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August 30, 2023At Pastoral Study Days in early June, we were so inspired by the words of our keynote speaker, Julianne Stanz. As we drift further away from those talks and get ready to dive head first into fall ministry, we wanted to unpack another theme of Julianne’s message. In the June edition of Good News Notes, we unpacked A Christian’s Journey through Four Stages. Today we want to look at the kerygma.
Kerygma is an intimidating Greek word that some heard for the first time at Pastoral Study Days. It refers to the initial and essential proclamation of the gospel message. Pope Paul VI wrote about this proclamation in Evangelii Nuntiandi, “Evangelization will also always contain – as the foundation, center, and at the same time, summit of its dynamism – a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God’s grace and mercy”(27).
The kerygma can be broken down into five essential elements:
- Creation
- Fall
- Redemption
- Salvation
- Re-creation
This message is foundational to our journey of holiness and discipleship. Pope Francis writes about it in Evangelii Gaudium, “Kerygma, which needs to be the centre of all evangelizing activity and all efforts at Church renewal” (164). He goes on to write, “We must not think that in catechesis the kerygma gives way to a supposedly more “solid” formation. Nothing is more solid, profound, secure, meaningful and wisdom-filled than that initial proclamation.” (165). This proclamation must be embedded in all aspects of parish-life, even the most mundane.
How, then, can we share this essential message? It can be a full program or a shift in how you do the things you’re already doing. Here are a few ideas:
- Kerygmatic preaching, especially during celebrations where we have a lot of visitors like holidays, funerals, and school Mass.
- Incorporate kerygmatic testimony in events and meetings like parish dinners or picnics, youth ministry, or Family of Parish Pastoral Council meetings.
- Run a program that is specifically designed to share and break open the Gospel message like Alpha or The Kerygma Experience.
Julianne shared five elements of the kerygma that she uses in her resource, The Kerygma Experience. She breaks them open like this:
- God is love and has created me for relationship with Him.
- I have broken my relationship with God by my sin.
- Jesus restores my relationship with God through his life, death, resurrection.
- Jesus invites me to trust Him, to turn from sin and to give my life to Him.
- Jesus has poured the Holy Spirit into my heart to bring me to new life in His church and send His Church on mission so that others can experience that new life.
No person can advance on their journey to discipleship without knowing this message. It is the greatest gift we can share. How are you sharing the kerygma with your Family of Parishes this fall?
The Kerygma Experience resources specifically designed for children, teens, and adults can be found here. You can also find Julianne’s slides from Pastoral Study Days here.
