Who’s being taught?

I can’t remember very many homilies, can you? Sister Mary Mercy used to make us fourth graders write a paragraph saying what Father said in his sermon on Sunday. (They called them sermons in those days). What torture! Next in severity would be bamboo shoots under the fingernails.

It was probably the most taxing task of my grade school career (besides, of course, anything having to do with geography). Knowing what I know now, Sister Mary Mercy herself, doubtless would have had difficulty doing her own assignment.

Psychologists tell us that we remember only about 10 percent of what we hear, so the expression “in one ear and out the other” must have some validity.

All of this brings me to my point: How and when and under what circumstances are Catholics being taught their faith? I submit that we are starving.

This is a strictly subjective opinion, of course. Opposing views are most welcome. But it seems to me that the only Church teaching most adult Catholics receive is that 10 or 15 minutes each week at Mass.

Sure, Father puts his very best into the preparation of his homilies. But can this be sufficient teaching for a living faith?

Of course, CCD is in place. Catholic schools are open. Many parishes have RCIA programs for new Catholics, which help some old ones in the bargain. But what about most Catholics between high school and the grave? There is no question that television has a greater place in many Catholics’ lives than learning about their faith does.

The Holy Fathers have written a bunch of encyclicals. Why do they do this? Honestly now, have you ever read one?

The U.S. bishops have taken to writing pastoral letters on a variety of life-touching subjects. Can you apply the content of these letters to your life?

The problem, of course, is to find a way for this teaching to reach the people it is intended to guide.

The call these days is to individual responsibility, ownership of our relationship with God and the Church, personal accountability. However, there are two flies in that ointment.

One: The concept of responsible leadership has not been abandoned.

Two: There are still plenty of Catholics out there who are like sheep without a shepherd, despite protestations to the contrary. People need to be led, inspired, guided, shown the way. A sheep won’t say, “Lead me.” A sheep will wander aimlessly – or watch TV.

I won’t offload to the priests the whole responsibility for communicating Church teaching, but I will give them their share. They certainly are leaders, and in a position to make a difference.

Laity with some gumption also are needed in this task. Laity with God-given leadership abilities should be rising to the God-given mandate to share this faith of ours.

Parents have a primary teaching role – ahead of the schools and CCD. That has to imply that they themselves bone up: either to put themselves in environments, or to create environments, wherein the faith is nurtured.

The Catholic press has been woefully underutilized. Catholic newspapers and magazines simply are not in the same league with the secular press, but can and should be a primary and effective tool in communicating Church teaching.

To the credit of many pastors and parishes, adult education classes are offered. But who goes? Nine or 10 show up, half of whom are qualified to teach the class themselves.

There’s plenty to be learned. Besides the steady outpouring of teaching by the Magisterium, it might be a good day for Sacred Scripture to make a comeback. We, Catholics, have lived in fear of private interpretation of Scripture for so long that we scarce crack the book unless we’re in the presence of a priest. That has got to stop.

Perhaps I have lapsed into a little testiness and cynicism. Forgive me. My point is that homilies – and I’ve heard some good ones – are not enough. For one thing, I’m going to be looking into some ways for this newspaper to be a more effective forum for communicating substantive Church teaching. Surely there are other ways to boost the resources we have.

The hour is late for creative leadership and greater personal responsibility, but not too late.

written by Thomas A. Russell
first published in the Lafayette Sunday Visitor in July of 1986