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"The Lord of the Rings, the classic by J.R.R.
Tolkien, is about a journey, a journey
that may be compared to that of
Jesus and to the journey of Augustine,
which he describes in his Confessions.
The journey of the ring bearer and that
of his friends, is a journey of the heart.
Frodo makes a free choice to carry
the ring to Mount Doom in order to
destroy it, even though he does “not
know the way.”
None of the members of the
Fellowship, in fact—not even
Gandalf—truly knows the way. As
the battle continues—to save Middle
Earth from Sauron—their journeys
take them on unforeseen paths.
Our goal in teaching about baptism
is to explore with learners the nature
of Christian initiation as a journey
that sometimes leads us on unforeseen
paths.
REFLECTIONS ON INITIATION
Christian initiation is a lifelong
journey of faith. And catechesis is an
essential element of the journey. For
catechumens, catechesis both precedes
and follows baptism. For those
baptized as infants, catechesis follows
baptism and nurtures the baptized in
fulfillment of initiation in the celebration
of confirmation and Eucharist.
Beyond initiation, we are increasingly
aware that growing in discipleship
with Christ is a lifelong process. In this
process of initiation and growing in
discipleship, we can identify some distinct
experiences characteristic of the
journey of faith for believers.
The experience of encountering Jesus through the gospels
Initiation requires a comprehensive formation
that is more than just learning
the truths of faith. Catechesis for initiation
nurtures a personal relationship
with the Christ of the gospels through conversion of life, so that the Christian
lives his or her baptism and so enters
more deeply into the mystery of Christ.
The experience of community
Through initiation the person becomes
a part of the church community and,
with the community, learns to live and
celebrate the faith, share it with others,
and serve his or her sisters and brothers.
 The experience of ritual and celebration
In the parish community learners experience
ritual and symbols which are
linked to their life as much as possible.
They learn to turn to God in prayer, individually
and with others.
The experience of companionship
Christian companionship is also
important for sharing and guidance
in living the faith. Depending on the
age and situation of the learner, the
companion might be a member of the
family, a friend, a catechist or teacher,
or another adult leader or mentor.
The Christian experience of time
With the faith community and in
their personal lives, learners also have
a Christian experience of time, both
in the unfolding of the liturgical year
and the sacraments, as well as in the
unfolding of their own story as part of
salvation history.
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING DIFFERENT AGE LEVELS
Here are some specific ways to share
with learners the idea of our lifelong
journey as Christians.
Primary-age children
- With primary-age learners you can
make or acquire a simple poster
showing our journey during the
liturgical year. If you teach first and
second graders, talk about only one
season at a time; gradually they
will experience the connection.
- Sing songs about the journey and about community,
suited to their age level.
- Play musical chairs but replace
the music with a list of words
related to your theme. When you
say the key word (e.g., “Jesus” or
“gospel”), the children sit down.
-
Pray together for families in the
parish, country, and world.
Intermediate-age learners
- Prepare a picture of a tree. Have
the children work in small groups
and write on index cards important
elements of our growth in faith.
Mix all the cards up, then ask the
children to match each one to a
tree part (foundational elements at
roots, etc.).
- Have the children sit in a circle and
ask each child to take off one shoe
and put it in the center. Each is
then to choose a shoe not his or her
own. Talk about trying to walk in
another person’s shoes, then about
walking in the shoes of Jesus.
- Ask the children to work in groups
and prepare a simple prayer based on
a certain object or symbol representing
a journey, for example, a walking
stick, a bag, a road, and so on.
Middle-school learners, youth, highschool
learners, adults, and intergenerational
gatherings
- Prepare a “Christian Survivors’
Journey” in which learners go
from one table or desk to another, gathering information or acquiring
objects they need for their lifelong
journey.
- Let them experience a simple
prayer labyrinth (representing a
journey) in which you set up a
circular path (using rug samples or
heavy pieces of paper) that narrows
as it goes toward the center.
- If possible, arrange a visit to a
nearby shrine or a church other
than the parish church. The visit
will be in the form of a pilgrimage,
with a brief tour and prayers said at
the site.
CONCLUSION
On our individual faith journeys, we
each have our own burdens to carry,
our own mission to complete, our own
lessons to learn. But as catechists and
teachers we are also invited to be companions
to learners on their journey.
The journey, which began with the gift
of life from God, does not end until
our return to God. On this part of your
journey, decide on two practical ways
the effects of Christian initiation can
have a greater impact on your own life
and your teaching mission, and take
action. RTJ
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This article is excerpted from Into the Fields: Catechist and Teacher Formation for the Whole Community (