How well do you know your faith?
By Mike Lambrecht
In this season of Lent, we are all called to re-examine our lives. We should ask ourselves, how are we doing and in what areas do we need improvement?
One such area that all of us need improvement in is in the understanding of our faith. I know what your thinking – “I’m done learning about the faith. I’ve already been confirmed.” Such an attitude is typical in our society but could hardly be more incorrect. Confirmation is not the end of learning about the faith but the beginnings of a mature faith that is called to develop and bear fruit.
Consider for a moment the richness of the Catholic faith. Even with a lifetime of study, a greater understanding can always be obtained. We have the benefit of nearly 2,000 years of scholarly study of the Scriptures and Traditions of the Church. As such, it is very important that we, as adults, never stop expanding our understanding of these teachings.
This is not simply my opinion, Pope John Paul II referred to adult education in the faith as “the principal form of catechesis, because it is addressed to persons who have the greatest responsibilities and the capacity to live the Christian message in its fully developed form.”1 The Church further states that, “Adult catechesis concerns persons who have a right and a duty to bring to maturity the seed of faith sown in them by God.”2 In other words, adults have all the more need to study the faith because they are fully responsible for their actions, they are to set an example for others, and they have the greatest responsibility for the formation of others in the faith.
Adults are called to hand on the faith of the Church to the next generation. The Catechism explains this by proclaiming that “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.”3 But how can someone hand on what they do not have. In order to effectively act as witnesses of Christ, and to hand on to others what we ourselves have received, we must first understand the teachings of the Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is one of the most useful tools that we have in this regard. By studying the Catechism while reading the Scriptures, we can properly prepare ourselves to carry on the task of handing on the faith. Another set of tools to help us along are the many offerings that Saint Therese Parish has for furthering our Catholic education. We currently have a Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew taking place. This summer we will be studying St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. This fall we will be starting a course in Church History. We have also just started meeting once a month with topics that are part of the Catholicism 101 series.
Don’t be afraid to get involved and to bring your faith to a greater maturity. I know that it is not easy to find time in your busy schedule. Maybe this Lent, God is calling you to sacrifice a little of your time to learn more about Him. For more information on our parish offerings, please see the insert in today’s bulletin or contact me at 359-9006.
1 On Catechesis in Our Time #43
2 General Directory for Catechesis #173
3 Catechism of the Catholic Church #2223