1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,000
♪♪

2
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:22,000
Guard the good deposit entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

3
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:29,000
Guarding the deposit of faith is the mission which the Lord has entrusted to His Church

4
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:34,000
and which she fulfills in every age.

5
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:43,000
♪♪♪

6
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:51,000
This treasure, received from the Apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors.

7
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:56,000
All Christ faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation

8
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:01,000
by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing,

9
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,000
and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.

10
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,000
♪♪♪

11
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,000
From sacred scripture to the fathers of the Church,

12
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:20,000
from theological masters to the saints across the centuries,

13
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,000
the Catechism provides a permanent record of the many ways

14
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,000
in which the Church has meditated on the faith

15
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:33,000
and made progress in doctrine so as to offer certitude to believers in their lives of faith.

16
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:42,000
♪♪♪

17
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,000
Okay, I want to tell you what's so special about this book,

18
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,000
The Catechism of the Catholic Church.

19
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:54,000
Pope Benedict has said this is a precious and indispensable tool for catechists.

20
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,000
Why is that?

21
00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:04,000
Well, never before in the Church's history have we had a reference text for catechesis quite like this one.

22
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:12,000
This book has been drawn from the fullest possible expression of Catholic truth,

23
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:18,000
drawing on the teaching of scripture, tradition, the magisterium, the Church fathers,

24
00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:24,000
spiritual writers, ancient and modern men and women, East and West, liturgy,

25
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:32,000
even Christian art, which the Catechism says is a reflection of our creation in the image of God and His creativity.

26
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:38,000
It's a work, a thing of beauty that's meant not just to inform us,

27
00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:45,000
but to inspire us and to form our interior lives after the mind of Christ.

28
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:50,000
We can really say, drawing as it does on the whole tradition of the Catholic faith,

29
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,000
that it speaks with Christ's voice in the Church.

30
00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,000
It's a magnificent gift.

31
00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:02,000
You know, we could really say that the Catechism is the echo of Christ's voice,

32
00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,000
resounding to us down throughout the ages in the Church.

33
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,000
Did you know that the word catechesis means echo?

34
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,000
It comes from the ancient Greek theater. It's a Greek word.

35
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,000
It's first used in Christian history by St. Paul and St. Luke in the book of Acts

36
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,000
to talk about the process of forming disciples.

37
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:30,000
The catechist echoes what he learns from the Church and what he learns from Christ

38
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,000
to form in the pupil.

39
00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000
And that's our job as catechists, not to give out our own opinions,

40
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:41,000
but to allow the voice of the Church to speak through us.

41
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,000
And the Catechism is our tool.

42
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:47,000
We have the words of the Church, the Church universal throughout the ages,

43
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,000
so that we can echo to our students the voice of Christ in the Catholic tradition.

44
00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000
It's helpful, I think, to know something about the origins of the Catechism,

45
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,000
where it came from.

46
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,000
It helps us to appreciate it and make use of it.

47
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000
And the key point here is to understand its origins in the Second Vatican Council.

48
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,000
Pope Benedict has even said that parts of the Catechism

49
00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,000
are completely determined by the teaching of the Council.

50
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,000
John Paul, blessed John Paul II, when he presented the Catechism to the world,

51
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:19,000
presents it precisely as the teaching of the Catechism.

52
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,000
And Pope Benedict, when he presents the Catechism to the world,

53
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:29,000
presents it precisely as the Catechism prepared following the Second Vatican Council.

54
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,000
So the first point to address is,

55
00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:37,000
well, what was the catechetical significance of Vatican II?

56
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,000
Vatican II, people have heard about it, they know about the Council.

57
00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,000
I think sometimes it's a bit hazy in people's minds exactly what its significance was.

58
00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,000
So let me try to explain it this way.

59
00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,000
John XXIII called the Council.

60
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000
He said this is going to be a different kind of Council.

61
00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,000
Most of the Councils throughout the history of the Church have met to address,

62
00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:03,000
say, a specific error that needed to be corrected or to define one particular doctrine.

63
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,000
This Council was intended specifically to be a catechetical Council.

64
00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:13,000
Pope Paul VI said it was the great catechetical event of our age.

65
00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:14,000
Why is that?

