A PROCESS FOR DEEPENING THE FAITH OF ADULT CATHOLICS PREPARING FOR THE BAPTISM OF THEIR CHILDREN
by
Frank J. Lucero, Jr.
St. Norbert College
De Pere, WI
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
of
Master of Theological Studies
Approved:
Thesis Director
Reader
Reader
© 2007 Frank J. Lucero, Jr. All rights reserved.
The author hereby grants to St. Norbert College permission to reproduce and distribute
publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part.
The Church, in its two thousand-plus years of existence, has experienced limited success in its attempts at forming disciples. This thesis presents one specific suggestion, which may be helpful in raising the Church’s disciple-forming success ratio. The author contends that adult faith formation is the key to such success and demonstrates how theological reflection can be employed to stimulate both a greater awareness and experience of the Transcendent in adults.
A baptismal preparation session for parents and godparents is suggested as one opportunity to form disciples. The session, developed by the author, uses theological reflection methods to engage participants in adult conversations about this particular sacrament, affording them the opportunity to learn as adults learn and to spiritually process the information presented. The potential for this baptismal preparation session to form disciples is evaluated through the use of a session survey. The final chapter reveals the results of said evaluation.
The Problem................................................................................................... 13
Moving Forward Once the Horse Is before the Cart...................................... 27
INTRODUCTION
A
disciple is a learner, one who follows another’s teaching and is an avid
adherent to that teaching. Jesus the Christ is a teacher and those who follow
and adhere to his teachings are known as his disciples.
In
Luke 6:40 Jesus said, “Every disciple will be like his teacher.” A disciple of
the Christ, then, is one who strives to imitate him. This coincides with God’s
purpose for redeeming humankind, which is that all people be conformed to the
image of his son (Romans 8:29).
According
to John 8:31, a disciple is one who abides in Jesus’ words, that is, he or she
is an avid student of scripture and one who, according to Matthew: 7:21, goes
beyond simply studying scripture to actually living Jesus’ precepts. The main
precept around which all others revolve is the law of love. Adherence to this
law is an attribute that literally defines and describes a true disciple (John
13:34-35). Disciples then, love God with their whole hearts, their whole souls,
and their whole minds, and their neighbors as themselves (Mark 12:30-31).
For a disciple of the Lord, Jesus is the most significant being in his or her life. Jesus comes first before anyone else including self, family, and friends. A disciple of Jesus also forsakes all things that are not of God (hatred, envy, vengeance, the refusal to forgive, etc.) in order to live a godly life. In addition, a disciple does not value anything (job, lifestyle, security, wealth, status, etc.) more than he or she values God.
Christian discipleship is a way of life and is the vocation to which Christians are called, but one will not hear the call unless one experiences significant mind/heart-changing moments, occasions when one becomes cognizant of God’s call to turn away from sin and to return to the gospel; occasions when one becomes aware that one’s life cannot be lived well unless one seeks God’s kingdom through desiring positive changes in oneself, in one’s neighborhood, in one’s church, and in society. This positive change of mind and attitude is a spiritual gift known as metanoia[1] and it comes to individuals when they experience a life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit of God.
Like James Fowler, I believe that faith, another spiritual gift, is a human universal, that all people in one way or another are seeking faith in something or someone, but how we grow in faith “depends to a large extent on how we are welcomed into the world and what kinds of environments we grow in.”[2]
This thesis posits that it is a primary responsibility of the Church to provide the environments in which metanoia can be fostered and where faith in God may grow. All its members, whether they realize it or not, are seeking both of these spiritual gifts. It is important to remember that faith “is interactive and social; it requires community, language, ritual and nurture.” [3] Therefore, the Church must provide a myriad of opportunities for all seekers to hear the call to discipleship, especially through the medium of adult faith formation.
Herein I present an experimental method for said formation, which I have developed, and the results of my experiments with that method. I also present my conclusions wherein I answer the questions: can this proposed formation process move even a few people to experience metanoia and to hear the call to discipleship? Why or why not?
If the Church is not expending much of its time and resources on evangelizing and making disciples through ministry to the poor, the neglected, the marginalized, the poor in spirit, and even the aloof, then in my opinion, everything else the Church does is only noise as in the clanging of gongs and cymbals. If Christians are not actively engaged in bringing about God’s kingdom in the world, then we are Christians only in name. It is my prayer that this humble project will help inspire those who read it to truly be Church, “making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [Jesus the Christ has] commanded” (Matthew 28:11-13).
CHAPTER ONE
There is a Catholic parish, with 1,500 registered families, where 75% of its enrolled members are active participants in the life of the Church. A small portion of this majority is in a 50/50 split, half advocating a return to a pre-Vatican II Church, the other half promoting a progressive, liberal agenda. The remaining minority is marginally active, yet is continually encouraged to take part in the community’s affairs.
