The word Catechism is derived from the Greek verb katechein, a compound verb that means to "echo downward or onward". It is the echoeing on, the teaching of the Gospel and of the Words and Voice of Jesus Christ, down through the ages.

If we look at this more closely, catechism is the systematic teaching that teaches us what God desires us to know and believe, how we should believe it, and how we should practice it; that is, what our conduct should be and our deeds, and how we as Christians should worship God in order to be worthy of the name of Christian.

In the first centuries of Christianity, whoever wished to become a Christian first had to receive religious instruction before being baptized. They had to learn their Christian Faith well first in order to become one of its members. But the instruction they received was not just dry knowledge. They had to accept the Faith and be ready to make it a part of their life.  They had to learn how to enter this covenant, how to nourish this relationship and to understand and follow God's loving instructions.  This is the purpose of teachings and doctrines and the moral principles of the Faith; they had to know who God is and what the purpose, reponsibilities and duties of His Divine Covenant were.  They were entering into this divine covenant through their baptism.  They needed to know what the Church is, and what means God has provided her to help us preserve this covenant and nourish our relationship with Him.

This instruction before baptism was called catechism. Those who attended this teaching and accepted it were called catechumens. In other words, they made up the class of catechumens. The Divine Liturgy itself was divided into two parts, a part for the catechumens and a part for the faithful. The catechumens stayed only for the first part of the Liturgy. After that they would leave. They could not attend the Liturgy of the Faithful and, naturally, they were not able to receive Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ, since they were not baptized and were not yet members of the Church, members of the Christian Faith, members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

This class or group of catechumens nearly vanished in many areas as Christianity took root and became well established and most new Christians were infants, where infant baptism had become the norm. A child was baptized within a few days or months of its birth, as is still the practice today in Orthodox countries. But the neophyte or newly baptized child, even though he was baptized and was a member of the Church and of the Mystical Body of Christ, often did not know their Faith as they should. They had to be instructed, even after baptism; that is, he had to be taught faith in Christ and the essence of the Gospel and the moral principles of his Orthodox Faith.

This obligation to instruct the child in their faith as they grew up was the responsibility, as it is today, of the godfather or godmother with the assistance of the parents. Godparents were chosen with this in mind and were to have a real love for God and a correct knowledge of the Christian Faith. More important than their words, their pious devotion and example were the main means of instructing thier godchildren.

The Church has always felt the calling to "echo down" the Gospel, to teach faith in Christ, to teach the moral principles of Christianity, and the duties and rights of Christians to those who desired to learn more about the Orthodox Faith and of course to those who had already been baptized. In the lessons that follow we will try in simple terms to accomplish this. Follow these lessons and you will discover what you do and do not know about our Orthodox Christian Faith. Pray that God will enlighten the Catechists to write correctly and will open all of our hearts to hear His "echo" and accept His teaching, His Word, as a true seed of Truth that falls on fertile soil so that it can bear plentiful fruit.

Prayer:
O Christ, Who are the Truth, the Life, and the Way, the True Light that illuminates every one who comes into the world, make the Light of Your Divine Knowledge to shine in our hearts and open the eyes of our minds and hearts so that we may understand Your Teachings and accept Your Word. Whether baptized or not, we are also sinners. Before we leave this earth in death, enable us to turn back to You, to give You our heart, to become Yours. Make us abide with You and within You, and do You abide with us. Make us become the branches joined to You, Who are the Vine, so that we may bear much fruit and work out our salvation.