Msgr. Paul Watson proposes that we catechise on two ‘new creation’ events that are linked to Elijah. The reader may by puzzled by the decision to link together the two incidents of the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36 and parallels) and the raising of the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11-17). There are two reasons for this decision. In the first place, both miracles are what C.S.Lewis would classify as ‘new creation’ miracles; and secondly, the two events are linked through reference to Elijah. New Creation miracles In previous articles we have considered two ‘old creation’ miracles - that is, miracles in... Read more
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Articles Under: Scriptural Catechesis
C a tec h i s i ng on the Person of Christ, and confidently proclaiming and explaining his divinity, is central to the work of catechesis. Here, Fr Conrad helps us to see how to draw upon the New Testament in order to ground and source our teaching. In one sense, we know what doctrines we will find in Scripture before we read it because we read Scripture from the standpoint of the Faith of the Church. And this is as it should be. The Bible was not dictated from Heaven in the way the Koran is supposed to... Read more
Mark 1:40-45 In 1515, the artist, Mattias Grünewald, completed a work that came to be known as the Isenheim Altarpiece. It is a complicated structure of painted panels which include a vivid and rather gruesome depiction of the Crucifixion. The altarpiece was produced for the hospital chapel of St Anthony’s Monastery as Isenheim in Alsace. The hospital was dedicated to the care of patients suffering from particularly unpleasant diseases such as leprosy and St Anthony’s Fire. What is striking about the depiction of Christ is that his body bears the same sort of infirmities as those of the patients of... Read more
In this series on the Miracles of Jesus we have been exploring the whole question of the possibility of miracles by examining the approach of C.S. Lewis. We have seen that the idea that Nature accounts for all that exists is in the end untenable. Reason or rationality cannot be explained within the cause and effect relationship of natural processes. Rationality is something outside of Nature, which acts upon it – giving meaning and purpose. Giving Meaning and Purpose From the basis of the human experience of Rationality acting from outside upon Nature, Lewis discusses whether this should be properly... Read more
In the first articles of this series on the miracles of Jesus we briefly explored the miracle of turning water into wine at Cana in Galilee. That miracle is classified by C.S.Lewis as a miracle of fertility and as a miracle of the Old Creation. Describing it in this way focuses attention upon the fact that a gospel miracle is a local and sudden occurrence of something that God is always doing in Nature. It is the sudden and nature of the specific action that testifies to the divine person of Jesus Christ, and that leads us to describe the... Read more
The Great Miracle: The Incarnation ‘The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, exhibits this, or results from this. …every Christian miracle manifests at a particular place and moment the character and significance of the Incarnation.’ (C.S.Lewis, Miracles ) The Central Miracle Before examining the particular miracles of Jesus, it would be good to consider what Lewis calls the ‘central miracle.’ He maintains that ‘all discussion of them (particular miracles) in isolation from it is futile’. To illustrate his argument, Lewis puts forward an analogy. Supposing that... Read more
The Apostles experienced Jesus praying so much, so frequently and so intensely that one day they just had to ask: ‘Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples’ (Luke 11:1). Little did they understand, as was so frequent during Jesus’ public ministry, that Jesus had been teaching them to pray all along through his witness of actually praying. Jesus, however, responds to their request by going beyond their request. He does not teach them to pray as John taught his disciples; he teaches them how to pray as he does. Everything included One important aspect of the... Read more
Let us cross over the river, and rest under the tres. (Gen. Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson, Last words) Our redemption took place on 'a tree', the tree of the Cross. This is the culminating point for a wonderful teaching we can give on the importance of trees in creation and in the story of our redemption. Trees occupy a central place in the Scriptures. Stonewall Jackson understood his Bible well, and knew that as he was departing this life he would meet his Creator at ‘the trees’. Just as Genesis begins with a meeting at two trees, the Tree of... Read more
Christina Coakley provides ten teaching points for a sound catechesis on Creation and Providence. 1. God cares for all his creation and guides it toward perfection. Our faith in the Father is firmly rooted in our trust that he takes care of all our needs. Catechesis on creation concerns the foundations of our human and Christian life. 2. In the opening words of Genesis we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” [i] These words are reiterated in the Apostles’ Creed confessing that God, the Father Almighty, is “Creator of heaven and earth” and, in the... Read more
In the second part of her article, French catechist and theologian, Waltraud Linnig, offers us two more doors into reading and teaching the Bible and the keys for unlocking them. Second door: “Word of God and human word at the same time?” To recapitulate, by opening the first door, we started to read the Bible as the Word of God. We discover the human authors have written different genres of biblical books!, we read the human words written in their own manner of thinking, of speaking, of conception of the world and influenced by their culture, one that differs greatly... Read more