TOS053 Basics of Faith I: Basics of Catechism For audio  TOS053: Basics of Faith I – Basics of the Catechism | Listen Notes

TOS053 with Patti Brunner. On this episode of Truth of the Spirit we will give you some Basics on Using the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  For first time users and beginners it can be a bit confusing.  But we assure you after you listen or watch this podcast you’ll be finding nuggets of treasure of the Christian teaching handed down in the Catholic Church in no time!  Many Catholics of a certain age grew up with a Baltimore Catechism.  This was a “Go To” book for Americans.  However, in 1992 a universal catechism was published to be used internationally.  A monumental undertaking it is a promulgation of teachings that includes documents of ancient times through modern times.  We believe the inspiration of the Holy Spirit helped extract nuggets of truth to share with us in a manageable format of a single volume!  We’ll help you explore various ways to find specific teachings and help in using the resource information that you may not even know is included!  Patti Brunner has taught these basics to RCIA students who were brand new to the Church and to others who were searching to deepen their faith.

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I am Patti Brunner and you are listening to Truth of the Spirit.  Over the years the Lord’s Wisdom has shown me that each of us needs to be reminded of the facets of our Christian faith.   This is one of the goals of the Truth of the Spirit podcasts.  Returning to the basics podcasts will allow you access teaching and the actions of those inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Please join me now as we look to the Catholic Church established by Jesus Christ to share the basics of Faith.

Today Truth of the Spirit is exploring the Basics to Using the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Having catechisms and instructions of faith has been around since the beginning of the Church with the Apostles teaching called the Didache.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church was first published in 1992.  This was the first universal catechism since the Council of Trent’s Roman Catechism first published in 1566.  Other English catechisms include the U.S. Baltimore Catechism first published in 1885; a 2009 U.S. Catechism for Adults; and there is even a Catechism for Dummies.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is not a book to pick up and read from start to finish.  It is more like a reference book.  To understand how this book is put together, I am going to walk you through it.  Even if you use an online version of the Catechism there are some basics you need to know to navigate successfully.  I always recommend the full size CCC for purchasing versus the less expensive pocket size version because of the additional reference material.  The online version provided by the USCCB is great to use.  I have a link for you on my website.  

To access the Online Version: “United States Confraternity of Catholic Bishops” In your search type in USCCB.org or use the link at the bottom of this page on the right   then choose “Beliefs and Teaching—What We Believe. Then on left of Bishop’s site under Catechisms choose “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, and then choose “View Online Version”.  You’ll also find a lot of other nuggets to use for your research!

[Editor’s note: the USCCB has revamped their online version since this original posting. Sorry! You can now access the Catechism of the Catholic Church online at: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/catechism/]

 I like to have a hard copy and the online copy at my fingertips when researching and to copy and paste particular paragraphs in documents.  After I share how to use the Catechism, I’ll share with you a little information about the contributors to this amazing document of the Catholic Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into 4 main parts.  They are:

1. The baptismal Profession of Faith: The Creeds

2. The Sacraments of Faith: Celebration of Christian Mystery. That includes the  Liturgy & 7 Sacraments

3. The third section The Life of Faith: Life in Christ. Life in the Spirit (Beatitude) & 10 Commandments

4. And the prayer of the believer:  Christian Prayer Life & The Lord’s Prayer

If you are picking up a Catechism for the first time and want to browse, it was suggested by Bishop Andrew McDonald that you start with the section on Prayer.  Most people, I have found, open the book the first time when they have a question about the faith or to look up a paragraph reference.  I plan to give you a Practical guide for using the Catechism of the Catholic Church 

My first advice to you as you open the CCC to the first paragraph of the first section is:

Don’t get lost by the numbers!  Each paragraph throughout the book begins with its own unique number. There are lots of cross-references in the margin of the text (numbers found at the edge of the sentences refer to other paragraphs in the Catechism that deal with specific items presented in the paragraph or which expand on the theme).  When you get familiar with using the Catechism you will find yourself ‘treasure hunting’ by heading to many other paragraphs in various chapters to find depth and different viewpoints of the topic you are researching.

Footnote numbers start over each chapter.   Foot note references are given within the paragraphs and details are listed at the bottom of the page.  Some footnotes seem to be written in code, but these use abbreviations explained elsewhere in the book.  Footnote numbers start over each chapter.  There is much treasure in these footnotes, and I’ll address those golden nuggets later.

At the end of each thematic unit, a series of brief texts sums up the essentials of that unit’s teaching in condensed form.   It’s easy to find with the subtitle “In Brief”.    It’s a kind of a “This is what we just told you” in a simplified version.  But I have found a few new treasures in them as well.

