JESUS TODAY

JESUS TODAY.

The General Directory for Catechesis emphasizes the importance for catechists to be well-grounded in their understanding of Jesus. It notes from John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation titled Catechesi Tradendae that “at the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth” (n. 5), and then continues: “In reality, the fundamental task of catechesis is to present Christ and everything in relation to him. This explicitly promotes the following of Jesus and communion with him; every element of the message tends to this”

(n. 98). Pope John Paul II’s ApostolicLetter Novo Millennio Ineunte, at the close of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, calls us to spend quality time “contemplating the Face of Jesus.” He writes: “‘We wish to see Jesus’ (Jn 12:21). This request, addressed to the Apostle Philip by some Greeks who had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover, echoes spiritually in our ears too during this Jubilee Year. Like those pilgrims of two thousand years ago, the men and women of our own day—often perhaps unconsciously— ask believers not only to ‘speak’ of Christ, but in a certain sense to ‘show’ him to them. And is it not the Church’s task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make his face shine also before the generations of the new millennium?

“Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face. The Great Jubilee has certainly helped us to do this more deeply. At the end of the Jubilee, as we go back to our ordinary routine, storing in our hearts the treasures of this very special time, our gaze is more than ever firmly set on the face of the Lord’ (n. 16, emphasis added).

Thus, in the course titled JESUS TODAY, we strive to respond to Pope John Paul II’s call by reflecting on Scripture, Tradition, and our lived experience. Together, as a community of faith, we can be enriched by the sharing of our wisdom community.

Highlights of the Seven Articles

As in the past, we offer seven articles by well-known experts in their fields. Each one brings a unique dimension to our understanding of Jesus within the context of the twenty-first century. This year you can discover references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church to support and ground your conversations in solid Catholic teachings. Thus, we encourage you, as the leader, to have easy access to the Catechism during your sessions.

As Pope John Paul II encourages us to contemplate the face of Jesus, so our authors will navigate readers through a number of interesting portals for faith formation. Arthur E. Zannoni tells us that Jesus used stories to teach his followers about how they should live. He writes about the importance of prayer, meals, Jesus’ prophetic role, and the significance of parables. Finally, Zannoni invites us to learn how to “dialogue with the text” of the Scriptures.

Bill Roberts focuses our attention on the authentic meaning of discipleship. He introduces us to five ways that we can renew our oneness with Jesus. The visible and tangible signs of such a Spirit are expressed in the “fruits of the Spirit,” as Roberts expands their meaning for us. Fundamentally, he demonstrates that our discipleship is rooted in our baptism.

Jim Forest immerses us in a deep reflection on the Beatitudes as a compact version of all of the teachings of Jesus. He helps us see that it is possible for us to cultivate the spirit of the Beatitudes in meaningful ways in our everyday lives.

Father Joseph Lackner’s first article invites us to consider and explore Jesus within an Asian context. Today we are finding that many cultures around the world are seeking to define Jesus within their own cultural context. Father Lackner explores the Asian culture. Building on what the Asian bishops stated in their Asian Synod document, we are encouraged to participate in their journey and grasp insights for our own spiritual journey.

In Father Lackner’s second article, we are introduced to the Hebrew Scriptures and early Christian writings that enable us to deepen our appreciation of Love, Jesus, and the Eucharist. For Christians, Lackner states, the Eucharist is the most profound symbolic experience of God’s love. Since the Holy Father announced a special year dedicated to the Eucharist, this article is appropriate for this year’s course.

In her article about Jesus and the Church, Kelly S. Johnson states that “there is no Church unless there is Jesus now.” Just as Jesus himself mingled with the fringes of society, so we, too, will find all sorts of people in his Church, and we must be friends with all of them. Johnson reminds us to become “alter Christus.”

Finally, Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski’s article is to be read in light of all the previous articles. Building on them, she introduces the reader to the historical evolution of devotion to the Heart of Jesus. She explores the meaning and relationship of “a sacred heart” to “The Sacred Heart” as a ground for spiritual formation. She indicates that an intentional, loving presence to God and to one another and a nurturing of the Reign of God are the foundations for understanding our personal covenant with the Heart of Jesus.

Serving as a Leader

If you have facilitated other courses in the Catechist Formation Program, you will be somewhat familiar with the format.

By popular demand, a Leader’s Overview is included with each session. This overview offers a synthesis of the article, key points to highlight, and suggested responses for the questions posed. A new development in this course is a short list of additional readings and video selections recommended for each article. A number of parishes have expressed a desire to expand the time with the participants and additional recommended support materials. We hope the recommended additional readings and video selections are helpful. If you know of additional support material that may be of help to other leaders in our program, we recommend you go to our course Discussion Board website and post them in the appropriate session (see www.udayton.edu/~cat).

Each of the seven sessions in this course includes a Session Plan study sheet for the leader and the study circle community. Here you will find clearly stated the objectives for each session. Each person participating in the course is expected to be able to identify that these objectives were reached by the end of the session.

The three movements of each session focus on participants: (1) sharing personal experiences on the topic of the session; (2) reading the article and dialoguing around the statements posed in Beyond Our Backyard; and

(3) exploring opportunities to apply thematerial to their personal and community lives by reflecting on each question in Bringing It Home.

The course also has an optional online discussion board for each session. If you are interested in being on a list serve mailing to remind you of an upcoming online discussion, send your e-mail address to: angela.Zukowski@notes.udayton.edu. The discussion board website address is www.udayton.edu./~cat. Once you are on the first page of the website, locate “Discussion Board” at the bottom of the page. Click it. Then

• Click on the session to which you want to post your ideas or questions.
• Read what others have written from their reflections and conversations with their study circle group.
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Here is a box for you to post your contribution to the discussion, either ideas or questions.
• Once you have completed typing in your message click POST. You are not finished!
• You have a chance to read what you have typed before it actually gets posted on the discussion board. If you are satisfied, click POST again! Please note that you need to click POST twice.

