A Beacon Of Light… Advent And The Baltimore Catechism Revisited

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON Jr.

(Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn.)

• + + As we journey through the Advent Season, I want to take a moment to reflect on the importance the Incarnation plays in our lives as Catholics.
  One of the great teaching tools of the Church has been the Catechism. Today, I want to return to the more simplified version of the Baltimore Catechism. The Baltimore Catechism explains the importance of man’s existence in the form of questions and answers. Understanding the importance of our existence with God is imperative if we are going to know who God is.
  The first lesson of the Baltimore Catechism begins by asking: Who made us? Because we are created in the image and likeness of God, we are able to answer by affirming God created us. “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth” (Gen. 1:1). Next, we are asked: Who is God? We acknowledge God as the Supreme Being, perfect creator of all things who keeps them in existence. In the Acts of the Apostles 17:28 we are told of this: “In him we live and move and have our being.”
  Furthermore, in Preface VI for Sundays in Ordinary Time this is again brought to our attention: “For in you we live and move and have our being, and while in this body we not only experience the daily effects of your care, but even now possess the pledge of life eternal. For, having received the first fruits of the Spirit, through whom you raised up Jesus from the dead, we hope for an everlasting share in the Paschal Mystery” (Roman Missal, n. 582). The Catechism continues by then asking why God made us? Many of us may remember this answer: “God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven” (Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 1). Lastly, we are asked: What must we do to gain the happiness of Heaven? We must know, love, and serve God in this world.
  Our celebration of the Incarnation, and our Advent preparation, enables us to recognize the relationship that exists between God and us. Essentially, we are not mere spectators of God, but rather, mirror images of Christ His Son. Why? Principally because we are created in the image and likeness of God, and thus, become Christ-like. In other words, through the Incarnation: “The Word made flesh, Christ takes on our human nature and raises us to the dignity of sharing in Himself.”
  Within each of us, the image of the face of Christ is indelibly marked onto our soul. This primarily happens at the moment of Baptism. On the day of our Baptism, the face of Christ is sealed, imbedded, seared, or branded onto our soul. Whatever term you like to use, this mark can never be taken away. Being “divinely marked” by God makes us sharers in the work of Christ. So, as we journey this Advent to Bethlehem, and the manger that holds the Infant Jesus, not only are we gazing on the face of God Himself, but we also gaze on the perfection that exists in us as the Body of Christ.

Far From Individual

How can we explain this in terms of everyday life? Well, the easiest way is to use the celebration of the Mass. So often there exists a misconception that attending Mass is an individual experience. Our participation at the Mass is far from individual. Rather, each time we celebrate Mass, we do so with an entire community of the faithful we call the Body of Christ, for this is who we are.
The Mass includes some important parts for us to consider. First, in the Liturgy of the Word we hear God speak to us. This happens in the same way it did on Mt. Sinai at the burning bush. God speaks His word to us so that we may come to know Him. Then in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Word spoken earlier, becomes real through the Presence of Christ whom we receive in Holy Communion. Essentially it is the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass where we encounter the “Word” becoming “Flesh” in the person of Jesus Christ.
Immediately following the Eucharistic Prayer, we enter into the Communion Rite where we begin by praying the Our Father. This is such a beautiful moment because as we begin praying the prayer, we call upon God, our Father, who then focuses His “divine gaze” in our direction. As we gaze toward each other, we experience the unconditional love of God as He accepts our prayer. This moment is often overlooked, and yet by far, it is a great moment in which the Father, God Himself, gazes down from Heaven. He doesn’t see us as individuals but as one “body” united in Christ His Son. So, when the Lord looks down at us, He sees Christ.
Each year we have a great opportunity, during the Season of Advent, to reflect upon what our relationship with God is all about. During Advent there is a custom of associating the four Advent candles with the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love. Each of these can be connected to the relationship we have with the Father.
The First Week of Advent invited us to speak of Hope, we are referring to the virtue that we received in Baptism, whereby, we yearn of participating in the heavenly Kingdom and want to see God face to face.
In the Second Week of Advent, we focus on peace. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” God wants us to experience only peace in our relationship with Him. Anything to the contrary, is the fault of ourselves and original sin.
In the Third Week of Advent, we spend time thinking about joy. From Psalm 5:11, we hear these words, “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.” The Third Week we rejoice, because we are halfway closer to seeing the loving face of God.
In the final, or Fourth, Week of Advent, our attention is placed on love. The following Scripture verses may sound very familiar, so we will hear them twice. The first time is in the New Revised Standard Version. The second time you’ll be reading from the Message. Listen for the call to love in these words from St. Matthew’s Gospel (22:36-40): “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and First Commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
“Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?” Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself’.” These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.

The Face Of Christ

The Fourth Sunday of Advent invites us to internalize the unconditional love God has for us. This is hard for us to do, considering our sinful human nature, but it is only through God and His love that we are able to live the faith.
So, Advent is a way to rediscover the face of Christ within ourselves and within each other. Each year we are given the opportunity to look in the mirror of faith and see the face of ourselves in the face of Christ. It is my hope that we use the remaining days of Advent as a time to reflect on who God sees within us. Does He see the selfishness of our humanity, or is He able to see the face of Christ gazing back at Him? Happy Advent!