Why Catechize?

Authored by Brian Pizzalato in Issue #30.3 of The Sower

It is all too easy to lose track of the ultimate reason as to why we catechize. What is the purpose of it all? Our beloved late Pope John Paul II proclaimed the reason for catechesis profoundly, yet simply, in a single sentence: ‘The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.’ (Catechesi tradendae 5) We want people to encounter Christ. We do not want our students only to accumulate facts about the life of Jesus; we also want them to have a personal relationship with the incarnate Son of God.

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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]

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