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A Catholic Philosophy

The purpose of Catechesis is to facilitate an encounter between the students and Jesus Christ. It is precisely those encounters which transformed us, and I feel we would anyway, given what He has done for us. Are there intellectual or philosophical barriers to the acceptance of Catholicism, if I may invoke the name as a system of belief and of living? Below is an unpublished article I wrote seeking to understand such barriers, viewing them as questions rather than roadblocks.  A Philosophical consideration of Catholic Theology  must   begin with the question of knowledge. What can we know and how can we know it? Do we have a belief in God prior to any outside influences? If yes, is this faith? Have others felt this and how is it described? Do we believe the experiences of others? Are they relevant or irrelevant? Do our own life experiences support our belief?  Do we have a natural desire to know what is out there and to know why we are here? Is this merely advanced curiosity? Is it not
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COVID era kids

      It sure seems to me that the kids in school right now are somewhat less socially acclimated than previous classes. Why is that? Well for one they have not had a "normal" school year in about two years! COVID closed everything down and when education did get back going it was from home, online. Think about all the social gatherings and trips and things that didn't happen during that time. A lot of socialization was missed while the kids were still aging at the same rate as always. They aren't quite feral but definitely different. And how could they NOT be? This whole pandemic has been stressful and scary. It is going to take a while to get society back to normal, whatever the new normal is.      This is an opportunity for catechists! We have just what these kids can use to help them get back on track, to understand that they have to treat others well and have respect and empathy. What they need is Jesus Christ, whether they know it or not. Effective catechesis, a
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SYNOD 2021-2023

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  This afternoon following PSR (Parish School of Religion, formerly called CCD and also known as "Bible School" our parish held our Synod meetings in response to the call from the Vatican. I can say that it was a rich and rewarding experience personally, but most importantly it addressed what we feel that the Holy Spirit was and IS directing us to do. The "Lectio Divina" method was used, centering on a reading from 1 Corinthians, and after each reading time for reflection and listening was given, followed by discussion, input, and refinement.  Some great ideas were captured, and it is clear that everyone felt that we must strive more diligently to evangelize and catechize. There were three parish Catechists in my focus group alone! Shrinking membership was discussed, the impact of COVID was discussed, and the attempt to return fully to normal operation was discussed. The persistent theme though is that existing and active parishioners must discern their own gifts, a
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Christ: Sacramental Body related to Mystical Body

       For me, the consideration of how the sacramental Body of Christ (Eucharist) is linked to the mystical Body of Christ (the Church) begins with the fact that one flows from the other. Christ, consubstantial with the Father, existed before all time. Because of God’s love for us, Christ came down from heaven and became man. His life, death, and resurrection were not only salvific for mankind but were given freely, just as during the Last Supper Jesus himself instituted what became our Mass, including of course the Eucharist. The Apostles and other disciples were tasked with carrying on this celebration/memorial, which of course though changed is what we DO today! The gift of salvation was freely offered, and the gift of the Eucharist was freely given too. We must keep in mind that Christ is indeed present at mass, and that actual work is being done in and through mass. Things are happening!         It is in this economy of salvation that we have the circular relationship between t
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Why did the authors of the Gospels decide to write at all?

  I believe that one can make the case that the Gospel writers chose to write and record what they did because they believed they had to, that they had been charged with the “carrying on” of the Good News by Christ Himself. Although authorship of the sources of the Gospels may be open to discussion, I maintain that everyone involved in the process of creating the Gospels believed they were doing what was asked of them. For the record, I believe that the "Two-source" explanation of the Synoptic Gospels makes the most sense to me, but that is another topic for another post! Consider THIS post to be referring to any and everyone who brought us the Gospels that we have today.  According to the Gospel of Luke, Christ tasked the Apostles to continue celebration of Passover as the Last Supper, and to do so in memory of Him. This essential fact had to be communicated to others, and to those who were yet to come, in order for this particular practice to continue. This is not the onl
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WWJD Covid Edition

 As we enter the 2021-22 PSR year, our theme is the familiar biblical line also heard every mass: "(Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof) BUT ONLY SAY THE WORD AND MY SOUL SHALL BE HEALED." This is especially appropriate as we come back to the classrooms in person instead of virtually. Things are a little different though, and we need to acknowledge it.  If ever people needed their souls to be healed, it is now. COVID and all the things we have had to do to slow the spread of it has wreaked havoc on our social lives. We certainly did not need something that caused us to be separated further from our family, friends, and neighbors! If anything, COVID has made it clear that we can function with even less social contact and interaction than we previously thought possible. That's not good.  Our theme illustrates that God is powerful enough to heal us from afar. Anything that He wills to have happen, DOES happen. But that is not the relationship that God wi
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Cate-WHAT? Why should I get involved?

Presumably you are here because either you have become a Catechist or are considering becoming one. Maybe someone asked you to volunteer, or you read a bulletin asking for volunteer teachers. Perhaps you thought to yourself "Hey, that is something that I could do!" But what do we do, and why is it necessary? Furthermore, if we AGREE to do it, what is in it for us?  People today are busy. There are a zillion things competing for our attention at any one time. There are a million distractions. Our friends, our family, our jobs, our social life, our education, the list is unending of places we feel we need to be or things we need to be doing. Why would one add another thing onto that list when it seems that we already are mishandling other things?  There are very few things in life that we can do and KNOW that they are the "right" thing to do. We all have "guilty pleasures" that we know we should NOT be doing, whether it is that extra bowl of ice cream or har
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