Vero Aguilar, together with her husband, Guillermo, drives the apostolate from the Evangelizers from Full Time in Guatemala. Both are Permanent Missionaries of the Regnum Christi family and Vero also collaborates in the School of Faith. Both is preparedo to live the Jubilee of Catechists, one of the events of the Holy Year 2025, which will take place from September 26-28. From her experience in pastoral service, Vero shares reflections on catechesis and the life of the catechist, highlighting the challenges of proclaiming Christ with creativity in today's world and the need to always keep clear the goal that guides and sustains the evangelizing mission.
«Come Holy Spirit, enlighten me to share your love with those you have placed in my hands, fill me with you because I cannot give what I do not have....». How many of us who are catechists carry this prayer in our minds and in our hearts? in our hearts before each catechesis... And the fact is that the. catechesis, contrary to what many people think, is much more than a religion class. Es rather the process of share, initiating, educating and forming believers in the catholic faith, of help them, to everything, to meet Jesus.
For many, the work of a catechist may not be the most spectacular or relevant, but it is the most important and the most important.he importance in the life of the Church catolic is fundamental. Do you remember your first catechist? I lovingly remember my mother talking to me about Jesus, the Virgin Mary, my guardian angel, telling me biblical stories. With gentleness, she awakened in me, from a very young age, an enormous illusion to receive Jesus and to make my prst Communion.
Through catechesis, the Church ensures that the Good News is assimilated and lived. It takes us patiently hand in hand through the different stages and moments of life. and we nourishes us to nurture of the Word of God, . celebrater sacraments and to prepare to be a witnesss from the faith in the world. For many people, the image that comes to mind when they think of catechesis is that of children preparing for their First Communion. It is in childhood that we open ourselves to the faith, but it is also necessary during adolescence when things get turbulent, and then during adulthood, to persevere and strengthen the reasons for our faith. God has allowed me to serve him for many years in adult catechesis. I collaborate in an apostolate that seeks to form Catholic leaders with a solid faith so that they may be multipliers in the environments in which they move: the School of Faith Catechetical Institute, apostolate of the Regnum Christi. I have been able to see, time and again, in the faces and lives of my students, how thehe catechesis gives us reasons to believe. No she, In this way, faith is weakened and runs the risk of remaining a simple tradition without a soul.
We celebrate and give thanks for the gift and the call to be catechists.
Being a catechist is a don of God and a privilege. Pope Francis instituted in the year 2021 the Ministry of the Catechist in his Motu Proprio Antiquum Ministerium. Hablaba of many catechists «capable and tenacious people who carry out an irreplaceable mission in the transmission and deepening of the faith.». It is a call to serve Him in a ministry that nurtures the whole Church. These are just a few of the many reasons by the that, as catechists, we can and must celebrate this call.
Being a catechist es a sacred service. We join in the evangelizing mission of the Church, continuing the work of the apostles and all those who have transmitted the faith throughout history. It is also a ministry of growth. In teaching the faith, we ourselves are constantly challenged to deepen our own relationship with God. ¡NWe se are the first catechizandos! Y es a source of joy. Seeing faith blossom in the hearts of others is one of the greatest joys one can experience. Over the years it has been a real joy for me to see my students' eyes light up when they discover something new, to see in their faces the illusion of learning or when they tell me with emotion how the readings made sense to them at the misa.
Join to the Jubilee Year of the Church
Cs catechists, this Jubilee Year of the Esperanza is an invaluable opportunity to renovating our vocation. This special time is an occasion to reflect on our service, ask forgiveness for our faults and renew our commitment to follow Christ with greater fervor. It is an opportunity to und efforts and learn from each other. The Jubilee invites us to celebrate with our brothers catechists, sharing experiences, supporting each other and growing together in faith.
It is an opportunity to receive special thanks. The Jubilee years are a time of grace, indulgences and closeness to God. Participating actively allows us to benefit spiritually from this gift of the Church. Helps us to fortalizing our training path. Por every Catholic, but especially for a catechist, formation is a continuous process in every sense, as a person, as a believer, as an educator in the faith.
The desafío de la creativity: .nnouncing Christ in the ma world of hoy
We live in a world saturated with information and messages that often compete with or contradict the values of the Gospel. Faced with this panorama, like catechists confrontsmos the challenge of being creatives to present the message of Christ in an attractive, relevant and meaningful way.
Creativity does not mean inventing a new doctrine, but rather finding new ways of communicating an eternal truth. Loday's catechists need connecting the Gospel with real life. To show how faith responds to people's questions, sufferings and joys. The Gospel is not a distant theory, but a light that illuminates our daily reality. We need utilizing new languages and media. This may include the use of technology, social media, music, art, film or personal witness. The Church needs to be present in the places where people are, especially young people. And we also need crear significant experiences. Catechesis should be an encounter that touches the heart, that invites reflection, dialogue and the celebration of faith.
By being creative, we not only make catechesis more interesting, but we demonstrate that the Gospel is always new and that Jesus Christ is the living answer to the concerns of every generation.
Caring for my catechist's heart
The center of my life as a catechist cannot be a method or a program, but the person of Jesus Christ. Years ago I knew the story of an incredibly talented catechist who drew extraordinary caricatures for his students. He said that each of his cartoons was born of prayer....
Catechesis is born of our personal encounter with the Lord. It is this transforming experience that kindles the desire to share with others what we have received: the love of God, the joy of the Gospel and the hope that only He can give. The catechist is not simply a transmitter of knowledge, but a witness who gives a reason for his hope.
Our goal as catechists should always be to lead others to their own personal encounter with Christ. My goal should be that my catechizandos not only learn facts about the faith, but also come into a living and deep relationship with the Lord, thus transforming their lives. What do we do? moves to serve as catechists? Our motivation The main reason for this can be none other than love of God and love of others. It is the desire that others may experience the same joy and peace that we have found in faith.
