My wife and I taught religious education (CCD) for many years and enjoyed it immensely. It is an important part of the Catholic Church’s mission as there are many folks who cannot afford Catholic schools. One of the questions that we always got each year from our students and sometimes from parents was “what does catechism mean?” It is an interesting word. On the surface, we probably think of catechism for what it represents. It is school or class and we are taken to catechism by our parents once a week to learn about God and His Church. But the Church defines catechism much more deeply. After all, the definitive source for all things Catholic is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Last updated in 1992, the Catechism was created by the Church in response to her mission to guard the deposit of faith which the Lord entrusted to His Church. It is the reference text that is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium. It is used for teaching the faith and is a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion. It is a “sure and authentic reference text for teaching catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms. It is also offered to all the faithful who wish to deepen their knowledge of the unfathomable riches of salvation (cf. Eph 3:8). It is meant to support ecumenical efforts that are moved by the holy desire for the unity of all Christians, showing carefully the content and wondrous harmony of the catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, lastly, is offered to every individual who asks us to give an account of the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Pt 3:15) and who wants to know what the Catholic Church believes” (taken from the opening of the latest edition). It is this local catechism that I think most of the questioning was about and it is an intriguing question. One of the best examples I could find to use as an example of a local catechism comes from the great Catholic writer, Father John Carville who writes a column in the Catholic Commentator, the official newspaper for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He notes that “Christmas is a complete catechism. The feast teaches us through Scripture, through story, through song, through symbol, even through smell and taste. We are led by revelation and imagination from the event of Jesus’ birth to the mystery that pervaded his entire life: “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us.” We rejoice at the dawning of a light that in 2,000 years the darkness has never overcome and we wonder at the vulnerability of God’s unconquerable grace which came to us in human flesh.” Carville’s description allows us to see through example that a catechism is the means and method that we use to understand our faith. The use of the Bible to understand God’s message is integral to our faith. We listen to the proclamation of readings from the Bible each Sunday and for daily communicants, each day. The use of songs further illuminates the message and also allows us to offer praise and worship to our Lord. The symbolism of Christmas surrounds us in the form of the Nativity, trumpeting angels, the star of Bethlehem, and Joseph leading the pregnant Mary on a donkey. Christmas does have its own smell and taste. Fr. Carville has captured the concept of catechism perfectly but also offers us the perfect gift when he reminds us that the “word became flesh and dwelt among us.” It is the ultimate gift from God and the entire reason we prepare to celebrate the most important birthday in the history of the world. I hope that the catechism of Christmas provides you the perfect opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior and allows you to deepen your relationship with God our Father.