Knowing the Truth

I.                   Jesus invites us to seek the Truth

Jesus said to [the Jews,] “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.” Because Jesus spoke this way many came to believe in him. Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:28-32).

II.                John Paul II exhortation to find the Truth that sets us free (Veritatis Splendor , No. 88)

The attempt to set freedom in opposition to the truth, and indeed to separate them radically, is the consequence, manifestation and consummation of another more serious and destructive dichotomy, that which separates faith from morality.

This separation represents one of the most acute pastoral concerns of the Church amid today’s growing secularism, wherein many, indeed too many, people think and live as if “God does not exist.”

…In a widely dechristianized culture, the criteria employed by believers themselves in making judgments and decisions often appear extraneous or even contrary to those of the Gospel.

It is urgent that the Christians should rediscover the newness of the faith and its power to judge a prevalent and all intrusive culture. As the Apostle Paul admonishes us: “Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them…Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:88-11, 15-16; cf. 1 Th 5:4-8).

It is urgent to rediscover and to set forth once more the authentic reality of the Christian faith, which is not simply a set of propositions to be accepted with intellectual assent. Rather, faith is a lives knowledge of Christ, a living remembrance of his commandments, and a truth to be lived out.

A word, in any event is not truly received until it passes into action, until it is put into practice. Faith is a decision involving one’s whole existence. It is an encounter, a dialogue, a communion of love and of life between a believer and Jesus Christ, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6) It entails an act of trusting abandonment to Christ, which enables us to live as he lived (cf Gal 2:20), in profound love of God and of our brothers and sisters.

III.             What is Catechesis? (John Paul II; Catechesi Tradendae, 20)

“Catechesis aims…at developing understanding of the mystery of Christ in the light of God’s word, so that the whole of a person’s humanity is impregnated by that word. Changed by the working of grace into a new creature, the Christian thus sets himself to follow Christ and learns more and more within the Church to think like Him, to judge like Him, to act in conformity with His commandments, and to hope as He invites us to.”

IV.             What is Systematic Catechesis?

Pope Paul VI: “I rejoice to see how everyone drew attention to the absolute need for systematic catechesis, precisely because it is this reflective study of the Christian mystery that fundamentally distinguishes catechesis from all other ways of presenting the word of God.” (October 29, 1977: AAS 69 (1977), p. 634).

John Paul II: Believes that Catechesis…(see CT 21)

A.    “…must be systematic, not improvised but programmed to reach a precise goal.”

“Truth Gives Freedom” fulfills this aspect by presenting a program design with the specific purpose of training collaborators for parishes. The Basic Level IA and IB give a foundation on Catholic teaching, so that later, these same participants may take an area of specialization in their fields, (e.g. Religious Education for children, adults, or youth; sacramental preparations; spiritual reflections at different groups, etc…) These participants will need to continue in Level II in order to qualify for their specific field of participation..

This program is design to prepare lay people for an effective and harmonious collaboration with their parish priest(s). Thus, all participants must plan to collaborate only in ministries associated with a parish or a diocesan organization.

B.     “…must deal with essentials, without any claim to tackle all disputed questions or to transform itself into theological research or scientific exegesis.”

“Truth gives freedom” presents the Truth of Jesus Christ as revealed to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We will not teach theological opinion, or issues under scrutiny by the popular media or the opinion of individual theologians. 

For this reason we will follow the Guidelines for Doctrinally Sound Catechetical Materials given to us by the National Conference of Catholic bishops.

C.     “… must nevertheless be sufficiently complete. Not stopping short at the initial proclamation of the Christian Mystery such as we have in the Kerigma.”

“Truth Gives Freedom” will present all catechetical material within the context of the History of Salvation and how we find this history in our Church and practice. The program will be Christological: it will fulfilled all of its goals by presenting spiritual, dogmatic, moral, scriptural, and liturgical aspects of the Church’s message in relation to Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of God, becoming man to destroy death due to sin, and give us eternal life through our baptismal sharing of the Pascal Mystery.

