Discipleship is at the heart of the Gospel. As catechists, we seek not only to form others in the foundations of the faith, but also to model for them what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in today’s world.

In the gospel reading for the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Jesus instructs his disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” (Matthew 28:19-20). These words hold great meaning for me as a catechist, and I often reflect on them in light of how I can best help those I teach become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

One thing that is on my mind as the school year comes to an end is how to improve next year’s catechetical session. I reflect back on my experience this year working with a group of children going through the RCIA process, and evaluate how well this work has gone. What have I done to prepare my class to live as disciples of Jesus, and what improvements could I implement for my next group?

In the gospel of John, chapter 13, Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. He demonstrates service to others, deep compassion, and mercy with this gesture. In verses 14-15, Jesus tells the disciples, “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” With this, Jesus shows us that our love for him must extend to service for others, in what we say and in what we do.

Forming young disciples is far more than instruction: It must also change their lives. We must help those we teach to come to a lived experience of Jesus’ new commandment, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another,” (John 13:34).

Pope Francis is a contemporary model of discipleship. In his first papal encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, the “Joy of the Gospel,” catechists will find a clear picture of what it means to live as a disciple in our time. In this apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis gives the example of Mary as the first disciple and model for us. Mary’s “interplay of justice and tenderness, of contemplation and concern for others, is what makes the ecclesial community look to Mary as a model of evangelization,” (288). Evangelii Gaudium closes with a beautiful prayer honoring Mary, challenging us to have the courage to “seek new paths….bear radiant witness to communion, service, ardent and generous faith, justice, and love of the poor, that the joy of the Gospel may reach the ends of the earth…”

As summer begins and we begin to plan for the upcoming catechetical year, let’s reflect on the following questions:

1. How does the gospel passage of the Washing of the Feet relate to my task as a catechist or teacher?
2. How does Pope Francis’ life model discipleship? How can I incorporate this in my teaching?
3. What areas of growth are needed in my role as a disciple? As a catechist or teacher?

Anne Campbell is a Senior Sales Representative for RCL Benziger.

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Me duele mucho ver que nuestros hijos están bombardeados por los medios de comunicación, que presentan una idea equivocada de la sexualidad reducida solo al plano biológico e instintivo. Se les presenta como una búsqueda de placer desconectada de un compromiso personal y afectivo. En cambio, la sexualidad vivida en el matrimonio cristiano es preciosa y buena porque es reflejo de un amor inmenso y total entre los esposos, como el amor de Cristo por su Iglesia. La sexualidad es el mejor modo de comunicarnos como esposos, la forma más perfecta de decirnos: te amo. “La sexualidad es fuente de alegría y agrado” (Gaudim et Spes 49). Para conseguirlo, hay que saber integrar en la sexualidad, todos los aspectos del amor matrimonial, lo sobrenatural, instintivo, biológico, afectivo, y lo espiritual.

Tenemos el gran desafío de dar testimonio de vida a nuestros hijos desde cuando nos enamoramos hasta el final de nuestras vidas, mostrándoles que la sexualidad es un don maravilloso que Dios nos ha regalado como matrimonio, que nos ha permitido ser inmensamente felices, que nos abrió a la maravilla de ser padres y de permanecer unidos en las tormentas de la vida. En este caminar juntos en la vida cotidiana no vamos solos, contamos con la presencia de Dios.

Debemos recordar que fuimos creados por Dios distintos y complementarios para relacionarnos desde la femineidad y la masculinidad. La sexualidad está inscrita en nuestra naturaleza humana que es cuerpo y espíritu. Somos seres sexuados desde nuestro origen hasta el final de nuestros días.

La sexualidad afecta a toda la persona en las distintas maneras que tenemos de sentir, actuar, pensar y de manifestar amor. Nunca se cierra en sí misma sino que está ordenada al diálogo y a la relación interpersonal. Se manifiesta en la comunión del yo y el tú en un nosotros; como dos ríos que convergen en un mismo mar.

