136 In this conference I’d like to briefl y consider four points: What is catechesis; The central role of adult catechesis; The catechumenate as the model for every catechesis; Communal dimension. What Is Catechesis? In His commissioning of the disciples which is described at the end of the Gospel by St. Matthew (28:18-20), Jesus tells His Apostles to go and to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to observe all that He has commanded. Catechesis is the name for all the efforts made by the Church to form disciples, to help them believe, so that through faith they may have eternal life in the name of Jesus, and to educate and instruct them in this life and thus build up the Body of Christ (cf. Catechesi tradendae, 1-2). Thus, catechesis is an education in faith and as such, it is closely allied with the mission of evangelization. It may be said that catechesis is a part of evangelization. Because the Church exists to evangelize, it may be said that catechesis is the right and obligation of the Church. Catechesis, just like evangelization, is not a privilege for some. Clearly, the responsibility of educating others in the faith pertains to different persons in varying degrees; nevertheless, everyone in the Church is catechized because all are called to participate in ongoing catechesis. All have been catechized—inasmuch as Jesus Christ is the only true teacher (see Mt 23:8.10), so we may have a part in His mission to the degree that we personally encounter Jesus Christ, allowing Him to form our lives and we are of a mind to be constantly educated in our faith. Likewise, we are all called to share in catechizing others, because this comes from the very missionary essence of the Church: being a light to all nations, the salt of the earth and leaven (cf. Mt 5:13-16; CC 1). The fundamental danger in this context is that from one point of view, a false conviction is held that, we, as Religious, are already suffi ciently evangelized prior to our entering the Congregation and that we are catechized in the framework of initial formation. In like manner, it could be thought that conducting catechesis belongs only to certain people who are involved in a formal program of educating children and the youth. If catechesis consists in forming disciples of Christ and helping others to believe, then it means that the process of our own formation as those who do catechizing never ends and depends on an attitude of constant conversion. Belonging to Christ is something very dynamic. In the same way, catechesis is linked to the total life of the Church and practically • • • •
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