Bishop David Ricken, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and chair of the USCCB Evangelization Committee, stated that "Before Catholics can go out and evangelize, they must be evangelized. To be sure catechists and teachers of religion have a vital part in the training and formation of catholics n our faith communities. Obviously in the grade schools and formal R.E. programs, but during sacramental programs as well as less formal settings, and in their day to day interactions with other catholics. Their lives are to invite people to faith.
Catechetical Sunday emphasizes the New Evangelization. We had heard John Paul talk about this, and now Benedict XVI continues to encourage the Church to en kindle faith in all catholics and non-catholics. Part of the Stewardship message is one of sharing our faith with others. This had been a crucial role of the Apostles and the early holy men and women, and still is ours today be the challenge of our Baptism. Dads and moms are to be the first teachers of the faith. Catechists are the role model and the inspiration and the conveyors of the faith we receive and pass on.
The New Evangelizations asks the Church to be pro-active in its role of preaching, teaching, and sanctifying. We can no longer wait for people to come to us, we have to go out to where people are. In some ways we have hid our light under a bushel basket from time to time. Bishop George Thomas of Helena Montana, uses the phrase, "Camouflage Catholics," to refer to the minimal catholics who are rarely seen within the confines of the Church. Many catholics today have an eighth grade education of faith. And they try to wrestle with adult problems with a childish faith.
We are getting ready for a new school year already, but most importantly a new time in our Church. Going out two by two and sharing Good News is really an applicable model of evangelization. Sharing Gospel stories and giving a glass of water to the thirsty is really what it is all about.
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