Yes; you are a Catechist. I am, too. We all are – when we share our Faith.
I have been thinking about this a lot since our Sept. 13 issue, which was devoted to Catechetical Sunday. In it, we were blessed to share the thoughts and reflections of a variety of contributors who approached the concept of sharing the Faith from different perspectives.
The idea that we all are catechists came to me during Dr. Tim Hogan’s keynote at our 2019 Formation Day on Aug. 24. During that talk, Dr. Hogan said, “Life is rigged to bring us back to God.” What a profound statement.
I left his talk feeling as though God gives us all opportunities to serve as Catechists simply by living lives founded in Faith. But, you ask, what does that mean? What is faith?
We recently heard (in a Mass reading) from the letter to the Hebrews that “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). On Divine Mercy Sunday, we heard Jesus tell the Apostle Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 19:29).
In a September 2016 post on the Focus on the Family website, Tony Evans said, “The one definition I always told my children is that faith is acting like God is telling the truth.”
That definition made me chuckle because we all know God can’t do anything but tell the truth. It also reminded me of a Hopi Indian proverb I have included in this column previously: “Truth doesn’t happen; it just is.”
Truth is.
I am.
Faith is “knowing that ‘I am’ could not ever fake ‘what is.’”
What does any of that have to do with being a Catechist? Plenty.
None of us ever know who might be looking – not at us, but to us – for guidance; for something that they might be searching for and, for whatever the reason, feel like we have at least experienced, if not continue to experience.
Dr. Hogan told catechists from across our diocese that they are in the relationship business and in the love business.
Aren’t we all – or, at least, shouldn’t we all – be in those businesses?
Director of Catechesis Kathy Gallo asked Formation Day attendees to consider a question during the day – and beyond, as they work in their ministries: “How will what I do put people in touch with Jesus Christ?”
That question applies to all of us. Throughout every day, we have opportunities to put people in touch with Jesus Christ. Chances are we aren’t even aware of some of them. We never know who those people might be or where/how we might encounter them.
If you truly believe, you are among the people Jesus said were blessed because you have not seen. Share that faith whenever you can. Be the catechist you truly are.