RCLBenziger.com

(Click here for a list of previous articles to read.)

Encounters with the Risen Lord in the Easter Season
By Jo Rotunno

A few years ago I spent a good deal of time considering ways that a parish could connect doctrinal catechesis with the rhythm of the liturgical year. Lectionary-based catechesis offers an obvious way to connect the Sunday readings with doctrine, but the idiosyncrasies of the lectionary do not always allow us to explore a whole category of doctrine in an organized way Sunday after Sunday.

After a lot more reflection I decided that it was better to look at a liturgical season as a whole, discover a key theme that always seems to occur in that season, and use a few readings to ground the doctrinal reflection for that season. In that way, it became clear to me that each season had a special focus each year. For example, Advent always offered opportunities to talk about God’s Revelation and our call to conversion, and the Easter season always invites us to reflect on the Church’s sacraments, because they are the ways we encounter the Risen Lord today. Let’s take a look at some readings of this Easter season and see how this might be so.

In the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter, we heard the familiar story of the Apostle Thomas, who could not quite believe that he was encountering the Lord whom he knew had died. Ask every adult in your parish to reflect on the times when their own faith in the Risen Christ may have faltered, or to ask ourselves what they could do to strengthen the faith of someone else whose faith is faltering. On the Fourth Sunday of Easter we will encounter the beautiful image of the Good Shepherd who still guides us. This Gospel offers an opportunity to reflect on those we shepherd in our own lives and what they need from us right now.

Invite all the members of your parish to use the popular Question of the Week strategy to reflect on the ways they are encountering the Risen Lord during the Easter Season. The pastor or deacon can announce the question of the week before the Dismissal, or it can be printed in the parish bulletin. Invite every household, class, and parish group to spend ten or fifteen minutes during the week reflecting on the question and to share their thoughts with at least one other person. Another idea might be to invite the children in your First Communion classes to adopt this strategy with their families as part of their immediate preparation for First Communion. An outcome of this strategy is that it always seems to enrich the Sunday celebration of the Risen Lord for all who participate in it.

Ask children at all grade levels to discuss in class and with their families ways that each sacrament is an encounter with the Risen Lord. In what ways do they experience the various aspects of the ministry of Jesus—healing, welcome, or service, for example. However you decide to facilitate the faith reflection of those in your care during this holy season, make sure that your strategy helps your parish come to a deeper awareness that Jesus Christ continues to live in our midst and that the sacraments are privileged ways that we encounter him.

Adult Formation
The Faith Connection®

Whole Community Catechesis
Online Resource

Sacrament Preparation
Eucharist and Reconciliation

If you would like to receive this newsletter through email,
click here.

Resources for Christian Living