Above: Andrea Slaven, director of the Office of Child and Family Catechesis, and Bob Walters, director of the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Discipleship. Sun photo | Archives
Always be ready to share your hope
By Andrea Slaven
Director of Child and Family Catechesis
Each year, the Catholic Church in the United States sets aside the third Sunday in September to celebrate Catechetical Sunday, a day to honor those who teach the faith and to remind all of us of our call to share the Good News. This year’s theme, taken from St. Peter’s first letter, is: “Always be ready to give an explanation … for a reason for your hope” (1 Pet 3:15).
This theme is especially fitting in a world that often seems divided and discouraged. Our hope as Christians is not built on things that change, but on the lasting love of Christ. Catechetical Sunday reminds us that we are called to share this hope with others, not only through our words but especially through the way we live.
Catechetical Sunday is also a moment to pause and ask: What is catechesis? The word means “to echo” or “to resound.” Catechesis is more than teaching lessons about the faith. It is about passing on a living friendship with Jesus Christ, helping hearts to be formed in His love, and inspiring others to carry that love into the world. Catechists — those who serve in our parishes teaching children, leading OCIA, or accompanying adults — echo Christ’s voice so that His message resounds in homes, classrooms, and communities.
But this day is not just about those who carry the title of “catechist.” In fact, the Church reminds us that all of us are catechists in some way. At the end of every Mass, we are sent out with the words, “Go and glorify the Lord by your life.” That is our mission — to echo Christ’s love wherever we go.
Nowhere is this mission clearer than in the family. The Second Vatican Council called the family the “domestic church.” The Directory for Catechesis explains that parents are the first witnesses of faith for their children. In other words, the home is the place where faith is first learned, practiced, and celebrated. When parents teach a child to make the Sign of the Cross, say bedtime prayers, forgive after an argument, or offer a helping hand to a neighbor, they are passing on the faith. These simple daily moments — prayer at bedtime, sharing forgiveness, showing kindness — are where children first discover that God’s love is real.
Think about it: Before a child ever hears about Jesus in a parish program, they have already experienced God’s love through their parents’ care. This is why the Church often refers to parents as “the first catechists.” What happens around the family dinner table, in car rides, or during nightly prayers is just as important — perhaps even more important — than what happens in the parish hall.
This does not mean families are expected to do it all on their own. Parishes are called to support, encourage, and walk with families in this mission. Programs, sacramental preparation, and faith formation are most effective when they work hand in hand with the domestic church. Together, the parish community and the family create the environment where faith can take root and grow.
This Catechetical Sunday, we especially honor those men and women who have answered the call to serve as catechists in our parishes. Their dedication helps children, teens, and adults come to know Jesus more deeply. At the same time, we also honor every parent, grandparent, and guardian who lives their faith daily and passes it on to the next generation.
The theme “Always be ready to give an explanation for your hope” invites each of us to reflect: Am I ready to share why I believe? Do my words and actions give others a glimpse of the hope I have in Christ? Being ready doesn’t mean having all the answers — it means sharing, with humility and joy, the ways God’s love has touched our lives and given us hope.
As we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, let us pray for all catechists and for all families, the first teachers of the faith. May our homes, our classrooms, and our parishes echo with the hope we have in Jesus Christ. And may each of us be ready, in small and simple ways, to share the reason for our hope with the world.
