St. John Chrysostom, in his “Homily on the Devil the Tempter,” talks about five “paths of repentance” that “all lead to heaven.” I thought this would make a good outline for catechesis, especially for new believers or nominal Christians.
- Confess your sins regularly. “Be the first to admit your sins.” Not just to God, but to each other. One could teach on how to apologize when you have wronged someone.
- Forgive those who sin against you. “Put out of our minds the harm done us by our enemies.” One would learn to do this as a matter of course.
- Pray regularly and sincerely. “Prayer that is fervent, careful, and comes from the heart.”
- Regularly give money to the poor. “Almsgiving, whose power is great and far-reaching.”
- Live simply and modestly. “If one lives a modest, humble life, that takes sin away.”
Chrysostom urges his disciples to not be idle, but to “walk daily in these paths.” So the catechesis would be 1) teaching on these subjects, and 2) practicing these paths together.
