Shepherding and opening doors of hearts of our young ones
The catechist
What is our task as catechists? To help our young children encounter God. There cannot be teachers of the faith other than those who are convinced and faithful followers of Christ and the Church.
Nothing – not the method or the texts, or any part of the program – is more important than the person of the catechist. The gifts given to the catechist by the Spirit to witness faithfully and live accordingly are the very soul of catechetical ministry. The catechist is a mediator, facilitating communication between our children and the mystery of God, among our children being catechized, and between them and the larger community. Because of this, the catechist is called to a Christian way of life that reflects his or her beliefs well.
Our teaching methods
There are a variety of methods for teaching catechism, not just one. The nature of the message determines, in part, how it should be taught. We should adopt the most effective way to make the communication of faith understood and to make it plain.
There are however two general methods of teaching we can adopt: the inductive and the deductive.
The inductive begins with such things as biblical events, liturgical acts, events in the Church’s life or events in daily life so as to discern the meaning they might have in divine Revelation.
For example, we could refer to Jesus’ many examples of love in the Bible to teach our children how much God loves us.
This method has many advantages because it resembles the way God has chosen to reveal the divine mystery to us. It begins with experiences and enlightens them with the word of God.
The deductive method on the other hand explains and describes the doctrines and principles first. One then comes to understand experience by deriving conclusions from such principles. This approach begins with Scripture, doctrine or liturgy and applies them to life.
For example, to teach about the sanctity of life, we can start with the Commandment “Thou Shall Not Kill” and expand the principle to explain why capital punishment, euthanasia and abortion are violations of this commandment.
Needless to say, both methods are legitimate and needed.
Human experience
Human experience is the stuff of life. We have the task of making our children more aware of their most basic human experiences so that they become aware of God’s hand in their lives. Interpreting and illuminating human experience through the eyes of faith is how the revealed message and human experiences connect and lead one to faith.
-Contributed by Mark Ortega, 14 May 2007
Adapted from “The General Directory for Catechesis in plain English” by Bill Huebsch
Toppings:
I came across this book by H.Jackson Brown, Jr, “Live and learn and pass it on Vol II” filled with quotes shared by human beings 5 to 95 about things they’ve discovered along the way in life…
Here are some sprinkles:
I’ve learned that your “I can” is more important than your “IQ.”
- Age 14
I’ve learned that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else.
-Age 20
I’ve learned that life is both simple and complicated at the same time. The trick is finding the simple truths that are contained in the complicated confusion.
-Age 24
I’ve learned that people can surprise you. Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.
-Age 32
I’ve learned that no one drinks the last tablespoon of anything in a container- they would have to wash or refill.
-Age 49
I’ve learned that perspective is everything. To a worm, digging in the hard ground is more relaxing than going fishing.
-Age 65
I’ve learned that absent-minded people get lots of exercise looking for things they can’t find.
-Age 66
Extra goodies:
Mothers' Day Specials
A little something for all mothers who’ve smiled much, loved much, taught much, and gave much.
Mothers are unique creatures. Sometimes we may not understand them, as they can be quite a conplicated bunch. But sometimes they know us better than we do. They may nag alot, eat alot, laugh alot, burp alot but what they do best is loving us more than a mega-million scoops of ice-cream, and a gazillion M & Ms. They make the best goodies in our “LIFE party bag.”
We remember our mothers, not only on mothers' day, but their little deeds of love that go a long long way. We seek our heavenly Mother Mary's intercession for mothers all over the world, new mothers, soon-to-be mothers and fairy godmothers, that they will continue to herald God's great love.
-Contributed by Nana Philea Moo, 18 May 2007