It may take a few minutes for your additions to the conversation to appear on the discussion board. Be patient. If you have any problems with posting, contact richard.drabik@notes .udayton.edu. He or a member of our IPI Team will assist you.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy the JESUS TODAY course. We are aware of the fantastic experiences participants are having in their study circles. There is no doubt that your faith will grow through your reading, reflection, conversations, faith sharing, and praying within the context of this course.

In Novo Millennio Ineunte, Pope John Paul II writes: “Duc in Altum! (Put out into the deep.) These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever’ (Heb 13:8)” (n. 1). As you journey through this course, we encourage you to “Duc in Altum!”

In the General Directory of Catechesis we read: “Those who are already disciples of Jesus Christ also require to be constantly nourished by the word of God so that they may grow in their Christian life” (n. 50). And in the Catechism of the Catholic Church we discover: “To catechize is ‘to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God’s eternal design reaching fulfillment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of Christ’s actions and words and of the signs worked by him’” (n. 426).

Whether you are participating in this course for adult faith formation, catechist formation, or spiritual enrichment, we hope that your personal relationship with Jesus in and through your community of faith will be enhanced as you engage in theological reflection on who Jesus is for us today.

Leader’s Background

This course is part of a collaborative venture between The University of Dayton and Catechist magazine which affords you and those whom you will lead the opportunity to take part in a small-group learning experience known in education as “study circles,” combined with e-learning. Through this model, your experiences and insights, along with those of the members of your group, will be placed into dialogue with leading experts in theology and catechesis.

The Catechist Formation Program has been used very successfully in a wide variety of settings from urban to rural. It seems particularly suited to today’s hectic, fast-paced, and changing lifestyles that leave little time for catechists to get to courses at a particular location or time. It also has worked well in geographical areas of the country and in other parts of the world where there are few theological and catechetical resources.

This year we are proud to offer JESUS TODAY, a short course that explores how we are to live and understand Jesus in the twenty-first century. This course will introduce you to biblical, theological, and pastoral insights from a rich variety of sources. You are invited to challenge the participants in your study circle to explore their current perception of Jesus and to be able to name or articulate what they think and believe.

You will find the authors of the articles that constitute this course to be thought provoking and insightful. Each one is deeply committed to Jesus, grounded in the Church’s Catholic teaching, and enthusiastic about finding new ways to inspire disciples for Jesus. Thank you for agreeing to lead and facilitate a small group of learners in this course at your location. While we do not expect you to become a great Christological scholar, we do hope that our readings, reflections, and study circle conversations open new portals for considering Jesus today.

The most important aspect of the program lies in the quality of the interaction between the members of your group. The sharing of experiences, the exchange of ideas and insights, and the personal and group reflection and prayer are what this course is all about. Thus, your role in the group as one who guides and stimulates this interactive learning process is critical to the success of the course.

Whether you are familiar with the format of this program or are new to the Catechist Formation Program, we feel confident that you will find this model to be very straightforward and easy to use. These course offerings are not intended to be an entire study program or part of a larger curriculum. However, you may decide to expand these courses into an extended program to meet your specific parish or diocesan needs. In either case, each individual course is offered originally throughout the publishing year in the pages of Catechist magazine. These courses are designed to complement, not replace, the diocesan and parish efforts at catechist or adult formation programs.

Our goal is to offer a flexible, convenient, at-your-location means for adult and catechist formation in order to deepen one’s knowledge and understanding of our Catholic Christian Tradition and our own faith, while earning a graduate credit from The University of Dayton or a continuing education unit (CEU). The course may also satisfy requirements in some diocesan catechist certification programs. You will need to check with your diocesan office of religious education or catechetical formation to determine its applicability. Further, more and more parishes are using the Catechist Formation Program as a complement for ongoing adult faith and lay ecclesial leadership formation, as well as an extension of RCIA and parish retreat programs.

Study Circles for Collaborative Adult Learning

The Catechist Formation Program is designed to be experienced in a small-group setting rather than as an independent, individual study. The basic format is that of the Swedish-born concept known as “study circles.” The study circle is a well-tested, practical, and effective method for small-group adult learning. Study circles are voluntary, informal, democratic, and highly participatory. They assist participants in confronting challenging issues and exploring new avenues of learning. Cooperation and participation are stressed so that the group can capitalize on the experience and insights of all its members. In a study circle, although there is a facilitator, all are teachers and all are learners. Each member has something valuable to contribute. No one person serves as the content expert. However, one or more persons may bring to the conversation a wealth of applied pastoral experience and study of the content area.

Also, recent experience in many United States parishes with small Christian communities has taught us much about the power of small groups in helping individuals meet their need for fellowship and experience personal and spiritual support and growth. Using the study circle approach, The University of Dayton Catechist Formation Program will offer participants basic insights into new ways that people are experiencing and defining the meaning of Jesus today in light of Catholic teaching.

This course is divided into seven articles originally appearing each month in Catechist magazine. The articles, together with the study guide for each session, are designed to motivate the members of your study circle to engage in critical reflection, discussion, and faith sharing in an exciting learning experience. In the Leader’s Guide you will also find additional reading references and recommended supplemental video and website recommendations to enhance your faith-learning journey.

