Diocese of Honolulu

Newsletter December 2012

From the Director Inside this issue:

As we prepare our hearts for Advent, I offer you this beautiful Catechism of the Catho- 2 poem written by beloved Pope John Paul II. May God’s peace lic Church enfold you. Getting to know the 2 Her Amazement at her Only Child Catechism Karol Wojtyla Vatican II Documents 3 Light piercing, gradually, everyday events; a woman's eyes, hands used to them since childhood. Then brightness flared, too huge for simple days, Calendar 4 and hands clasped when the words lost their space.

In that little town, my son, where they knew us together, you called me mother; but no one had eyes to see the astounding events as they took place day by day. Your life became the life of the poor in your wish to be with them through the work of your hands.

I knew: the light that lingered in ordinary things, like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days -- the light was you; it did not come from me.

And I had more of you in that luminous silence than I had of you as the fruit of my body, my blood.

JOHN PAUL II'S CHRISTMAS POETRY Poem from his 1950 Collection, "The Mother" (ZENIT - Taken from "Easter Vigil and Other Poems," translated Jerzy Peterkiewicz.)

Catechism of the Catholic Church

During the Year of Faith and We recite the Profession of Faith beyond, let’s commit to sharing at Mass. It is a statement of what the Catechism of the Catholic we believe. But the Creed is Church with our families and much more than a list of doc- http://www.usccb.org/ students. Here are some great trinal statements, it is a powerful media/video/ ideas: prayer, a beautiful more than what mere words can say. In http:// this, the Year of Faith, let us www.thereligionteacher.com/ review catechism-lesson-plan/ Page 2 Catechism of the Catholic Church

A Quick Tutorial on the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Council at 50: Vatican II’s Word on the Word of God Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas For this Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI has Welcome to one of the series of blogs on the Sec- ond Vatican Council. Each piece reviews one of the encouraged us to study 16 documents produced by the Council Fathers and reflect on the during the extraordinary occasion in Church history. Catechism of the Vatican II, which drew together the world’s bishops, opened fifty years ago in St. Peter’s Basilica, October Catholic Church. Fami- 11, 1962. Read and participate on the blog at lies as well as parish and school religious http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/vatican-iis- word-on-word-of-god.html education catechists will enjoy these Catechism lesson activities, suit- http://www.thereligionteacher.com/videos/catechism-parts able for adolescents and -video/ teens – and we adults would enjoy them as well!

Getting to Know the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. What is the Catechism? you can think of. When the students complete their Have your students ever seen the Catechism? Have drawings, give them some time to share them with a they ever heard of it? Hold up a copy of the Cate- partner. Then, have them look to the board. Quiz chism of the Catholic Church. First, ask the students if them on the images. Ask them to identify which part anyone can tell you and the rest of the class about of the Catechism each of your pictures represents. the Catechism. Take some of the answers. If stu- dents are unsure about the book, ask them to 4. Catechism Scavenger Hunt guess what they think the book contains. Accept all I shared a fun Catechism scavenger hunt activity at the possible responses. Ave Maria Press Engaging Faith blog not long ago. Use or adapt that activity to help students get used to 2. Catechism Video navigating the inside of the Catechism. Have the students watch the Four Parts of the Catechism video or show it in front of the class. In 5. Online Versions of the Catechism preparation for the video, have them fold a piece of There are a few great online versions of the Catechism paper twice to make four boxes. Have them label that are great for reference. The USCCB has their each box: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. Play the own searchable Catechism online. St. Charles Bor- video. While the students watch the video, have romeo Catholic Church has the explanations for any them copy on their sheets the titles and content of mention of “supernatural”happenings in the bible. DV each part of the Catechism. classic, searchable Catechism that teachers have been using for years. Also, Matthew Warner’s Flocknote has 3. Using Pictures to Understand the Parts of a great program in honor of the Year of Faith in which the Catechism you get daily updates with excerpts from the Catechism After students watch the video, review it as a class. so you can read the Catechism in a year. These are all On the back of each box, have students draw a great tools that older students should be aware of. picture to represent the focus of each part of the Catechism. So for part 3, for example, students 6. Assessment: Catechism Exit Card could draw a picture of the two stone tablets with Check student understanding with a quick formative the Ten Commandments. For part 4, they could assessment. On a notecard or blank sheet of paper draw a picture of two praying hands. (this is the exit card), have students list in four sepa- rate boxes the four parts of the Catechism of the Catho- While they draw their pictures, draw a few pic- lic Church. tures of your own on the board to represent each Continued on page 3 part but put them out of order. Draw as many as Page 3