The members of this parish lack very little, for one of the commitments they have made to each other is to ensure that all members have the spiritual, material, and emotional essentials needed to survive. So when a young couple marries, for example, the parishioners make certain that they have a down payment on a home; when someone dies, they give aid to the bereaved family; in fatherless families, other fathers provide the children with the essential father image and other mothers do the same in motherless homes; if a family has plumbing problems, the plumbers of the community do the work gratis; the same holds true for those who may be in need of a carpenter, an electrician, a landscaper, or even a doctor or a lawyer. The members of this parish believe that, because they are the Body of Christ, they are the answers to their collective prayers.
It is rather interesting to note that this parish is also very active in the dealings of the local and state governments and is quite conscious of national and global affairs. The members are quite aware of their baptismal call to holiness as they strive to be perfect as God is perfect, to be merciful as God is merciful, and to love one another as God loves them. This is especially evident in one of this parish’s most vibrant ministries, which is that of social justice. This parish is very involved in visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, and sheltering the homeless. The community funds all of this work, and many members participate in several projects.
These parishioners are also cognizant of the fact that they are a small part of the universal Church and are always willing to support archdiocesan initiatives as well as those originating from the Vatican.
Most members are easily accessible through e-mail, so, when there is a need in the parish, all parishioners are notified. When someone in the community dies, all know; when a couple is getting married, everyone knows; the community is aware of the children receiving baptism, those receiving their first Eucharist, and those being confirmed. Sacramental celebrations are indeed a community affair, since large numbers of parishioners participate. The people know, or at least know of, each other. When a new member or family moves in, they are immediately visited and the community is notified of their arrival, again, through e-mail.
All is not perfect in this parish. Disagreements and arguments occur, feelings are hurt, relationships are sometimes strained, and some individuals have made bad choices, thereby sinning against God and their community. However, the members realize that they are a Church of sinners, and so they gather communally on a regular basis to seek forgiveness from God and from one another and to confess their sins individually in the sacrament of reconciliation. They see these opportunities as a time of renewal and of re-commitment to God and to each other.
The children and youth of this parish are phenomenal. They are active in many aspects of parish life and seem very attached to and loyal to their parish community. To them, it seems, that Church is home away from home. They speak of Jesus as though they know him personally. The Lord is not a mere concept, but a real individual to whom they can relate. This is true even though their parochial, religious formation is minimal. They attend faith formation sessions, but it seems that they are more involved in parish-sponsored activities such as soccer, basketball, baseball, chess, crafting, etc. The cadre of volunteer coaches and mentors is quite impressive. These too are parishioners who do this work professionally in area schools. Therefore, those children and youth who are so inclined are well prepared to play sports competitively in their respective public or private schools. The facilities at this parish are also impressive. There is a gym for basketball, a baseball field, which doubles as a soccer field, and a well-equipped parish hall with many activity and meeting rooms.
Liturgies here are awe-inspiring. The Masses are transforming. Participation is extraordinary, and all know their roles in this magnificent act of worship. Every Sunday and holy day seem like Christmas and Easter, as the church building fills to capacity with devout faithful. It is a great joy to be there.
Why, one may wonder, is this parish so alive, so unlike most Catholic parishes in this country?
The answer, it seems, is three simple words: ADULT FAITH FORMATION. Over thirty years ago this parish’s leadership had the inspiration, the foresight, and the tenacity necessary to take the world’s bishops at their word[4] and to turn their parish upside down. Adult faith formation became the priority and adult disciples were formed, adult disciples who took ownership of their parish upon realizing that they, along with bishops, priests, deacons, and religious are THE CHURCH, adult disciples who realized that it was primarily their responsibility and not that of the parish, to raise their children to be true disciples of Christ and committed Catholic Christians. Adult faith formation resulted in veritable, across-the-board metanoia and this parish was transformed.
Where, one may ask, is this truly unique parish? Unfortunately, this parish exists where no one may go. It exists only in the author’s imagination. However, it is not an impossible dream. This parish and thousands like it can be the norm for the next generation and all those that follow if we take the initiative now to commit to adult faith formation.
This thesis project advocates a reversal in current parochial practice, which places greater emphasis on the religious formation of children than on that of adults, and it provides a model for making that transition. This is by no means an exhaustive treatment of the subject, but it is hoped that this work will spark the imaginations of others so that together we can build a vibrant Church of the future.
CHAPTER
TWO
Many adult Catholics lack true spiritual formation. In addition, many adults lack a uniformity of belief and practice that was widely prevalent prior to Vatican II.