Hemos de preocuparnos de mantener vivo nuestro amor que crece y se nutre de la donación y entrega de uno mismo en una unión total, fecunda, realizada en el encuentro conyugal. El acto sexual revela cómo estamos como matrimonio, si nos sentimos verdaderamente amados, respetados, y apreciados. Aquí se integra todo lo que nos pasa en la vida diaria, lo que sentimos, nuestras alegrías, nuestras penas. Esta es la culminación de un verdadero encuentro donde convergen la admiración, el interés, la ternura, el deseo de hacernos mutuamente felices y de estar juntos para siempre.

Paulina Sotomayor es graduada en ciencias religiosas y actualmente da clases de teología y bioética para la Arquidiócesis de Washington, DC.

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God is love and in himself he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating the human race in his own image… God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion. - Catechism of the Catholic Church #2331

Human love is a fantastic mystery. God, our creator and the one who loves us beyond understanding made us with a longing; a desire to connect intimately, to please and to sacrifice for another. The mystery of attraction is fascinating. In my own experience I met my husband on a blind date. A college friend set us up and her words to me were, “He is very nice, but not that cute.” What I experienced at first sight was totally different than her assessment. His eyes were a clear vivid blue, inviting and kind. I felt totally at ease in his presence and we found much in common to continue an easy conversation throughout that first date. Why was he “the one” for me? I can only answer that with, “He was a gift from God.” There is a mystery in what attracts one person to another that was active when I first set eyes on my husband. That initial attraction led to a desire to having a better understanding of his likes, dislikes, interests, priorities, and the events that filled his days. That initial attraction left me with a desire to see him on a daily basis and to gain a deeper understanding of him as a person. It left me with a childlike enthusiasm that left open to the gift of a budding relationship. This childlike enthusiasm reminds me of the scripture, “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it,” (Mark 10:15).

I can only imagine that the gift of attraction is similar when a man or woman experiences the call of a celibate life dedicated to Jesus. There must be a reoccurring urge to spend time with Jesus to gain a deeper understanding of Him. There must be a childlike enthusiasm and openness to build that relationship into a lasting bond.

My love had a witty sense of humor, a love of God and the Church, and impulsivity that appealed to me. I wanted to learn more about him. Do you remember what first attracted you to your spouse, fiancé, Jesus? It is good to revisit that memory and reignite that desire and childlike enthusiasm.

From this mystery of attraction and unitive desire comes an energy that witnesses beauty, truth and goodness. The beauty is each of us becomes a better person because of this loving relationship that calls us beyond ourselves. A truth that we are loved for who we are and the love that we share between each other radiates out to those we encounter. The contagious goodness that comes from the loving relationship by its very nature transforms not only us, but others.

Can you remember walking into a room and someone saying one of the following: Are you in love? What’s different? Why are you smiling from ear to ear? Do you have a secret to tell me? Revisit that time when you could not spend enough time with your love, learning and being.

Colleen has been married to husband John for 33 years; they have 5 children. She is beginning her sixth year as Director of the Family and Respect Life Office in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

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Is marriage in need of salvation? In the past, divorce rates were often used as a benchmark on the state of marriage. Today there is a growing trend for young people simply not to marry. And this same age group, Millennials are the largest generational group of “nones” or independently religious. In recent Wednesday Audiences, Pope Francis expressed great concern over the state of marriage and the family (cf. April 29, 2015). And Pope John Paul II warned us, “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live,” (John Paul II, Homily, 30 November 1986).

So what is the best response to this state of marriage and the faith? Some suggest Hardcore Catholic Millennials have a “robust attitude” about their Catholic identity, living their brand of the faith on social media. Others suggest Millennials “ache for sacramentality” found in more traditional liturgies or worship services. Is there even a relationship between marriage and religion? The Church believes so, and that relationship can be seen most visibly in the Sacraments.

