The Sources of Faith Formation
This post is a follow-up to last week's post, "Cramming for the 'Final Exam.'" As I finished that post, I realized that it does little good to exhort Catholic Christians to prepare well for the forthcoming judgment if they are not provided some direction for effective preparation. The best teachers help their students prepare well for the exams that cover the content of the courses they teach. While it would be pretentious to count myself among the best teachers of religious and spiritual things, the method works, so I'll employ it.
Our world is inundated with media outlets of all types, from television to print to billboards to new digital media such as podcasts and internet video clips, and everything in between. When it comes to the Catholic Church, and to Catholic beliefs and lifestyle, much of the media paints an errant picture, or at least a very incomplete picture. Rare is a newspaper article, a popular book, or a segment on any round-the-clock news network that tells the full story or paints Catholics and the Church in a positive light. Many of them even get the basic facts wrong because of what has been presented in their history text books. I know, because I keep looking in hopes that the trend is changing. Alas, it is not.
One example should suffice. On a daily basis, I receive an email recounting "Today's Top Stories" from a popular news and culture website. Without fail, something about Pope Francis and the Catholic Church appears in those daily emails. The articles are always linked from secular sources, and it happens often that the headlines turn Catholic doctrine and disciplines into political talking points. For example, just look at the headline for today about Pope Francis's "stance" on priestly celibacy.
Surveying this situation, I have begun to ponder where most Catholics get their formation in the faith? Moreover, I ask how I might be able to help them access the best sources for moving along the path of life in a fruitful way, fulfilling the God's desires for their lives? The reality is that we need something other than information about the faith that turns the Church into a trivia fact or a political institution. Rather, we need faith formation, originating from the best sources and relationships, that transforms us into disciples of Christ who seek to walk in "the fullness of the Christian life" (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 4-5).
In order to create and foster formation that is fruitful, effective, and life-changing, disciples need to access the best sources for their journey, just as pupils need to be directed toward the best study aids for their coursework. The students who do best will honestly state that there is no substitute for actually doing the assigned readings, homework, and projects in order to get the most out of the class. Christians must know the same thing. There is no substitute for diving deeply into the sources that will cause a dry, intellectual concept to be transformed into a vibrant, life-giving faith.
What, then, are the best sources into which a person ought to dive? With so little time and space, the focus here will be on broad categories, with just a few of the best sources highlighted. First and foremost is Sacred Scripture. If a person was intent on becoming a disciple of Christ, but could only read one thing for the rest of her life, the Bible is it! One can never exhaust the full richness of the Scriptures, because they are the living Word of God.
We must remember, however, that Scripture does not interpret itself and, left to our own devices, humans have a tendency to misinterpret. Thus, the man who loves the Bible very much needs to surround himself with other great sources. Two specifically come to mind: the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The council documents identify that God's revelation is ever ancient and ever new. They show that the divine plan of human redemption and salvation is one, solitary, and unchanging; but that it can shine bright light on new and difficult circumstances that have never been known in human history. In a similar way, the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents a beautiful synthesis of the Church's teaching over twenty centuries. Using these texts in addition to Scripture is a sure way to allow God's eternal truth to affect our daily lives.
Beyond the texts that come from the teaching authority of the Church, there are great devotional texts and practices that can be instrumental in a person's faith formation. Among these, one might list St. Augustine's Confessions, Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, works of Carmelite spirituality, or daily devotions from resources such as Magnificat. Further, one might add recitation of the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and a daily examination of conscience. Over many centuries, the Church has proclaimed that doctrine void of, and separated from, devotion is sterile and lifeless. These two must go together because we do not love someone only by knowing an intellectual proof. At the same time, though, we cannot love someone by knowing less about that person. These principles apply in our relationship with the divine, too.
In addition to the books that one could pick up to read, or the beads one might hold in a hand, another great help for faith formation is good pastoral direction. The words of a trusted priest in a homily will provide great assistance and clarity for what has been read before, or what will be practiced after. Moreover, the consort of a spiritual director will certainly assist a man or woman who is confused while seeking God's will. Indeed, interpersonal relationships provide some of the best impetus for practicing what one has learned along his or her journey of faith formation.
One last source is to be recommended, after the others above have been sought and cultivated. It is good and necessary for disciples of Christ to know the obstacles and enemies they face. It is, sometimes, necessary to see and hear the arguments against faith. That way, our glasses aren't colored like roses all the time, and we remember that Christ has sent us to bring the Gospel to all the world, especially to those who don't know or won't believe. Interestingly enough, preparing by employing the five sources listed above will allow a believer to engage in a thoughtful and robust conversation with a non-believer.
See, this is the primary point: the faith that we confess is not meant to be kept to ourselves, or just between those who recite the Nicene Creed on Sundays. The most important questions on the proverbial final exam for which we're cramming is, "Did you go and tell someone else? Did you bring the full Gospel to others?" Therefore, we must seek out the sources that lead us to live the faith that has been presented to us. The sources must orient our pilgrimage in the right direction. In that way, Christians can progress toward Heaven instead of thinking primarily about changing "outdated teachings" or imposing ideologies. Only with the right sources will we be prepared for the only exam that matters, ultimately.