66
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:19,000
Well, the intent of the Council was to guard the deposit of faith

67
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:29,000
but also to reflect on how to present it in a way that would be most accessible to 20th century man and beyond.

68
00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,000
So how did they do that?

69
00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,000
How did the Council Fathers accomplish that goal?

70
00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:40,000
Well, we mentioned before the first principle of the Church's faith is that of unity.

71
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:46,000
So the question was how to reflect on the various parts of the Catholic faith and tradition

72
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:51,000
to show their integral unity, their harmony, and how they fit together.

73
00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:56,000
For example, the Council treated the question of how Scripture fits together with sacred tradition

74
00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:01,000
and the magisterium to form an organic whole.

75
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:07,000
The Council reflected on the way the laity share in the ministry of the Church

76
00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,000
and how they interact with the hierarchy.

77
00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:15,000
The Council reflected on how the ministry of the bishop interacts with the ministry of the Holy Father

78
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,000
and how all the bishops work together as a whole.

79
00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,000
It reflected on how the particular churches, like our church in Birmingham,

80
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,000
how that relates to the church universal.

81
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:30,000
It even looked at the question of how the church relates to the world outside the church.

82
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:36,000
So this whole question of the relationship of the parts and how it all fits together,

83
00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:43,000
the individual Christian and the church, the church and society, the sources of tradition,

84
00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,000
this is really the intent of the Council.

85
00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,000
Cardinal Ratzinger, before he became Pope Benedict,

86
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,000
reflected once on the history of catechesis after the Council.

87
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:08,000
He said that the tools of catechesis didn't really keep up with the fruits

88
00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,000
and the benefits of the Second Vatican Council.

89
00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,000
What were those fruits again?

90
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,000
We talked about the Council really drawing out the unity of the faith,

91
00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000
how all the parts fit together.

92
00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:22,000
That is what he said was lacking in the tools of catechesis, a vision of the whole,

93
00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,000
how all the parts fit together.

94
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:30,000
In 1985, Blessed Pope John Paul II called an extraordinary Senate of the bishops

95
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,000
to reflect on the Council and how it could best be lived out and expressed and taught in the church.

96
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:40,000
This is the point that came up, that there was a need for an authoritative explication of the Council,

97
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,000
a universal catechism.

98
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,000
Once before in the church's history, we had this process.

99
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:51,000
There was a very important Council, and the fathers of the Council called forth for a catechism.

100
00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,000
This was the Council of Trent in the 16th century,

101
00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000
and the Council produced what came to be called the Roman Catechism,

102
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,000
which stood the test of time for 400 years and was a magnificent text, still a wonderful reference.

103
00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,000
Something like that was needed now post-Vatican II,

104
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:13,000
a universal catechism that could speak to the whole church and express the teaching of the Council.

105
00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:18,000
Pope John Paul II's Catechism

106
00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:23,000
Following the Synod, Pope John Paul took up the call of the Synod for a universal catechism

107
00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,000
and made it his own. He embraced it.

108
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000
So he called a commission of 12 cardinals and bishops.

109
00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:35,000
Cardinal Ratzinger was the chair to begin work on the text.

110
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:41,000
They, in turn, sought input from experts in catechesis, from diocesan bishops,

111
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:48,000
and ultimately from the entire episcopate that had an opportunity to offer observations and comments and input.

112
00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:53,000
They collected literally thousands of comments and observations and suggestions

113
00:08:53,000 --> 00:09:01,000
so that the resulting text really was a product of all of the bishops of the church in their teaching authority.

114
00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:07,000
This is why when Pope John Paul officially promulgated the text 30 years after the Council,

115
00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,000
he could say it reflects the symphony of the faith.

116
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:16,000
It's also why Cardinal Ratzinger, reflecting on the authority of the text,

117
00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:23,000
could say, whoever separates himself from this text as the authentic norm and reference for catechesis

118
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,000
separates himself from the Catholic faith itself.

119
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,000
There's a very old tradition in the Catholic Church,

120
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,000
going back to the time of the apostles,

121
00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:44,000
of summing up Christian experience, the Christian mystery, in four fundamental dimensions.

