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The source and the "sources" of
the message of catechesis
(303)
95. The word of God,
contained in Sacred Tradition and in Sacred Scripture:
– is mediated upon and understood more
deeply by means of the sense of faith of all the people of God, guided by the
Magisterium which teaches with authority;
– is celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy, where
it is constantly proclaimed, heard, interiorized and explained;
– shines forth in the life of the Church, in
her two-thousand-year history, especially in Christian witness and particularly
in that of the saints;
– is deepened by theological research which helps
believers to advance in their vital understanding of the mysteries of faith;
– is made manifest in genuine religious and
moral values which, as "seeds of the word", are sown in human society
and diverse cultures.
96. These are all the sources,
principle or subsidiary, of catechesis but must not be understood in a narrow
sense. (304) Sacred Scripture "is the speech of God as it is put
down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit", (305) Sacred
Tradition "transmits in its entirety the word of God which has been
entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit".
(306) The Magisterium has the duty of "giving an authentic
interpretation of the word of God", (307) and in doing so fulfils,
in the name of Christ, a fundamental ecclesial service. Tradition, Scripture
and the Magisterium, all three of which are closely connected, are "each
according to its own way", (308) the principle sources of
catechesis. Each of the subsidiary sources of catechesis has its own proper
language which has been shaped by a rich variety of "documents of the
faith". Catechesis is a living tradition of such documents: (309)
biblical excerpts, liturgical texts, patristic writings, formulations of the
Magisterium, creeds, testimonies of the saints and theological reflections.
The living source of the word of God and the
"sources" deriving from it, and through which it is expressed,
provide catechesis with those criteria for the transmission of its message to
all who have made their decision to follow Jesus Christ.
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