The Catholic Culture Corner: Debut Edition
[Many of you who read my blog, if there are still any readers out there, may have noticed a severe slow-down in my textual output. In layman's terms, that means that I've done a lot less writing than I have in the past. The reason has not been for the lack of desire, or even for the lack of things to say. People who speak to me on a regular basis know that I have A LOT to say. I simply haven't written in masse lately because of a lack of focused direction. I hope that I have remedied that problem with three new recurring columns that I will begin to write. This is the debut edition of one of those columns. Another will debut tomorrow, and the final debut will take place on Monday of next week. I do hope that you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing.]
The word "culture" has several connotations, as well as several definitions. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the fifth definition of that word is the one that serves as the basis for this site and this recurring column. The dictionary defines culture: "the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations;" as well as "the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group."
So it is with the Catholic Church. She has a distinct culture, which integrates knowledge, belief, and behavior (belief, worship, morals, and prayer), that is passed on to "succeeding generations." In fact, the Catholic Church has been and continues to be the world's foremost purveyor of culture simply because of the Sacred Tradition that has come to the modern world through Her.
All of these grand ideas and general statements find their foundation in a single comment made by a "student" who took a course from me last summer. She intimated that the class was fascinating; and that since that point, she has begun to read great works of Catholic teaching and spirituality, such as those written by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. My only response was an expression of hope that her search for truth and fulfillment would continue well into the future!
In recent generations, the Catholic Church has been plagued by poor methods or, worse yet, a total absence of catechesis. Not a few middle-aged Catholics will acknowledge the fact that they "never heard" much of what the Church actually teaches about x, y, or z topic. That trend is changing, however!
There is now a movement within my parish, my diocese, and the United States as a whole to catechize people so that they will be able to pass on the True Faith to future generations. In the specific example of my former student, she now has a greater understanding of the Catholic Church's role in the foundation and formation of the New World; she has a greater desire to fill a certain void of knowledge than ever before. The outcome of the general trend, and the specific example, is the perpetuation of Catholic culture so that it pervades every aspect of an individual's life; so that an individual can approach every situation in life with a "Catholic eye."
Solid catechesis (teaching that is faithful to the Deposit of Faith left by Christ), then, is one of the primary ways to expose the richness of Catholic culture, and the best way to pass the faith to others. Without solid catechesis an effective methods, the richness will be lost, and we might end up with another generation of Catholics who leave the Church because they don't know their faith. It is not enough to hope that the True Faith will be received by the next generation fully intact. No, we must do something about it in the present. We must teach!