The existence of uniformity among Catholics prior to the [Vatican II] council had its roots in our fear of God’s wrath if we failed to earn his approval. Having set aside that motivation, we have failed thus far to replace it with the desired positive motivation intended by the council, namely, the motivation that is rooted in our discipleship with Jesus. Lacking this common vision and motivation of discipleship, the adult population of the Church . . . has become divided into rather disparate groupings. [There exist] two rather polarized groups. At one pole is a small but well-organized and quite vocal group of ultra-conservative Catholics who both reflect and advocate a return to the beliefs and practices of the pre-Vatican II Church. The opposite pole is a small, less-organized but equally vocal group of ultra-liberals, who, though remaining in the Church, are calling for extensive and rapid change in all aspects of Church life. . . .[5]
These vocal groups
and some “moderates” who “participate regularly in the life and worship of
their parish . . . many . . . quite generous with both their time and their
money in supporting Church ministry . . . [and who] reserve for themselves the
right to decide in what they consider matters of conscience, especially in
areas of sexual morality,”[6]
comprise those who are involved in the life of most parishes. Based on
ministerial experience in my own parish, these two groups account for about 25%
of the registered population, which, according to G.J. Mendoza, is
representative of parishes across the United States.[7]
That leaves the 75% majority uninvolved, which is a complete reversal of the
situation in my fantasy parish.
It is safe to assert, then, that many Catholics, in some ways, have lost their sense of direction. Many conservatives and liberals, in my opinion, remain devoted to their own agendas; the moderates seem content to remain on a circular middle road, and the uninvolved 75% are left on the fringes of Christianity and remain oblivious of that fact. Few seem motivated to buy into the Second Vatican Council’s call to discipleship. Yet adherence to discipleship is one compass that can serve to set the Church back on a steady course. Through a commitment to discipleship, personal relationships with Jesus the Christ will develop, parents will catechize their children, agendas will become Jesus’ rather than those of conservatives or liberals, and the Church will pursue its true mission of evangelization and building the Kingdom of God.
It is the Church’s duty to proclaim the Vatican II teachings promoting Jesus’ eternal love for all peoples, and now is the time to do so. Because fear is no longer the motivation “for participation in the life and work of the Church . . . [we the Church] will have to awaken in its place a new kind of motivation, one understood as our free response to God’s unconditional love . . . .[We must] help adult Catholics complete this sentence: God loves us totally and unconditionally; therefore we should . . . .[8] By doing so, adult Catholics will become cognizant of their true Christian duties, one of which is to make their homes extensions of their parish churches wherein they live their Christian heritage, exemplifying the Christian lifestyle for their children. By example, then, the children will learn the practice of the faith, keeping “God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor.”[9] Through a commitment to discipleship Christian parents will “clearly understand what [they] are undertaking”[10] when they present their children for baptism, and the nurturing of the Christian faith will continue from generation to generation.
Jesus the Christ
has mandated, through the apostles, that we who comprise his Church, “make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [he has] commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20). We have baptized millions through
the centuries and we have taught many to observe all he has commanded, so we’ve
been true to a portion of our Lord’s mandate. However, we have not been true, I
believe, to the most vital portion of the mandate and that is to make
disciples.
In fact we have made very few disciples. I submit that a minority of the multitude that is labeled “Christian” has experienced metanoia and thus the majority is incapable of seeing the world and others through the eyes of the Resurrected Lord.
Because this metanoia is lacking, only about 25% of the population at any given parish actively participate in parish life and the other 75% either marginally participate or participate only at Christmas and/or Easter, or when they need a baptism, when their children reach first Eucharist and/or confirmation age, when they plan a wedding, or when they need a funeral.[11] This is so because, as mentioned above, in our efforts to educate many to observe the precepts of the Lord, we have focused mainly on the very young and immature.
The adverse effects of deficient metanoia are legion and are felt in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and even on the entire earth, for the practice of true Christianity is rare in our world and the worship of false gods rampant. Materialism, rationalism, relativism, narcissism, secularism, and even religious fundamentalism have become the “great religions” of this age, with such idols as wealth, self, fame, pride, government, and religion being some of the major objects of worship. It is little wonder, then, that many in the world and in our societies are so selfish, so full of hate, lacking in compassion, with little concern for the common good.
This is not how Jesus envisions his kingdom on earth. His is a kingdom of compassion, of selfless concern for the well-being of others, and love of God and neighbor (Matthew 25: 31-46). Therefore, we the Church must rethink our strategy. The things we’ve been doing are obviously not enough or they may be efforts that we should aim in other directions. I firmly believe that faith is caught, not taught. However, I also believe that formation venues inundated with faith-catching opportunities must be made available to the people of God. We must ask ourselves, then, how can true conversion of heart and thus the formation of true disciples be effected in Catholic parishes across the land? What would have to change in our parishes and how would we make the changes? How could we measure the effects of any changes and their ultimate impact on the faith community? What follows are a few suggestions.
