Key Points from the Directory: Encounter, Accompaniment and the Missionary Discipleship
A clear focus of the Directory is the understanding that to appreciate our faith, we need to know why it is meaningful to us, how it applies to our lives. Enter the themes of Encounter, Accompaniment, and Missionary Discipleship through “kerygmatic” catechesis!
These three themes are the drivers that bring to life Pope Francis’ understanding that evangelization and catechesis are connected. You can’t have one without the other. Francis speaks of catechesis needing to evangelize. By this, he means that the gospel message should be easily perceived. One could say that faith is the great gift of evangelization; and the appreciation of faith is the great gift of catechesis.
This “kerygmatic” catechesis makes the Gospel relevant and applicable to modern times and the seeds can be found in Francis’ apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel (2013). There, he outlines the importance of the gospel message as the dynamic centre of Catholic evangelization and discipleship.
- Encounter
- Accompaniment
- Missionary Discipleship