The study circle methodology as it is used in this program combines the strengths of e-learning (electronic/Internet learning), adult small-group learning, formal and informal education, and the power found in small Christian communities into a new approach to catechist formation. This is more than a correspondence course. It is a program requiring interaction between three or more people sharing ideas, insights, and practical applications for one’s particular ministry.

Using This Guide

This guide was designed for you, the facilitator of the group, whether you are a parish director or coordinator of religious education, a catechist, a school principal, a pastoral associate, or pastor. It contains instructions to assist you in leading each of the seven group sessions required for completion of the course.

To help you in your task, we have included an Introductory Handout (see pages 8-12) for course participants. Copy and distribute this handout to the participants prior to the first group session of the course. It will help participants orient themselves to the course, its content and goals, intended learning outcomes, and the requirements for successful completion. It also provides some perspectives on the learning methodology used in the course—a method inspired by a process known as “theological reflection.” Finally, it provides directions on how to participate in the online discussion boards for each session of the course.

Roles of the Facilitator

As facilitator of a study circle of catechists, you probably enjoy working with people, desire to help them learn, and possess some abilities as a communicator. You may be the parish DRE, CRE, or principal who initiated the course, or you may have been asked by one of these people or someone else, perhaps the pastor, to serve as facilitator. In any case, the course assumes no special expertise on your part, either in theology or group facilitation. If you have such expertise, of course, so much the better.

The designers of this course wanted to create an experience of learning that any group of catechists could enjoy and profit from, regardless of the availability of a professional catechetical leader. The following are some of the roles that you as facilitator are asked to assume for your group:

Prayer Leader: In addition to promoting learning, this course also asks participants to pray together. In that sense, prayer and praying is an integral part of the group’s experience. The people who gather for this course have a common bond in faith and shared ministry. Prayer is their vital connection to God and to one another. Prayer is one of the principal ways in which the Holy Spirit works through the group. We encourage you to compose your own personal prayer or to select a prayer from the daily misselete, the Scriptures, or a favorite spiritual reading or prayer book to set the tone of your study circle’s theological reflection and discussion.

Catalyst: In order to make this course a great learning experience for those in your group, your contribution is essential. You will serve as the catalyst for the group—the glue that holds the group together initially, and the spark of enthusiasm that keeps things moving. You will need to create a hospitable environment for your group so that the members feel comfortable and welcome. Depending on the nature of the group, you may want to consider meeting in a home setting. Some groups of catechists or Catholic school teachers meet after their regular classes once a month. In that way, teachers do not have to come out for an extra evening. One of the advantages of this program lies in its flexibility as far as meeting time and place are concerned.

Rule Maker: In addition to creating a positive climate in the group, you should be aware of your role as rule maker. This means that you will help the group establish its own set of rules and norms for the good order of the group. Norms within a group will be both conscious and unconscious. Conscious norms are those that the group sets explicitly. At its inception, every group needs to arrive at some consensus about how the group will operate and what behavior is deemed appropriate. Agreement on a few simple and clear ground rules will help participants understand the nature and purpose of the group and facilitate ownership on the part of the participants toward acceptance and mutual goals for the group. Here are some ground rules that might be helpful. (This list is not exhaustive. You can find this list on page 13 in a reproducible format that you can copy and hand out to study circle participants at your first gathering.) Attendance. It is important, of course, for participants to attend all scheduled study circle meetings, and to notify you in advance if they cannot attend a meeting. Preparation. Participants are expected to be prepared for each study circle meeting and to complete the work required before coming to the meeting. Listening. Attentive, respectful listening is important for critical and reflective thinking. Deep listening is important if participants are to understand what others are attempting to communicate and share with the group. At times, one might paraphrase what he or she hears another is saying. This has the effect of checking with the speaker to be sure one’s perception is accurate.

Respect for the experiences of others. Everyone’s experience is valid. While participants may disagree, they must accept another’s experience as part of who that person is. Confidentiality. Confidentiality further supports effective dialogue. Therefore, whatever is shared in the study circle group is regarded as private and should remain within the group. Tolerance of disagreement. Disagreement is going to happen. People of good will can and do disagree about important issues. It is vital for participants to understand another person’s position before disagreeing.

Gatekeeper: You function as a gatekeeper when you convene the study circle group. You also serve as a gatekeeper when you draw out those who may tend to hold back and not speak much, and tactfully steer the discussion away from those who try to dominate the conversation. You will have both types of people in your group.

Taskmaster: In this capacity it will be your job to keep the conversation from straying too far afield while guiding the group toward the attainment of its goals. Since this is a course and not simply a social gathering, there are certain learning objectives that each session is designed to accomplish. It will be your job to keep the session on track. Thus, before you begin each session, carefully read the “Session Objectives” section of the Session Plan. You may do this a few days early so you feel comfortable as you navigate the group forward.

Timekeeper: Each session is intended to last about an hour and a half. Please note that if participants wish to receive the one CEU for the course, they are required to spend a minimum of an hour and a half for each session in conversation, striving to understand the desired outcomes for the given session. It is crucial that you begin on time and end on time. If participants see that you are beginning on time, they will make every effort to be there on time.

Conducting the Sessions

Your most important role as facilitator is to be the discussion or conversation leader. In this capacity, you may need to ask questions of the participants to keep the discussion moving. Thus, it is important for you to be the best-prepared person in the room, having read the material, thought about the questions, understood the desired outcome, and perhaps even done a little outside research to gain background knowledge. If you do not have a Catholic or theological library immediately available and you have access to the Internet, go to the course website www.udayton.edu/~cat, click on web links, click on Theology Library. There you will find additional articles, Church documents, and readings. If you have any problems, contact angela.zukowski@notes.udayton.edu.

