THE PEOPLE EDUCATED

IN THE FAITH
 STAGES LEADING TO MATURITY OF FAITH

• There are six broad stages that lead humans to a relation

of mature faith and friendship with Jesus the savior.

1.Announcement of Faith
• This is the stage of evangelization when the proclaimer
simply preaches the Good News to humans, like the
sower who goes out to his farm and throws the seed on
his field (Mt. 13:1-23)
 STAGES LEADING TO MATURITY OF FAITH

2. Listening and Wondering Acceptance

• This is the initial reaction of anyone who simply allows

the seed to fall into the field of his conscience and
wonders what the Message has to offer.
 STAGES LEADING TO MATURITY OF FAITH

3. Watering the Faith

• It is the stage when the proclaimer realizes that the field

is tentatively well-disposed and comes back to insist ‘in
season and out of season’ in order to help bring about
total acceptance.
 STAGES LEADING TO MATURITY OF FAITH

4. Conversion

• This is the stage when the recipient has weighed the pros
and cons of the Message and under the impulse of the
hidden Spirit makes the definite commitment of
acceptance.
 STAGES LEADING TO MATURITY OF FAITH

5. Initiation

• At this stage the proclaimer and the believer join hands

in order for the recipient to allow himself to be initiated
into the Jesus-style. This is an initiation of the believer
to assimilate the content of the Good News and grow in
its path.
 STAGES LEADING TO MATURITY OF FAITH

6. Living Faith

• This is the final climactic stage of the joint task of the

proclaimer and the believer, the stage where the
proclaimer and the believer become in turn proclaimers
with their respective mature Christian testimonies. There
is no passivity rather a living, dynamic or enterprising
faith.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

A. GENERAL TARGET
Q. To whom shall we announce the Gospel to?
A. ‘To all nations’ (Mk. 16:5)

- The general target of catechetics is everyone, it is a limitless

universality.
- Christian faith is open ‘to all people of good will’, there is no
social, cultural or racial category to be discriminated against.
- The openness of the Good News is to all
 
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS
- There are different approaches for varied groups of
particular interest to the Proclaimer of the Message:

1. Scriptural Approach
• In the Bible, the proclamation was primarily and exclusively
to God’s Chosen People, the Israelites
• In the New Testament, the target became less exclusive &
the message extended to the Gentiles , since ‘for God there
are no favorites’ (Gal. 2:6)
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
• in the Church’s approach, she wishes to stress her
proclamation to various groups:
a. To different social groups
a.1. to those who do not know Jesus and his Gospel
a. 2. to those who received the faith and seek to nourish
and mature in the faith
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
a. To different social groups
a.3. to those Christians who are not in full communion
with her
a.4. to the non-believers, products of secular world and
of different forms of atheism
a.5. to non-practising Christians
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
b. To different age groups

b.1. infancy – special duty is to parents and the family

circle. The 1st roots of religious and moral life appear at
the beginning of human life.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
b. To different age groups
b.2. childhood - is the period when the horizon is expanded from
the family circle to the school or the social circle. The child must
learn to balance or compare the ‘absolutes’ of the family
background against the ‘absolutes’ of the classmates/playmates.
• the role of the teachers and the proclaimers help the child
balance both sides
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS
B. CONCRETE TARGETS
2. Ecclesial Approach
b. To different age groups
b.3. adolescence – the stage of final or most important decisions that
will affect most of his future (career, job, state of life, etc.)
• The proclaimer must be aware of these and must learn to approach the
young and present the Gospel to them in the right perspective of their
longings, anxieties and also their quest for independence, vision, &
self-assertion.
• ‘Catechesis cannot ignore the changeable aspects of this delicate period
of life.’ A catechesis must not ignore the adolescent’s great questions –
self-giving, belief, love, & sexuality’.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
b. To different age groups
b.4 adulthood – the period of pragmatism. The period of quest for
security & stability. This is the time when the adult’s faith must be
constantly illumined, developed & fortified.
• Catechesis for adults is the principal form of catechesis, because it
is addressed to the persons who have the greatest responsibilities
& capacity to have the message in its fully developed form.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS
2. Ecclesial Approach
b. To different age groups
b.5 aged – the period of realism, when a man becomes aware that his
youth is past, the best of his energies already spent, and he ca look
forward to but memories.
• This stage may be difficult to deal with, & the worst that the
proclaimer can do is to take them for granted.
• They need to be granted the place they deserve in society – ‘the place
of the experienced’, and when recognized, accepted & properly
attended to, they play an important role in society.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
c. To Special Groups
c.1 The Out-of-School – their lack of training and excess spare
time can lead to potential social risks. The proclaimer has to learn
to approach them and guide them along the right path.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
c. To Special Groups
c.2 The Maladjusted – refers to children & adolscents of alienated
parents. May include the drug addicts and young criminals. This may
also refer to adults who haven’t found their place in society, have
the wrong job or environment.
• The proclaimer has to infuse in them a sense of Christian optimism &
of courageous stimulation to try their best in any concrete situation.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
c. To Special Groups

c.4 The Professionals – refers to decent professionals (teachers,

doctors, economists, etc.
• The proclaimer has to be prepared to bring to them the proper
harmony between their profession and religion.
 SOCIAL TARGET OF CATECHESIS

B. CONCRETE TARGETS

2. Ecclesial Approach
c. To Special Groups
c.5 The Handicapped/disabled – comprise the physically, mentally,
skillfully, the financially handicapped even the jobless.
• The proclaimer has to be aware of these groups’ difficulties and
bring them to the message of liberation, to bring them to an
authentic sense of redemption.
• -end-