Today we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, a day set aside to celebrate, bless, and commission those who share in the teaching ministry of the Church. This year’s theme is Growing As Disciples of Jesus, which emphasizes the importance of responding to the Lord’s invitation to develop our relationship with Jesus, so that we may grow as His disciples, and witness to His love and mercy in our world.
For the pastoral activity of the Church, the cooperation of a great many people is needed, so that communities as well as individuals may advance to full maturity in faith and continually show forth their faith through the celebration of the liturgy, through study, and through their manner of life. This cooperation involves each of us: all who teach the faith in our schools, parish faith formation programs, RCIA, parents, grandparents, and guardians. The support and participation of the parish community is essential to passing on the Catholic Faith today and for generations to come. In this celebration we give glory to God for giving us the grace to proclaim the Gospel, and ask him to send his Holy Spirit upon each of our catechists, parents, grandparents, and guardians to empower them to boldly teach the Catholic Faith in love and truth, leading each person entrusted to them to encounter Jesus and grow as his disciples.
Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each baptized person plays in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. Catechists have a special role in this work in that they proclaim the Good News that Jesus is with us. Through our catechesis, we aim to invite others to receive the amazing grace of Jesus in their lives and to bring that gift to the world.
We will commission our catechists at the 11:00 mass on Sunday, September 19. We are grateful for their generosity in sharing the faith with our young people, a ministry they do in the name of each one of us.
May this year be a year of grace for you, for those you teach, and for the world!
May the seeds of faith blossom as you nurture God’s young disciples, and may our ever-present connection to Christ through prayer be a joyful blessing for you and the children in your care.
Fr. Jeff