As with all aspects of salvation, the Church, the Sacrament of salvation, has the best response to the needs of the world. Her best response is her Sacrament of love, the Eucharist, the source and summit of her life. In the Eucharist, we celebrate God’s loving relationship with us. The Church expresses this relationship like that of a marriage (cf. Jeremiah 16:9, 25:10, 33:11; Matthew 9:14-15; Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:33-35; John 2:7-10; Ephesians 5:22-33). The love exchanged in the Eucharist has a nuptial meaning, and thereby is to be reflected in the love between spouses (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis 27).

As members of the Church, we are joined intimately with Christ. This relationship between Christ the Bridegroom and his Church the Bride is most celebrated in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This “nuptial mystery” began in Baptism and finds perfection in the Eucharist (Sacramentum Caritatis 27). Therefore, we might look to the Salvation received in the Eucharist as a source for the Salvation of marriage today.

During this year’s liturgical celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we hear about the cup of Salvation. We drink from the Chalice of Salvation because Christ has obtained for us eternal Redemption with his own blood (cf. Hebrews 9:11-15). So “precious in the eyes of the Lord” are we that he loved us “to the end” (Psalm 116:15; John 13:1; cf. CCC 1380). And in our partaking in the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we celebrate what Christ makes possible: a permanent, faithful, and exclusive relationship between God and us.

Those qualities inherent to the Eucharist, the “sacrament of the Bridegroom and the Bride,” are the same qualities necessary for the marriage between a man and a woman (Mulieris Dignitatem 26). The union of Christ and the Church made present in the Eucharist needs to be the image of the unity of husband and wife made present in marriage. The unity longed for between those betrothed can be possible and sustained when a Eucharistic culture is infused into the state of marriage. The Most Holy Presence of Christ is that Cup to save marriage.

Only by faith in Christ may we experience the intimacy we long for in this Sacrament of love. By our participation in the life of the Church, we vow to belong to God and to one another even unto death. We promise to always and forever be God’s faithful servants in the presence of those who, too, make the same promise. Our mutual exchange of vows is possible only because of the Presence of Christ. We partake in the Body of Christ, making us the one Body of Christ, the Church. We drink from the same Cup of Salvation as the one Bride of Christ, the Church. The intimacy of spouses requires daily attention just as the intimacy of faith demands. Let us always make Christ present in marriage so there can be a growing trend of Christ in the world.

James Spurgin is a Senior Editor for RCL Benziger.

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Somos misioneros en un mundo que necesita amor y la familia es el seno en donde se forma y alimenta ese amor para llevarlo a todas partes. En muchos hogares en la actualidad vivimos muy ocupados con la rutina diaria del trabajo, escuela y otras obligaciones. Nos olvidamos del tiempo para compartir y alimentar el amor familiar. El Papa Francisco en una audiencia general de enero reflexionó sobre los efectos de la ausencia de los padres en los hijos y en las graves consecuencias de una sociedad que, en la práctica, está formada por niños y adolescentes “huérfanos”.

Como padres de familia estamos llamados a formar en amor a nuestros hijos con nuestra presencia y dedicación en cosas tan sencillas como ayudarles en las tareas de la escuela, jugar pelota, y orar juntos antes de comer. La educación, el trabajo y los logros profesionales no pueden ocupar el primer lugar en nuestras vidas porque corremos el riesgo de perder lo más importante que nos mueve y alimenta para vivir.

La mejor herencia o legado que una familia deja es la compasión, perdón, servicio y otras expresiones de amor que quedan guardadas en la memoria para siempre. Esa misión debe continuar más allá del hogar, y no caer en el error de solo amar y servir a nuestras familias o amistades más cercanas. Nuestro entorno necesita gente compasiva que esté dispuesta a servir a los demás sin interés y especialmente a los más frágiles de quienes muchas veces nos olvidamos en nuestra sociedad.

En la misión del amor podemos aprender a dejar de juzgar tanto las apariencias y darnos la oportunidad de conocer el corazón de los rechazados que quizás solo necesitan de un poco de afecto y caridad para ser transformados. También en la misión del amor podemos aprender a ser más tolerantes con los que piensan o actúan distinto, y encontrar caminos de diálogo de respeto y aprecio.

El amor es una misión que se sigue escribiendo todos los días y necesita de nuevos misioneros dispuestos a vivirlo y compartirlo. Las noticias alrededor del mundo, por lo general, no son alentadoras, pero de nosotros depende cambiar el rumbo de nuestro entorno más cercano y sembrar semillas misioneras de amor que poco a poco construyan una sociedad más misericordiosa como Jesús nos encomendó.

“Les doy este mandamiento nuevo: Que se amen los unos a los otros. Así como yo los amo a ustedes, así deben amarse ustedes los unos a los otros” (Juan 13:34).

Javier Iván Díaz es docente, cantautor y conferencista de OCP.

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When our children got engaged, we experienced both joy and concern. We observed the happy couple’s excitement as the wedding plans developed, and we hoped they were ready for what lay ahead of them.

Most couples begin marriage with confidence and high expectations, yet life together will present them with many challenges and conflicts. Marriage is risky. No couple can know what the future holds in the way of health, children, finances, and careers. They will have so many decisions to make, the most important of which is to decide to love each other and make their marriage and family a priority. We pray that they will turn to God to be their model for self-giving, generous love.

Marriage is the ultimate adventure in which every day offers new challenges and opportunities to grow both as individuals and as a couple. The way we approach the challenges and experiences we encounter determines our level of peace and happiness in our marriage.

A successful couple may say, “Many people tell us we are lucky, but we don’t believe it is luck that has strengthened our relationship over the years.” They have learned that they needed to grow closer to God over the years, to imitate God in faithfulness.

Although every couple is different, successful marriages have similar identifying marks. The fact that family life in the United States gives evidence of serious internal collapse ought to alert betrothed couples that successful marriages need careful and lifelong cultivation. In successful marriages, spouses genuinely enjoy each other’s company. They laugh a lot together. They take pride in each other’s achievements and encourage one another to undertake important life projects. They lovingly seek to meet each other’s sexual needs, and develop closeness in nonsexual ways as well. Successful couples regard marriage as a sacred religious commitment and share a similar vision of life. These couples love and delight in one another like God loves and delights in each one of us.

Consider these qualities of successful spouses and explore ways you can choose to continue to grow together and love one another. Reflect on your own marriage and on the marriages you know. If you sense a personal weakness in certain areas, don’t despair. This is the place to begin a new phase of your adventure with God’s help!

Dr. Lauri Przybsyz is the Coordinator for Marriage and Family Life for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

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Sabía que era un día especial. Su hijo y su esposa tenían cita con el ginecólogo para el examen mensual y el ultrasonido para averiguar el sexo de su bebé. David y Jessica vivían en otro estado del país. Tenían casi siete años de casados y hasta hace pocos meses habían podido concebir por primera vez. El teléfono sonó. Del otro lado se encontraba su hijo, su voz llena de gozo: ¡Mamá, ya sabemos el sexo del bebé! La madre respondió, espera, no me lo digas, voy a llamar a todos para que te escuchen. La madre llamó a su esposo y a los otros hijos. ¡Es David! ¡Vengan para que nos dé la noticia juntos! Todos llegaron y se reunieron alrededor del teléfono. La madre agregó, ¡ya estamos todos, hijo! David dijo, bueno, les quiero informar que todo va muy bien con el embarazo y… que vamos a tener… ¡un niño! La reacción no se hizo esperar, todos gritaron y aplaudieron con alegría. Hubo abrazos de felicitaciones y hasta algunas lágrimas de gozo por la noticia. No cabía ninguna duda, este bebé era ya amado y esperado con mucho gozo y anticipación.

En el relato anterior vemos la importancia de la familia como una comunidad donde se celebra la vida con un sentido de amor, pertenencia y relaciones cercanas. Cada miembro apoya, goza y celebra el bienestar de uno de ellos participando del gozo por la llegada de un nuevo ser.