Asking the Right Questions

Don’t hesitate to rephrase a question from the Session Plan that you think is not understood by the participants. Some types of questions ask that two things be compared. For example, you might ask, “How did the author of this article complement or differ from the last article we read?” Other questions, known as “concretizing questions,” ask for examples or illustrations of a general point or principle. Still other questions might ask for simple recall of facts from one of the articles. Meaningful questions, or so called “why” questions, attempt to elicit opinions about how participants perceive the meanings of events or words.

Learning to “Do” Theology

Adult Catholics today are searching for new ways to be faithful. They are yearning for answers to questions about how to live and what directions to choose in the midst of our fast-paced, technologically driven culture in which time is the most precious commodity, rivaling even money in value. Questions of meaning and purpose in life—our real questions—have been dealt with in many different ways through time.

On September 11, 2001, not only did our world change, but our religious consciousness was heightened concerning world religions. We discovered that—in small towns and large cities—people began talking about Islam and Christianity, delving deeply into questions such as “What is similar or different in how various religious traditions perceived Jesus?” “To those who have a different perspective, how can I explain who Jesus is for me?” “Where can I find answers to some potentially difficult questions that may be asked of me from family, friends, or colleagues in my ministry or workplace?”

Furthermore, The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson) and The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) sparked other avalanches of theological conversations around the topic of Jesus. Magazines, journals, and TV and radio newscasts have focused on the Jesus Quest more in the past five years than perhaps in the previous 50 years. We are being challenged like no other time to come to terms with authentically naming who Jesus is for us as Catholic Christians. “Theological reflection” is a process that helps us “do” theology, not merely learn theology. “Theology,” stated St. Anselm “is faith seeking understanding.” Thus, theological reflection is all about considering what we personally experience and believe in light of Scripture, Catholic Tradition, and the faith community’s lived experience.

Using theological reflection, we not only learn what the Church teaches about Jesus, but we engage in conversations with the theology presented and ask questions of it as it relates to our everyday lives. We gain new insights from the richness of the Church’s Tradition, or wisdom, and explore ways to place this wisdom within the context of our life today.

Through this process, we are asked to examine our experiences carefully, extracting from them deeper meaning, images, and voices. We hope that out of this conversation will emerge some new connections with God’s presence and purposes for ourselves. We hope to discover new directions, new visions of the future, new ways to live together in response to God’s ever-present call.

Session Structure Before each session: Each session involves a reading assignment from that month’s article in Catechist magazine. As facilitator, you need to be familiar and conversant with the material for each session prior to the study circle gathering. Therefore, carefully review the Leader’s Overview and the Session Plan for each article. Session objectives: Each Session Plan includes a list of “Session Objectives.” By the end of a session, participants should be able to articulate and understand the objectives listed for that session. As facilitator, you need to read these objectives thoroughly and be prepared to direct the participants through the session with these objectives in mind. Sharing experience: This process involves participants remembering or imagining some aspect of their experience in relation to the topic of the session. Sources of experience may be one’s own personal experience; one’s attitudes, convictions, and beliefs; or a reflection on diverse religious cultures and their symbols, assumptions, and mores. Sharing experiences is designed to introduce the theme of the lesson and help participants connect with it. Beyond Our Backyard: This portion of the session aims at appropriating the key information from the resource article. The purpose is to help participants understand and clarify what it is that the author of the article is saying and what he or she means. Bringing It Home: This portion of the session places in conversation issues and insights from the participants’ personal experience. In this section, it is hoped that participants will gain insights that might help them grow in faith and be able to apply these insights to their lives. The emphasis here is “What do these learnings say to me in my life?” and “How am I called to respond?”

Questions

If at any time your study circle requires further insight and/or direction from the authors or program coordinators, we encourage you to write, telephone, or e-mail with your questions. You may contact:

Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH,

D.Min. The Institute for Pastoral Initiatives The University of Dayton 300 College Park Ave. Dayton, Ohio 45469-0314 (937) 229-3126 (937) 229-3130 (fax) angela.Zukowski@notes.udayton.edu

Questions regarding the administration

of the program should be directed to: Catechist Formation Program 2621 Dryden Road, Suite 300 Dayton, Ohio 45439 1-800-558-2292, Ext. 1140

Concluding the Course

In addition to meeting seven times with the study circle, participants must complete the following course work:

To earn a Graduate Credit (one):

1. Participate in readings, sessionpreparation, and discussions.
2. Write and submit an eight-to-tenpage academic paper. (See “Application Paper” below. Also see “Application Paper Guidelines” on the Introductory Handout on pages 8-12.)
3. Complete and submit the FinalObjective Assessment of the major outcomes of the course,

answering two questions from

each session. (See “Final Objec

tive Assessment” below. Also see

“Final Objective Assessment

Instrument” on the Introductory

Handout on pages 8-12. The Final

Objective Assessment instrument

appears in a reproducible format

on pages 54-55.)

Papers for graduate credit should be typed with appropriate footnotes and references as necessary. Additional reading and reference materials are highly recommended to support the position articulated in the academic paper. Be sure to complete and attach to each paper a copy of the Application Paper Cover Sheet that appears on page 56.

In February 2005 a letter and graduate course registration form are sent to each person who registered to take the course for graduate credit. This is a final confirmation that the participant is on the right credit path. The form is to be completed and returned in the enclosed self-addressed envelope to The Institute for Pastoral Initiatives of the University of Dayton by March 2005. If you do not receive such a form by the end of February, call (937) 229-3126 or send an e-mail to angela.Zukowski@notes.udayton.edu to have a form sent to you.