122
00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000
The profession of faith, what we believe,

123
00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000
sacraments in the life of faith, how we receive the grace of God,

124
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:58,000
the life of faith itself, the moral and spiritual response to the grace of God,

125
00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:06,000
and then finally prayer, our heartfelt expression of love and gratitude to this life of grace and faith.

126
00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:16,000
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching

127
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:24,000
and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayer.

128
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:30,000
We find that this is how the catechism is structured around these four dimensions,

129
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,000
what the catechism calls four pillars.

130
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:37,000
It follows the same pattern of the Roman catechism, used the same four pillars.

131
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:42,000
So part one is on the creed, part two on the liturgy and the sacraments,

132
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:47,000
part three on the moral life, and part four on the life of prayer.

133
00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:54,000
It's important to realize that there's a profound reason for this structure.

134
00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,000
The four parts are interrelated.

135
00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:01,000
We've come back again and again to this aspect of the organic, integral unity of the faith.

136
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:08,000
We find that what we profess in the creed is actually made present in our lives

137
00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,000
through the grace of the sacraments.

138
00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:14,000
The grace of the sacraments is the grace of God.

139
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,000
The grace of the sacraments, in turn, is what informs our moral life

140
00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,000
and makes the Christian life possible.

141
00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,000
And finally, these things are celebrated in our life of prayer,

142
00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,000
hence the organic unity of the four parts.

143
00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000
This relationship is captured by an ancient saying in the church,

144
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,000
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi.

145
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000
What we pray is what we believe.

146
00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:46,000
The significance of this for the catechist is to understand that all these parts hang together.

147
00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,000
We can't separate the life of grace from the life of prayer.

148
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:54,000
We can't separate our profession of faith from how we live.

149
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:59,000
Some people, in fact, have suggested that the catechism be seen as,

150
00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,000
instead of having four parts, really having two major parts,

151
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,000
what God has done for us in Christ and our response to that grace.

152
00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,000
Imagine a diptych.

153
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:18,000
A diptych is an ancient form of icon of two images on separate panels connected by a hinge.

154
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:23,000
You can think of God's love for us, our response, and Christ at the center

155
00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:27,000
as the lens reflecting these two dimensions.

156
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,000
Cardinal Schoenborn, who was the editor of the catechism,

157
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:36,000
has used this image of a diptych to instruct us in our method of catechesis.

158
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000
We begin with the question of God's grace.

159
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000
This is the fundamental point of the Catholic faith for the catechist

160
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000
and our frame of reference for everything else.

161
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:52,000
Everything in catechesis has to be structured around this question of God's gift to us in Christ

162
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,000
and our response.

163
00:12:54,000 --> 00:13:00,000
If we keep that in mind, it's the central point we need to use in teaching from the catechism.

164
00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:05,000
The primacy in catechesis has to be given to God and His works,

165
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:10,000
and then secondarily, our response to this expression of grace.

166
00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:20,000
There are some major themes that flow from this four-part structure of the catechism

167
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,000
that, if you keep them in mind, will really help your work as a catechist.

168
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:31,000
We already mentioned this concept of the diptych, of the primacy of God's grace.

169
00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:37,000
It might be helpful to stop and reflect for a moment on what grace is in Catholic teaching.

170
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:47,000
The catechism in paragraph 1997 tells us that grace is a participation in the inner life of God Himself,

171
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,000
conforming us to His nature.

172
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,000
This is why St. Thomas could say that the good of grace in one soul

173
00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:59,000
is greater than the good of the entire created universe, because it's the good of God Himself.

174
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:05,000
As catechists reflecting on this, we realize that there's a fundamental core

175
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,000
that directs all of our thinking and all of our teaching.

176
00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:13,000
This is what the Second Vatican Council called the hierarchy of truths.

177
00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,000
The catechism echoes this concept.

178
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,000
It says we need to keep the hierarchy of truths in mind as we teach,

179
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,000
and it, in fact, informs the structure of the catechism itself.

180
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,000
What is this hierarchy of truths?

181
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,000
Well, it's important to note at the beginning that there is a hierarchy of truths

182
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,000
doesn't mean that some truths are less true or unimportant.

183
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,000
It simply means that some truths flow from others as their source and origin.

184
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,000
It's a principle of organization.

185
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:42,000
Once again, it's another way of stating this concept of organic or integral unity.