Getting to Know the Catechism of the Catholic Church continued from page two

. Ask them to describe the con- VATICAN II tent of each part, not just the 1. Tradition: People often ask title. So, Part 3: Life in Christ DOCUMENTS why the Church puts faith would be described as the in Tradition, especially if it’s part about morality or making All documents are not created not found in the bible. Dei good choices. Quickly check equal. Of the 16 produced by Verbum teaches that before their answers for understanding. the Second Vatican Council, only the Word was written two got top-tier religious rank- (Scripture), it was preached ing: Dogmatic Constitution. and lived. It is the preaching Those two are Lumen Gentium and deeds of the Apostles, (On the Church) and Dei Verbum which the Church calls (On the Word of God). Tradition. Scripture and Tradition, that cannot be In Dei Verbum (DV), the Council started. They are living and Fathers responded to common interconnected – misunderstandings about the both expressions of Christ Church and the bible. The fol- (cf. DV7-10). lowing five highlights show how they answered these challenges from the world.

2. DV affirmed the bible as in- with faith as well as reason. It the written word. Both require spired and therefore without states that the bible teaches faith to see the divine in the hu- error. Some biblical scholars have “faithfully and without error” and man. This means that just as peo- tried to understand our world is given to us “for the sake of ple without faith failed to see using only the power of human salvation” (DV11). Jesus as the Son of God, today people without faith will fail to reason, leaving out faith or the 3. DV’s embrace of humility in see the bible (because of its hum- supernatural – effectively sidelin- Scripture: Just as God humbled ble nature) as inspired and with- ing God to the act of creation and Himself to become human in out error. then to heaven. They search for every way except sin, so the 4. Perhaps, the biggest develop- “natural” explanations for any Word humbled itself to be writ- ment in DV states that the bible’s mention of “supernatural” hap- ten in human language in every truth is expressed according to penings in the bible. DV states way except error (DV 13). The the “literary form” of each book that the whole bible, Old and humble appearance of God in or part. Historical truth will be New Testament, was “written Jesus is compared to the humble expressed differently from pro- under the inspiration of the Holy appearance of God in tword. phetic or poetic truth; and these Spirit.” Therefore, they have Both require faith to see the “forms” follow the “time and “God as their author,” (DV 11) divine in the human. This means culture” when they were written who can act supernaturally. DV that just as people without faith (DV12). DValso says that every affirms that the bible must be failed to see Jesus as the Son of read line of Scripture has to be under- stood in relation to the bible as a

whole, as well as in relation to 5. Lastly, DV shows a desire the whole Tradition of the for dialogue and evangelization Church. The bible is a unity. when it encourages transla- tions of the bible for non- Catholics and even non- Christians. Such translations, it counsels, should include foot- notes to explain the biblical verses in accord with the religious background of those reading it (DV 25). Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas is a member of the Subcommittee on Scripture Translations of the U.S. Confer- ence of Catholic Bishops. Office of Religious Education DECEMBER CALENDAR

St. Stephen Diocesan Center 6301 Pali Highway ADVENT Kaneohe, HI 96744 Fax: (808)261-7022 Dec. 2—December 24 Toll free: (877)263-8855

HOLIDAYS Office will be closed Dec. 24 Dec. 25

Dec. 26

Website: May the light of Christ’s birth www.catholichawaii.org bring you joy and peace this Christmas season and through- out the New Year.

STAFF

Jayne Mondoy, Director Neighbor Island Liaisons [email protected] 808.203.6745 877.263.8855 (toll free), Ext. 745 Michael Cruz, Kauai Vicariate St. Catherine Church/School Keahi Teson, Safe Environment Coordinator 808.822.7900 [email protected] 808.203.6760 Oahu 1.877.263.8855 x 760 Neighbor Islands Sr. Angie Laurenzo, CSJ, Maui Vicariate 808.271.4626 cell Christ the King Church http://catholichawaii.org/diocesan-offices/safe- 808.877.6098 environment.aspx Marjorie Fujimoto, East and West Chadwick Chun, Catechist Certification Hawaii Vicariates 808.217.6054 Database and Website Support [email protected] 808.203.6747 877.263.8855 (toll free), Ext. 747

Lina Carahasen, Administrative Secretary View of Koolau from St. Stephen’s [email protected] 808.203.6769