CHAPTER THREE
FORMING THE IDEAL PARISH
Jesus did not teach children. His entire teaching ministry was devoted to adults, who would then teach their children, thus future generations, what it meant to be a disciple. This was Jesus’ way, probably because that is exactly how he was formed in his Jewish faith. He learned his faith from his parents and family, and this can be deduced from the book of Deuteronomy wherein the Hebrew people were directed by God to teach their children about him and his law:
. . . lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).
I contend that in modern times, we have placed the cart before the horse. For whatever reason we seem to have adopted the assumption that all Catholic adults are mature in their faith and in an intimate relationship with their God, thus adept at raising their children to love God and their neighbor as Christ has commanded us. This may have been partially the case in bygone years when God and Church held a prominent place in family life. The chance that children learned the Christian faith from their parents and/or extended families was probably excellent. However, based on my own ministerial experience, I believe that in today’s society it is naïve to assume that all children learn their faith at home. A myriad of other activities and/or distractions consume a family’s time.
It is my intuition that many Catholic families overly rely on parish-sponsored religious formation programs for their children’s religious development. However, if that is all that is done, the children, unless they take their own initiative, receive inadequate religious formation. This is not an indictment of parish or Church catechetical programs. This is simply to say that one hour a week of religious formation over a nine-month period for a few years is minimal formation at best.
This is not a novel assertion. Parishes have been lamenting this situation for years. However, little change, if any, has occurred. In general, the Church continues to sponsor children’s religious formation for families to use as a crutch, and children and families both suffer from an inadequate knowledge of God, and worse, a slight to non-existent relationship with Jesus the Christ.
Thus we have the uninvolved 75% spoken of above. They are the people we are called to involve and to include. However, we will not catch many of these adults by merely providing religious education for their children or by enticing them to bring their children to religious education by dangling the “carrot” of first Eucharist and confirmation before them. They will become involved only when we make great efforts to form them in their faith and when, through the power of the Spirit, they experience the glory of transformation. Then they will become the primary teachers of their children in the practice of the faith; these children will teach their children and so on.
By beginning with the faith formation of adults, we place the horse before the cart, and the process of conversion has a chance to take root. No longer will “carrots” be needed. Adults will teach their children to celebrate the sacraments, not simply as rites of passage, but as the Christ-connecting realities they are. Adults can be expected to do this only after they themselves have undergone adequate faith formation, for how can they teach what they do not know?
Adults, then, must be the priority subjects in all faith formation endeavors. This is so, first of all, because Jesus set that precedent over two thousand years ago. Furthermore, our Church leadership has emphasized this necessity time and again.
In the National Directory for Catechesis (NDC), for example, the US Bishops have written that
the catechesis of adults . . . is the principal form of catechesis, because it is addressed to persons who have the greatest responsibilities and the capacity to live the Christian message in its fully developed form. The catechetical formation of adults is essential for the Church to carry out the commission [to make disciples] given the apostles by Christ. Because of its importance and because all other forms of catechesis are oriented in some way to it, the catechesis of adults must have high priority at all levels of the Church.[12]
It is incumbent, then, upon us as Church, to heed these directives, while taking into consideration the three main groupings mentioned above, for adult Catholics in the different groups are at varied stages in their faith development. I contend, for example, that the involved 25% “practice their faith and desire to deepen it,”[13] whereas the uninvolved 75% probably fall into the category of those who “. . . have been baptized but . . . have not received a comprehensive catechesis or . . . no longer practice their faith [and] need to be renewed through an enthusiastic preaching of the word and a vibrant evangelization.”[14]
To form lively and ideal parishes, we the Church must be prepared to transmit the Word of the Lord as a living Word, full of promise, full of hope, full of joy, full of peace. We can do that only if we demonstrate that the Word is alive in us as individuals and as Christian communities. Furthermore, if we wish to form disciples as the Christ has commanded, we must:
1. “Invite and enable adults to acquire an attitude of conversion to the Lord.”
2. Help them “to make a conscious and firm decision to live the gift and choice of faith through membership in the Christian community.”
3. Help them to become more willing and able to be a Christian disciple in the world, enabling them to “accept their rightful place in the Church’s mission to evangelize, to hear the cry for justice, to promote unity among Christians, and to bear witness to the salvation won by Jesus Christ for all.”[15]
In a document published in the year 2000 entitled, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, the U.S. Catholic Bishops further state that adult faith formation is indeed a priority.
