The Catechism

When we were children, we were taught by our parents, priests, and catechists to make the sign of the Cross many times on a daily bases as a ritualistic hand motion. ‘The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."’(CCC2157). We make the sign of the Cross ‘over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are in the way and when we are still.” As St. Cyril of Jerusalem from the forth century said (Fisheaters, the Sign of the Cross 2010) and "In all our travels and movements", says St Tertullian (Newadvent, Sign of the Cross 2010).

What is the significance of making that, and what does it include? This is very important matter to all of us, especially for the new generation who are struggling because of the clashing symbols and multi cultural mass media.

Signing the Cross is an old prayer. We believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ His only Son, our redeemer and saviour, and we believe in the Holy Spirit, whom we have accepted when we were baptized. We were baptized ‘In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (CCC232). We were taught to sign the Cross that we enjoyed, and still, many times a day. It’s a prayer that dates back to the early church. We can find it in the Our Father, the Eucharistic Prayer and every Church’s Sacrament which we celebrate in the church and in every daily prayer. ‘The sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross.’ (CCC1235) We can say that it’s a perfect gesture and prayer which almost have not been changed across the history of the church. How and why do we make the sign of the Cross?

To sign the Cross, we have to mark on our forehead then on our breast, after that on the shoulders from the left to right[1]. This is when we hold the thumb and two fingers together and saying ‘In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.’

Why do we sign the Cross? Firstly, this sign indicates symbolically the shape of Christ’s Cross. Secondly, it’s a symbol of our faith as Christians in the crucified Christ. Thirdly, it means we believe in the Trinity; One God in three Persons. It’s a mystery of the Holy Trinity which is the central of our faith. Fourthly, it means we join our mind, heart and strength all together and dedicated them to our God. It reflects the union of the three dimension of our personality: the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual. Then, by signing the Cross, we remember of ‘God become bearers of the saving and sanctifying action of Christ’ (CCC1189), we declare that by this sign we are invited by Jesus Christ to share His life. After that, it means that the Trinity dwell in us when we are sealed by Christ. Finally, by signing ourselves with the Cross we protect our selves and lives.

Our Lord Jesus Christ told the Apostles to sign it when they baptize the new believers every where. We have to thank and praise God, our Father, for adopting us in Jesus Christ, His only Son. It’s worth mentioning, Amen, which is an Aramaic word and means saying ‘yes’ to God’s will for us, is Jesus word.

We have seen how the sign of the Cross is encountering the faithful during the day everywhere. It’s a short prayer that makes him/her a king/queen of peace, joining with a witness of believers across 2000 years who followed Jesus Christ.

As we have been facing the challenges of the clashing symbols in the religious and cultural fields of life, it’s an urgent matter to adhere to this sign. We have seen and heard that in many places, the Christian symbols have been banned; however, the sign of the Cross is still a lively symbol for many. It has a significant value in the Christian’s culture, religion, and faith. It makes us more hopeful and optimistic, because it’s an image of the center of our faith.

The sign of the Cross is more important for a Christian than collecting ideas. It joins religious and cultural symbols. Members of the parish clearly know what and why they are doing it. By signing the Cross, every time, they see themselves, the others, and the world in a new vision. They know that they must imitate Jesus Christ firstly, by this sign, and how life should be in this world; a world where God created for people of good will.

As a result, teaching those catechised the sign of the Cross, as our mother church teaches, should be the first lesson for them. I think, parish priests should occasionally continue confirming this sign during the celebration of the Sacraments. There is a ‘harmony of the signs of celebration so that the mystery celebrated is imprinted in the heart’s memory and is then expressed in the new life of the faithful’ (CCC1162). Moreover, Christian media should also take its part in confirming it; ‘Along with traditional means such as witness of life, catechetics, personal contact, popular piety, the liturgy and similar celebrations, the use of media is now essential in evangelization and catechesis.’; ‘The media can be used to proclaim the Gospel’ (John Paul II, PASTORAL INSTRUCTION "AETATIS NOVAE"1992). The pastors and people of the Church should be encouraged to use media for translating their faith.

[1] the Orthodox Church from right to left

We believe that the church is the Body of Christ. She is the Bride and Jesus the Bridegroom. But the Church also has many meanings, in this article I will try to explain the meaning of the church depending on the essential role of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I will depend on the book of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The church, which has been established by our Lord Jesus Christ, has a Trinitarian symbol in the Old Testament. This is because she has an origin in the plan of the Holy Trinity (CCC758). The three visitors, who appeared to Abraham and promised him that his wife Sarah will have a son (Gen 18) (CCC761); were symbol of the Trinity who will be with the people of God forever.

