The Catechetical Review - Communicating Christ for a New Evangelization

The Catechetical Leader: Compassionate and Competent

Authored by Patty Norris in Issue #35.3 of The Sower
There is tension within many of our parish communities that calls into question the veracity of this statement. First, let me define my terms. By compassionate, I am speaking of being caring and concerned for the variety of people who come to the parish with all of the brokenness of the human condition. By competent, I mean knowing and accepting that all the teachings of the Catholic Church have been revealed by God and therefore true, as well as incarnating that knowledge and assent into our catechesis and pastoral responses to the people we serve. The problems we face as catechetical leaders can range from cohabitating couples to children with homosexual parents, post abortive women and men and those addicted to pornography, sex, spending, gambling…and the list goes on. When the face of suffering and sin is standing in front of us, the way we react initially may very well determine whether or not we have the privilege of passing on the truth in the long run. We must be compassionate but we must also tell the truth. And this is challenging.

The rest of this online article is available for current subscribers.

Start your subscription today!


This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

Articles from the Most Recent Issue

We Belong to One Another: Seeking Solidarity with the Poor
By Philip Couture
When encountering a person living on the streets, a distressing question is imposed on the well-intentioned passerby: “Should I do something?” The question is especially disquieting for the Catholic who is reminded of the Savior’s exhortations, who tells his disciples that anything they do for the “least of these” is done for him. And what... Read more
Practical Strategies to Promote Vocations
By Fr. Tyron Tomson
Most of them didn’t go to Catholic schools. A quarter of them never served at Mass. Only about half were ever in a youth group, and a good chunk are converts. A majority of them are over 40 years old. One in three has no European ancestry. By statistical and anecdotal analyses, the newest priests of the United States come from varied, even... Read more
Resting in the Lord: Liturgy and Education
By Leonardo Franchi
In his important apostolic letter Dies Domini (“Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy”), St. John Paul II argues that to rest is to re-member (put together again) the sacred work of creation on the day set aside for worship, thus orienting times of rest toward a deeper contemplation of God’s vision of humanity. “Rest therefore acquires a sacred value: the... Read more

Pages

Watch Tutorial Videos

We've put together several quick and easy tutorial videos to show you how to use this website.

Watch Now