SIP Impulse october 2021:MISSION AS RESPONDING TO CURRENT NEW TRENDS IN FAITH: DEEP CATECHESIS IS A MUST

Fr. Steven Kamanga SIP, Diocese of Mangochi, Malawi)

​The Bible contains various insights that indicate the value and importance it gives to catechesis. The first insight of catechesis in the Bible is the mystery of God’s self-revelation to humanity. This divine personal disclosure and call to divine communion happened in time and human history. The Bible reports it very well beginning with creation of the first human beings, unfolded in the history of Israel and reached completion in the person and mission of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3-14). This flow of events depicting God revealing Himself to his creatures is catechetical since it introduces man to faith in his Creator and calls upon him to echo the same revelation to other creatures in the practice of the received faith.

​The very mission Jesus Christ entrusted to His Apostles after His resurrection, “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20) declares with emphasis the importance of catechesis in the Bible.
Again in the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates the action of catechesis by playing the role of a catechist Himself when after His resurrection, he approaches the Apostles on their way to Emmaus, He guides them, interprets scripture for them (Lk. 24:13-35). This action by Jesus says it all with regards to the importance the Bible gives to catechesis.
The story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch in the Book of Acts echoes the same emphasis on the importance of catechesis in the Bible. The dialogue itself between Phillip and the eunuch says it all: “do you understand what you are reading?” “How can I unless someone instructs me?” That someone is a catechist in the modern time here appearing in the person of Phillip. And Phillip, the Bible says, “opened his mouth and, beginning with the scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him” and the result; “look there is water, what is it to prevent my being baptized (Acts 8:26-41).
In most of his letters, St. Paul demonstrates the importance of catechesis in the mission of the Church hence the importance of the catechist. He recognizes and values catechesis.  When, writing to the Galatians, he calls on them to “let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches” (Gal. 6:6). This implies even more not only emphasizing on the importance of catechesis but also on the importance of the mutual relationship of the learner and the instructor.
St. Paul puts it well when he wrote to the Romans, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10: 14-15). In short, St. Paul indicates that catechesis is a must if the Kingdom of God is to be realized among the people.
The Church has been mandated to go out to proclaim the gospel. The early Missionaries brought faith to the continent of Africa during the Classical period of missionary activity in the Universal Church. History reveals that Catholic Missionaries were organized and responded to the need to go out and proclaim the gospel systematically and methodologically; every time having targets to accomplish.
Pentecostalism, Globalization, Secularism, Islamic Fundamentalism caused by new and fresh spiritual awakenings in the world, mass media, poverty for the majority of the African population and economic insecurity for various stakeholders, political instability etc., demand that mission be renewed if it has to respond to the challenges of the modern time. Mission today calls all the baptized to be more vigilant to the current environment in which the Church is and so learn to read the signs of our times.
Traditionally mission in Africa included building and religious teaching in schools, providing social services e.g. boreholes, relief food etc., providing scholarships to needy youth, infrastructure like big church buildings, preaching and catechetical lessons.
Over the years of doing mission, challenges have been inevitable. We have noticed insufficient and inadequate catechesis. Lack of teaching materials and resources due to absence of a fully self-reliant church, a kind that is self-ministering, self-support and self-propagating. Catechesis that is not properly structured, a kind that does not respond to the challenges of the people of our time. Scandals within the Church particularly those by pastoral agents, clergy, religious, catechists etc. Lack of or absence of elaborate strategies within the church. Lack of qualified personnel who have the capacity to stand the challenges of mission.  In most cases such challenges have been aggravated by several reasons. Minimal or lack of ministerial involvement in some key pastoral areas. Very few priests involve themselves in teaching and catechizing. Absence of rich and nourishing breaking of the Word of God. Poor homilies by pastoral agents who do not prepare their homilies adequately. Celebration of liturgies that are devoid of spiritual nourishment. As a result, fruit of mission activities are not as expected. More members of the Church are lost to other churches. Less Catholic presence in some important and key areas of society to do mission by witness.
The mission month of October calls for better strategies of doing mission where agents of evangelization begin to be more strategic and responsive to the new trends of mission. Build a Church that is a family where members feel at home and are motivated to be active and participate in mission. Make the Church be a worshipping Community where prayer and spiritual exercises centered on the Word of God touch the hearts of the people. Mission calls for more effort in contributing resources to make the Church self-reliant so that resources are available for various programs and needs of the local Church.
Coincidentally, the mission month is the month of the rosary. This reawakens the role of Mary in Mission. Mary is a real advocate of mission. When she tells Jesus “they have no wine” at the wedding in Cana (Jn 2:1-10), she calls Jesus into action and especially when she tells the servants ‘do whatever he tells you’. She has the same call to the agents of evangelization today. That we do whatever Christ tells us. The rosary devotion comes in this time as strong prayer for the success of mission activities and again as a reminder that mission is doing as instructed by Jesus the owner of mission.