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Evangelization Before Catechesis

I talk a lot about the new evangelization and approaches that we take here at LayEvangelist.com that are based upon the new evangelization, but it occurred to me that some people might not understand what is so different about this approach than others.

In typical parish-based catechesis in the past it was safe to assume that parents knew the faith and were communicating it to their children and that, at least to some point, the culture was by-and-large supporting the Church's moral vision, and things like the Rosary and mass attendance were just another part of the average Catholic's life.

These assumptions can no longer be made, yet it seems that so much of our theology curricula come from this perspective.

Catechesis, Church LifeMichael GormleyJanuary 13, 2011New Evangelization

Apostolate of the Laity, excerpts

Here is our lovely Ambrosian Rite Pope Paul VI.What is the point of this website, and of my ministry in general? The Second Vatican Council released a document entitled Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity or Apostolicam Actuositatem. Promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965, this document builds upon Lumen Gentium's understanding of the role of the Laity in the Church by speaking directly to the activity of the laity in spreading the Gospel and living it out.

This document, in my opinion, is deep, timely, and prophetic, but is largely forgotten from Vatican II history. I think, more so than anything I have come across lately in Church documents, this Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity sums up the mission and purpose of LayEvangelist.com and what I believe my mission is for the Church today.

From the first paragraph, the Council Fathers state their intent for this document:

In this decree the Council seeks to describe the nature, character, and diversity of the lay apostolate, to state its basic principles, and to give pastoral directives for its more effective exercise. All these should be regarded as norms when the canon law, as it pertains to the lay apostolate, is revised. (AA, 1)

Church Life, TheologyMichael GormleyDecember 2, 2010Apostolicam Actuositatem, Laity, evangelization

Events, Talks and Discernment

Jesus Christ is utterly humble, preaching his message by washing the disciples' feet. How humble are we, the preachers of his gospel?Whenever we give talks and lead conferences for youth we often approach it with programs centered around talks and framed by our own expectations. The danger lies in two things with this approach that must be re-evaluated in order to keep our talk, event or conference Christo-centric.

First, we all may think that discipleship lies in talking. Speech making is not the essence of living the Christian life. Listening to God in loving contemplation ought to be the center, not listening to me. There are two remedies for this from my perspective. For the speaker, all of our talks have to be drenched in prayer: from the topic, the placement, the outline, rough drafts and the final product to its opening and closing, as well as peppering the talk itself with the always-anointed words of Scripture. For the audience, especially teens, all of our talks have to lead them to better prayer, whether that is within the talk, as a challenge during the talk, or as meditative food-for-thought later on.

Church Life, SpiritualityMichael GormleyNovember 20, 2010New Evangelization, discernment

Traveling for Christ

It is central to a modern lay evangelist to be a traveling speaker, to board planes, trains and automobiles in order to reach whatever audience Christ sends our way.

But I'm newly married and a new dad, so every time I have to head out to the airport for the weekend or a week, it is always painful. I love my family and my daughter is so new to the world that every day becomes a new experience for her, and loads of joy for Shannon and me, so I always feel like I'm missing out on her life.

Tonight I arrived in Kansas City, MO for the diocesan KC youth conference. It's going to be a lot of fun and I will have ample opportunity to be with young people and to preach Christ. My first time hosting a summer camp was for middle school teens in Rockyvine, MO. The teens that I got close to were Diane Pichert's kids from the old KC. They will be coming to this event as juniors and seniors in high school, and I am starting to feel old.

Church LifeMichael GormleyNovember 19, 2010evangelization, traveling

Systematic Catechesis and Evangelization

Fulton Sheen addressing the Knights of Columbus in 1975Jesus asks us to become great evangelists and disciple-makers, not just amazing keynote presenters. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once said that proclaiming the Christian life consisted of "First come then go." Only those who first come and sit at the feet of the Master again and again can be properly formed to "go, go" out into the world and not only preach the gospel, but to "go and make disciples".

When speaking about disciple-making, we need to cover the topic of systematic catechesis.

Systematic does not mean boring, mechanistic, or rote memorization. In fact, systematic catechesis demands creativity from every catechist as well as coherence.

So let's dive into the teaching of popes John Paul II and Paul VI on evangelization and catechesis is order to respond faithfully and take seriously the call to "go and make disciples" through being systematic in our catechesis.

Catechesis, Church LifeMichael GormleyNovember 7, 2010New Evangelization, systematic catechesis

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