The goal of Jesus Christ to His people through the Church is to share in the divine life of the eternal Father. This life needs the Holy Spirit who glorifies the Church when Christ comes again. Church is like yeast, or a seed (CCC767), or a little flock in the world, have a mission to proclaim the kingdom of God to all nations. God’s people have special characteristics, so they are distinguished from the world. Every one want to be a member of this church must be born again of water and of the spirit.

When Jesus Christ taught His disciples the Holy Prayer, He demands us knowing that God is our Father by the Holy Spirit power. By Jesus Christ, His Son, we also, and by the adoption of the Holy Spirit, become His sons and daughters. This filiation will not come to exist without remaining in Jesus. Remaining branches in the vine is a symbol of that (John 15: 4-5) (CCC787). This abiding is through the Holy Spirit, who Jesus has promised the church, His bride.

Fifty days after the Crucifixion, Church has been brought to the world when the twelve disciples were all together in one place and were filled with the Holy Spirit (CCC767). The Holy Spirit bestowed upon them the spiritual gifts to present glory with Jesus, to the Father (CCC799).

Believers are able to become people of God only when they born by the Holy Spirit as a Christ faithful where Christ is the head and leader of the Church (CCC792, Col 1: 18). This is same as the head of the human body; it should be a temple for the Holy Spirit (CCC790). Jesus Christ and the church are one, and the Holy Spirit makes the church the Temple of lively God. The Holy Spirit is the principle of every real action in this body (the body of the church). One can practice this through the Sacraments, virtues, and the charismatic gifts (CCC798). All the gifts are from the Holy Spirit in order to glorify the Father in our life.

Love is the base of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ, head of the Church. So we have to love Jesus because he first loved us as the apostle John said (1John 4: 19). This love is a fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (CCC798). It makes us a priestly nation, Father’s Priests.

By this love, members of a church become one with Jesus Christ since He is the High priest and they should also be a holy priesthood as St. Peter said in his letter (1p 2: 5). The mutual love between any bridegroom and bride is a symbol for the mutual love between Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom and the Church as the Bride (CCC789 & 796). There is no life to any local church without having love which is her breath; I mean the presence of the Holy Spirit, same as the presence of love between the soul and the body in any human being.

Sun as a star sends its light full of energy to support almost all life. We can use the concept of standard to explain a bit little about Trinity; suppose the sun is a symbol for the Father, its light, the Son Jesus, and its energy, the Holy Spirit.

We have seen that how the Holy Trinity (our Father, Jesus our brother, and the Holy Spirit who live life of love inside our hearts) is encountering us, people of God, through the Holy Church forever.

What are the four parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Below is a short explanation.

God has a saving will, this has been accomplished by our savior Jesus Christ, He died and rose again, but He is always with us through His Holy Spirit; in His body (the Church) when we celebrate the Sacraments. We have the Deposit of Faith with Christ as it’s source and must guard this Deposit, it’s our Mission which the Lord has entrusted to us all, and which the church fulfils and has been fulfilling it for two thousand years.

The reason of preparing this important document is to present a better deposit of Christian faith to all people over the world that have good will, to show the strength and beauty of Christian faith, to renew our life as members of the body of Christ (the church), and to allow for a better knowledge of our faith. Reading this document, will enrich and strength our Christian personality.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into four parts; beginning with the Ten Commandments and ending with the Christian prayer:

This catechism contains the old and the new as long as faith is the same. The four parts form one document because there is a strong relation among them. The Christian mystery is celebrated in liturgical actions; this is to enlighten our actions which are based on prayer.

Finally, this Catechism is offered to all faithful people to have hope of it, and to help us to bring the unbelievers to the freedom of Christ.

The reason being is the significant role of Christian teaching nowadays in Europe, especially, for the families who have migrated from overseas. ‘When we were in Iraq, my kids were, firstly, getting their teaching from my parents, then from the church. There were no catholic schools in Baghdad’, he said. ‘We came to London, where every thing is new, so we need from the church to support the family and our children in the same way as the catholic school.’ He added. ‘We are facing different question about our faith’.

In the third millennium, where mass media tries to lure our children from the arms of Jesus Christ, we have a very vital mission to show them that love and truth are only through Him with the Scripture and the church across history. The faithful are hungry for someone who proclaims to them the kingdom of God and to keep Christian values alongside the human and moral ones.

