“Receive the Gospel of Christ,
whose herald you now are.
Believe what you read,
teach what you believe,
and practice what you teach.”
I remember thinking of the power and commitment behind those words. Not only was I to teach the faith that I believed so deeply in but I was to now called to live that faith as fully as I could. I wondered could one truly practice what he teaches? I thought of all the months of discernment that took place before that Saturday morning of my ordination. I recalled the trust I had placed in the Lord and opening myself up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had brought me to that moment in the sanctuary and would be my help and comfort in the future.
Those thoughts came back to me last Saturday during a catechist retreat. The definition of Catechist is to be an echo. Catechist are to echo the teachings of Jesus to others. This can be an intimidating thought to a catechist. A catechist must have faith in their knowledge of Catholicism to effectively echo the Word of God. During the retreat the catechist were given tools to help them teach with confidence. They were reminded of the importance of their spiritual formation and how it cannot be overlooked. The Holy Spirit has continued to give me strength and knowledge the first nine years of my Diaconate journey. A catechist should also seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they pass on our their faith.
Deacon and catechist are called by God to echo the Word of God. One receives it by his call to ordination and the other by the commissioning of their baptismal vocation. Both need continual growth in their spiritually and knowledge of the Catholic faith. I hope you will join me by visiting this blog many times in the future as we try to echo the teachings of Jesus to ourselves and to others.
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