Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Archdiocesan Catechetical Office is happy to announce the long awaited Online Faith Formation Course, which is accessible via our website. The course is open to all persons and there are no prerequisites. It can be completed in your own time and in the comfort of your home.

Upon successful completion of all the lessons, grading will take place and a certificate will be issued.

Over 1,000 persons have already successfully completed the ‘hard copy’ or paper version of this course. The course received excellent reviews and persons indicated that it had helped them on their faith journey.

So why not give it a try, there is nothing to lose, only to gain. Contact the Archdiocesan Catechetical Office at 623-5139 for further information. For those who are not computer savvy, the course will still be available in ‘hard copy’.

As we look at the present with all its negativity, violence, lack of moral values and disrespect for human life, I urge you to make a firm decision to deepen your relationship with God, through Christ. This cannot be done in isolation. It requires a living community.

Knowing the scriptures and the teachings of the Church does not equal to having a relationship with Christ. It takes hard work to continuously be conscious of how our daily lives impact our faith.

Quite recently I was praying the Rosary whilst driving and was shocked at how my temperament changed as I responded mentally to how people were driving on the road. It was another reminder to me about how dichotomised I can be at times. To remain fixed on God and on Christian values takes a lot of work! We need to constantly ask ourselves “What would Jesus do in this situation?” or “How would Jesus treat this person?” As professed Christians, are we willing to follow Jesus on the long road to Calvary? Are we willing to die for our faith?

In their pastoral letter On the Ministry of Catechesis, the Antilles Episcopal Conference said under the section “Implications of the Pastoral Situation”: “People are searching for substance, direction and meaning in their lives. Some members of the Catholic Church have turned to biblical fundamentalism to satisfy their need for certainty about salvation…others have joined ‘fundamentalist movements’ for spiritual security.

Most Catholics have remained as members of the Church, but they are uncomfortable with the faith vulnerability they experience. They are looking for the Church to help them deepen their knowledge of the faith, their spirituality and their ability to defend the faith”.

So, make time amongst the many callings on your life to find ways to grow in faith. One such way is the online faith formation course. Go for it!

– Sr Juliet Rajah CHF, Directress, Archdiocesan Catechetical Office