In John chapter 17:3 Jesus said: ‘and the eternal life is this: to know you, the only God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.’ If we want to be truly faithful, we must know the Trinity well; as our Father, Jesus our savior, and the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Catechists have a crucial responsibility to convey this faith.

What’s the Story of Salvation, and do we find it in the Creed and the Eucharistic Prayer? Many questions face Christians and non Christians when they consider the history of Christianity. The matter is more important when related to the Catechism. Is it important to ask: how do you pray, or do you meditate when praying?

In order to explore that, I pointed it out in the Creed and the opening of Eucharistic Prayer IV. We know that the story is mentioned in the Creed and the Eucharistic Prayer; it is divided into three parts, firstly concentrated on the Father, then on the Son, after that, on the Holy Spirit.

The story has a beginning with God; it has a centre with His Son Jesus Christ, and an end with the Holy Spirit. It’s a complete story since God has a perfect nature, and pure love for us. He created mankind aiming the perfect union with Him. In the beginning, everything God created was good, but with man was very good (Gen 1: 31). God wants a divine life for us. He walked with them in the paradise (Gen 3: 8), endowing them with freedom. But He can’t force anyone to love Him. Adam allowed himself to die because he wanted to be as God. The Fruit Adam and Eve ate deprived them from the Grace of God, so they became only creatures. This is because sin has separated the human beings from God.

Despite this, God promised Adam and Eve that her offspring will strike the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15). Since that time human beings were far from the perfect union with God. However, God always loves His people and He wants them to return to the divine home. In the Book of Genesis we find what happened to Noah. God saw how great man’s wickedness on earth was. After the flood, He established a new covenant with Noah and his family. And this covenant has been renewed with Abraham and his tribe. The Divine Epic continued in Egypt when God, by Moses, made a new covenant with the nation of Israel crowned by the Ten Commandments.

God’s plan is to let mankind believe that they are His people. But they didn’t obey the commandment in the Promised Land. However, God still loved them and aimed to write His law within their hearts. When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son Jesus Christ, born of Virgin Mary, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that we are children, God sent the spirit of his Son Jesus into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" as St. Paul said (Gal 4: 4-6). At 30 year, Jesus starts His mission, and was baptized by John the Baptist, then He preached and proclaimed the kingdom of God.

In order to establish His Holy Church, Jesus Christ chose Peter to be her leader; ‘I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven’ He said (Mat 16: 19). But Jesus was rejected because sinful people have rejected God. Jesus rose from the dead because He has the divine nature. Unfortunately, Jews, despite seeing His miracles, they didn’t think about them; they did not ponder on ‘why He is doing miracles’. When Jesus broke the bread (Lk 24: 30), the disciples understood what was going on, so they returned to Jerusalem. He said to Simon Peter to feed His lambs, to tend His sheep. On the Pentecost day, Jesus sent them the Holy Spirit. The Church has the key of the kingdom. Despite Stephen explaining the story of salvation to the Jews (Act 7ff), they rejected it and stoned him; earning the crown of the first martyr.

The Church, through twenty centuries, has been living the Holy Spirit days. She tries to proclaim the kingdom of God to all mankind; who is God the Trinity. So we are waiting for the next coming of our Lord, which is the final stage of the story of salvation.’

I ask dear reader to clearly identify the three parts in the Creed and the opening of the fourth Eucharistic Prayer. I think some will fail. Maybe the confusion will be in the first part; moreover some will not mention the existence of the Holy Trinity within the text.

Really, many of faithful, have been saying the Creed for a number of years without focusing on the points above, but from now on, we have to remember the story every time attending mass.

We are in need to present more efforts regarding catechizing Christians. As, Pope Benedict XVI said: ‘the aim of all Christian education, moreover, is to train the believer in an adult faith that can make him a "new creation", capable of bearing witness in his surroundings to the Christian hope that inspires him.’ We have to work harder towards adult education similar to our dedication to children’s formation.

In the liturgy of St. Addai and Mari Mass, the celebrant confesses Christ as God and Lord, King, saviour, the giver of life, and the forgiver of sins. Why does the Church teach that all catechesis must be Christ-centered, and how Christology, the study of Christ, is essential to catechesis? I will try to answer the above question focusing on seven points: the early Church experience; the economy of God the Father; the Ultimate History; the Old Testament and Christ; the Christ’s titles; Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer; and finally, He been representative of the human being. In every point, I will analyze the objective from the information and how we reach it.

