As it turns out, I was very pleased upon reading the first non-Scriptural document attributed to the Church Fathers (more accurately, the Apostles), which begins by discussing two paths.
For the purposes of easy posting and to allow those of you who wish to follow along to do so, I will be using the translations found in the Church Fathers section at New Advent.
Without further delay:
The Didache could be called the first Catechism of the Church. It outlines basic Christian beliefs as a sort of practical spiritual guidebook.
A few general notes:
The Didache opens by laying before the reader the two ways, one of life and the other of death. This is a fitting image for us, who often see the fork in the road. Let us not be deceived into thinking that once we have passed the fork, we are always on the straight path. There are many people today who say that as long as we're not really bad, we'll get to heaven (as if defying the command of Almighty God and inflicting damage on our own nature is not really bad). There are just as many who claim that all (or most) paths lead to heaven. The opposite is true, as our Lord tells us. We face moral decisions throughout our daily lives, and it is upon these that the Didache hinges salvation (not upon faith alone, but upon charity, the living out of faith). The Didache expounds on which actions qualify as sin.
The second chapter of the Didache contains the teaching of the Early Church explicitly against abortion and places it with infanticide (although it makes the distinction between the two, it clearly categorizes both as being morally wrong and their placement together indicates that they are equally weighted).
The third chapter of the Didache shows how various tendencies can grow into sin. These tendencies must be rooted out if a person is to follow Christ perfectly.
The fourth chapter notes the Way of Life, answering the negatives of the previous chapters with the positives. This makes logical sense. As a map, the Didache lists those dangers to be avoided first, because this will make them stick more in the mind.
The fifth chapter returns to the way of death, summarizing once more what must be avoided. It seems necessary to warn of evil twice as much as to speak of the good. We are sluggish and lazy in seeking the good, but tend to be more vigilant against evil.
The sixth chapter is a short admonishment against straying from the Way of Life, either by following heresy and the heterodox teachings of the unfaithful or by actions complicit in idol worship.
The seventh chapter is a short instruction on Baptism. Note that Baptism is preferably to be done similar to the fashion of St. John the Baptist, but permission is given for compromises down to a point: the Trinitarian formula ("I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit") must be used in conjunction with water. This is the bare minimum for the sacrament. No more compromise is offered. Some so-called scholars insist that sacramental form and matter are not important, but only intention. The Didache seems to say otherwise.
The eighth chapter briefly instructs in fasting (the rules regarding which seem to have derived more from culture than from an intrinsic theological reason) and lists the text of the Our Father. Already we see that the Church following the Our Father with the words, "for Yours is the power and the glory for ever," which are now present in the Mass and are commonly added to the Our Father itself by Protestants.
The ninth chapter is a prayer for the Eucharist and instruction on who should receive. There are some parallels between this prayer and the Eucharistic prayers in use today. Notice that the words of institution are not given here.
The tenth chapter is a prayer after Communion. Could you imagine if Catholics today more often would pray after receiving the Lord of all Creation instead of walking out of the Church to their cars or chatting with their friends and families in the narthex while waiting to be dismissed?
The eleventh chapter addresses the topic of false prophets. It seems scandalous to us today to think that there were people pretending to preach the Gospel, but instead spreading confusion and error, or worse - doing so for a profit. Yet people do this even today and in far greater numbers. Heresies are common among the unwitting faithful and they are frequently spread by clergy and laity alike. The media is no help. The Didache sets strict criteria for identifying false prophets: those who stay too long (three days) or who beg for money for their ministry are false prophets. In modern society, we must understand that there are many laypeople in ministry who must support families, and so fees are expected and not wrong, but they should not be outrageous. There are many speakers available for parish missions who charge $5,000 or more for a three day lecture series. We should beware those who seem to be in theology for the money or fame.
The twelfth chapter outlines principles for taking in strangers so that Christians are not taken advantage of. Some people say that we should simply give away all that we have; if someone takes advantage, that is the Lord's business. This would be bad stewardship. We must keep in mind that the things we have been given are gifts from God; to dispense of them freely without caution for for cheats and scoundrels is foolhardy. We must use our gifts wisely.
The thirteenth chapter outlines how the Christian community should care for those who teach, preach, and pray for them.
The fourteenth chapter commands that Mass be said and the Eucharist offered every Lord's Day and lists regulations for those receiving.
The fifteenth chapter addresses whom should be chosen as leaders in the Church and how to admonish one another in peace and charity, rather than in anger. We lack today a sense for how admonition is a loving act. We must not spoil each other, but each of us should admonish sinners out of love and desire to save their souls. Unfortunately, the fear of being a hypocrite and of not being tolerant inhibits many today from admonishing others. This must be overcome.
The sixteenth and final chapter of the Didache ends with the sense of urgency common in the documents of the Early Church Fathers, preaching that the end is near and vigilance is necessary. We are to pray that the Lord comes, and so this Advent, just as we began this post with a relevance, so we end it.
The Didache offers us a glimpse into the Early Church and a way of returning to the simplicity of faith found among the first Christians. The Second Vatican Council urged a ressourcement, a return to the sources of Christian teaching, and so the Didache stands as an excellent example in which we may see our current teaching and ways, but also sense a certain spiritual depth for which we still have to strive.
His Servant and Yours,
Micah
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In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas.
In necessities, unity; in uncertainties, liberty; in all things, charity.
Please remember to be charitable.