Como comunidad, la familia tiene una gran misión. En la comunidad familiar realizamos nuestra dignidad y nuestros derechos en relación a otros preparándonos para la vida. En la familia aprendemos valores como la fe, el amor, el perdón, la opción por la vida, la alegría, el respeto, y muchos más. Por esta razón, nuestros hogares son sagrados. Es ahí donde celebramos y sufrimos los eventos del diario vivir.

Hay mucho bien que se puede encontrar en cada familia aun en aquellas que parecen ser disfuncionales. En particular, las familias hispanas son un poderoso testimonio de comunidad familiar donde se expresa el cuidado, el amor y la devoción familiar. Este sentido profundo de comunidad nos hace caminar juntos con amor y esperanza; compartiendo lo bueno, apoyándonos en los momentos difíciles y celebrando todas las etapas de la vida. Definitivamente, la familia es parte del plan de salvación, porque Dios nos ha creado a su imagen para que seamos partícipes de su gozo.

María G. Covarrubias es la directora de la oficina del ministerio catequético de la Diócesis de San Bernardino, California.

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Este año que pasó mi familia se reunió para celebrar las bodas de oro de mis padres. En esta celebración me di cuenta del gran regalo y ejemplo que tengo en ellos. Su fidelidad en el amor y su compromiso matrimonial sirvió para que perseveraran en este caminar por 50 años. Al reflexionar más profundamente en este evento, me he dado cuenta que, gracias a ese amor que viven ellos y del cual nace nuestra familia, he podido encontrar y llegar a conocer y entender el amor de Dios.

Cuando mis padres renovaban sus votos en la iglesia ante su hijo sacerdote y rodeado de mis otros hermanos, nietos, nueras, amigos y familiares, para mí fue un momento muy íntimo y emotivo. La celebración litúrgica me proyectó a la realidad divina a la cual nosotros, los seres humanos, solo llegamos a conocer de una manera que aunque sacramental es incompleta. Empero, al tratar de entender nuestra fe en el Dios Uno y Trino, nos basamos en imágenes, analogías y conceptos que surgen de nuestras experiencias de la familia humana. El amor, la paternidad y maternidad, la filiación, la fraternidad, la adopción, y todo otro tipo de relaciones comunitarias nos sirven como lente por el cual filtramos la experiencia inefable de la relación de amor de Dios con nosotros.

Este año, como Iglesia tendremos la oportunidad de reflexionar sobre la familia. La semana del 22 de septiembre, delegados de diócesis del mundo entero se reunirán en Filadelfia con el Papa Francisco para el Encuentro Mundial de la Familia. El lema del encuentro es “El amor es nuestra misión: La familia plenamente viva.” Con miras a este acontecimiento se ha desarrollado un libro preparatorio para la catequesis con el mismo título del lema. La catequesis que el libro brinda se centra en diez temas enfocados en la familia. Los obispos de Estados Unidos nos invitan a reflexionar y considerar cómo las familias se pueden fortalecer en estas áreas.

Como parte de nuestro objetivo de apoyar la misión catequética de la Iglesia para fortalecer a las familias, RCL Benziger ha solicitado a escritores que se destacan por su experiencia en el ministerio de familias que escriban artículos que profundicen en estos temas. Los artículos proporcionan al lector un punto de partida para la reflexión y muestran perspectivas sobre los desafíos que enfrentan las familias de hoy y ofrecen ideas útiles para apoyar y nutrir la vida en familia.

Este mes de marzo, al celebrar la festividad de San José, esposo de María y padre de la Sagrada Familia, dedicamos esta serie de artículos a San José y a la Sagrada Familia y pedimos su guía y apoyo en esta labor.

El Dr. Francisco Castillo es redactor principal para RCL Benziger, es además profesor adjunto de estudios religiosos y escritor y poeta.

