Encountering ChristConversion and Catechesis

The Church is calling us to a differentsense of catechesis, one that is based

on experience and encounter.We will need to use relational language

to get at this reality.

“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord (3)”

Joy of the Gospel

Evangelization has to be understood in a broad and profound theological-doctrinal framework as an activity of word and sacrament which, especially through the Eucharist, admits us to participation in the life of the Trinity, and this then arouses through the grace of the Holy Spirit the power to evangelize and to give witness to the Word of God with enthusiasm and courage. (Prop. 4)

Trinity

Heart of New Evangelization: renewed, or new, encounter with Jesus Christ bringing people into relationship with him

Echoing themes from Synod on Catechesis which led to Catechesi Tradendae (#5) being issues by Bl. John Paul II

Encounter with Christ

“Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption. We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization. For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others? (8)”

Joy of the Gospel

“The Christian faith is, above all, conversion to Jesus Christ. . . . Faith is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, making of oneself a disciple of him. This demands a permanent commitment to think like him, judge like him, and to live as he lived.”

Gen. Dir. for Catec. #53

Encounter

“On the lips of the catechist the first proclamation must ring out over and over: “Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.” This first proclamation is called “first” not because it exists at the beginning and can then be forgotten or replaced by other more important things. It is first in a qualitative sense because it is the principal proclamation, the one which we must hear again and again in different ways, the one which we must announce one way or another throughout the process of catechesis, at every level and moment. (164)”

Joy of the Gospel

The ‘first proclamation’ is where the kerygma, the message of salvation of the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ, is proclaimed with great spiritual power to the point of bringing about repentance of sin, conversion of hearts and a decision of faith. At the same time there has to be continuity between first proclamation and catechesis which instructs us in the deposit of the faith. (Prop. 9)

Initial Proclamation

“Catechesis aims to bring about in the believer an ever more mature faith in Jesus Christ, a deeper knowledge and love of his person and message, and a firm commitment of follow him. In many situations, however, catechesis must also be concerned with arousing initial faith and sustaining the gradual conversion to complete adherence to Jesus Christ for those who are on the threshold of faith.”

Gen. Dir. for Catec. pp. 54-55

Begin and Sustain

What is conversion? Is it only an initial breakthrough?

Ongoing conversion=growth in sanctification.

Do Catholics think of themselves as converted?

How do we start talking conversion language more openly?

Conversion

Would Catholics generally think ofthemselves as converted?

Why not?

“Conversion is the change that comes about in our lives through the power of the Holy

Spirit.” (GMD, 2)

Catechesis & Evangelization

Identification with Jesus Christ As adults through decision

As children through the growth process, grow up into conversion

Conversion

CONVERSION

Spark, rumination, breakthrough

Much of the process is inaccessible even to the person him/herself

Steps

Hunch Break-through Conversion

-- Helping Catholics understand their own stories of faith and conversion

-- Helping children and youngsters come to see their lives as stories of faith and conversion

IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES

FIDES QUAEThe Content of the faith (creed, sacraments, morals, etc.)

FIDES QUAThe personal act of believing

WHERE IS OUR EMPHASIS?

Catechesis & Evangelization

Giving information to absorb

E-ducing in student the processes of knowing

Teaching

Experience of the teacher

Experience of the pupil (the disciple)

Teaching

How did I come to believe? What were the steps in my own conversion? What/who motivated me toward

conversion? What was the role of story, of encounter, of

personality, of witness?

Experience

To make Jesus Christ the main dialogue partner of my life

To live my life in ongoing exchange with Jesus

To allow Christ to touch me at the developmental points in my life

To allow Christ to lead me through death (letting go) and resurrection (unexpected gift)

Conversion-Encounter

Identity with Jesus Christ happens

through the work of the Holy Spiritas the believer

continues to openher or his heart.

Spirit

Open-ended Unconditional Consoling and confronting Trusting and generous Constant Strongest relationship

Encounter

As Catechists, we need to be in touchwith our own processes of conversion,in order to help our students (disciples)

see and accept their own processes of conversion.

Our Lives

CONVERSION

Two modes in which conversion happens: Individual, personal

Cultural, social

Modes

INDIVIDUAL: conversion happens through adult decision, in a word-based format, often with “counterculture” features

CULTURAL: conversion happens through family life, education, gesture, ritual, song, art, society’s expectations, which lead people to lives of discipleship

Modes

Personal

Cultural

Catholic Convergence

Every Christian community (Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox) that baptizes

children has to deal with the issue of how personal and cultural conversion

interplay with each other.We cannot simply accept the model of adult

conversion. There must also be cultural elements as well.

Catechesis & Evangelization

Families have “jobbed out” faith formation to the parish

Parish has “jobbed out” faith formation to the religious education program

Children experience “faith” on foreign territory, the parish plant

Children do not experience faith in the home, or as an integral part of their everyday lives

Family Experience

LIFE PARISH

Based on school room model School room model provides a helpful

context for certain things School room model is destructive to

discipleship in several key ways We will need to adapt the school room

model in order to do catechesis today

Catechetical Setting

We are giving out information Success is receiving and repeating the

information Set curriculum which has a beginning and

an end Confirmation signals the “end” of

involvement with Church

Destructive

Interactive Experience-based Peer sharing Scripture as starting point Ongoing formation Without sense of being graded Affirming the love of Christ in the loved

shared by the group

Discipleship

Liturgy

CATECHESIS PRAYER AndWORSHIP

Families

CATECHESIS EVANGELIZINGFAMILIES

Design ways to bring families into the evangelization and catechizing process

Design ways for parents to renew their faith and (re)experience conversion

Develop ways to help parents see that the principle onus of evangelization is on THEM

Families

Every Catholic a disciple Every Catholic in ongoing formation Every Catholic experiencing conversion Every Catholic living faith openly Every Catholic family forming disciples Every Catholic involved in sharing faith Every Catholic an agent of invitation and

welcome

Goals

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Paulist Evangelization Ministries