As Catechetical Sunday nears, it’s a good time for all the baptized to reflect on our individual and combined responsibility to share the Good News with others. Parish catechists and religion teachers in Catholic schools carry out this responsibility in regular class sessions with young people. On Catechetical Sunday, the parish acknowledges their significant role and commissions them for their important ministry.
This year’s theme for Catechetical Sunday is “Say the Word and My Soul Shall be Healed.” These words are based on those of the centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (see Matthew 8:8 and Luke 7:7). We say them at Mass shortly before we come forward to receive Holy Communion.
The USCCB has chosen an image from another healing by Jesus to accompany this theme. The image is based on Jesus’ healing of a blind man. On their website, we read:
The past year has highlighted the urgent need for healing—physical, spiritual, emotional—in ourselves and in our world. As our world struggles to heal, complete healing is not possible without Jesus as the Divine Physician. When our souls heal, all heals, despite our suffering.
The words we pray at Mass, “Say the Word and My Soul Shall be Healed,” have the power to remind us of, to open our eyes to, the healing that Jesus offers us in the Eucharist which is essential, eternal, and ever open to us. We humbly ask him to say the word, and with that prayer, we have faith that, with the fantastic and improbable prospect of Jesus entering under our roof, our souls shall be healed.
Equip all your catechists-teachers, classrooms, and families with helpful tools for the coming catechetical and liturgical year. Purchase our 2021–2022 Handbook and Planning Guide AND the classroom size (16″ x 22″) Liturgical Calendar for 2022 (Year C) together for only $15! The classroom calendar is in English on one side and Spanish on the other. The Liturgical Calendar for Families (11″ x 16″) is sold in sets of 25 (English, Spanish). Bulk pricing is available for all these items.
Check out this Catechetical Sunday Book Bundle deal from our sister company, Twenty-Third Publications.
Image credit: Christ Healing the Blind by El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) ca. 1570 (public domain in USA) Metropolitan Museum of Art