186
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,000
What is the first truth, the truth of truths in the Catholic faith?

187
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,000
It's the truth of the Blessed Trinity.

188
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:58,000
If you understand that God is a trinity, you grasp that He is undying love and unending bliss.

189
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,000
This is the truth from which everything else in the faith flows.

190
00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:11,000
God in His undying love pours out of Himself His love and His grace upon the world that He creates.

191
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:16,000
The second truth in the hierarchy of truths is the mystery of Christ Himself.

192
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,000
Why did Christ become man?

193
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000
Why was the Word made flesh?

194
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:25,000
The catechism quotes St. Irenaeus and St. Athanasius.

195
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:31,000
In this marvelous text, God became man so that men might become gods,

196
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,000
not to become literally God, but to share in His inner nature.

197
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,000
This is the central mystery of Christ.

198
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,000
Through His death and resurrection, the paschal mystery,

199
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:45,000
He merits for us this eternal life and undoes the damage and the death of sin.

200
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:52,000
The next truth in the hierarchy of truths is the truth of the church, the mystery of the church.

201
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000
Why is this?

202
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,000
Well, the church is the body of Christ.

203
00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,000
It is the sacramental presence of Christ on earth.

204
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,000
It's where we meet Christ.

205
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:03,000
St. Cyprian says that he cannot have God for his father,

206
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,000
who does not have the church as his mother.

207
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:12,000
The next truth in the hierarchy of truths is the dignity of the human person.

208
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000
When we consider this mystery of grace that God would share with us,

209
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,000
His own inner life, His own nature,

210
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,000
we see what an incredible dignity God has bestowed on humankind.

211
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,000
Thus, all of the moral and the social teachings of the church

212
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:33,000
flow from that respect for the human person that is intrinsic to the nature of the faith itself.

213
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:38,000
And then finally, the last truth in the hierarchy is what Cardinal Schoenborn, the editor,

214
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,000
says is the first principle of the church is faith, namely unity,

215
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000
that all of these things hang together.

216
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,000
And we can't pick and choose our aspects of Catholic faith.

217
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,000
We see them as an integral unity in a whole.

218
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,000
These are the principles of organization, thematic,

219
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:58,000
that run throughout the catechism and have to inform our teaching.

220
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:09,000
The catechism is really designed to draw this integral unity of the faith.

221
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,000
When John Paul presented it to the world,

222
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,000
he said that it was intended to show the wondrous harmony of the faith.

223
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,000
The catechism itself, paragraph 18, says the catechism is to be seen

224
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,000
as an organic presentation of the whole of the Catholic faith.

225
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,000
Now, I want to show you how.

226
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,000
First, if you will, turn to the table of contents.

227
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,000
You see the beginning is the Pope's apostolic constitution,

228
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000
introducing the catechism to the world.

229
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,000
And then the prologue, which gives practical instruction for using the catechism.

230
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,000
We'll come back to the prologue in a minute.

231
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:47,000
But do you see how the very next thing is part one, the profession of faith?

232
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000
I want to point something out to you.

233
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:54,000
Do you see under part one, it says section one, I believe, we believe.

234
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,000
And then at section two, the profession of the Christian faith.

235
00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:04,000
Each of these four pillars, the four sections, has a two-section division.

236
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,000
The first section is more general,

237
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,000
laying out the fundamental and unifying principles, if you will.

238
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:14,000
The second section gives a more detailed doctrinal exposition.

239
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:20,000
Thus, in part one, section one treats how we come to know anything about God,

240
00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,000
from our natural knowledge of God and God's self-revelation in Christ,

241
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,000
scripture, tradition, and the magisterium.

242
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:31,000
And part two then goes on to describe the specific contents of that revelation,

243
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,000
such as the doctrine of the Trinity or of Christ and His church.

244
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:39,000
Part two, celebration of the Christian mystery, does the same thing.

245
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,000
First, there's a general discussion of the paschal mystery in the church,

246
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,000
the work of the blessed Trinity and the liturgy and the sacraments.

247
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,000
And then secondly, a discussion of the seven sacraments themselves,

248
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:54,000
as the initiation, healing, and communion into the life of the blessed Trinity.

