Finding One's Way through The Catechism

If one has never used the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (CCC), it can be intimidating.  Julie D. who writes The Happy Catholic blog has posted the text of a talk she gave to an RCIA class.  These adults are being initiated into the Catholic faith, so naturally, they might be unfamiliar with the CCC.  Here is an excerpt:

I am not an expert on the Catechism, but I do know how to use it.

The Catechism can be a bit tricky to find your way around so I wanted to take just a couple of minutes to familiarize everyone with it.

Let’s start with what the word catechism means. A catechism is a summary of principles.

So, the Catholic Catechism is specifically designed as a reference guide. Some people call it the Catholic “rule book.” It is much more than that though.

“In the Catechism, we see the wealth of teaching that the Church has
received, safeguarded and proposed in her two thousand years of history. From Sacred Scripture to the Fathers of the Church, from theological masters to the saints across the centuries, the Catechism provides a permanent record of the many ways in which the Church has meditated on the faith and made progress in doctrine so as to offer certitude to believers in their lives of faith."

That is what Pope Benedict says about the Catechism ... and he should know.

You can read the rest here.