What is the best way to read The Catechism?

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I have 2 copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and I am eager to use them as a resourse. My problem, I can't seem to stay awake while reading them. it's not that the subject matter isn't interesting to me, it's just that I find the format difficult to interpret. Can anyone give me some advice as to how I can read them that will make sense to me?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1998

Answers

Hi Jeanne,

I've had a few people recommend that every Catholic should read the Catechism from front to back, at least twice. But, I think that is hard for a lot of people. The first section is very heavy and has a lot of difficult concepts when it deals with the nature of God, and the Trinity, etc.

I think the better way is probably to start from the back and read forward!

Start with the whole section on Prayer and then go to the whole section on the Commandments and Morality, and then go to the very beginning where it deals with the Creed.

I tend to use the Catechism as a resource to find original documents or good quotations from the Saints on a given doctrine or position.

For readability, you'll probably find the Baltimore Catechism or the Catechism of Pius X is easier to digest for many readers.

Does that help? Or have I misunderstood your question?

God bless, Paul McLachlan Webmaster, catholic-pages.com

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1998


Hi Jeanne

Well the Cathechism was not specifically written to be "read" but Referenced. Sort of like the Encylolpedia you can "read" it. As Paul suggests some other outline can be followed with references to the sections of the Cathechism as you go. One of the best to my knowledge is "Handbook for Today's Catholic" Published by Liguori.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 1998


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