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PRAY and REFLECT
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Issue 16: Spring 2021
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The word ‘CATECHIST’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘to echo’. As Catechists or teachers of RE we do not proclaim our own word. We echo the message of Jesus Christ our Lord. This newsletter aims at providing parish catechists and teachers of RE in schools some support in terms of reflections, ideas, useful resources they can use and so on. Feel free to share with other colleagues and friends. There is also a pdf version which you can download by clicking on the thumbnail below.
| In this issue |
| Prayer and Catechesis |
| On Prayer |
| Prayer Book |
| New Resource for Catechists |
| Quote |
| Follow Us |
Prayer and Catechesis
One of the key tasks of catechesis is to teach those entrusted to our care how to pray. Without this fundamental dimension of our ministry we can never reach the goal of helping and guiding others to be ‘like Christ.’
Prayer is ‘a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God’ (CCC 2558). Our task as catechists is not only to teach what one should ‘say’ when praying but rather to help develop and facilitate this personal relationship. This development of a life of prayer and contemplation should be one that enables the student, to experience prayer in all its forms - blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise.
As outlined in the new Directory for Catechesis there are several well-established means for developing a prayerful and contemplative life such as the prayerful reading of sacred scripture, the liturgy of the hours (Lectio divina), other prayers such as the Jesus prayer, devotions to the Virgin Mary through prayers such as the holy Rosary, and many other forms of devotions and prayers (DfC: 87)
During his public ministry, Jesus himself taught his followers how to pray. His presentation of the Our Father is a model prayer with all the hallmarks of what prayer should be. In responding to our call of being catechists and helping others to follow him more closely it is now our turn to instil the same understanding of the necessity to pray in all those we are accompanying on the journey of faith.
On Prayer
My child - when you are about to pray, try to understand that you are talking to an almighty Being of infinite majesty, who knows everything, is everywhere, is most merciful, and that your words will not be in vain.
Remember that he who made you see, hear and understand, can do the same himself, and a lot better than yourself.
Therefore, do not use too many words in your prayer. Talk to him with trust, like a child to its father, expressing briefly what it wants.
St George Preca, SDC Founder, from THE YEAR OF THE LORD
Prayer Book
Visit our SDC website www.sdc.me.uk/prayerbookto download a copy of his Prayer book. It includes both personal prayers as well as those we use at mass and more.
A New Resource for Catechists
Directory for Catechesis
Everyone involved in catechesis now has a fresh resource to recourse to in order to understand the key aspects of this crucial ministry within the Church. This is the Directory of Catechesis, recently published by the Holy See.
In an ever changing environment like the one we are living through, it is crucial that our message in catechesis remains both faithful to the core gospel message as well as relevant to today’s faithful and those who have never heard of Jesus Christ or are away from the life of the Church. The recently published Directory which is the result of coordinated work, reflections and contributions by many experts within the Church aims to be a new inspiration for catechists in fulfilling their call to be educators working in this era of ‘new evangelisation’. It is organised in three main parts subdivided into chapters and deals with themes such as ‘The Identity of Catechesis’, ‘Formation of Catechists’, ‘Methodology in Catechesis’ and others.
One of the factors that led to this new Directory and one which it seeks to address is that of the challenge the Church faces as a result of digital culture. This is clearly affecting people’s behaviour in many ways. The Church therefore, and all those involved in evangelisation within it, have to be able to carry out their mission in a way that remains effective and continues to bear fruit in such a complex and more challenging environment.
This is the third version of a Catechetical directory published since the Second Vatican Council, previous versions were published in 1971 and 1997. The English version of the Directory was published by the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) in July 2020.
Quote
Catechesis is an essential part of the broader process of renewal that the Church is called to bring about in order to be faithful to the command of Jesus Christ to proclaim always and everywhere his Gospel.
from Directory of Catechesis(Introduction)
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- Videos on RE themes to use in catechism sessions
- Short videos for prayer and reflection
- Other videos on St George Preca and SDC
- Links to other resources for catechists and teachers
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