Final Procedures

At the conclusion of the last session of the course, your work as facilitator is almost over, but not quite. The following are the procedures necessary to ensure that your study circle participants complete their course work in order to obtain graduate credit or their continuing education unit (CEU) from The University of Dayton.

Before June 1, 2005, you should send the following items to:

Catechist Formation Program

2621 Dryden Road, Suite 300

Dayton, OH 45439

1. The Verification of AttendanceForm (see page 57) with the names of all those who have completed ten contact hours of attendance and expect to earn a

continuing education unit or a

graduate credit. Please note that

the term “contact hours” does not

include preliminary reading and

preparation time for the study cir

cle sessions. On this form, be sure

to identify your study circle by

parish and location.

1. Each participant’s applicationpaper (see “Application Paper” below), with an Application Paper Cover Sheet (see page 56) attached.
2. For each participant earning agraduate credit, include a Final Objective Assessment (see “Final Objective Assessment” below).

Transcripts with graduate grades are sent out from The University of Dayton in late August or early September.

Application Paper

In addition to participating in the study circle sessions, participants earning a CEU or a graduate credit from The University of Dayton must complete a paper that integrates insights gained from the course. If participants are planning to design a lesson plan for their application paper, they need to follow the Guidelines for Developing Your Lesson Plan. (See pages 52-53 in the Appendix. You may copy these pages for your participants.) Participants who plan to develop a lesson plan as their Application Paper are to follow these guidelines, or a near adaptation, for completion of the course. Designing effective lesson plans is a critical skill for all catechists.

If participants opt to write a theological reflection paper rather than a lesson plan, a list of possible topics to explore is included in the section titled “Reminder of Course Requirements” in the Introductory Handout (pages 812). Participants are not limited to these topics, however. These are only suggestions designed to stimulate the religious imagination and creativity of course participants.

Note: Tell all participants to make copies of their Application Paper for their files. This is good record-keeping and serves as a security measure in the event the paper is lost in shipping. Also explain to participants earning a continuing education unit that their Application Papers will be returned to them only if they include a self-addressed, stamped envelope at the time they submit their paper. Participants earning a graduate credit will receive their Application Papers with their final grade.

Final Objective Assessment

The Final Objective Assessment instrument appears on pages 54-55. This instrument is designed to measure some of the knowledge and understanding that were gained from the course. We ask you as the course facilitator to review these questions with your study circle participants.

Participants desiring one continuing education unit do not need to submit a written response to this instrument.

Participants seeking a graduate credit must complete the instrument individually, answering two questions from each session and submitting answers to Catechist by June 1, 2005. These may be submitted with the par-ticipant’s Application Paper.

Certification

June through August the Executive Editor and staff will review all papers. Following this review, participants will be mailed a certificate in September indicating their completion of the course for one continuing education unit (CEU) or one semester hour of graduate credit. If anyone needs earlier verification for the completion of the course, please contact Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, D. Min at (937) 229-3126. A letter of verification of completion will be sent immediately.

Evidence of completion of this course may be accepted by diocesan offices of religious education as part of their catechist certification requirements. This will vary from diocese to diocese, however. Contact your local diocesan office for more information.

General References

Catechism of the Catholic Church.

United States Catholic Conference

of Bishops, 1994.

The Catechetical Documents: A Parish Resource. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1996.

General Directory for Catechesis. The Vatican: Congregation for the Clergy, 1997. Published in the United States by the Untied States Catholic Conference, 3211 Fourth St. NE, Washington, DC 2001-1194.

Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States. United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, 2000.

Also:

Fleischer, Barbara J. Facilitating for Growth. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1993.

Hellwig, Monica and Michael Glazier, eds. The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1994.

Killen, Patricia and John deBeer. The Art of Theological Reflection. New York: Crossroad, 1994.

Additional bibliographies and video selections related to each session are included at the end of each Session Plan.

Introductory Handout

Earning Credit

This program was conceived and designed as a convenient and accessible parish-based, quality formation experience. It also affords you an opportunity to receive a continuing education unit (CEU) or a graduate credit through The University of Dayton. If you need a continuing education unit from your particular state, we recommend you contact your diocesan religious education or Catholic schools office to process the necessary documentation. We will be happy to work with those offices in filling out the appropriate forms for your state Department of Education. Depending on the requirements of your diocese, this unit may apply toward diocesan catechist certification. You or your parish DRE/CRE should check with your local diocesan office of religious education to determine if and how this program fits into its catechist certification process. If your diocesan office has any questions, please have someone from the office call us at (937) 229-3126.

Course Methodology

As you begin your study of JESUS TODAY, it is important to keep a few things in mind concerning the kind of learning experience in which you are about to engage.

First, as we alluded to above, in becoming a part of this course you are joining a special kind of learning group. This group is known as a study circle. Originally begun in Sweden, study circles are very different from a traditional classroom format, in that normally there is no one in the group who serves as the “teacher.” There may not be an on-site expert in the subject matter. However, the DRE, chairperson of the religious education department, pastor, associate pastor, deacon, or director of campus ministry may have some formation and training in the field. In study circles, all are learners journeying together toward learning goals. Some of those goals are set by the participants; some are predetermined by the design of the program. Your study circle has a facilitator who will help guide the group toward its goals and see to it that participants interact with the material and with one another. But the responsibility for your learning is very much on your own shoulders. Like many things in life, what you gain from the course depends on you.

Second, being part of a study circle is much like being part of a community. You will be developing relationships with the participants of your group, and much of the learning that takes place will come through those relationships. There will be a great deal of interaction with one another in the group and with the authors of the material you will be reading. You will be expected to assimilate information during the course of your meetings, and to analyze it, critique it, synthesize it, and apply it in many ways. We hope that you will feel free to contribute your insights for the good of the group. Your study circle needs your unique contribution.

