Well the first real taste of winter has finally hit us. Even though we know its January and that it was bound to occur at some point, it is still a shock to the system. It seems a perfect time to start “Fanning the Flame” (notice that play on words there … thank you, I’ll be here all week!). As promised I wanted to touch a little more on the “Fanning the Flame” program that begins this week and how EVERYONE can participate in some way.
As you probably know by now the program is based on the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (which I’ll refer to as USCCA). The USCCA is a publication of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Now when a Catholic hears the word “Catechism” 2 words probably pop into their head: long and boring. However this book and program is set up to debunk both of those myths. The USCCA admittedly is a rather thick book. However, it is divided into 36 relatively short chapters. It also includes personal stories of people of faith, and is a little easier to read than a normal catechism. It is a good resource to have not just for this program, but to keep as a reference in your home, or to show to someone who wants to know more about the Catholic faith. If you did not order the book through church last month, we do have a few extra copies available for purchase. You can also go to the “Fanning the Flame” website, www.ftfdiobelle.org and follow the ordering information using the special discount code provided for the diocese (DB1212). It is also available at the usual online outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble at a discounted price. OK, step 1.
Step 2 is to take advantage of the materials being provided by the diocese. For each chapter of the USCCA (we will focus on one chapter per week) there will be a “Chapter Guide” provided. This guide can be gotten again off of the “Fanning the Flame” website, or you can go to the homepage of our website, www.maryhoc.org and find the link. There is a printer friendly version which you can download and print out (I will also put some copies of this version in the back of church with the other Fanning the Flame materials). There is also a fuller version of the chapter guide online which includes more material and references, and sometimes also a video. People who either live in or have ties to our diocese write these chapter guides. Some are priests and religious, some are lay people. They share their personal stories based on the chapter of the week and also provide reflections and questions for discussion. I have also included a link on our homepage to an online version of the USCCA in case you do not have one or if you do not want to invest in one at this time. Also as the year goes on there will be other materials available such as articles in The Messenger and bulletin items.
Now, the third and final step is to decide how you want to participate in the program. You are invited to join us for discussion of each chapter on Tuesday evenings at 7:00PM in the Parish House. You are also free to form or join your own group to discuss the chapters. There are discussion questions in the USCCA itself and also in the Chapter Guide. You can go to the Fanning the Flame website for a calendar of which chapter will be focused on during which particular week, or you can adjust your schedule as you see fit. If you wish not to participate in a group, you can participate individually. Read and reflect on the chapters in the USCCA and read the chapter guides. Also, everyone with internet access can go to the Fanning the Flame website and sign up to be a part of the e-mail list which provides the materials for each week as well as other news. There are also links to other neat opportunities such as the Fanning the Flame Facebook page and blog. And of course, we all can pray for the success of the program and for a fulfilling year as the diocese celebrates the 125th anniversary of its founding. Those who are not residents of our diocese can still participate in the program. The materials are out there and available for everyone to access and take advantage of. Do you know someone who is not Catholic but may be interested in the faith, or maybe has just asked questions in the past? This program would be a good starting point. Again, there is something available for everyone.
I’m excited about this program because I think at times we are so focused on the religion programs for children and other things, that we adults sometimes ignore ourselves when it comes to ongoing catechesis. This is an opportunity to learn in an informal way at little expense, taking an hour or so of time each week during this year (there will be a break some weeks around Easter, during the summer, etc). I’ll do my best to keep you updated on the latest through the website and I look forward to participating with you.
This weekend the high holy days for football fans continue as we are in the midst of the NFL playoffs. One of the games will feature Tim Tebow of the Broncos, who as you know has gotten a ton of press (both good and bad) for not just his play on the field, but for his Christian background and his openness in his beliefs. He has not asked for all of this publicity, but he has done a remarkable job focusing on his play while also dealing with the spotlight. I think he is a great role model and I’ll be rooting for him this Saturday (especially against the hated Patriots). I may touch on his situation a little more in a future blog.
Have a great week. FAN THAT FLAME! Peace.