Our world is inundated with media outlets of all types, from television to print to billboards to new digital media such as podcasts and internet video clips, and everything in between. When it comes to the Catholic Church, and to Catholic beliefs and lifestyle, much of the media paints an errant picture, or at least a very incomplete picture. Rare is a newspaper article, a popular book, or a segment on any round-the-clock news network that tells the full story or paints Catholics and the Church in a positive light. Many of them even get the basic facts wrong because of what has been presented in their history text books. I know, because I keep looking in hopes that the trend is changing. Alas, it is not.
One example should suffice. On a daily basis, I receive an email recounting "Today's Top Stories" from a popular news and culture website. Without fail, something about Pope Francis and the Catholic Church appears in those daily emails. The articles are always linked from secular sources, and it happens often that the headlines turn Catholic doctrine and disciplines into political talking points. For example, just look at the headline for today about Pope Francis's "stance" on priestly celibacy.
Surveying this situation, I have begun to ponder where most Catholics get their formation in the faith? Moreover, I ask how I might be able to help them access the best sources for moving along the path of life in a fruitful way, fulfilling the God's desires for their lives? The reality is that we need something other than information about the faith that turns the Church into a trivia fact or a political institution. Rather, we need faith formation, originating from the best sources and relationships, that transforms us into disciples of Christ who seek to walk in "the fullness of the Christian life" (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 4-5).
In order to create and foster formation that is fruitful, effective, and life-changing, disciples need to access the best sources for their journey, just as pupils need to be directed toward the best study aids for their coursework. The students who do best will honestly state that there is no substitute for actually doing the assigned readings, homework, and projects in order to get the most out of the class. Christians must know the same thing. There is no substitute for diving deeply into the sources that will cause a dry, intellectual concept to be transformed into a vibrant, life-giving faith.
What, then, are the best sources into which a person ought to dive? With so little time and space, the focus here will be on broad categories, with just a few of the best sources highlighted. First and foremost is Sacred Scripture. If a person was intent on becoming a disciple of Christ, but could only read one thing for the rest of her life, the Bible is it! One can never exhaust the full richness of the Scriptures, because they are the living Word of God.
We must remember, however, that Scripture does not interpret itself and, left to our own devices, humans have a tendency to misinterpret. Thus, the man who loves the Bible very much needs to surround himself with other great sources. Two specifically come to mind: the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The council documents identify that God's revelation is ever ancient and ever new. They show that the divine plan of human redemption and salvation is one, solitary, and unchanging; but that it can shine bright light on new and difficult circumstances that have never been known in human history. In a similar way, the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents a beautiful synthesis of the Church's teaching over twenty centuries. Using these texts in addition to Scripture is a sure way to allow God's eternal truth to affect our daily lives.
Beyond the texts that come from the teaching authority of the Church, there are great devotional texts and practices that can be instrumental in a person's faith formation. Among these, one might list St. Augustine's Confessions, Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, works of Carmelite spirituality, or daily devotions from resources such as Magnificat. Further, one might add recitation of the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and a daily examination of conscience. Over many centuries, the Church has proclaimed that doctrine void of, and separated from, devotion is sterile and lifeless. These two must go together because we do not love someone only by knowing an intellectual proof. At the same time, though, we cannot love someone by knowing less about that person. These principles apply in our relationship with the divine, too.
In addition to the books that one could pick up to read, or the beads one might hold in a hand, another great help for faith formation is good pastoral direction. The words of a trusted priest in a homily will provide great assistance and clarity for what has been read before, or what will be practiced after. Moreover, the consort of a spiritual director will certainly assist a man or woman who is confused while seeking God's will. Indeed, interpersonal relationships provide some of the best impetus for practicing what one has learned along his or her journey of faith formation.
One last source is to be recommended, after the others above have been sought and cultivated. It is good and necessary for disciples of Christ to know the obstacles and enemies they face. It is, sometimes, necessary to see and hear the arguments against faith. That way, our glasses aren't colored like roses all the time, and we remember that Christ has sent us to bring the Gospel to all the world, especially to those who don't know or won't believe. Interestingly enough, preparing by employing the five sources listed above will allow a believer to engage in a thoughtful and robust conversation with a non-believer.
See, this is the primary point: the faith that we confess is not meant to be kept to ourselves, or just between those who recite the Nicene Creed on Sundays. The most important questions on the proverbial final exam for which we're cramming is, "Did you go and tell someone else? Did you bring the full Gospel to others?" Therefore, we must seek out the sources that lead us to live the faith that has been presented to us. The sources must orient our pilgrimage in the right direction. In that way, Christians can progress toward Heaven instead of thinking primarily about changing "outdated teachings" or imposing ideologies. Only with the right sources will we be prepared for the only exam that matters, ultimately.