Third, the framers of this program assume that when you approach the study of JESUS TODAY it is not for purely intellectual reasons, simply to gain more knowledge and understanding. We assume that you come to this study partly for reasons of your faith. As a catechist and/or adult Catholic, you are seeking to understand who Jesus is for us today in light of Scripture, Tradition (Catholic teaching), and your own lived experience.

Since September 11, 2001, our world has changed in many ways. As if this were not enough, the impact of the film The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson) and the book The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) has triggered one of the greatest avalanches of conversations concerning Jesus in modern times. TV and radio talk shows, the Internet (websites, chat rooms, and discussion boards), and hundreds of magazines, articles, and related books have invited everyone to reflect upon and talk about Jesus in a challenging way within the public forum—more so than in the past 50 or so years. Catechists are challenged as in no former time to understand how we in the Catholic Church hold Jesus at the center of our faith. Furthermore, we need to articulate how our belief in Jesus influences how we live our everyday lives.

Catholics in general need to be able to enter into these conversations in an informed way. These conversations will not go away in the immediate future. All indications point to a growing reality of inter-religious dialogue for a richer and clearer understanding of what religions have in common— not only what makes them different. Since Jesus is the foundation of our Catholic faith, it is imperative that we continually come to terms with who Jesus is for us and what Jesus means for the world within which we live. This conversation requires that we employ the process known as theological reflection. More than teaching theology, theological reflection is a process that enables us to think theologically. St. Anselm put it in a very simple way: “Theology is faith seeking understanding.” Thus, our journey in the coming months is a journey of faith seeking understanding in an exploding new religious and cultural environment of the twenty-first century.

Session Structure

The general framework of theological reflection is a process that involves placing our individual and communal experience into conversation with the wisdom of our Tradition in ways that

©2004, Peter Li, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce this page for use with your study circle.

challenge and transform both ourselves and the lessons of the Tradition. We have incorporated the movements of this process into the design of our sessions so that each session consists of the following steps:

Sharing prayer: We encourage you to begin your session with prayer. Prayer creates an atmosphere of openness to God’s presence and a willingness to enter into self-communication during your conversation. Prayer enables you to be centered, or focused, as you open yourself to others, to deeply listen to what you hear, and to express yourself honestly, based on your theological reflections on the readings. Prayer sets the tone for your study circle.

Sharing experience: This step usually consists of a reflection exercise that invites you to remember or imagine some aspect of your experience in relation to the topic of the session.

Session objectives: This step requires that you focus on the desired outcomes of the session. You will want to test your learnings against these objectives during your conversation.

Beyond Our Backyard: This step aims at appropriating the key learnings from each resource article. The purpose is to understand and clarify what the author is saying and to determine implications. The aim of this step is to gain deeper understanding about Jesus as found in Scripture, Church teachings, and theological insights offered by the authors of the article. The questions in this section are fairly factual and are intended to clarify your understanding of the article. You will be asked to prepare your answers to this section prior to the group meeting.

Bringing It Home: This step places the issues and insights from your experience into dialogue with the gleaned wisdom of the author. St. Paul witnesses through his life and teachings that our faith life is a journey calling us to keep on running the race for a more intimate relationship and knowledge of Jesus. In Philippians 3:10-16, we read: “All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his suffering by reproducing the pattern of his death. This is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you, my brothers and sisters, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come. I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upwards to receive in Christ Jesus. We who are called ‘perfect’ must all think in this way. If there is some point on which you see things differently, God will make it clear to you; meanwhile, let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.” Then in 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul challenges his readers to be active and animated as we strive “to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”

Like Paul, we are not perfect yet. In one sense, we never arrive but are always arriving at a deeper understanding of who Jesus is for us. Each stage of our life deepens our understanding and relationship with Jesus. Who Jesus is for us in our teens is different in our early, middle, and older adulthood. During different stages of our life, Jesus asks us: “Who do you say that I am?” Hopefully, our responses become deeper, richer, and more demonstrative in action and being. So, Bringing It Home is all about exploring this inner journey. This step in the process attempts to ask the “so what” questions. In this section, you will gain personal insights that might help you grow in faith, as well as the ability to integrate these insights into your life. Implications for catechists: Because you and most of the course participants are catechists, one of the desired outcomes of the process is that you gain some new insights into how you can apply what you learn to the catechetical setting in which you minister. This portion of the session offers some suggestions and asks additional questions to deepen your study circle’s conversations. We encourage you to hold and balance your conversations in light of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and your faith wisdom community.

Implications for adult faith formation:

A growing number of course participants are adults eager to learn more about their faith. Some are engaged in lay ecclesial leadership/ministry or work with the RCIA parish program. Others are on the great journey of strengthening their relationship with Jesus through prayer, study, and ongoing theological reflection. We encourage you to apply the insights of this portion of the session to your particular situation.

Course Objectives

Last year the Catechist Formation Program focused on New Testament Worlds: Faith and Culture at the Crossroads. We discovered that the writers of the New Testament were telling the story of Jesus not just for posterity but for the people of their time. Their approach had to include an awareness of the culture of their contemporary audience—its religious and social traditions and its political and economic structures. The New Testament course is a great preparation or introduction for this year’s course: JESUS TODAY.

In Novo Millennio Ineunte, Pope John Paul II signals the importance of our theme this year and the challenge we must embrace. He writes: “Duc in Altum! (Put out into the deep). These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever’ (Heb 13:8)” (n. 1). Yes, during the coming months you are invited to “Duc in Altum!”—to put out into the deep and explore your faith with confidence. In speaking to some of the great memories of the Jubilee celebration, the Holy Father goes on to say: “But if we ask what is the core of the great legacy it leaves us, I would not hesitate to describe it as the contemplation of the face of Christ: Christ considered in his historical features and in his mystery, Christ known through his manifold presence in the Church and in the world, and confessed as the meaning of history and the light of life’s journey”

(n. 15).

Inspired by the Holy Father’s words, we “put into the deep” in the months ahead. In designing this course, we have formulated certain desired learning outcomes. By the end of the course we hope you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of prayerin the life of Jesus and how/when he used prayer
• Come to know the prophetic side ofJesus in his role as teacher
• Learn about the use Jesus made ofparables as a method of teaching
• Understand the meaning of disciple-ship
• Realize that it is through your ownbaptism that you are called to participate more deeply in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus

• Be able to explain the meaning of theBeatitudes
• Understand the covenant betweenGod and Israel described by the prophets as involving each person’s heart
• Appreciate the opportunities andchallenges that face different cultures in coming to speak of Jesus within their specific cultural context
• Become familiar with the Asian faceof Jesus
• Realize that the love between Godand humanity is experienced most profoundly in the sacrament of the Eucharist
• See how the Church is really a com-munity of Jesus’ friends
• Understand the mission of theChurch in the world for “building up the Kingdom of God”
• Explain the relationship between TheSacred Heart and having a sacred heart for living one’s faith
• Appreciate a biblical spirituality andthe development of the devotion to The Heart of Jesus
• Explore new ways to understand themeaning of The Sacred Heart for today

Course Content

The course contains three key components:

1. The seven articles originally appear-ing in Catechist magazine, written by noted writers in pastoral theology and catechesis.
2. An accompanying Leader’s Guidecontaining Session Plans and other material that your study circle facilitator will duplicate for you.
3. An optional component is the onlinediscussion for each session. These are not required. However, the online discussions offer you an opportunity to broaden your interaction with others across the country and from other parts of the world. The discussion boards will be activated on the dates below. If you wish to be included in a list serve to remind you, send your e-mail contact information to angela.Zukowski@notes.udayton.edu. The dates for the online optional sharing sessions are:

Session 1: October 10-17 Session 2: November 7-14 Session 3: December 12-19 Session 4: January 16-23 Session 5: February 20-27 Session 6: March 20-27 Session 7: April 17-24

Reminder of Course Requirements

1. Reading.Prior to each study circle session, you will be expected to read the corresponding article from Catechist. This reading is essential if you are to get the most out of the course. It is also vital for engaging in quality group conversations. In addition, prior to each session, you should read the Session Plan for that session. This is your study circle’s guide for navigating through your conversations. Each Session Plan will be copied and given to you by your facilitator a few weeks before your study circle meets. Writing your answers to the questions in the sections titled Beyond Our Backyard and Bringing It Home will help you get more out of the article and greatly enhance discussion during the sessions. The optional website discussion boards may further advance your interaction with participants from around the United States and the world once you have completed your local group’s conversation.
2. Contact hours.You are asked to attend and actively participate in all study circle sessions, which, in most cases, will be held monthly for about 1 1/2 hours. This will satisfy The University of Dayton’s requirement for contact hours.
3. Application Paper for a CEU or agraduate credit. If you are taking the course for a CEU, you will be required to submit a three-page Application Paper by June 1, 2005, that demonstrates your ability to use the knowledge gained through the reading and the discussions in a real-life catechetical setting. You may choose to develop a lesson plan or write a theological reflection paper. If you are planning to design a lesson plan, you are to follow the Guidelines for Developing Your Lesson Plan, available

from your facilitator. (These guidelines are found on pages 52-53 in the Appendix of the Leader’s Guide.) If you choose to do a theological reflection paper, you must discuss some of the implications of the points of the course to modern situations, including footnotes if necessary. See “Suggested topics” below. Your Application Paper should be type-written. If you would like your Application Paper returned, you must include a self-addressed, stamped envelop when you submit the paper. Make a copy of your Application Paper for your files. This is good record-keeping and serves as a security measure in the event the paper is lost in shipping.

If you are taking the course for a graduate credit, you will be required to submit an eight-to-ten page Application Paper by June 1, 2005, that demonstrates your ability to use the knowledge gained through the readings and the discussions in a real-life catechetical setting. You may choose to develop a lesson plan or write a theological reflection paper. If you plan to design a lesson plan, you are to follow the Guidelines for Developing Your Lesson Plan, available from your facilitator. (These guidelines are found on pages 52-53 in the Appendix of the Leader’s Guide.) If you choose to do a theological reflection paper, you must discuss some of the implications of the points of the course to modern situations, including footnotes if necessary. See “Suggested topics” below. Your Application Paper should be typewritten. Make a copy of your Application Paper for your files. This is good record-keeping and serves as a security measure in the event the paper is lost in shipping. Your Application Paper will be returned to you with your final grade.

Suggested topics: The following list represents some possibilities for topics for your Application Paper as either a lesson plan or a theological reflection paper. You are not obligated to limit your paper to these topics. They are offered here to stimulate your creative thinking as you formulate a topic for your paper.

• Discuss how Jesus was a storytellerand how he used stories and/or parables to communicate the meaning or heart of his message to the people of his culture in a creative and stimulating manner. How can we follow Jesus’ methodology today?
• Our baptismal covenant calls us todiscipleship. What is the meaning and challenge of discipleship today?
• How would you teach the Beatitudestoday? Or select one of the Beatitudes and elaborate on its implications for following Jesus today.
• Write a paper that explores theopportunities and challenges for communicating who Jesus is in different cultural contexts.
• Explore a new idea that emerged foryou when reading about the Asian face of Jesus.
• Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on theEucharist (Ecclesia de Eucharistia) offers new challenges for considering the Eucharist in our lives today. Write a theological reflection on the encyclical in light of Fr. Lackner’s insights.
• We are called to do whatever we canto heal the wounds of the world: to feed the people of the world; to advocate for the imprisoned of the world; to broker the peace of the world; to work to end racism and all the other isms that afflict the downtrodden; to build the Kingdom of God in this world. How can you and/or your parish/class-room embrace this reality in a prophetic manner?
• Explain your understanding of havinga sacred heart in tune with The Sacred Heart.
• Articulate your personal theology ofThe Heart of Jesus in light of Zukowski’s article, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the insights of Pope John Paul II.

You are free to select other themes or topics that may be relevant to your local context or interest.

4. Final Objective AssessmentInstrument. Toward the end of the course, your study circle facilitator will give you a copy of the Final Objective Assessment instrument, consisting of questions formulated from the objectives for each session. This tool will enable you to evaluate your mastery of new knowledge and learning outcomes achieved from the course. If you seek to obtain a CEU, your study circle facilitator only needs to indicate on the Verification Form (see “Verification” below) that you have acquired the basic information and outcomes of the course. You do not have to write out your answers to the questions unless this is required at your local site. If you are seeking a graduate credit, however, you must complete the Final Objective Assessment instrument by submitting your answers to two questions for each article. This needs to be type-written and sent with the Application Paper by June 1, 2005. Make a copy of your Final Objective Assessment responses for your files. This is good record-keeping and serves as a security measure in the event the paper is lost in shipping.

Summary of Course Requirements To earn a Continuing Education

Leader’s Overview

Suggested Responses to Beyond Our Backyard

A. Zannoni sees prayer as a necessary part of life, as a place from which to make decisions about life, as a context in which to make the choice to follow Jesus. Prayer is a time to listen to the presence of God in our lives. In as much as Luke puts prayer into so many of the events in the life of Jesus, we perhaps need to re-read that Gospel and focus on Jesus in prayer—and what that has to say to those of us who claim to be his disciples in this twenty-first century.

B. Jesus’ last two prayers in the Gospel According to Luke, offered from the cross, were indeed very different. First, Jesus prayed for those who were responsible for his death—that they may be forgiven. This speaks to us about how we need to forgive our enemies and anyone who would mistreat us. Second, Jesus’ final prayer comes directly from the Book of Psalms. Here Jesus is “commending” his spirit back to God—meaning that he is returning his “breath of life” to God who is Creator. This should remind us that our Creator God has given us everything, even life itself.

C. We should begin by noting that a prophet is not one who tells the future, but one who is a spokesperson for God, who reminds us of the need for fidelity to the covenant and for concern about social justice in our world. Additionally, this long-awaited prophet is intended to remind us that the endtime has begun. The Kingdom of God is upon us, and it is now up to us to help bring about that Kingdom.

D. A parable is a story with a meaning thrown alongside. This means that there is an additional meaning which encourages us to juxtapose one thing with another to see a different reality other than the story itself. Jesus used parables to make his points about life. He told stories about subjects with which his listeners were familiar. “Hidden” within that parable or story was a meaning that told the people about the Kingdom of God. We, too, can learn from such stories, although we must work to understand the stories—which aren’t set in a milieu with which we are familiar today.

E. In n. 546 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the presence of the Kingdom in the parables of Jesus is considered to be the heart of the parables. “One must enter the kingdom, that is, become a disciple of Christ, in order to ‘know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.’” Thus, Jesus is asking folks to make a radical choice in order to gain the Kingdom. He asks us to give everything—not just to speak the proper words but to act on behalf of the Kingdom.

F. “Dialogue with the text” is a phrase that Zannoni uses to tell us how to approach a parable. We need to read the text of a parable carefully and study its context, characters, and any plot devices. By doing so we can usually find within the parable a meaning for ourselves today. Zannoni provides a series of questions to help us do just that.

G. If we have studied Scripture, we know that the Gospels are not intended as biographies of Jesus, but rather as KERYGMA—or reasons to believe what Jesus told us. Thus, we need not get stuck on whether the Sermon was made on a plain, as in Luke, or on a mountain, as in Matthew. Rather, we need to look at the teachings of Jesus and determine what they are saying to us in this twenty-first century.

Beyond Our Backyard

From your reading of the article by Arthur E. Zannoni, respond to the following questions:

A. What is the role of prayer in Jesus’ mission to teach, and where do you learn most about this in the Gospels?

B. Describe Jesus’ last two prayers as presented by Zannoni from the Gospel According to Luke. How and why do they appear to be “different”?

C. What bearing does Jesus’ prophetic role have on his teachings and on the practice of our faith today?

D. What exactly is a parable and how/when did Jesus use parables?

E. Explain what the Catechism of the Catholic Church considers to be the “heart of the parables,” as well as how and why that is so.

F. What does Zannoni mean by “dialogue with the text” of a parable?

G. What do you think was the intended purpose for writing the Gospels? Be as specific as possible, using examples from the Scriptures.

Bringing It Home

Reflect on the following questions, record your reflections, and be prepared to share them with your study circle.

1. Compare the two versions of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-15 and Luke 11:2-4). How are they similar and how are they different, and why do you think that is so? Remember the audiences for whom they were written.
2. 2. Tell your favorite parable from Jesus and explain the main message you hear today in that particular parable.
1. Can you write your own parable or do you know one from another setting? Read it or tell it to your study circle and ask participants to share their ideas about the meaning to be found in that parable.