249
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,000
Part three, our life in Christ.

250
00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,000
First, there's a discussion of the incredible dignity of the human person

251
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:06,000
in the image of God, our freedom, grace, the virtues, conscience, and sin,

252
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,000
and the social dimensions of our Christian life.

253
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,000
And then second, a specific discussion of each of the Ten Commandments,

254
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,000
according to Christ's summary of the laws, the love of God and the love of neighbor.

255
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,000
Do you see the pattern?

256
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,000
Part four, Christian prayer works the same way.

257
00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,000
First, there's a discussion of prayer in general.

258
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,000
What is prayer? The tradition of prayer in Scripture in the church.

259
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,000
And then a specific discussion of the Lord's Prayer,

260
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,000
which the catechism calls the summary of the whole gospel.

261
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,000
Let's go back to the prologue, paragraph 18 in the catechism,

262
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,000
which gives practical instruction in how to use the catechism.

263
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,000
This is on page 11 in most editions.

264
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,000
This is also a good place to point out that the basic unit of organization

265
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,000
in the catechism is the paragraph.

266
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,000
So if you look at the index, for example, it references paragraph numbers,

267
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,000
and not page numbers.

268
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:59,000
You see, this catechism is conceived as an organic presentation

269
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,000
of the Catholic faith in its entirety.

270
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,000
It should be seen, therefore, as a unified whole.

271
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,000
Numerous cross-references in the margin of the text,

272
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,000
italicized numbers referring to other paragraphs that deal with the same theme,

273
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,000
as well as the analytical index at the end of the volume,

274
00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:21,000
allow the reader to view each theme in its relationship to the entirety of the faith.

275
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:22,000
Do you see?

276
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,000
At every point, the catechism calls us to compare and analyze

277
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000
in light of the totality.

278
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000
Let's consider the cross-references for a moment.

279
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,000
Turn to paragraph 27, if you will.

280
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:39,000
This is the first place we find cross-references used.

281
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,000
The doctrine being treated here is the desire for God written in the heart.

282
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000
Now, if you look to the side of paragraph 27,

283
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:52,000
you'll see three little numbers, 355, 170, and 1718.

284
00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000
These are references to other paragraphs in the catechism.

285
00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,000
Now, let's see how this works.

286
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,000
If we turn to paragraph 355, the doctrine of man,

287
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,000
created in the image of God.

288
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,000
So, the catechism wants us to know that our innate desire for God

289
00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,000
is born of our creation in His image.

290
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,000
The two doctrines are related.

291
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,000
Now, let's look at paragraph 1718, another cross-reference,

292
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000
which takes us into the third pillar, our life in Christ,

293
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,000
and the fulfillment of that desire for God.

294
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,000
Look at the very first line of paragraph 1718.

295
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:31,000
The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness.

296
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,000
This desire is of divine origin.

297
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:40,000
So, you see, the cross-references help you to search out that unity of the faith.

298
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,000
The next point I want you to notice

299
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,000
is that the catechism puts some things in large print

300
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,000
and some things in small print.

301
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,000
Let's look at an example.

302
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,000
Turn to paragraph 2558.

303
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:57,000
First, the text introduces the topic of prayer in large print.

304
00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:02,000
And then it follows up with this magnificent quote from St. Therese.

305
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,000
For me, prayer is a surge of the heart.

306
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,000
It is a simple look turned toward heaven.

307
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:13,000
It is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.

308
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000
The small print in the catechism

309
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:22,000
very often is drawn from the writings of saints, liturgies,

310
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,000
spiritual doctors, meant to give a full expression,

311
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,000
a deeper reflection on the truth of the faith.

312
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000
I find that these are excellent tools for teaching.

313
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,000
After you've laid out the doctrine,

314
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,000
you can go to these small print sections

315
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,000
and reflect on the teachings of the saints.

316
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,000
Turn to paragraph 44.

317
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,000
You'll find a section called In Brief.

318
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,000
You'll see that at the end of every chapter,

319
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,000
there's this summary of bullet points

320
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000
of the major aspects of the doctrine under consideration.

321
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,000
This is a very helpful tool to reference

322
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,000
as you prepare talking points for your teaching.

323
00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,000
Have I made sure to hit every major aspect of the doctrine?

