Part 1: The Creed and Chapter 1: Laying a Firm Foundation {Lawn Chair Catechism}

Welcome to this summer’s Lawn Chair Catechism! We're reading Joe Paprocki’s best-selling book, A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe. We’re taking it one chapter at a time all summer long.

This week, to introduce Part 1 of A Well-Built Faith, we have none other than Joe Paprocki himself:

[youtube_sc url="http://youtu.be/Y8yVKN5puY8"]

Video link

We're introduced to the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church this week through Paprocki's H.E.L.P. acronymn:

H = We Hold on to our faith that is revealed to us through Scripture and Tradition and is summarized in the Creed.
E = We Express our faith in the liturgy and sacraments of the Church.
L = We Live our faith according to Catholic morality.
P = We Pray our faith by maintaining a healthy prayer life.

As we begin Part 1, we'll be looking at the Creed, the "H" for "Hold" above.

At the end of Chapter 1, Paprocki writes,

What difference does it make for Catholics to believe that "Christians are made, not born"? It means that we are called to be receptive. Faith is something that we receive. It does not belong to us but is passed on to us like a family heirloom that we treasure, protect, and pass on faithfully.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

Who is someone you know who has a “well-built faith” and what do you attribute that to?
What have you been doing/could you be doing to deepen your understanding of the Catholic faith?
Who has been a “pillar of faith” in your life?
What event(s) in your life have most significantly shaped you into the person you are today?
Creed: What is the difference between an idea and a belief? What role does trust play in believing?
Sacraments: When was a time you felt compelled to express yourself without using words?
Morality: Why do you think it is so difficult for us as God’s own people to live moral lives?
Prayer: With whom do you have the best communication? What makes that communication so effective? How good is your communication with God?

Feel free to comment on your own thoughts from this week's reading, your impressions and reflections, and/or your answers to these questions. You can also share your blog post by linking up below.

Next week, we'll cover Chapter 2: Assembly-Line Construction: Human Desire, Revelation, and Faith. For the complete reading schedule and information about this summer’s Lawn Chair Catechism, visit the Lawn Chair Catechism page.

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