Let’s flip to the back of the book to the Index.  The analytical Index was designed to be both a general subject index as well as a conceptual index of the contents of the Catechism.  These tools allow the reader to view each theme in its relationship with the entirety of the faith and you will find specific and ranges of paragraphs.  The index can be overwhelming at times.  Like a road map or a GPS: After you pick a major topic then narrow it down to decide which avenue to take to get to where you want to go.   For instance, if you look up the subject of the Anointing of the Sick, you can search for the rite, the effects the minister, the preparation, the purpose, the   history, for whom it is intended or you can also look at the Sacraments in the index.  Paragraph numbers are provided for your search.  The index is only one place to find answers and directions of where to search.  The Catechism also has a Glossary that covers some of the major themes.  It defines the term for you then lists the range of paragraphs that covers it.

Remember, I told you that the Catechism is broken into four main parts.  Turn to the front of the book now to the Contents and you will find that each of the four parts is also broken into very concise sections.  The Contents lists each section of the Catechism not by each paragraph but in formal document style.  If you have ever created term paper with a contents and bibliography you’ll see the similarity. This can be confusing for all of us who do not do term papers or Church document research on a regular basis.  Each of the four main sections is broken down by chapters, articles, and paragraphs that continually restart.  Each article within the chapters of the section has an “In Brief” summary.  To find something using the Contents the important thing to use is the page number that is given. 

Now the fun begins as we dig deeper for treasure and turn to the Index of Citations towards the end of the book!  One of the main sources of information in the Catechism is Sacred Scripture.  The first section in the index of Citations lists every Bible verse that is used in the Catechism by biblical book, chapter and verse and gives you the CCC paragraph numbers.  So if you are reading, say the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, and are curious how the Church applies the Beatitudes, you can look at the Matthew Chapter 5 verses 1-12  in the Index of Citations and then look at each of the various Catechism paragraphs that quotes these scripture verses.

And after you have done all that–there’s more in the Index of Citations.  There are citations to Church documents from Councils, from Popes, and Documents written by Magisterium.  There are Citations from documents from saints and ecclesial writers both ancient and modern.

The footnotes throughout the Catechism makes use of these citations using abbreviations of various documents.  For example,   “LG”= stands for “Lumen Gentium”  which you can then find in the citations.  Lumen Gentium was an important document of Vatican II Council, written Nov. 21, 1964.  The table of abbreviation is towards the end of the book and will help you identify those footnotes.

As you look over the list of citations you begin to realize the scope of teachings of the Catholic Church that has gone into the preparation of this book.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of Catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium.  I want to make sure that as you use the Catechism of the Catholic Church that you are aware that it is a promulgation of the Teaching Tradition of the Church since the time of Christ.  It is a reliable document that considered all the important documents of the Church to its date of publication. [Note:  You can pull up many of the original documents and read them fully by using the Vatican link.] 

Under the direction of Saint Pope John Paul II “The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the result of very extensive collaboration” [JPII]… You can read about how it was promulgated and published in the front of the book.  The Commission of Cardinals, Bishops and theologians assigned by Pope John Paul II in 1987 was chaired by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.  By the power of the Holy Spirit the huge undertaking of a universal Catechism was finished and was approved in 1992.

So, who do you quote in such a monumental undertaking such as a modern catechism for use in the entire church?  Certainly, you want to quote the inspired word of God and the actual words of Jesus in Sacred Scripture.  The 16 Vatican II documents from 1962-1965 also are a wonderful source.  They restate the teachings of the church with clarity.  Other particular councils and synods also have nuggets of wisdom.  Pontifical documents especially Encyclicals (or letters) available starting with the early popes all the way through Pope John Paul II were studied and quoted.  The Roman Catechism, various doctrinal documents, and Canon Law also were studied and used. 

The Catechism also quotes various saints and Doctors of the church.  Just as information was shared by Jesus to his apostles and from his apostles to the Church, so, too, have other individuals provided information about God and his plan for our salvation to us.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church did not rely on today’s theologians but drew from the deep well of teachings that have always been the Tradition of the Catholic Church.

The saint most quoted in the catechism is St. Augustine with 88 citations.  St. Augustine who lived in the 300-400’s after the Nicene Creed was established.  He is famous because his mother, St. Monica, prayed so long for his conversion, which finally happened after he heard St. Ambrose preaching at age 32.   St. Ambrose is also quoted in the Catechism.  Augustine was ordained as a priest in Africa in 392, and over four hundred his sermons are preserved. Augustine’s greatest contribution to Christianity was in doctrine.  The African Church was infested with heresies, and the bishop Augustine devoted himself to refuting them. He pioneered in formulating many of the basic doctrines, such as:  on grace, original sin, and free will.  In CCC #2001 St. Augustine teaches us that the preparation of man for grace is already a work of grace:  “Indeed we also work, but we are only collaborating with God who works, for his mercy has gone before us. It has gone before us so that we may be healed, and follows us so that once healed, we may be given life; it goes before us so that we may be called, and follows us so that we may be glorified; it goes before us so that we may live devoutly, and follows us so that we may always live with God: for without him we can do nothing.” (51) [St. Augustine, De natura et gratia]