Jesus of Nazareth is the source, the content, and the object of catechesis as the Fourth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops stressed,[1] for the following reasons:

A large number of documents of Fathers of the Church have shown that their wisdom, use of Scripture, when praying or worshiping, and all their writings have centered on Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that nobody comes to the Father except through Him. (Jn 14: 60)[2]. Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Justin the Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, Athanasius, Ephraim, Cyril of Jerusalem and other, all worked to present a faith testimony in Christ. ‘Jesus Christ our God’ said Ignatius of Antioch, and ‘Christ’s blood is as God’s blood’; the Epistle to Diognetus confirms that God the Father sent the Designer and Maker of the universe himself. By Christ ‘He created the heavens and confined the sea within its own bounds’.[3] Tertullian used the early church's symbol for fish -- ΙΧΘΥΣ (Jesus - Christ - God's Son – Saviour)[4]. One finds a deep faith here that Jesus is the Son, the Logos λóγος who we have to follow on the journey of life. Their faith was, in the first and second century, far from philosophy or any systematic theology. They found Jesus like a saviour because He is Emmanuel. In the third century, they have baptized the Greek philosophy to defend the divinity of Jesus.

The economy of God, quoted in 1Timothy 1: 4, points to God’s providence. It’s the way where God by Christ carry out His good desire for human being. This providence could not been fulfilled except through Jesus Christ. Any Christian Mission will not able to reach the ultimate goal of its massage without focusing on the Person of Jesus Christ. This economy has been revealed in the New Testament by Jesus Christ. By His Grace we may celebrate and live this providence every day. This is when we practice the gifts of the Holy Spirit who has been received through the Father and the Son as the Nicene Creed announced: ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.’[5] The seven Sacraments of the Church all have been established by Jesus Christ. His words and deed has a salvific action. ‘The sacraments are an efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.’ (CCC1131)[6]

Only by Jesus Christ and with His Grace by the Holy Spirit, the faithful are able to recognize the signs of times and the ultimate and the truth of the history as Pope John Paul II said ‘received the gift of the ultimate truth about human life’.[7] Christ centricity means that Christ is the "centre of salvation history", presented by catechesis. He is indeed the final event toward which all salvation history converges. He, who came in the "fullness of time" (Gal 4:4), is: "the key, the centre and end of all human history".

The catechetical message helps the Christian to locate himself in salvation history and to insert himself into it. This is by showing that Christ is the ultimate meaning of this history.[8] His suffering on the Cross opened a door of hope to all human suffering. ‘Not only does history reach its end in Jesus Christ, but it also finds its new beginning in Him.’[9] He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev 22: 13) Jesus Christ is the historical One and the Universal redeemer. ‘His universal role means that through Him the deadly forces of evil are overcome, sin is forgiven, their contamination purified, and the new existence as God’s beloved, adopted children has been made available.’[10]

Many verses in the New Testament which are Jesus’ words encourage us to search in the Old one. Researcher can easily find out prophecies like (Deut 18: 15) ‘Yahweh your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him’; (Isa 40: 3-5) ‘…prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh…’ (Mal 3: 1-3) ‘…and suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple…’ The Torah and the Prophets testify Christ. ‘You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.’ Jesus said (John 5: 39) Catechists need to always return to the Scripture when teaching, they find Christ at the centre of the Old Testament, Fathers of the Church writings, and the Church Documents across the history; St Paul, for example, was father of the faithful in Corinthians, but how? In Christ Jesus through the Gospel (1 Cor 4: 15)

Jesus Christ Titles indicate why He should be in the centre of catecheses. Firstly, the word Jesus in the Hebrew and Aramaic Languages means: God is my Rock. He will save people from their sins. Secondly, the word Messiah means the anointed one who in the Old Testament is either Prophet, or a Priest, or a King. Jesus Christ been the Messiah deserves a greater glory than Moses (Heb 3: 3), Lord taken His seat at Yahweh right hand (Ps 110: 1), the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven (Heb 4: 14) Then, He is Son of Man which means Son of Israel and Jerusalem. It means also that Jesus is like us in all things but sin. Jesus represents the people of God, so He is the true Israel. In the New Testament, God, the Father and Jesus have the title: Lord. Jesus ‘demonstrated his divine sovereignty by works of power over nature, illnesses, demons, death and sin.’ (CCC447).

He clearly claimed his divinity (Lk 22: 70; Mt 26:64; Mk 14: 61-62), and according to the first letter to the Corinthians (15: 20-28), Christ has revealed his divinity by rising from dead. The Nicene Creed recognizes that as the Fathers of the Church announced that Jesus is God from God …true God from true God. This was to reconcile, save, redeem, confirm God’s love, being a model of holiness, and to join us to his divine nature. ‘Who, being in the form of God,…emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are;…and for this God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names;…so that all beings …should bend the knee at the name Jesus…as Lord’ (Ph 2: 6- 11). Finally, his coming is Good News for the world.

