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"Bringing a Sense
of the Sacred to Catechetics" was the topic of Dr. Timothy O'Donnell's
lecture which he presented to catechists at an in-service day held at
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Oakton, Virginia on March 30.
In speaking to the sixty catechists, Dr. O'Donnell began his talk by explaining
that, over the many years, from Pope Leo XIII to Pope John Paul II, the
Church has consistently taught that one of the greatest evils affecting
society is the evil of secularism, that is, the indifference to religion
and to religious matters.
"We have at the present time, an entire generation starving to death;
starving for the Truth of the Catholic Faith," he said. "How do we maintain
or bring a sense of the sacred to the teaching of catechetics? The crisis
of secularism in the Church is truly a crisis of faith! Teaching the faith
must be approached with two key elements. First, a deep and a profound
sense of gratitude. Secondly, united to this gratitude must be a sincere
humility. This sense of gratitude and sincere humility can be seen in
the lives of some of the great minds of the Church, most especially in
the lives of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. These two indispensable
virtues must spring forth from the bedrock of an integral Catholic faith.
The obedience of faith demands a complete submission of the mind and will
to God who reveals Himself through His Church. This faith introduces man
to Revelation," he told the audience.
O'Donnell then focused on issues particular to catechists. "The entire
catechetical enterprise depends upon the possession of divine Catholic
faith. This faith is the very key to understanding. It almost appears
that there is a denial today that the faith is related to the truth. Many
teach and act as if the faith is not true." He continued, "Secularism
has led to a crisis of faith in the Church. It has led some to an excessive
rationalism which distorts the Faith. In teaching the faith, we must be
men and women of prayer, men and women of humility, men and women of gratitude.
We must try to maintain the sense of mystery and return the sense of the
sacred to the teaching of the Faith. If you want to touch your students,
there is only one road; to return to the habit of mental prayer. In nurturing
this sense of prayer, gratitude, and humility, a catechist thereby becomes
a true man or woman of the Church in loving, full communion with the thought,
the sentiments, and the life of the Church."
At the conclusion of the presentation, Dr. O'Donnell signed copies of
his two books, "The Heart of the Redeemer" (Ignatius Press) and "Swords
Around the Cross: The Nine Years War" (Christendom Press).
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