.

       Preface

      The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a glorious gift to the universal Church, but it can be intimidating. The division of the Catechism’s text into a year’s reading plan is intended to make the project of reading it from cover to cover a manageable and enjoyable experience. While this present work is a commentary upon the text, our sincere hope is that, through this work and the encouragement it gives to return to the Catechism, some of the riches of the Catechism itself might be discovered anew. Our commentary will have amply served its purpose if it leads readers to a greater understanding and love of the text of the Catechism and if it manages to echo and draw attention to something of the magnificent and beautiful “symphony of the faith” presented in that text. The riches of the Catechism are such that a commentary like this can only begin to uncover the treasures to be discovered in its pages.

      Given the limitations of length, we have focused our attention on three things. First, we have wished to make the flow and “logic” of the text apparent by drawing attention to recurring themes and highlighting the “mountain ranges” in the landscape. Second, we have wanted to explain terms from the Tradition that may be relatively unfamiliar and provide a way of engaging with teachings that can appear strange, or even discordant, in relation to certain commonly held views today; the authors of the Catechism made the bold decision to present the faith in its fullness, knowing that the dangers of a lack of understanding on the part of modern readers would need to be met with an attentiveness and commitment to better explanations of the unified Christian worldview. Above all, we have wished to highlight some of the spiritual and pastoral elements of the text. We have wanted the reader to be able to read the Catechism as its authors desired — so as to come to know God the Holy Trinity in order to be able to participate more consciously and fully in his redemptive plan of loving kindness.

      This commentary is a collaborative work. For the most part we have allowed the commentary on each of the Parts of the Catechism to stand under the authorship of one main figure, although we have worked to harmonize approaches as far as possible. Dr. Petroc Willey is the lead author for the commentary on the Prologue and Part One of the Catechism’s text; Dr. Dominic Scotto, TOR, of Part Two; Dr. Donald Asci of Part Three; and Elizabeth Siegel of Part Four, Section One;, with a further contribution from Petroc Willey in Part Four, Section Two….

      I have been blessed to be able to work with such able and committed collaborators in this project, and I am grateful also to the many who have offered invaluable prayer support for this project. It has been a special pleasure to work with the Catholic Truth Society and Our Sunday Visitor, and I would like to record thanks to Lisa Gregoire for her helpful coordination of the project. In addition, I would like to thank Justin Fortenot for his efficient transcription of part of the commentary that was handwritten and Carly Burke for her generous, skillful and perceptive review of the whole text.

      Finally, a special thank you is owed to Katherine for her unwavering belief in this project and for the loving patience with which she accepted my frequent disappearance to write and to edit.

       Petroc Willey

      Make my soul your heaven,

      your beloved dwelling and the place of your rest.

      — Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, “Prayer to the Trinity”

       If a man

       Should chance to find this place three times in Time

      His eyes are changed and make a summer silence.

      — Edwin Muir, “The Sufficient Place”