Identity-Identified, a useful tool for young people

Catechists from the parishes of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur gathered for a session on Identity-Identified at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre on Saturday, November 23.

Dec 13, 2024

The catechists using Identity-Identified with the See-Judge-Act method.


KUALA LUMPUR:
Catechists from the parishes of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur gathered for a session on Identity-Identified at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre on Saturday, November 23. This was an initiative by the Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry in collaboration with the Archdiocesan Bible Ministry.

When the catechists first heard of this upcoming session, doubts, hesitation, and change were some of the lingering thoughts in their minds. However, as the session progressed and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, transformation and renewal of mind set the stage. The flow of reactions switched to interesting, engaging, fun, appealing, different...

The session kicked off with an introductory talk by Dr Steven Selvaraju, the director of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Centre, addressing the questions that came to the minds of the catechists present. He clarified that the KL Archdiocesan Bible Ministry is not going to make any change; only to introduce the youth Bible Identity-Identified as an appropriate option for the Form 5 students. He is in favour of this youth bible, but the onus is on the parish coordinator and parish priest to take up the offer.

In addressing the catechists, Msgr James Gnanapiragasam asked if they could identify some of the issues facing our youth today. In response, some spoke of identity issues, mixed-marriage background of parents, gender identity, and so forth. The youth of today need direction. Many youth he said, are not seen after confirmation. As one recent article on a different subject mentioned on the front page headline of The Star, they are “untamed wildcards”, i.e. unpredictable.

After 11 years of catechism, many are in crisis mode. Our young people need a tool to reflect on moral issues so that when they journey into the world of adults where they meet new friends, new challenges, and new environments, they can face the challenges and uncertainties positively.

Form 5 catechism classes run only for six months and they must be given a method to continue their faith reflection. Msgr James then guided the participants on how to use this youth bible practically with the “See, Judge, Act” approach.

As an exercise, the topic of “Why am I so worried and anxious?” was discussed during the group sharing. During the discussions, many catechists were moved with a deeper realisation that our young people needed help in their faith journey. The See, Judge, Act approach to engaging our youth is fitting as they find their place in the Sacred Scriptures and the teaching of the Church.

At the end of the session, some catechists found Identity-Identified a useful tool to consider. They found it more engaging and interactive with fuller participation. It was good to see that the initial apprehension and uncertainties had fizzled out. Here the fig tree parable where Jesus speaks about missed opportunities and last chances comes to mind.
Identity-Identified is available for purchase from the KL Archdiocese Bible Ministry via email [email protected]. An order form will be issued to the respective parish followed by delivery. --KL Archdiocesan Bible Ministry Team

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments