Catechetical Sunday to recognize all who hand on the faith to others

Each year, all people who pass on the Word of the Lord to others are recognized during a celebration known as Catechetical Sunday.

The Church established Catechetical Sunday, which is always celebrated on the third Sunday in September, to recognize and celebrate the gift that catechists give to their parish community by volunteering their time for the faith formation of children. The day also reminds all Catholics to consider ways we are witnesses for Jesus Christ. During commissioning ceremonies held in parish churches throughout the country, all Catholics have the opportunity to rededicate themselves to the mission of passing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel as a community of faith.

For this year’s Catechetical Sunday observance on Sept. 15, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has selected the theme of “Lord, when did we see you hungry?” The theme comes from chapter 25 of St. Matthew’s Gospel, when Christ explains the kingdom of God through the parable of the sheep and the goats. In the parable, God rewards those on his right, for they saw him hungry and gave him food. When they question, the Lord then says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

This year’s theme connects the importance of catechesis to the ever-important call of missionary discipleship. The work of catechesis calls the faithful not just to education, but to mission. The USCCB website states that “We are called to be Eucharist by word and action to our brothers and sisters in Christ.”

The use of the word “Eucharist,” from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving,” is a testament to the Catholic faithful’s collective identity as the Mystical Body of Christ. Through the work of catechists, the Body of Christ grows in understanding and holiness, as the teachings and values of the Gospel are handed on to future generations.

The word “catechesis,” as well, comes from Greek, meaning “to echo,” or “to resound.” Catechists are those who, either professionally or informally, echo the Word of God, allowing it to resound more clearly in the world.

While many catechists minister in religious education programs, serve on Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults processes or faith formation groups, there are countless others who teach within the domestic sphere.

Parents and guardians, as the primary educators and catechists of their children, are specially honored on Catechetical Sunday. The family is often referred to as “the domestic Church,” and so it is only fitting that the title of “catechist” be bestowed on parents raising children in the Church.

As Pope Francis writes in his 2013 apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”),“On the lips of the catechist the first proclamation must ring out over and over: ‘Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you’.”’

It is this proclamation, that is so fundamental to Christian living and Catholic doctrine, that serves as the basis for Catechetical Sunday and giving thanks for all who humbly carry on the mission of evangelization and helping others to come to know the love of God.