The Depth of Sacramental Catechesis
FEEDING THE SOUL
WITH SACRAMENTS
MORE THAN JUST PREPARATION
D. SMITH
PREPARATION VS. CATECHESIS
Preparation
has an end goal of
celebrating
a Sacrament.
Catechesis
has an end goal of
living
a Sacramental Life.
GOALS OF CATECHESIS
(FROM THE DIRECTORY OF CATECHESIS)
The Living Encounter with Christ.
HEART
MIND
SENSES
Catechesis for adults is not the goal, but the inspiration for all catechesis!
The goal is a complete confession of Jesus Christ in relation to the Trinity.
THE TASKS OF CATECHESIS
(FROM THE DIRECTORY OF CATECHESIS)
Leading to Knowledge of the Faith
Catechesis has the task of fostering the knowledge and exploration of the Christian Message
Initiating into the Celebration of the Mystery
Catechesis … also has the task of assisting in the comprehension and experience of liturgical celebrations
Forming for Life in Christ
Catechesis has the task of making the heart of every Christian resound with the call to live a new life in
keeping with the dignity of children of God received in Baptism and with the life of the Risen One that is
communicated through the sacraments.
Teaching Prayer
Catechesis has the task of educating the believer for prayer and in prayer, developing the contemplative
dimension of Christian experience.
Introduction to Community Life
Catechesis … therefore has the task of developing the sense of belonging to the Church.
1. LEADING TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE
FAITH
•
Sacramental Catechesis should have at its heart a deepening of the
whole faith.
•
Sacramental Catechesis fits as PART of comprehensive catechesis,
even if preparation is separate from general instruction.
•
Sacramental Catechesis includes:
•
Remote Preparation
•
Proximate Preparation
•
Immediate Preparation
•
Post-Preparation Catechesis
2. INITIATING INTO THE CELEBRATION
OF THE MYSTERY
•
Sacramental Catechesis in general includes information about
Liturgy and Celebrations.
•
Sacraments are interconnected and cannot exist in a bubble.
Learning one means learning more.
•
Good catechesis has an experiential element. Put another way – a
Liturgical expression.
3. FORMING FOR LIFE IN CHRIST
•
Sacramental Catechesis not only teaching about the Sacraments,
but it brings us to LIVING them.
•
Sacraments (and thus Sacramental Catechesis) is how we express
our communal faith. They also shape us into better reflections of
Jesus Christ.
•
Sacramental Catechesis goes beyond the Sacraments and into
Family Life.
4. TEACHING PRAYER
•
Sacramental Catechesis has the liturgical prayer of the Church at
its heart and strives to bring people more fully into that prayer.
•
Those learning about and preparing for Sacraments should be
drawn into deeper relationship with Christ and thus prayer.
5. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY LIFE
•
Sacraments do not belong to a person or class – they are OURS.
•
Sacramental Catechesis helps us belong more deeply by
understanding ourselves and our Church more fully.
RCIA AS THE MODEL FOR CATECHESIS
•
Evangelization
•
Inquiry
•
Catechumenate
•
Celebration
•
Mystagogy
EVANGELIZATION
•
Kerygma is the key to both Evangelization and Catechesis!
•
We catch our faith by seeing examples from others. Witness and
Speaking Truth is vital.
INQUIRY
•
Questions are GOOD! … seeking answers is better.
•
Not all questions have answers, but all have a journey of discovery.
•
Offering time before preparation begins to explore questions gives
context and direction to the process.
CATECHUMENATE
•
Learning with a destination in mind.
•
Forming disciples for a life of faith and growth.
CELEBRATION
•
The Sacraments act as a keystone to the process.
•
Celebrating in Christ is a hallmark of Christian life.
MYSTAGOGY
•
If the goal is a Sacramental Life, we cannot stop at celebration.
•
We continue to go deeper and deeper.
•
In Sacramental Catechesis, mystagogy can lead to inquiry and a
repeating of the process. Preparation is not only for FIRST
Sacraments.
BREAK
THE PRACTICAL GOALS OF
SACRAMENTAL CATECHESIS
A life-long formation mentality.
Involvement in the life of the parish community.
A regular return to the “repeat” Sacraments.
Early understanding of the Sacraments prior to preparation time.
THE PRACTICAL GOALS OF
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
Understanding of the “why” and “how” for a particular Sacrament.
Individual focus on catechetical topics specific to the Sacrament.
(real presence, repentance, vocational awareness, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc.)
Contextual understanding of the Sacrament being prepared for.
REACHING OUR GOALS
What are some practical things you do/have done/would like to do?