We are convinced that the energy and resources we devote to adult faith formation will strengthen and invigorate all the charisms that adults receive and the activities they undertake, in the Church and in Society, to serve the Gospel of Christ and the people of today. Every Church ministry will be energized through a dynamic ministry of adult catechesis. . . . The Church . . . insists that adult faith formation is essential to who we are and what we do as Church and must be situated not at the periphery of the Church’s education mission, but at its center. Despite the consistency and clarity of this message, the Catholic community has not yet fully heard and embraced it . . . . Accordingly, we strongly reaffirm that, without neglecting its commitment to children, catechesis needs to give more attention to adults than it has been accustomed to do.[16]
By making adults the center of faith formation Catholic adults will know and understand that:
As sharers in the role of Christ as priest, prophet, and king,
[they] have their work cut out for them in the life and activity of the Church.
Their activity is so necessary within the Church communities that without it
the apostolate of the pastors is often unable to achieve its full
effectiveness. . . [They]
with the right apostolic attitude supply what is lacking to their brethren and
refresh the spirit of pastors and of the rest of the faithful. . . . [17]
The uninvolved 75%, then, will come to understand and to believe that they are essential and that the Church cannot reach its full potential with only one-fourth of its body functioning, for the Body of Christ needs its full compliment of apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, healers, helpers, and administrators (1Corinthians 12:38) to be whole.
Now is the time for action. The Church can no longer afford to ignore the mandates of its leadership, for those mandates echo the precepts of our Lord. These mandates accomplish nothing if they remain as mere words in a myriad of books. We the Church must take these words to heart, and we must, through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, accomplish what they mandate, lest the ideal parish described above remain a mere figment of this author’s imagination.
CHAPTER FOUR
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR HITCHING THE HORSE TO THE CART
It
is quite difficult to attract adults to faith formation sessions. Like their
children, they too are distracted by many other interests. Therefore, I contend
that they must be heavily engaged and evangelized at every opportunity the
Church has to connect with them. I speak specifically about the mandatory
pre-baptismal, pre-first Eucharist, pre-confirmation, and pre-marriage faith
formation sessions they are required to attend. It is during these events that
the Church has a great opportunity to enthusiastically catechize using
unconventional methods, thus sparking a lively curiosity in the hearts of
attendees about the ways of our Lord and the workings of his Holy Church, we
who are the people of God. By “unconventional methods” I mean by methods more
effective than the traditional and conventional academic model. I agree with
Reichert who asserts that, up to now, the Church has failed to communicate to
adults that the goal of catechesis is not religious education. Rather the goal
is discipleship, and
unlike religious education, which may be construed as an optional endeavor
ending in some sort of graduation ceremony, discipleship is an on-going and
essential process that is not optional if one desires to be a true follower of
Jesus the Christ.[18]
The Church’s task then, is to convince
adults that they are disciples of Christ. Being Catholic is wonderful, but it
means little if we are not continuously learning from and serving the Master.
So when significant evangelizing opportunities arise, such as those occasions
listed above, our first endeavor must be to enthusiastically convince
individual attendees that each is indeed as much a child of God as is Jesus the
Christ. Then they must be convinced that this God of ours is not a recluse but
a God who desires and even needs to have a personal relationship with all of
his children. If we can instill this truth through consummate evangelization,
then we will have accomplished much, for this realization in the hearts of
God’s children triggers a hunger for God, a hunger for truth, a hunger that we
the Church must be prepared to satiate, a hunger that could change society and
the world. We as Church, then, must
. . . intend that
people come to know their faith at the depth of their very souls. This will be
a ‘knowing’ that informs, forms and transforms people in Christian faith.
Reaching beyond what the GDC[19]
calls mere information, catechesis should enable participants to comprehend and
embrace Christian teachings with conviction, to allow such convictions to shape
their identity and holiness of life, and their commitment to forge God’s reign
in the world.[20]
Simultaneously, as we feed that spiritual
hunger, we must teach God’s people how to stimulate and to feed the same hunger
at home, with their families. They must be led to view their domiciles not
simply as places to gather at the end of the day, but as veritable Churches, domestic
churches, where
according to the US Catholic Bishops, “two or three are gathered in the name of
the Lord”[21] and where
“the Christian family is a true cell of the Church, because we recognize in it
many realities essential to the constitution of the entire Church –
Christ’s presence, the mission of evangelization, the life of prayer and
charity. It represents in some manner a unity fundamental to the Church and
realizes her presence concretely in a determinate milieu.”[22]
The
people of God must understand, through our efforts, that where they live, no
matter how unremarkable, no matter how ordinary or extraordinary, no matter how
their lives have been influenced by secular society and even by sin, no matter
how regular or irregular their relationships with one another may be, there too
is where Christ our God resides in all his glory.
Therefore,
they must be taught that our common baptism is what makes our homes a domestic
church, and it is that baptism, which is the sacramental basis for being a
domestic church. When we were baptized, we were “symbolically [marked] . . .
with Jesus’ name and [invited] . . . to commit to his mission.” [23]
The family has many forms. No longer can
we view it as we have traditionally, with a man and a woman living together as
spouses, raising at least one child. The domestic church has no common face, no
common composition. It is indeed a place where a baptized two or three are
gathered in the name of the Lord, and it is that portion of the uninvolved 75%
within these families that we must teach to be the domestic church.
