Reader’s Journal for the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
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- United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
- Book of Blessings: Approved for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and Confirmed by the Apostolic See (Roman Ritual)
- Catholic Moral Theology in the United States: A History (Moral Traditions)
- The Catholic Catechism: A Contemporary Catechism of the Teachings of the Catholic Church
- Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church
I heartily agree with the statement from the introduction to Reader’s Journal: “(it) provides rich opportunities to articulate your faith and to reflect on how to live that faith in new and deeper ways.” As the book’s full title suggests, this is a companion to the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults (2006). I recall being impressed by the quality and content of that work, then putting it on my shelf, where it sat largely unused.
A trial run with the Reader’s Journal changed all that. I read over the ideas for using the journal for individuals, groups, and RCIA candidates. They started with “refer often” to the suggested pages in the catechism as you approach the parallel read-reflect-respond and meditate-pray-act sections in the journal. Conceivably, the journal could be used as a stand-alone; however I decided to give it a full try. I chose to cover one chapter (Bring about the Obedience of Faith) over two days, and to read all the pages in the catechism and write all my responses. The result was amazing. I have long thought about a spiritual journal, now I had started one. I spent about 40 minutes the first day, writing a summary of my thoughts before quitting. The next day I began by rereading what I had written, then worked through the remaining sections. Again, I closed with a paragraph on the whole experience. Altogether I spent about an hour.
The themes that bubbled up are closely related to my life in the here and now as well as expectations for the hereafter. I was pleased with the things I wrote and the decisions that evolved; obviously the Spirit was at work. Determined to make this journal activity a regular exercise, I tried several of the scheduling options from the introduction to find the best fit for me. I also began recommending the catechism - journal practice to my friends, especially those in faith sharing groups.