eCatechist

Liturgy: What It is and Isn’t by Sr. Kathleen Glavich

Sr. Kathleen Glavich
 

Suppose you saw this in a Woman’s Guild Newsletter: “Join us at 3:00 on April 30 for the liturgy of the Rosary. We will pray the luminous mysteries.” Can you spot the error? If not (and even if you did), read on.

The word liturgy came into our common Catholic vocabulary with the Second Vatican Council. Originally it was a Greek word that meant public service and referred to any job that served the people, such as being in the military and feeding the hungry. Eventually the word came to mean public worship for the sake of others. Today liturgy refers to the official public worship of the Church: the people of God along with Christ their head, celebrating the mysteries of Christ and expressing the nature of the Church. The “public” part of the liturgy is the whole assembly gathered together to worship.

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: St. Mary, God’s Mother and Ours by Sr. Kathleen Glavich, SND

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is probably the most famous and most loved woman. This is because of her unique role as Mother of God. God chose Mary of Nazareth above all women to be the mother of the Savior, the Son of God. Luke’s Gospel reveals that the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary her role in God’s plan for salvation, and she agreed, calling herself the handmaid of God. As a result of Mary’s yes, the human race regained eternal life. For this reason she is called the second Eve. Certain privileges flow from Mary’s special mission.

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: Church by Maria McGuire

Introduction

There are many different ways to view church. Scripture, tradition and developing theology all contribute to the many images held up for our vision of church.

Church as the People of God

The word “church” derives from two words: qahal in Hebrew and ekklesia in Greek. Together these words translate as "a gathering of people." Repeatedly, we read in scripture that God wills to save people and to make them into a people who acknowledge and serve God and one another.  First and foremost, the church is the people of God, as it says in 2 Corinthians 6:16, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

Church as Sacrament

A sacrament is defined as an outward sign of an inward reality. Thus, the Church is seen as a sacrament because it is a noticeable indicator that the unseen God is at work in the community. And because of God’s presumed presence, it is a means by which God communicates with humanity and helps bring about God’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit moves through the community breathing God’s inspiration among the people. The greatest sign to the world of our connection to God is how loving we are as a church.

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: Vatican II by Ed. Hahnenberg, Ph.D.

The Second Vatican Council was the twenty-first ecumenical (or “world-wide”) council in the history of the Catholic Church. It took place over the autumn months of 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965. During these four sessions, over twenty-five hundred bishops, theological experts, other officials and observers from all over the world gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. They gathered to debate the future of Catholicism. And their conversations changed things.

Vatican II was the gift of Pope John XXIII, who was elected in 1958. An older man, few expected much from him, so he surprised everyone when, shortly after his election, he announced his intention to call an ecumenical council. In the past, councils were called in order to respond to some threat facing the Church. At the time of Pope John’s announcement, no obvious heresy or danger loomed on the horizon. Instead, the pope suggested a more positive purpose: the council would be an opportunity for spiritual renewal among Catholics and constructive dialogue with other Christians and the whole world.

Most people today associate Vatican II with change—a kind of updating or modernizing of the Church. Indeed, Pope John used the word aggiornamento (“updating”) to describe his hopes for the council. But what made Vatican II so successful was that this aggiornamento came by means of a ressourcement (a “return to the sources” of our faith). Vatican II was able to engage the modern world in a positive way precisely because it was able to reclaim the riches of its own deepest traditions. It turned to the Bible, to the earliest liturgies, and to the great theologians of the past in order to renew the Church of the present.

The sixteen documents produced by Vatican II reveal the council’s most important themes. Some topics focused on the inner life of the Church, such as the call to empower the laity (which was not controversial) or the call for greater sharing of authority among the pope and his brother bishops (which was controversial). Some topics looked outside the Church. Ecumenism, or dialogue with other Christians, was strongly emphasized. This in turn encouraged a more positive engagement with non-Christian religions and with the wider world. Renewing the liturgy (which eventually led to the shift from Latin to local languages) and encouraging greater use of the Bible were also important. These themes are developed in the four most important documents of the council—the “constitutions”—which treat the liturgy, divine revelation, the Church, and the Church in the modern world.

 

Resources:

Edward P. Hahnenberg, A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. Franciscan Media.  2007.

Edward P. Hahnenberg, “Treasures of Vatican II: Our Compass for the Future,” Catholic Update. September 2005.

