The Catechetical Review - Communicating Christ for a New Evangelization

Loving God and Loving Man: Interpreting St. Augustine's Formation for Catechists

Authored by Sam Robson in Issue #35.1 of The Sower
Sam Robson shares practical examples of St Augustine’s model for catechesis. St Augustine suggests a model for catechesis in which, “loving his neighbour as himself, a man turns the whole current of his love both for himself and his neighbour into the channel of love of God.”[i] Catechesis aims to “promote communion and intimacy” with Christ,[ii] who is true God and true man.[iii] Where this is prompted by a loving impulse of God’s grace, the catechist may be like a party host who is at ease introducing guests, recalling the genuine affection with which each friend is held. Learning to love God and man more may be both an essential starting point and a lesson to which the catechist should repeatedly return. How might this love of both God and man manifest itself in catechetical practice? Here are a few examples.

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

Editor's Reflections— The Gift of the Jubilee Year
By Dr. James Pauley
It was a predictably hot August day. We stood, tightly packed and shoulder-to-shoulder, in the blazing afternoon sun in the square outside the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City. It was the Great Jubilee year 2000, and I had helped lead a group of young people to World Youth Day. It was the largest gathering ever in St. Peter’s Square, which... Read more
Jesus and the Jubilee: Reflections for the Jubilee Year 2025
By Dr. John Bergsma
On May 9, 2024, Pope Francis announced to the world that the following year, 2025, would be a Jubilee Year for the Catholic Church worldwide. The Jubilee Year would begin on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, and last until Epiphany, January 6, 2026. This holy year would be marked by special liturgical celebrations, greater availability of the... Read more
Pilgrims of Hope
By Joan Watson
One of the hallmarks of a Jubilee Year is a pilgrimage to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome. But what is a pilgrimage? It is harder to define than one might think. Throughout history, men, women, and children have traveled for a variety of reasons, often for motivations other than simple relocation or practical needs. We can see a type of... Read more

Pages