my faith and aids my prayer life. A gateway that quotes from Papal Encyclicals and other Church documents and allows one to explore further.
Vocation
How often I wondered about the nature of divine graces, our freedoms and responsibilities, judgements, conscience, theological virtues, gifts of the Holy Spirits, venial and mortal sins – it is all here. The meaning of the Magisterium? The definition of Hope – the theme of this year’s Jubilee? They are here also. And I am only at the beginning! It is our life in Christ, our life in the Spirit, our vocation. And, most importantly, it allows us to pass on our rich faith to others.
‘Knowing and Living our Catholic Faith’ the one-day Pilgrimage, it is led by Fr John Harris OP, Prior Provincial, Irish Dominican Province. It will start at 11.30am on Saturday, May 31 at St John’s Rest and Care Centre, Knock. It continues at 2pm with Outdoor Stations of the Cross and Rosary Procession and concludes at 3pm with Holy Mass in the Basilica with Anointing of the Sick. Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation throughout the day.
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Tom O’Sullivan is a member of the Catechism Studies for Adults.