St. Augustine was drawn to the faith by the preaching of St. Ambrose who is cited 21 times.  He preached in Milan so consistently and vehemently against Arianism that within ten years after his consecration as bishop, there was not a citizen in the city who adhered to the heresy.  The Arian heresy, their concept of Christ is that the Son of God did not always exist, but was created by God the Father. Oh, he eradicated that!  What a difference one man can make who shares the truth!   Now, the Arian heresy raises its head to confuse even in modern time such as in the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints & Jehovah Witness.  They need the truth of Ambrose, don’t they!  [St. Ambrose composed a number of hymns; several of them are still used in the Roman liturgy.]  St. Ambrose, he says this in paragraph 1375 about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, he says:  “Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed. . . Could not Christ’s word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.”     [St. Ambrose, De myst]

2^nd place in the # of citations by a saint with 61 citations is St. Thomas Aquinas who lived in the 1200’s.  St. Thomas Aquinas was such a prolific writer and intelligent theologian; he alone is quoted from his century.  He is recognized universally as one of the great thinkers of all time.  The Summa Theologica and his commentaries on the Bible are but a few of his works.  In his immense intellectual production he attempted to show how everything that exists is related to God, and all his works are merely the result of his intense love for his Creator.  The Holy Eucharist was the center of Thomas’ life, and he told his brother friars that he learned more from that source than from all the books he had ever read. In honor of the Blessed Sacrament he wrote the song Pange Lingua as well as other hymns.  In CCC 1374 St. Thomas Aquinas says:

“The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend.”

Other “Hall of Fame”-ers are St. Irenaeus of Lyons (32), St. Ignatius of Antioch (18) and St. John Chrysostom (18).  We have quotes from men taught directly by the apostles:  Barnabas, St. Clement of Rome, St. Ignatius of Antioch.  The leaders of the next generation of Catholics in the 100’s included St. Justin and Polycarp of Smyrna, and others from most centuries thereafter are included. As the faith spread quickly through out the empire of Constantine, Saints who lived in year 300’s spent a lot of their writing to contradict heresies that arose in the Church.  As the magisterium chose truth from among the current teachings, these men shined the light of Christ on our faith.  When everyone believes the same thing there is not a lot of discourse.  So, by defending and explaining what truth is, we get a fullness of that truth.  Church documents throughout history prove this out.

In 325 we had the major Council of Nicea which gave us the version of the Creed that we now use and the council documents wrote down clearly many of the beliefs of the early church. And again, you’ll see a whole section on Creeds in the Catechism.  St. Catherine of Sienna from the 1300’s is the earliest woman quoted outside the bible references.  She was a mystic whose charisms included visions and prophecy.  She first heard the voice of God when she was only 5 years old.  And, if you don’t count those who were canonized after the publication of the Catechism, such as Saint Pope John Paul II,  the most “modern” saints quoted in the Catechism comes from the 1800’s: St. Therese (of the Child Jesus) of Lisieux, Cardinal John Henry Newman, and Blessed  Elizabeth of the Trinity.

Now, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, from the early days, is one of my favorite saints in the Catechism not because of who is was but because of what he writes.  The Church remembers this gentle man of learning and holiness as one of her four great Greek Doctors of the faith and also has given him the title of “The Theologian,” a title he shares with only one other man– Saint John the Evangelist.  During his service as bishop in Constantinople, Gregory met the vicious tactics of the Arian heretics (they even made attempts on his life) with the only weapons at his disposal-holiness and learning. He began to give a series of sermons on the root problem of the heresy–the dogma of the Trinity.  These sermons, known today as the Theological Discourses, contain some of the most profound and moving theological exposition ever produced in the Church.  In CCC #684 St. Gregory shares this with us about the revelation of the Holy Spirit: He says:  “The Old Testament proclaimed the Father clearly, but the Son more obscurely. The New Testament revealed the Son and gave us a glimpse of the divinity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit dwells among us and grants us a clearer vision of himself. [He says] It was not prudent, when the divinity of the Father  had not yet been confessed, to proclaim the Son openly and, when the divinity of the Son was not yet admitted, to add the Holy Spirit as an extra burden, to speak somewhat daringly. . . . By advancing and progressing “from glory to glory,” the light of the Trinity will shine in ever more brilliant rays.”  (5) [St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio theol].  So we see that today, don’t we?  The gift of the Holy Spirit, our God the Holy Spirit, shines light today—in our hearts and minds.  St. Gregory Nazianzus is quoted in the section on prayer CCC 2697 about how to pray.  It says:  “Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all.” Then quoting St. Gregory of Nazianzus it says, “We must remember God more often than we draw breath.”” [St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. Theo].  Can you do that?  Can you remember God with every breath you take?  I challenge you to choose a favorite saint or document that is quoted in the Catechism.  They are a part of the treasure of the Church that is waiting for you in plain sight, if you only dig a little!

This has only been an introduction to great documents of the Church that are placed within the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They are God’s gift to us. We grow little by little. As you become more familiar with them you will become more familiar with God.

I’ll end with a quote from the Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 26.  “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name–he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit inspired each writer of the documents within the Catechism and the Catechism itself.

And there’s more! With the Holy Spirit there is always more.  You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit.  I’m Patti Brunner.