We have mentioned above to the salvation and redemption of God. Scriptures shows different aspects of the experiences and practices of the people of God. Firstly, they were remembering His deeds when were saved from their enemies like Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians. Because they felt sinfulness, they were confessing their sins appealing Him for forgiveness, but all the rites of sacrifices, expiations and atonements were not able to make this salvation. Only by Jesus Christ, the world was reconciled, saved, and redeemed. People were far from the grace of God, slave to sin, not able to save themselves. People were waiting for the saviour. After the resurrection faithful deeply believe that Jesus has opened the door of the New Jerusalem, which is the new life, the new man/woman who has born again for this new life.

St Paul said: “As in Adam all men died, so in Christ shall all be made alive’ (1Cor 15: 22). The goal of the incarnation is to justify all believers. However, Christ’s Mission is for all humanity since all have sinned and in need to be saved. This justification is from God, but, only by Jesus Christ. Only God’s suffering through Jesus showed how much is His Divine Love and why He became man (Emmanuel) for our sake. His life was to redeem us ‘for this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ (Jn 3: 16) As a result, there is no any human salvation without Christ. Human beings are in need to unite themselves, at least spiritually, with Christ. He was on the Cross for our sake, so there is no life outside of Christ. That is the reason why Christ is the centre of our life as it’s the centre of the Scriptures and the past, present and future of the history.

We have seen why the Church teaches that all catechesis must be Christ-centered, and how Christology, the study of Christ, is essential to catechesis. Christ, His titles, the writings of the Fathers of the Church, and the Church Magisterium all shows clearly that He is in the central of God’s economy, the ultimate meaning of the history. And because He also represents the whole Human Being, His Words and Deeds are saving and redeeming them if they believe in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

This should cover all of the four pillars of catechesis: when promoting knowledge of the faith (GDC 53, 85)[11], when educating about liturgy and prayer ‘By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they (the Sacraments) make present efficaciously the grace that they signify’ (CCC1084); teaching morality, to imitate and follow Jesus; ‘Following Christ and united with him, Christians can strive to be "imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love" (CCC1694).

4. John Paul II (1979): Catechesi Tradendae, Catholic Truth Society, Para 5, P 8-9.

5. ‘JOHN PAUL II'S CHRISTOLOGICAL CATECHESIS’ [online]. Available World – Wide- Web: http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01101998_p-08_en.html: [8 April 2010].

6. CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, General Directory for Catechesis [online]. Rome: Holy See. Available World – Wide – Webhttp://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_17041998_directory-for-catechesis_en.html: [12 April 2010].

7. O’Collins G. (2009): Christology, 2^nd edition, SJ Oxford University Press, p. 315-316.

[1] John Paul II (1979): Catechesi Tradendae, Catholic Truth Society, Para 5, P 8-9.

[2] The New Jerusalem Bible, Pocket Edition published (1990), Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd

[3] ‘Divinity of Jesus Christ Invented by Constantine? Evidence from the Early Church’ [online]. Available World – Wide- Web: http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/64/Divinity_of_Christ_Invented_by_Constantine___Evidence_from_the_Early_Church_Fathers_on_the_Divinity_of_Christ.html [1 April 2010]

[4] ‘Church Fathers’ [online]. Available World – Wide- Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Fathers [5 April 2010]

[5] ‘Nicene Creed’ [online]. Available World – Wide- Web: http://www.ecatholic2000.com/pray/prayer7.shtml [6 April 2010]

[6] the Holy See (2007): Catechism of the Catholic Church, Geoffrey Chapman

[7] Pope John II, Encyclical Letter, Fides et Ratio, 1998, Para. 2.

[8] ‘JOHN PAUL II'S CHRISTOLOGICAL CATECHESIS’ [online]. Available World – Wide- Web: http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01101998_p-08_en.html [8 April 2010]

[9] ‘Christ, the Meaning of All Scripture, Life and History’ [online]. Available World – Wide- Web: http://www.presenttruthmag.com/archive/XLIII/43-1.htm [7 April 2010]

[10] O’ Collins G. (2009): Christology, 2^nd edition, SJ Oxford University Press, p. 315-316

[11] CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, General Directory for Catechesis [online]. Rome: Holy See. Available World-Wide-Web: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_17041998_directory-for-catechesis_en.html : [12 April 2010]