tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post805319001334868420..comments2024-03-17T22:48:00.427+08:00Comments on Reflections and Ruminations: Good catechesis provides us with a good father tongue.Fr Luke Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-6626777255660829002014-12-07T20:44:57.569+08:002014-12-07T20:44:57.569+08:00I stumbled across your blog this morning a couple ...I stumbled across your blog this morning a couple of hours before I head up to Holy Cross to talk with my 2nd graders about the sacrament of reconciliation, sin and absolution. Phew! While I am doing my best to teach them the prayers and pass along the beliefs, I am trying to convey the fact that the reason we are learning these things is to form a relationship with God. It is such a tightrope walk: the kids need to know the basic tenets and beliefs so that they can establish a relationship with God and become life long disciples. But if we don't present it in an engaging fashion, they will simply shut down and not realize any relevancy or value in their lives. Believe me, I have envied Baltimore catechists- much easier to simply present "facts" to be memorized and tested, without having to have difficult conversations that children today yearn to have...If they are not beginning to develop a relationship with God, they are simply not going to understand the value. And unfortunately many parents don't seem to have a relationship with God, at least through the Church. And I'm not sure this is because we didn't ask them to memorize a lot of rote facts that we can regurgitate without thought to simply defend our religious position. Thank you Father for addressing this subject. Catechists everywhere are doing their best to help kids encounter God through the sacraments and in their lives, and move them towards life long discipleship. Huge task! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-27423875834817710192014-12-04T23:54:53.287+08:002014-12-04T23:54:53.287+08:00I do agree with you that - “I can attribute my dee...I do agree with you that - “I can attribute my deep appreciation of the English language through the rote memorization of stanzas of poems......................” <br />............and especially not forgetting the delightful though nonsensical and sometimes humorous , even bawdy - five-line limerick.<br /><br />Though rote learning has become out-dated as a technique in the teaching-learning process of today’s class-room, in reality, we still use rote learning as a means of repetitive memorization of information- (without even our being aware of it) – for example the alphabets, especially the spelling of words and numbers at the primary level........and in science, where the elements and their chemical numbers are memorized at the secondary and tertiary levels. It is actually used as a functional foundation to build higher-levels of learning such as in critical thinking skills!<br /><br />Likewise, in Catechism too, we need to be grounded in certain basic tenets or fundamentals of the faith, if we are going to be confident enough to objectively rationalize and evangelize – to confront “a world that is fast becoming allergic and oftentimes truculent when the topic of God or religion is brought up” (in your words) So unlike the penny-farthing that faded with the late Victorian era, the Baltimore catechism – perhaps, has much to be lauded in providing a plausible ‘father tongue’ for a sound catechesis?<br /><br />God bless you, Fr.<br /><br />tessa<br />Tessahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04211998984286520369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-88615224214313487352014-12-04T11:20:45.053+08:002014-12-04T11:20:45.053+08:00I meant "dumbed down", not "dumped&...I meant "dumbed down", not "dumped".<br />I also like to add:<br />I believe that when it comes to catechism; It is about transformation, not conformation. It is about relationship, not legalism.<br />Often than not, the latters are used to transmit our deposit of faith. I suspect we mistook conformation and legalism to be "rote learning" and "the systematic way". This is so far from the truth. <br />Too often we round up children and put on a label, which in your words are "as fleeting as ephemeral and transient as steam rising from the spout of a boiling kettle of water." Hence, we sugar coat all our teachings for fear that they fall asleep. I think we need to "ditch the vanilla". I believe God has built into a child a compass to seek the truth. How many of our youths left the Church because they cannot handle the truth? And how many youths left the Church because we didn't give them the hard truths (sins and consequences) and the beauty (mercy and grace of God) of our faith? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-3420752915642659642014-12-02T17:59:08.843+08:002014-12-02T17:59:08.843+08:00Sadly, I don't think catechism is taught in a ...Sadly, I don't think catechism is taught in a creative way to get the children to experience Jesus. I see the teaching of our Catholic faith being dumped down. Catechists are so afraid that the children will find the faith to be too "cheem" (a word I often find uttered by many doctors, lawyers and other intellects after mass) that they "uncomplicate" our faith. My children can tell me the history of the Hobbitt, and the culture in Hunger Games...but they can't tell me the Salvation History, nor the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. I fear that they will grow up looking for apps rather than pray when they are in trouble. (Sorry to be hard hitting but the truth does hurt.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com