Step One: Do the reading assignment (below):
“The Story”
“I have always saw life as a story, and if it is a story, there is a story teller” – GK Chesterton
“In the beginning there was the word. . .” – John 1:1
“Our hearts are restless, O God, until they find their rest in You.” – Saint Augustine
For many people life feels like a story that is still being written. One that we simply we step into and travel through. And in many ways it is! Except we have forgotten, or we were never told, what the story is all about: our relationship with God. Thus, we go through life never really understanding what our role in this story really is.
In this first chapter, of the first Field Guide, we are going to invite you into the story (Your Story and God’s Story). But more than that, we are going to invite you to find your place in: The Journey. What is “The Journey”, you may ask? It it your relationship with God through Jesus Christ and your relationship with His spouse the Catholic Church. We are going to accomplish this through community within our parish and family, and through eager and honest study of the Bible and Catechism of the Church (CCC).
Why the Bible?
Have you ever wondered how it is that you can even know God? Well, the Bible is a pretty good way to start the process. Actually it is one of the best places to start! In John’s gospel we learn that, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God…” In fact John takes it a step further and says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In other words, Jesus is the incarnate word of God, and scripture is Jesus Christ’s voice present within our life. By reading scripture, we are literally entering into Christ and His Spirit. This is pivotal to our relationship with God and His church. St Jerome once said, “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Therefore, the Bible is A MUST for all those that believe and call themselves disciples and christians.
Why the Catechism of the Catholic Church? (CCC)
Well, the Catechism (CCC) is the teachings of the Catholic Church, supported exhaustively by scripture and the teachings of the Saints. What does that mean? Well, you have an infallible bible. That means you have the word of God and it can’t be wrong, but let’s face it, WE are not infallible. We screw up and can easily misinterpret things like scripture and misapply it to our lives. Therefore the Catholic Church, through the Catechism, has given us an infallible summary of the bibles teachings based on the infallible written word of God. The Catechism is in fact considered the infallible teachings of the Universal Church. It is important to remember that there is nothing in the catechism that is not supported by scripture. Everything taught in the Catechism has its foundation in the infallible scriptures, apostolic teaching, and many of the saints writings (most especially the Doctors of the Church). The Catechism is a treasury of truth and wisdom. But, there is no doubt that it can be a little precise in its language. Thus, it can be a little hard to understand and follow. It is not a casual read. Therefore, candidates will be required to read some field guides with their parent and/or sponsor to understand the Catechism’s depth and meaning. Remember, the Catechism is organized by paragraph. Your reading assignments in the CCC will refer to the paragraph numbers (NOT the page numbers)!
So, lets begin.
If you do not have your bible handy, go get it. Right now. Seriously. If you don’t have one, go buy one. The New American Bible or Revised Standard Version are two great Catholic editions of the bible. If you get any other version of the Bible you may notice that some of the books are missing. You’ll need access to a good Catholic edition of the bible (containing all the books) to be prepared for your Confirmation. If you can’t buy one email us and we will see what we can do. Seriously. A Christian with out a bible is like a knight with out a sword. Otherwise, you also have access to the internet. Therefore you have access to a free bible and free Catechism every day. Use it!
Understanding the World and Story We Were born into
Read the following (in this order please):
- Genesis 1-3 (all three chapters)
- John 1:1-18
- Luke 2:1-20
- Revelation 12:7-9
- CCC 1-3 (these are the paragraph numbers NOT page numbers. You need to read them.)
- 1 John 3:1-8
- Romans 5:15-19 (you might need to read it a couple of times)
- Romans 8:14-17
- CCC 391-410
OK, so…. did you realize you were born into a world at war? If you did the reading assignment above then you just read about it! We are not making this up. Angels actually fight. Man is thrown from paradise. At first things look pretty bleak… But then something awesome takes place. An invasion is planned and our Savior and King comes to us in the most humble of ways. Christ is born in a manger (animal feeding trough)! The world is in a state of war, but God does not leave us to lose or die. He steps into our humanity and into the battle. Through His life, death, and resurrection we see victory! We are being saved and returned to grace. Our relationship with Him and with the Father through the Holy Spirit is now restored. We are now adopted into the family of God and made coheirs to the throne of heaven through Jesus. This journey is a GREAT and WONDERFUL ADVENTURE! The coolest part is…. we are right in the middle of it! That is definitely something to get excited about. Are you ready to more deeply enter into “The Story”? It is time!
Now go ahead and do step two by filling out the form below: