Taking God’s love seriously
Yesterday in our parish Sunday Mass many will have experienced the first scrutiny - and allowed that gospel encounter of the woman with Jesus at the well to interpret our own lives and inner longings. As we walk with Christ, our way, our truth, our life, along the lenten pathway towards Easter, we too meet the people he meets - through wilderness, up and down mountains, thirsty woman, blind man, dead man, welcoming crowd, angry mob - we too enter into that sense of being 'handed over', and having to trust God that this is the right path. And the scrutinies are moments of self-searching, repentance, enlightenment. They are described in RCIA 141 as having a spiritual purpose - to uncover and heal all that is weak, and to bring out and strengthen all that is good and strong. Their aim is to 'complete' conversion and deepen our resolve to hold on to Christ. Their focus is towards salvation and the resulting new life and freedom that brings. As individuals and community, in reflecting on the experience of the scrutinies, may we become more and more consciously aware of being filled with Christ - living water, light of the world, resurrection and life. We are not diminished by the experience.. we are set free.
So, what was the experience like for you? In what ways are you 'thirsty'? What does the encounter tell you about Christ?
The road that leads to the glory of Easter
Reflection on the liturgy can be seen as the third stage of liturgical catechesis:
- Preparation to participate in the liturgy
- Participation in the liturgy
- Reflection on our participation in the liturgy.
It can be a key catechetical moment but like all such moments we do not ask others that which we have not asked of ourselves. So before we can ask the elect to reflect on their experience we must first reflect for ourselves. This is not to provide a stock of right answers but so we know what it means to answer the question.
This week's posting is a reflection on celebrating the Rite of Election by network members. Reflecting on what we do is a key part of the guidelines of the Network and so it seems appropriate to offer this space. What follows is not the story of one Rite of Election but a snapshot from around the country which will grow over the coming week.
I am always struck by that moment when Catechumens and Godparents and then Candidates and Sponsors stand up. In part because at these moments you see the people the liturgy is about. They are not isolated people but nor do they have the solidarity of standing in a large group. The answers of Godparents and Sponsors this year to those questions which go to the heart of the Rite were clear and certain. And then the sign of friendship and support seems to have a warmth and depth that speaks of a journey walked together.
The numbers of people is what makes the most stirring impression. Assuming that people are truly meaning what the Rite would have them mean – or even that they are attempting this – it is amazing and encouraging and challenging to see so many people coming to make a public profession of ‘new’ faith.
In the case of this diocese it is sad that the response to the numbers has been to abandon a principal symbolic action (the calling out or their names and the signing of their names by the elect) and to obscure the significance of the presentation of their names by combining it with the welcome of candidates for reception/completion of initiation and obscuring the presentation of (both sets of) names with a handshake with auxiliary bishops. The gesture of welcome is a genuine one, and well received by the elect and candidates, but it lacks the personal punch and commitment of the symbol of the declaration and handing over of the name
When I saw primroses flowering in the woods on Saturday, I thought of the wonder of creation and how these tiny flowers were being propelled into our world much earlier than usual. But don't we always have primroses in Lent and isn't creation just adapting and keeping in time, so all the concerns about it being an early Rite of Election this year melted into the sunlight.
Creation cropped up again when proclaimed in the Scriptures, a story that reflects a disastrous choice, and so I turned to the Rite and saw just how many choices have to be made, that enable the Godparents, Catechists, Sponsors, clergy, local community and the catechumens to be able to affirm that these in our midst are ready to go forward and become the 'elect'.
It's worth having a renewed look at the rite: being able to remember 'the lengthy period of formation ... of minds and hearts'#118, the 'conversion in mind and action and to have developed a sufficient acquaintance with Christian teaching as well as a spirit of faith and charity' #120, for that will need to sustain the elect during the period of purification and enlightenment.
They also have the experience of having shared the rite with their fellow catechumens, and candidates from throughout the diocese in a ceremony whose symbolism tells of the worldwide Church. I thought what a wonderful liturgical gesture: to have the elect (and candidates) walk down the side aisles of the cathedral, and when called, walk forward towards the Bishop, who in turn walked to greet each one. So there was a continual flow of movement as the Bishop greeted first on the right and then crossed to the other side; the person then turned and walked up the central aisle with their Godparent (Sponsor), through the womb (or heart) of the church. Whether by design or accident, it was rich in symbolism. Congratulations also to our Bishop who individually greeted around 37 catechumens and 130 candidates.
And finally I return to primroses: for as I saw the radiance on some of the faces of those presented to the Bishop, I fleetingly thought of the primroses radiant in the Lenten sunshine.
At St Barnabas' Cathedral in Nottingham, Bishop Malcolm welcomed the 125 candidates and catechumens who gathered for election. Our theme this year was 'Give as a gift - receive as a gift', based on Matthew 10:8. The sight of the candidates, catechumens and their sponsors processing into the cathedral behind the Book of the Elect was an awesome sight and profoundly moving. In advance, candidates and catechumens had been sent a scroll and invited to write down a passage from scripture which had touched them in some way. These were gathered in as they entered the Cathedral and after signing the Book of the Elect they were invited to take away a scroll as a gift. The word of God alive and active and a gift received and shared. We're only aware of one person who received their own scroll back!
In his homily, Bishop Malcolm spoke of the temptations around us, highlighting the temptation to individualism and the commitment of the candidates and catechumens to life as community. He spoke of the way faith was shared and spread in this part of the world, referring to St Bede and reminding us that our faith is received as a gift and is a gift to be given and shared. Each of the elect received a prayer card with the prayer the Diocese of Nottingham is using to focus on how we hand on our faith, and the front of the card showed an image of The English Cross, a cross carved from a dead tree by local artist, Rev Jean Lamb.
At the Rite of Election this year one young woman arrived on her own to be presented to the Bishop as a candidate. She was very nervous and did not have her request for admission form with her. We were able to provide her with a new form and she was befriended by a member of another parish who sat with her and accompanied her to meet the Bishop. How she had been sent forth from her parish on her own I do not know but thank God for the kind stranger who is now a friend. Both women were very moved by the experience and saw God very much at work in their meeting and participation in the Rite of Election.
Reflecting on the Rite of Election
Next week's post is intended to be a space to reflect on the experience of celebrating the Rite of Election If you would like to contribute please send a couple of sentences or a short paragraph to Martin Foster
Praying with Paint For Purification & Enlightenment?
One of the biggest challenges I found when working with my parish RCIA group was how to effectively shift the emphasis of the weekly session from the kind of intense catechetical activity of the catechumenate to the more reflective period of ‘intense spiritual preparation' that this firmly time bound stage demands. In reality, the pressure builds at this time because of all the practical details in preparing for and reflecting afterwards on the Rite of Election and then preparing for and reflecting afterwards on the Scrutinies and then preparing for the Presentations and the Preparation Rites and ...! If we're not careful, the practicalities of so much to be dealt with in such a relatively short period can actually deflect our focus. As JD Crichton in his commentary on these period states:
"Lent has often been called a spiritual retreat and it is to this that both the elect and the local community are called during this period. For this reason it is to be marked by ‘interior reflection' rather than ‘catechetical instruction'."[i]
So how, in an ordinary parish context might we attempt a slowing down and give space for the Spirit to both purify and enlighten. Well one way that we discovered not only worked but was really appreciated by all who shared the journey was a ‘Praying with Paint' session during the first or second week of Lent.
It requires some advance organisation to ensure that there is sufficient space for all to be able to ‘paint' and that there are sufficient supplies of poster paint or crayons or watercolours (the parish toddler group or primary school can often be most helpful if approached in good time). Otherwise it's just a question of creating a reflective atmosphere with quiet music playing and perhaps dimmed lighting (but not too dimmed so that people can't see their own creations). Obviously the basic principles of adult formation apply and people are free not to take part, but in over ten years of offering this I only ever encountered one person who chose not to participate. So:
- Stress the reflective nature of the task, reassuring all those who had bad experiences of art at school that it's not about creating works of art but rather allowing the Spirit of God to move within us in response to the gospel in a different way from those we may otherwise have experienced.
- Proclaim the gospel and allow a period of silence
- Proclaim it again but with a different voice
- Invite people to respond using the materials provided, as they feel appropriate.
- Quiet, reflective music will help and as people finish there should be no pressure to show the paintings, although most people will happily want to do so.
- There should however be a time to come together and say a word or two about how the experience was received and an opportunity to end with shared prayer, perhaps hearing the gospel one more time
In this Year of Matthew (Cycle A) the story of the Transfiguration affords a wonderful opportunity for a creative reflection. Happy painting!
[i] Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, The final Texts with Commentaries The Columba Press 1986