There are three excellent resources for growing in our faith, especially our understanding of the doctrines of our faith. These are outstanding resources that should be readily available in our personal libraries, along with the The Catholic Study Bible, Second Edition.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) was published in 1997. It's a very exhaustive coverage of the beliefs of the Catholic Church with a wealth of detail around the four pillars of our faith: the Creed, the Sacraments, Christian Morality and Prayer. It serves as a dictionary of our faith rather than a quick read.
At the request of Pope John Paul II the Church published the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 2006. This is a question and answer format designed to make the CCC more readable although less comprehensive. It was designed to make sure that adult Catholics have a basic understanding of their Catholic faith. It relies on an inquisitive reader asking questions of Jesus and then listening to the responses.
It too covers the four pillars of our faith as well as the Profession of Faith, the Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Life in Christ and Christian Prayer. This is very useful for personal use and study groups. I found it very attractive for a quick overview of our faith.
In July 2006 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. It follows the arrangement of the previous two resources: the Creed, the sacraments, moral life and prayer. However, this book is designed with a specific methodology for teaching or use in small group discussions. There is a consistent format of an inspirational story, the teaching of the Church, its relationship to the culture of the United States, questions for discussion, meditations and prayer. With this methodology it makes it very user-friendly for the teacher and the students. The critical issue is to understand the teachings of the Church in the midst of the United States culture and how we can live our faith in this setting. I found the inspirational stories, mostly lives of saints or saints in United States, to be very easy to read and motivational.
Pope Benedict XVI commented at the World Youth Day Mass last year, "Obviously books alone are not enough. Form communities based on faith." However these three resources are most helpful in forming communities of faith. I encourage our parishes and adult groups to use this adult catechism as a guideline for discussions and formation in faith. Most of the studies about adult Catholics reveal a lack of understanding of the doctrines of the Church. We enjoy healthy spiritual relationships in our parish communities but we are lacking in the ability to articulate the doctrines of our faith.
