Sunday, October 24, 2004
What is necessary catechesis anyway?
Talmida asks a good question, and I'll tackle it from the standpoint of a liturgist. I don't pretend to have a full plate for Catholics, but ...
- Every Catholic needs to know to pray in various ways and how to pray: at Mass and other liturgies, communally and individually, as well as spontaneously.
- Every Catholic needs to know the Creed, especially what it says about God, and not just memorize it.
- Every Catholic needs to know the sacraments.
- Every Catholic needs to have a well-formed conscience, reinforced by positive example of parents, extended family, parish, school, and peers. This conscience would be inclusive of a strong sense of social justice as well as personal morality.
Everything else: saints, eschatology, church history, etc. proceeds from these.