Catholic Update Guide to Vatican II edited by Mary Carol Kendzie. Franciscan Media. 2012

 

Biography:

Edward P. Hahnenberg, Ph.D., is the Breen Chair in Catholic Systematic Theology at John Carroll University in Cleveland. He is the author of Ministries: A Relational Approach, A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II, and Awakening Vocation: A Theology of Christian Call.

Review by Maria McGuidre

 

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: Scripture by Teri Burns

The Bible is the Living Word of God. This means that even though the books of the Bible were written hundreds of years ago, they are still relevant for us today. God continues to speak to us through the words of Biblical literature

The Bible is a collection of books. It is a library of literature with a specific interest in God’s relationship with God’s people. The types of literature include poetry, proverbs, myth, genealogy, history, didactic fiction, and letters.

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: Social Justice by Tom O'Brien

Catholics tend to be hyper-aware of the standpoints their Church takes on very specific moral topics like abortion, homosexuality and contraception. However, the average person in the pew normally is unaware of the fact that Catholicism has a long history of strongly held beliefs about social, political and economic issues.

The Church believes that just as our interpersonal relations need to be governed by fundamental moral principles like honesty, mercy, love, courage and forgiveness, so too our social structures and relationships need a set of guiding principles in order to function as God intended.

These basic principles are: the common good, human dignity, preferential option for the poor, rights and responsibilities, solidarity, subsidiarity, economic justice, environmental stewardship, participation and peace. Let’s briefly take a look at the first three principles.

The common good is the belief that social, political and economic decision should be made with the good of everyone in mind, not just the good of an individual or specific group. It represents the highest and most general good that can be achieved by human beings in this world, and therefore, it should be the primary goal for every decision in the public realm.

The belief in the dignity of the human person is grounded in God’s creation of the human person in the divine image. As an image of God, human beings are the ultimate icons in all of creation. To treat humans as anything less than icons of perfection is to desecrate this divine image and to show great disrespect to God.

Catholic social teaching affirms that God regularly sides with the poor when there are conflicts between those who are powerful and those who are vulnerable. This option for the poor is first witnessed in scripture in the Exodus story where God surprisingly sides with the slaves rather than with the powerful and wealthy Egyptian Pharaoh. Most theologies assume that wealth, power and good fortune are signs of God’s favor. Catholic theology raises suspicions about these kinds of assumptions and instead believes that God has a special place in His heart for the poor and those on the margins.

Catholicism has a long history of actively seeking fairness and equity in our social relations, as well as in the organizations and structures that arise from those relationships. The Church regularly applies these principles and periodically updates its teaching on the relevant issues of the day.

 

Thomas O'Brien, Ph.D.
Center for Interreligious Engagement
DePaul University, Chicago, IL

 

Thomas is the author of A Place of Mercy: Finding God on the Street

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Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: Spirituality - It's a Human Thing by Maria McGuire

 

Spirituality is a word we hear all the time. Frequently, people say, “I’m spiritual but not religious.”  What is this thing we call spirituality? Is it a lofty description reserved for those deeply involved in church activity? Is it the latest exotic buzzword in vogue for the postmodern individual? As I see it, neither of these is true. Spirituality is a normal human quality that is as basic and essential to life as breathing. In fact, I would assert that to be human is to be spiritual.

 

Unquenchable Fire

Simply put, spirituality is defined as a search for the sacred. Author Fr. Ronald Rolheiser speaks of spirituality as an unquenchable fire that is inherent in all human beings, regardless of culture, religion, or upbringing.  It is a fundamental inner restlessness propelling each of us to long for something beyond ourselves. We experience this energy as a pull or yearning to express ourselves creatively. Spirituality is about what we do with this longing, whether agonizing over unrealized dreams or rejoicing in hopeful expectation. Plato philosophized that, “humanity is on fire because our souls come from beyond and that beyond, through our longings, tries to draw us back towards itself.” Because we all come from beyond, we each feel this energy from beyond ourselves no matter how we participate in life.

 

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: A Spirituality for the Catechist by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard

Entering the Mystery of Jesus

As teachers, then, you must enter the mystery of Jesus, seeing how his life, his words, his temptations, his choices, his facing death, and his overcoming death relate to the demands of the day, to the need of God’s people and to the fears of the nations.

If, however, you are to develop a spirituality that enables you to be heralds, bearers, and interpreters of God’s word and especially the Jesus story, then, you must strive to integrate ten important qualities into your life and catechetical ministry.