Helping people to recognize that their
homes and families are indeed churches is integral to our mission of making
disciples, for it is in the domestic church where the children can best be
evangelized, where the children should preferably be taught, where the children
are best formed into disciples. It is there where they should learn the
significance of the sacraments of initiation, and from there where they ought
to be sent out to sanctify the world by all that they say and that they do. It
is almost impossible to effect this transformation on a grand scale in parish
religious education classes. Intimacy and the potential for vulnerability are
frequently lacking, the atmosphere and environment in too many cases are unsuitable,
and children (as well as adults) in general, hesitate to speak in large groups.
However, transformation is quite possible and attainable at home where the
groups are smaller, relationships more intimate, and it is more possible to
create a suitable environment for prayer and sharing.
Being raised in a Catholic family, I have
fond memories of my domestic church, even though at the time neither my family
nor I had any awareness of such a concept. Yet, I recall having very intimate
encounters with God. Not that he ever appeared to me or announced his presence
with thunderclaps and lightening bolts, but I sensed his presence in many
instances. One day, for example, my dad explained to me that God made
everything, the rocks, the trees, the birds, the air, the water, and even the
dirt. He went on to say that even though you may not see God, it is possible to
see the things he made and to know that he is here with you, all around you, in
the dirt, in the rocks, in the water, in the trees, in the air, and so forth.
To this day, when I look at the dirt, I see God.
I remember feeling God’s intimate
presence, when on Good Fridays my mom would gather us outdoors around an old
pan in which she would burn the palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday and
tell us that the smoke was our prayers ascending to God. Then she would sit us
down to pray the Rosary and prepare for Good Friday services at the church in
the evening. I could feel God’s presence when my parents would talk about the
night Jesus was born a poor baby in the town of Bethlehem; and I could feel him
all the times through the year when we were called together to pray because
someone in the family or extended family was sick or needed help or had died.
Because of those experiences I learned to
see God later in life in other experiences and people. Examples are in my wife,
at the birth of our son, in our daughter-in-law and in a very special way at
the births of our four grandchildren.
In my domestic church, I learned to see
God and to look for him everywhere, even in the dirt, so the domestic church
for me was a holy place. All of God’s people should develop and be nurtured in
their own holy place, for it is there where they will find the strength to
hope, to live, and most importantly to love when, for example,
adult children care for sick parents; when spouses tend daily to
each others unique, “for better or worse” personal needs and to the continual
demands of their shared household; or [when] siblings [are] compelled to go
through the motions of hospitality, generosity, and forgiveness so that they
grow up committed to love each other despite their differences.[24]
And adults should know that the
spirituality of the domestic church is real and valid and no less efficacious
than that of monks living in a monastery, for
No monk rising from his bed of straw in the darkness of night for
prayers has more chances for dying to selfishness than parents who rise in the
night to care for a hungry or fussy baby or a child who is sick. This is dying
to self for the love of one’s neighbor. No ascetic practices of fasting and
penitence embraced by the saints of old were more valuable in the eyes of God
as ways of growing in love than the sacrifices made by parents to be able to
spend more time with their children or to be able to provide them with enough
food or good schooling. The parent who struggles to keep an open mind about his
or her teenager’s tastes in music and clothing strives to love in ways that
cannot be measured. The parent who trusts a little more this year than last,
and lives with the anxiety that comes with letting go just a little bit more,
is attempting to grow in his or her trust in God in ways that cannot be
matched.[25]
Moving Forward Once the Horse Is
before the Cart
After
hitching the horse to the cart, our work of preaching and teaching begins in
earnest. Our efforts to effect conviction and transformation within willing
hearts commence and our commitment to doing so must last until the end of our
lives.
At
this point, then, we are ready to shelve our conventional academic model of
education, and begin to employ a more effective method, a method that engages
adults and one that effects metanoia. The method I advocate is one that can lead adult Catholics
to meaningfully reflect on their life experiences and subsequently recognize
the intimate connection between their faith and their daily lives. Thus, they
can see how their faith informs their work life, how their family life enhances
their spirituality, how their values formed by their Catholic faith can affect
society and public policy, in short how their faith touches their lives, and
how their lives touch their faith.[26]
Rather than being bombarded with religious facts and academic theology, as is
the norm with the academic model of religious education, they are led, by a
well-trained, faith-filled facilitator, to discovering how these facts and the
theology behind them apply to their daily lives. Through these discoveries they
begin to realize that their faith is more than mere belief in God. They come to
see it as a living, life-changing gift, which, if nurtured, leads to a wondrous
revelation of the nature of our God who is the all loving, all caring, all
knowing, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the God who so fervently wishes that each
of us become an intimate part of his triune community of love, and that we
manifest that community in his holy Church, in our domestic churches, and in
the world.
