Catechists Have the Most Beautiful Feet!

Joe Paprocki Christmas

Christmas socks

The First Reading for Mass During the Day on Christmas proclaims:

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!” (Isaiah 52:7)

I’ve said this before here on Catechist’s Journey, but it bears repeating: catechists have the most beautiful feet! Why? Because catechists are the ones who, day in and day out, bring glad tidings, announce peace, bear good news, and announce salvation to those they teach. What do each of these mean in practical terms?

  • Catechists bring glad tidings. Some tidings (news) cause fear, while other tidings cause sadness. The tidings that catechists announce bring joy and gladness—another word for delight. And what are those tidings? That God is with us!
  • Catechists announce peace. Peace is the reality that happens when God’s will and human wills intersect. Catechists announce peace by announcing that God is with us and that his will is accessible.
  • Catechists bear good news. Catechists bring the good news that God is near to us! And we don’t just bring it; we “bear it,” which means that we embody it.
  • Catechists announce salvation. Catechists do not announce self-improvement; we announce salvation! And this salvation comes to us as a Person: Jesus Christ, who is not just a wise man, a good teacher, or a deep philosopher. He is our Savior, the One who saves us from that over which we have no power: sin (separation from God).

And so, as we celebrate the glorious Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I once again thank you—all catechists—for your beautiful feet!

Christmas Blessings!

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About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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