 

1. A People of Vision

First, as catechists you must be people of vision, men and women who believe in the creative and renewing power of the Holy Spirit, who constantly challenges us to risk the unpredictable, to believe in the heretofore unseen and then have the courage to make such a reality.

 

2. Deep and Abiding Trust

Second, as catechists you must manifest a deep and abiding trust in the Lord and in God’s providence, in a God who never promised us instant success and who frequently writes our history with crooked lines.

 

3. Ecclesial Perspective

Third, as catechists you must have a strong sense of ecclesial perspective. By that I mean you must have a sound historical, philosophical, and theological understanding of where the church as a community has been, is presently, and will be in the future.

 

4. The Gift of Your Real Self

Fourth, as catechists you much be comfortable with your humanity. As catechists you must allow your own identity, your own personality, your own humanity to emerge in your ministry. The personal touch is far more important than any robotic performance you may give.

 

5. A People of Joy

Fifth, as catechists you must be people of joy. It is imperative, therefore, that as catechists you be joyful ministers of the Good News. Gloomy Guses or Sourpuss Sals have no place in contemporary catechetical ministry. Your presence, your gestures, your words must radiate the message: “I’m delighted to be here; I’m delighted to be with you; I’m delighted to be a herald of the Good News.”

 

6. The Spirit of Wonder and Awe

Six, as catechists you must be flexible and open to change. One of the most important qualities that you as catechists must have is to develop the ability to learn, to grow, to adapt, the capacity to turn a corner, to change an attitude, to move on. As a corollary to being flexible and open to change you must also be committed to ongoing education and formation.

 

7. Theology of the Cross

Seventh, as catechists you must adopt a theology of the cross. Thus, as catechists, you must recognize and appreciate that the cross must be an integral and essential of the Christian life—of your life.

 

8. Instruments of Tenderness and Mercy

Eighth, as catechists you must be instruments of tenderness and mercy. It is imperative, therefore, that you as catechists serve as an effective antidote to this projection of severity by being people who are approachable, people who assume more a posture of listening than of lecturing, people who are faithful to the teaching and tradition of the church but who are also flexible enough to recognize that this is a living teaching and tradition that must be responsive to the concrete needs and circumstances of each individual to whom you minister.

 

9. Simple Lifestyle

Ninth, catechists should seek to adopt and maintain a simple lifestyle. Catechists, therefore, I believe can make a valuable contribution in today’s church and society by taking the initiative of offering an irrefutable counterwitness to the consumerism of our day by adopting a lifestyle that enables one to live with what is sufficient; a lifestyle that is less dependent upon status, prestige, influence, and possessions and that is more open and available in service to others; a lifestyle that is characterized by simplicity in clothing, diet, entertainment, and transportation, and by prayers for, advocacy on behalf of, and service to the poor.

 

10. A People of Prayer

This leads to the tenth, final, and most important characteristic that should be the hallmark of the catechist: prayerfulness. Catechists, then, in their lives but especially in their teaching must always come through as people who pray, not a string of Hail Marys or the recitation of the Divine Office—important as these may be—but as people striving for a ceaseless living in the presence of God. 

 

Note

This post is an adaptation of I Am Bread Broken: A Spirituality for the Catechist (Crossroad Publishing Company) by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop Emeritus of Albany, NY.

I Am Bread Broken

Some Things a Catechist Really Ought to Know: Glimpses of Grace by Mary Vaccaro

Remember the story of how Wendy Darling first met Peter Pan? She found him weeping in the family nursery. Separated from his shadow during a narrow escape, he had returned and found the shadow but didn’t know how to reattach it. With motherly compassion, Wendy sewed it back on for him.  Within moments, Peter and the reunited shadow were flying happily around the nursery.

Defining grace is about as easy as grasping one’s own shadow. Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, grace looms large … yet, in the heat of day, it may seem barely there. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines grace as “favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God.” (#1996)  Brief as it is, this current understanding of grace has been 2000 years in the making. Over the centuries, Scripture, tradition and human experience have helped us to catch occasional glimpses of grace.

Throughout the Scriptures, those who are graced are said to be favored by God, the beneficiaries of God’s unearned, undeserved, covenantal love.  St. Augustine described our graced relationship with God by writing, “Working with us, God completes what he started working in us; for at the beginning, he works to makes us will, and at the end, works with us when we will.”