I often wonder why our particular ministry in the SDC is often defined as Religious Instruction when more appropriately be defined as Religious Education.

    This reflection deals with the notion of identity and mission. I was recently impressed by the model of evangelisation presented to me - a model of vocation and a calling to action. At the centre of our lives is the living presence of the Word of God. In Baptism we share in the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of Christ and the Church¹. As an educator one's role is not just imparting elements of faith but this action must be intrinsically linked with the source of our faith - Jesus Christ as experience in scripture, the reality of the Church as Body of Christ and within the full, active and conscious participation of the liturgy.

    The example may be illustrated by this point by calling to mind Jesus first public appearance in Luke 4: 16-30. In this episode Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah reading: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me .... He has sent me to proclaim the Good News to the poor ... " (Lk 4: 16-30)

    This proclamation is one that must be life affective. As a Christian our journey of faith must bear witness to our beliefs. The lay faithful have the capacity and mission of proclaiming the Gospel; they are prepared for this work by the sacraments of Christian initiation and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit².

    For the educator in the SDC, this is not just an individual calling but one that evokes and stirs the life of those we teach. To educate is not just to bring to light a serious of truths; it is not just providing content and details. It is to bring to life the embers of faith that can move a person to realise they are a witness and living presence of the Word of God. The educator or catechist should aim at the full development of the Christian person as a person of faith, hope and love³.

    I often ponder that Religious Education must first be lived before it is taught. As SDC Members we should be able to do this quite easily - as our life is given over to witnessing wherever we are. We are captured by the extent in which we allow ourselves to be captured. What is it we seek? It is the living presence of the Word of God alive and active in every movement of our living being. This process of evangelisation touches upon the heart of the teacher as it does the heart and hope of the student⁴. Our life as educators must be one that evokes the hope that Good News brings, hope even in a world that can be fragmented.

    This life-effecting approach is one that carries the responsibility of appropriate formation, training and an ability to apply eternal truths to the changing condition of the world, considering also the cultural and social contexts of those we share this faith journey with⁵. We have the opportunity of benefiting from our Assignment - listening attentively and with an enquiring mind.

    In my own experience, further reflection has illuminated a richness and a new approach to scripture and theology. It has provided the opportunity to allow the faith to be given in a language by which the young can voice and express their belief in God.

    These opportunities should become a catalyst for transformation. It is a medium by which the sharing of faith and truth will enable both the educator and the young to stir the embers of the Spirit within. That spark may day inflame the fire of faith.

    To answer my initial quest, this education in faith is an education, not merely religious instruction. This ministry is two-dimensional. The Word of God is affective to all who share in this faith journey. As one person pointed out in much earlier times wherever we go we must preach the Gospel; sometimes even using words. 

Raymond de Bono sdc
Ardeer, Australia

^{1    Post - Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II, Christifideles Laici, - On the Vocation and the mission of the lay          
      faithful in the church and in the world, St Paul publications, April 1990, Homebush 1990 article 14, page 31
2    Post - Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II, Christifideles Laici, - On the Vocation and the mission of the lay
      faithful in the church and in the world, St Paul publications, April 1990, Homebush 1990 article 33, page 87
3    Italian Episcopal Conference, The Renewal of the Education of Faith, 1970, E.J. Dwyer, Sydney, article 186, page 153
4    Ibid., article 186, page 154 - 155
5    Ibid., article 187, page 156 - 157}

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