324
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:05,000
Finally, I want you to turn to paragraph 2865,

325
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,000
the very last paragraph in the catechism.

326
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,000
What comes next?

327
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,000
We've mentioned over and over again

328
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,000
that the catechism draws on this incredibly rich

329
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000
Catholic expression of the faith,

330
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:22,000
all these different sources of revelation and authority.

331
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,000
Here's where we actually find the list,

332
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000
and it's magnificent.

333
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,000
You'll see right following 2865,

334
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,000
there is a index of citations.

335
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000
The first is the scripture citations,

336
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,000
and you can see there are over 30 pages

337
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,000
of scripture citations in the catechism.

338
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,000
Following that are professions of faith.

339
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,000
Then we find ecumenical councils.

340
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,000
There are over five pages of citations

341
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,000
just from the Second Vatican Council alone.

342
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,000
After that, we have particular councils and synods,

343
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000
pontifical documents,

344
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,000
ecclesiastical documents,

345
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,000
canon law citations,

346
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,000
citations from the liturgy,

347
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,000
the Roman liturgy and the Eastern liturgy as well,

348
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,000
ecclesiastical writers.

349
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,000
This is one of my favorite sections.

350
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,000
In fact, sometimes for reflection and prayer,

351
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,000
I just go and read the citations of the saints

352
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,000
over and over again.

353
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,000
There's so many of them from the second century,

354
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,000
Irenaeus of Ignatius of Antioch,

355
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,000
the great doctors of the church like Athanasius.

356
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:31,000
They're all in there.

357
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,000
You go search them out.

358
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,000
It's incredibly rich.

359
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,000
And then finally, after the ecclesiastical writers,

360
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,000
then we turn to the subject index.

361
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,000
Now, I don't want you to overlook this

362
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,000
because it's a tremendous resource, really.

363
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,000
If you open to page 759, for example,

364
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,000
and look down the page at baptism,

365
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,000
you can see how rich the reflection of the index is

366
00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,000
on all the different aspects of baptismal life and promise,

367
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,000
the grace communicated in the baptism,

368
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,000
how catechumens received baptism,

369
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,000
how Christian life is rooted in baptism.

370
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,000
You can really trace the doctrine out

371
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:09,000
through all the four parts

372
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,000
and see this integral unity that we're talking about.

373
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,000
So don't overlook the subject index

374
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,000
as you're preparing your lessons

375
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000
and seeking for that unity of the faith.

376
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,000
After the subject index,

377
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,000
the very next section is a list of abbreviations.

378
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:27,000
Throughout the text,

379
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,000
you'll find footnotes to pontifical documents

380
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,000
and conciliar documents,

381
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,000
usually just given in an abbreviation.

382
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,000
The list of abbreviations will help you know

383
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,000
where those come from.

384
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000
Finally, in some editions of the Catechism,

385
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000
you'll find a glossary.

386
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,000
This is a very helpful tool

387
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,000
that gives accurate and faithful definitions

388
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000
of theological terms and doctrinal terms.

389
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,000
It's also a very useful tool in your teaching

390
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,000
if you don't know what a particular word means.

391
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,000
This book is not going away.

392
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,000
Pope John Paul told us

393
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,000
this is the authentic reference for catechesis.

394
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,000
This is the sure norm.

395
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,000
Pope Benedict, in his letter on the Year of Faith,

396
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,000
has urged Catholics all across the world

397
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,000
to study this book,

398
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,000
the Catechism of the Catholic Church,

399
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,000
and make it their own.

400
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:18,000
He's reminded us that what lives within the Catechism

401
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,000
is not a mere theory,

402
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,000
but on page after page,

403
00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,000
it's an encounter with a person

404
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,000
who lives within the Church,

405
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:25,000
namely Jesus Christ.

406
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,000
I think we can conclude with no better phrase

407
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,000
than that given to us by blessed Pope John Paul II

408
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,000
when he gave the Catechism to the world.

409
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:35,000
He said,

410
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,000
Use it.

411
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,000
© BF-WATCH TV 2021

412
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:27,000
© BF-WATCH TV 2021

413
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:57,000
© BF-WATCH TV 2021

414
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:27,000
© BF-WATCH TV 2021