Proclaiming Our Faith (Synopsis Of July 24, 2016 Homily)

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  His response was to teach them the prayer we all know and say; The Our Father. Each of us are also called to be teachers.  We are to be more than just passive believers, we are to be active proclaimers of our faith.  This calling comes from the grace we receive at our baptism.

Through our Baptism we have become a people of God and as such we are united to Christ in a death like his.  Through baptism we pass from the death of Sin and are raised into a new life, enriched by the baptismal grace received from God.  By this grace from God we are appointed to the same apostolate or mission of the Catholic Church which is to proclaim and establish the Kingdom of God.

Our baptism, our rising to new life, calls us to a vocation.  Lumen Gentium states that the vocation of the laity is “to make the church present and fruitful in those places and circumstances where it is only through them that it can become the salt of the earth.”

Have you considered how to carry out your baptismal vocation?  There are many ways to make the Church present and fruitful to others.  You can testify to your faith by truthfully living out your faith. You can be fruitful to others by your daily actions towards them.  Just as Jesus taught his disciple to pray, you can catechize or teach your faith to others.

Ask God to help you discern if you are living out your baptismal vocation.  The Gospel of Luke reminds us that “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds.”  Be persistent in your prayers.  Seek out your vocation for proclaiming God’s Kingdom to others.

To paraphrase one of the blessings used in the Rite of Baptism: May you be the best of teachers, bearing witness to faith by what you say and do.

Thoughts on Catechetical Sunday

This is from the Column I wrote for our Church Bulletin dated September 21, 2015.  It includes some words from a talk I gave at a retreat for our catechist.  Some of these thoughts were also included in my post of August 10, 2014.

Today the Church is celebrating Catechetical Sunday. This is when we recognize those whom the community has designated to serve as catechists. The word catechist comes from the Greek word “echo”. Catechists are people who echo the Word of God. Catechists teach those who seek to learn more about the Catholic faith. This includes our children in CCD classes (Parish School of Religion) and those in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity for all, not just catechist, to reflect on the role that every person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is a time for all to rededicate themselves to this mission of being a witness to the Gospels as a Catholic community of faith.

The Vatican II document Lumen Gentium states that in the Church not everyone walks along the same path, yet all are called to holiness. By Baptism we are all incorporated into Christ and become the people of God. We each play a unique part in continuing the mission of Jesus in the church and in the world. Lumen Gentium also talks about the vocation of the laity. Vocation is defined as God’s invitation to love and serve him and his church in a particular state or way of life. The laity’s vocation flows from the grace of Baptism. It is the special vocation of all to seek the kingdom of God. We show this by the witness of our life as we illuminate Christ to others. The National Directory for Catechist further emphasizes the vocational call by stating that the ministry of a catechist is a vocation, an interior call, the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Have you considered that through Baptism you are given a vocation? Have you thought about how God has given you an invitation to love and serve him through the passing on of the faith to others? This vocation, this invitation by God to serve him, guides your heart, mind and soul. It is the reason why catechist set aside time for prayer and preparation to teach both our children and adults who desire to learn more about the Catholic faith.

Strengthen your Baptismal vocation at every opportunity. Include in your spiritual life personal prayer time, a love of the Trinity, faithful practice of our Catholic beliefs, be convinced of the truth of our Catholic faith, have a devotion to Holy Mary and actively participate in our parish community, especially Sunday Eucharist. The strength of your spiritual life is an important component to your vocation. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be guided and strengthen in your vocation.

Called by God

I was ordained into the Diaconate on May 7, 2005. The ordination included the presentation of the Book of the Gospels. The Bishop hands the Book of Gospels to the newly ordained and says:

    “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.