What resources do you find most useful for prep/catechesis?
Who does or can help you reach your goals?
Explore the significance of sacramental catechesis in nurturing a profound faith life, distinguishing it from mere preparation and highlighting its vital role in leading believers to a richer encounter with Christ and a deeper engagement with the sacraments. Discover the essence of sacramental catechesis through insights on preparation, catechism goals, tasks, and the holistic approach to faith formation it offers.
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Presentation Transcript
FEEDING THE SOUL WITH SACRAMENTS MORE THAN JUST PREPARATION D. SMITH
PREPARATION VS. CATECHESIS Preparation has an end goal of celebrating a Sacrament. Catechesis has an end goal of living a Sacramental Life.
GOALS OF CATECHESIS (FROM THE DIRECTORY OF CATECHESIS) The Living Encounter with Christ. HEART MIND SENSES Catechesis for adults is not the goal, but the inspiration for all catechesis! The goal is a complete confession of Jesus Christ in relation to the Trinity.
THE TASKS OF CATECHESIS (FROM THE DIRECTORY OF CATECHESIS) Leading to Knowledge of the Faith Catechesis has the task of fostering the knowledge and exploration of the Christian Message Initiating into the Celebration of the Mystery Catechesis also has the task of assisting in the comprehension and experience of liturgical celebrations Forming for Life in Christ Catechesis has the task of making the heart of every Christian resound with the call to live a new life in keeping with the dignity of children of God received in Baptism and with the life of the Risen One that is communicated through the sacraments. Teaching Prayer Catechesis has the task of educating the believer for prayer and in prayer, developing the contemplative dimension of Christian experience. Introduction to Community Life Catechesis therefore has the task of developing the sense of belonging to the Church.
1. LEADING TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAITH Sacramental Catechesis should have at its heart a deepening of the whole faith. Sacramental Catechesis fits as PART of comprehensive catechesis, even if preparation is separate from general instruction. Sacramental Catechesis includes: Remote Preparation Proximate Preparation Immediate Preparation Post-Preparation Catechesis
2. INITIATING INTO THE CELEBRATION OF THE MYSTERY Sacramental Catechesis in general includes information about Liturgy and Celebrations. Sacraments are interconnected and cannot exist in a bubble. Learning one means learning more. Good catechesis has an experiential element. Put another way a Liturgical expression.
3. FORMING FOR LIFE IN CHRIST Sacramental Catechesis not only teaching about the Sacraments, but it brings us to LIVING them. Sacraments (and thus Sacramental Catechesis) is how we express our communal faith. They also shape us into better reflections of Jesus Christ. Sacramental Catechesis goes beyond the Sacraments and into Family Life.
4. TEACHING PRAYER Sacramental Catechesis has the liturgical prayer of the Church at its heart and strives to bring people more fully into that prayer. Those learning about and preparing for Sacraments should be drawn into deeper relationship with Christ and thus prayer.
5. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY LIFE Sacraments do not belong to a person or class they are OURS. Sacramental Catechesis helps us belong more deeply by understanding ourselves and our Church more fully.
RCIA AS THE MODEL FOR CATECHESIS Evangelization Inquiry Catechumenate Celebration Mystagogy
EVANGELIZATION Kerygma is the key to both Evangelization and Catechesis! We catch our faith by seeing examples from others. Witness and Speaking Truth is vital.
INQUIRY Questions are GOOD! seeking answers is better. Not all questions have answers, but all have a journey of discovery. Offering time before preparation begins to explore questions gives context and direction to the process.
CATECHUMENATE Learning with a destination in mind. Forming disciples for a life of faith and growth.
CELEBRATION The Sacraments act as a keystone to the process. Celebrating in Christ is a hallmark of Christian life.
MYSTAGOGY If the goal is a Sacramental Life, we cannot stop at celebration. We continue to go deeper and deeper. In Sacramental Catechesis, mystagogy can lead to inquiry and a repeating of the process. Preparation is not only for FIRST Sacraments.
THE PRACTICAL GOALS OF SACRAMENTAL CATECHESIS A life-long formation mentality. Involvement in the life of the parish community. A regular return to the repeat Sacraments. Early understanding of the Sacraments prior to preparation time.
THE PRACTICAL GOALS OF SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION Understanding of the why and how for a particular Sacrament. Individual focus on catechetical topics specific to the Sacrament. (real presence, repentance, vocational awareness, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc.) Contextual understanding of the Sacrament being prepared for.
REACHING OUR GOALS What are some practical things you do/have done/would like to do? What resources do you find most useful for prep/catechesis? Who does or can help you reach your goals?