Theological
Reflection
The
andragogical process[27]
that in my opinion can accomplish the transformation described above is known
as Theological Reflection, a method described in detail by James and Evelyn
Whitehead.[28] In general,
theological reflection is comprised of two concepts, each concept incorporating
three steps. The first concept is termed “the model,” which is precisely that
as it provides a template for collecting and compiling data that comes to us in
its three steps, which are experience, tradition, and culture. The second is called “the method,” which provides a guide for
analyzing the aforementioned data, incorporating that information into our
lived experiences, and discerning how that data has shaped or reshaped our
attitudes regarding our view of God and of our society. The three steps of the
method are attending, asserting, and responding.
When appropriately done, theological
reflection can have transformative effects on those who engage in it, as it can
and will challenge previously held understandings of religion, of God, and of
his interaction with his people. It is this challenge that I contend will spark
a spiritual hunger in the souls of participants as they become ever more
curious about other spiritual fruits with which the Lord God may wish to gift
them. An in-depth explanation of “the model” and “the method” will illustrate
this point.
As previously mentioned, the model
incorporates three steps of reflection, these being experience, culture, and
tradition. In each step participants scrutinize, ponder, and discuss data
relevant to the topic being studied. If, for example, the topic were baptismal
preparation for parents and godparents the session would proceed as follows.
The attendees would be asked to break
into groups of no more than four and to reflect upon and discuss among
themselves their understanding and experience of baptism. The discussion would
be structured and guided, as they would answer within their groups certain
questions that would initiate the conversation.
The reasoning behind this experiential
discussion is that it provides an opportunity for attendees to express and to
discuss with peers strong feelings they may have about a certain topic as well
as certain convictions, ideas, and biases. The discussion also allows
participants to share their inherent faith-wisdom and knowledge of the topic with
each other.
The intention of this stage of the method is that self-knowledge
which has always been a central part of Christian spirituality. As believers
come to greater consciousness and clarity about their personal feelings and
convictions on a particular [topic of concern] this experience can be placed in
an assertive conversation with insights drawn from Christian tradition and the
culture.[29]
In the second stage, the attendees, again
in small groups with structure and guidance, would be asked to ponder how our
culture impacts, informs, deforms, distorts or enhances our idea of baptism.
Because our culture bombards each of us daily with a myriad of messages and
continually influences our thinking and attitudes, it is essential to discern
how it affects our spirituality and religious convictions. We come to see how
“the voices of culture . . . speak with both positive and negative force.
Neither simply demonic nor unambiguously enlightened, culture produces
interpretations which the Christian tradition rejects and also provides
interpretations which challenge Christian reflection to reconsider and correct
limitations within its own self-understanding.”[30]
The third stage most closely resembles
the academic model of education, as it is the information portion of the
session during which a well-trained and qualified catechist presents to
participants, in a vibrant and dialogical manner, the precepts of the Christian
tradition. Here participants consider the scriptural basis for baptism, a basic
theology of the sacrament, the magisterial teachings on the subject, and a
presentation of the spiritual fruits of the sacrament and its necessity for
salvation. Participants also reflect on their vocation as the first teachers of
their children in the ways of the faith and all that implies.
In our attempt to transform the hearts of
Catholic adults, this stage is obviously the most important, yet it cannot
stand alone. Our experiences and our culture are continuously in contact with
our Christian heritage and vice versa. Our Christian tradition, however, brings
to the conversation, the “meat” of our discussion, as it presents to us
. . . not ahistorical truths but compelling glimpses of God’s
mysterious presence in our past and present. Our religious heritage contributes
to the conversation of contemporary faith not sound bites of salvation but
privileged metaphors. The metaphors – God’s lasting covenant, our
stewardship in creation, the paradox of the cross – illumine our journey
of faith. They hint of a plot hidden in the mayhem of human history; they offer
trustworthy scripts to follow – scripts of generosity and self-sacrifice,
of justice and charity – as we struggle to make sense of our personal and
shared lives.[31]
This data along with that gathered in discussions of our
experiences and our culture, cannot help but invite metanoia into the hearts of those who hear.
As the group is acquiring and assimilating the data from the three sources (experience, culture, tradition) in the model, they are simultaneously employing the components of the method, which are attending, asserting, and responding.