D.    “…must be an integral Christian initiation, open to all the other factors of Christian life.”

“Truth Gives Freedom” will interlink all areas of the Church’s doctrinal tradition as a whole; the program will not dissect the doctrine, but it will show how it relates to our Church life and thus, leading the participants to find their own history of salvation. Though the academic requirements may suggest the contrary, the program has as its final goal assisting the participants into making their faith more relevant to their daily lives and finding ways to integrate the Truth of the faith, to their whole persona (moral, spiritual and intellectual).

V.                The Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Spirit of the Text

a.       Pope John Paul II;

                                            i.      Fidei Depositum, 1992

“Guarding the deposit of faith is the mission which the Lord entrusted to His Church” (intro)

b.      Extraordinary Synod of bishops, December 7, 1985

                                            i.      “Very many [bishops] have expressed the desire that a catechism or compendium of all catholic doctrine regarding both faith and morals be composed…The presentation of doctrine must be biblical and liturgical. It must be sound doctrine suited to the present life of Christians.

c.       Pope John Paul II; Ibid

                                            i.      “A catechism should faithfully and systematically present the teaching of Sacred Scripture, the living Tradition in the Church and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers, Doctors, and saints of the Church, to allow for a better knowledge of the Christian mystery and for enlivening the faith of the People of God” (2).

1.      These statements defines the sources that we will be using in the program Truth Gives Freedom.

                                          ii.      “This catechism will thus contain both the new and the old, because the faith is always the same yet the source of ever new light” (ibid)

1.      Matthew 13:52 “Every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from the storeroom both the new and the old.”

d.      Four Parts of the Catechism

                                            i.      Creed: The Profession of Faith

                                          ii.      Sacred Liturgy: The Celebration of the Christian Mistery

                                        iii.      Christian way of Life/ Morality: Life in Christ

                                        iv.      Christian Prayer

e.       Pope John Paul II; Ibid, 2 “The four parts are related one to another”

                                            i.      “The Christian mystery is the object of faith

                                          ii.      It is celebrated and communicated in liturgical actions

                                        iii.      It is present to enlighten and sustain the children of God in their actions

                                        iv.      It is the basis for our prayer, the privileged expression of which is the Our Father, and it represents the object of our supplication, oir praise and our intercession.

VI.             Integral Formation: Interlinking all four parts into our life.

a.       Pope John Paul II: ibid

                                            i.      The Liturgy itself is prayer (2 = 4)

                                          ii.      The confession of faith [or creed] finds its proper place in the celebration of worship (1 > 2)

                                        iii.      Grace: the fruit of the sacraments (2 > 3)

1.      Is the irreplaceable condition for Christian living.

                                        iv.      Just as participation in the Church’s liturgy requires faith (2 < 1)

                                          v.      If faith is not expressed in works is dead (3 - 1 = 0)

1.      And cannot bear fruit unto eternal life

b.      The Catechism is an “Authentic Reference”

                                            i.      Ephesians 3:7-13.

1.      “Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power. To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ”

a.       The Church and her ministers preach these inscrutable riches of Christ, not our own doctrine, but His.

2.      “This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplishes in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in Him.”

a.       We must have confidence in God’s Holy Spirit in the Church.

3.      “So I ask you not to lose heart over my afflictions for you; this is your glory.”

c.       Pope John Paul II; ibid 3

                                            i.      “May the light of the true faith free humanity from ignorance and slavery of sin in order to lead it to the only freedom worthy of the name”

1.      John 8:31-32: Jesus said, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

VII.          Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph #25 (CCC ¶25)

a.       “The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love.” (Roman Catechism).

                                            i.      1 Peter 2:1-3: “Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander; like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tested that the Lord is good.”

© 2000-2008 Juan Carlos Aguirre Borchardt