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As we reflect on the journey of this year, we rejoice in the seeds that were planted to grow disciples. We rejoice in the educators who have helped to plant those seeds.

Teachers, catechists, and administrators in Catholic education are a gift from God and are some of the most inspiring people in our lives. Inspiration comes in many forms, from simple everyday life to extraordinary exceptions. In my own experience over the years, I have met educators in Catholic education that inspire by:

• helping children to see the virtue of caring for others who are in need by sharing belongings, food, and talents to help others;
• modeling prayer in times of joy when a new baby arrives in a family, in times of sadness when a family member dies, or when there is tragedy in the community;
• working to help families with ways to develop discipleship at home, through sharing ideas, offering prayer, modeling forgiveness, and giving hope to parents as their children grow through the stages of life;
• choosing the extraordinary of giving physical life to a young person by donating a kidney, standing up for a child in a family crisis by testifying in court, or accepting a child into their home and family in times of grief and hardship;
• openly saying yes to Jesus Christ by being present every day for the children, young people, and families they serve, answering the call of baptism.

I am humbled and continually inspired by these people living the joy of the Gospel. These ministers in Catholic education choose faith, and witness that faith thereby inspiring both faith and action. As committed disciples of Jesus, God has chosen these ministers, and in the words of St. Paul,

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

RCL Benziger is grateful to all ministers in Catholic education for their dedication and commitment to the teaching mission of Jesus Christ. May the upcoming summer months bring time for relaxation and reflection to once again be renewed for another year in forming disciples.

Anne P. Battes is the Publisher for RCL Benziger.

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I never grow tired of hearing the Christmas carol “Joy to the World.” Sung by the choir of angels to the surprised shepherds to announce Jesus’ birth, it triumphantly proclaims what happens when God enters our lives.

The joy affirmed in this first Christmas song is joy to the whole world, but it also expresses the joy experienced by Mary and Joseph. Jesus is God’s great gift given to them and to us. God’s incarnation of the person of Jesus makes all creation sacred and sacramental. And nowhere is this shown more clearly than in family love.

As a father of both biological and adopted children, I know some of that kind of love and joy. The joy associated with being present when new life comes into being is deep and powerful, and lasts a lifetime. While there are difficult moments ahead (ask the Holy Family), this joyfulness remains.

Pope Francis begins The Joy of the Gospel” with these words: “The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” He goes on to note that this joy, the joy of being a disciple of Christ, “is constantly born anew.” God creates the possibility of human joy and joy is a sign of God’s constant presence.

The Catholic Church teaches that parents are the first to evangelize their children, and that the Christian family is “the first school of love.” In this school of love children learn that they are loved by their parents and family, and that they are also loved by God.

This message of love is offered primarily though the thousands of parental acts that support the life of the child. The “message” is embodied in all their gestures of care and love, however small they may seem. These “acts of love” communicate the messages that the child is loved by parents, and loved by God. Love of neighbor and love of God are seamlessly connected.

We know that caring for a newborn is quite demanding. It is truly a twenty-four hour task. While different, teens are similarly demanding. Whatever their ages, children need to know that they are loved and that this love has no end. As the years pass, acts of parental care, kindness, forgiveness, and love multiply and change. Eventually the child becomes capable of returning the love that has been given.

Pope Paul VI wrote that not only do parents evangelize their children but that children do the same for parents. All acts of family love bring joy to the hearts of both parents and children. Thus, to return to the thought of Pope Francis, the message of the Gospel will reach not only to the ends of the earth but also to the depths of family life.

David M. Thomas has been a leader in Catholic Family Ministry for many years. He holds a Ph. D. in Systematic and Historical Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He has served as a consultant to the US Bishops’ Committee on Marriage and Family Life and as a Peritus to the U. S. Bishops, World Synod on Family in 1980. He currently serves as Theological consultant to the Bishops of England and Wales, Committee on Marriage and Family. He served as General Editor for the revision of the RCL/Benziger Family Life Program.

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