While attending, they are listening carefully to what each individual has to contribute to the conversation, as they mine the rich veins of information in the three sources. While this attentive listening proceeds, the participants all the while are called to suspend premature judgment, which is
. . . a threatening venture. Opening ourselves to new information leaves us vulnerable to challenge and even to change yet the effectiveness of this first stage of theological reflection depends on the ability to explore honestly the information available in the three sources. A tendency to quick evaluation will cut short this exploration and lessen the chance of coming to new insight that may lead to creative pastoral response.[32]
At the same time participants are processing the information whereby the contributions of each of the three sources interact in an assertive relationship of challenge and confirmation. This dynamic can be illustrated in a metaphor of conversation whereby “the different voices we have heard in the attending stage are now allowed to speak to one another. The challenge here is to bring these separate and often conflicting voices into contact.”[33]
For theological reflection to be fruitful, this assertive stage is necessary
. . . at both a theological and an interpersonal level. A willingness to face diversity and to tolerate ambiguity are essential. With these, a faith community can sustain different and possibly conflicting testimony about a single issue. This model of reflection argues that only with the mature development of this stage of mutual assertion can the reflective process move toward the final stage.[34]
At this assertive stage, it is possible for meaningful theological reflection to come to a halt. Diverse views and conflicts with what one thought was gospel truth, for example, could lead to non-assertive interaction (no interaction), or even to aggressive interaction among participants. This endeavor of theological reflection could be volatile because highly volatile “ingredients” collected from the three sources are being mixed in the crucibles of our minds, and the reaction of this interaction is unknown. However, if handled carefully and facilitated by one who is theologically well-trained, mature in faith, and skilled in group dynamics, this endeavor of reflection will produce much spiritual benefit for individuals and for the Church. Just as we must die to live, so too must old perceptions perish or be clarified in order to see anew.
In the third stage, that of responding, the participants reflect on their insights from the session and the differences these insights made or can make in their lives and in their relationship with one another and with God. If done correctly, the great fruits of theological reflection lead to significant transformation, to a recommitment to God, to courageous action and to continuous life-long searching for and responding to the God who calls.
Whatever one is led to, the ultimate result is that most individuals will be touched by God and prompted to fervently seek his Kingdom. I say this because those who seek baptism for their children, or marriage in the Church, or confirmation, or first Eucharist, or whatever the case may be, no matter how disconnected they have been from the Church, are led there by the very hand of God. It is God who seeks to teach them, to nurture them, and to make disciples of them. We the Church must do the best job we can to welcome them into the community.
Theological reflection, then, is the method I suggest be used to “hitch the horse to the cart,” so that the Church may stop talking about the need for adult religious formation and begin moving forward to accomplish it; so that the Church may cease expounding so eloquently about the concept of the domestic church and embark upon a journey toward making it a vibrant reality in Christian homes around the globe.
Obviously, as indicated throughout this paper, the possibilities and opportunities for metanoia are innumerable. There are also many processes, models, and methods, for helping people to grow in faith and in their commitment to discipleship. What I have attempted to do in the chapter that follows is to use theological reflection as the model and method for a pre-baptismal program for parents and godparents of small children. This experimental program was compared to the current baptismal program as it is usually presented in a real-life parish. Data was gathered through an evaluation tool employed by the participants to contrast the old program with the new. This information was then analyzed to determine which program was more efficacious and which could inspire adults to continue their faith formation in other similarly conducted formation opportunities.
While the program I developed is a very small effort in terms of all that needs to be done, my hope is that, by looking at the results of this program, we might discern implications for methods and processes that might be capable of awakening within the “uninvolved 75%” their dormant spirituality, thus freeing them to bless the Church and their children with their untapped giftedness.
CHAPTER FIVE
TEST DRIVING THE CORRECTLY-HITCHED CART
Most parishes require that parents and godparents attend some form of sacramental preparation before a child is baptized, and even though many begrudge attendance, they do come because it is a mandatory prerequisite to having their child receive the sacrament. Therefore, that is precisely where I will focus the rest of this work. Here I will discuss the pre-baptismal program as it is currently presented in an existing, large, suburban Catholic parish in Albuquerque, New Mexico; then I will reveal and discuss the program I’ve developed and how it fared during its testing.
The Pre-Baptismal Session as It Currently Exists
In my parish, baptismal preparation sessions for
parents and godparents are held monthly. I attended the January 2007 session to
become familiar with the process as it now exists. Currently, those presenting
their children for baptism in this particular parish are required to attend one
pre-baptismal session. The facilitator has the participants sign-in; then they
are shown a thirty-minute video, entitled So You Want to Have Your Baby
Baptized, wherein Fr. Joe Champlin presents
an informative reflection on the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of
baptism. The priest also discusses the logistics of the sacrament’s reception.
After the video, the facilitator presents archdiocesan
policies and parish regulations regarding the reception of baptism and then
opens the floor to any questions. After the question and answer session,
participants are presented certificates of participation and dismissed. The
entire session is conducted within an hour.
The “New” Pre-Baptismal Session Presented as Theological Reflection
The following is the outline and lesson plan for the “new,” three-hour, pre-baptismal session, which I conducted at the