It is a time of reflecting on the year which as passed and looking forward to the year to come.

We might also reflect on the people we have encountered this year and those we have shared special times with…family, friends, parish communities, colleagues and our RCIA groups.

In all of the events of the past year some may have been well ordered and structured, others may have been the product of chaos! Sometimes feel similar to the chaos of the universe; and in that chaos look at what was created.

Our RCIA groups may occasionally feel a bit chaotic and messy….people come and go…teams prepare and share their faith…during this time of enquiry, or catechumenate, groups are getting to know each other and stories are shared.  It is in these stories that we often recognise the messiness or untidiness of people’s faith experience.  The process of the RCIA welcomes this wonderful muddle of faith journeys, experiences and responses. It is robust enough to manage in this creative chaos.

All the early prayers in the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumen refer to the God of Creation and Christ as our guide.  Advent is that time when we can recall both the gift of Creation and the gift of Christ coming into our world.  Christ has always been present in Creation: in the chaos, in the stable, in our untidy humanity and in our future.

The Rite recognises that people have probably had a variety of chaotic and creative moments where God had touched their lives.  One of the Intercessions mentions: ‘These catechumens, who are our bothers and sisters, have already travelled a long road.  We rejoice with them in the gentle guidance of God who has brought them to this day.  Let us pray that they may press onwards, until they come to share fully in our way of life.’    The sentiment in the prayer that they may press onwards seems to indicate that there are times of questioning, possible confusion and discernment along the way.

This Advent let us travel this road together, even when it gets very busy, cluttered and congested.  Let us celebrate the moments of chaos which brought creation into being.  Let us wonder at this Christ child who was anticipated in the words of prophets and who joins us in the untidiness of our lives.  Let us pray that as people press onwards we stand beside them to rejoice in God’s creative activity in their lives.

"Lord, he said " it is wonderful for us to be here...effusive comment from Peter in this week's Gospel on the Transfiguation of Christ. 

Some of the same sentiment was expressed by those who attended the recent celebrations of the Rite of Election.  Various blogs and Diocesan website reports have noted the positive and encouragging experiences from around England and Wales.

The Transfiguration offers Peter, James and John, and us as the continuous Christian community , the preview and confirmation of the Resurrection.  Peter's enthusiasim suggests he has had a 'eureka' moment and come to a realisation of who Jesus really is.  However, we also know that Jesu asks the disciples not to mention the event until the time is right.

The RCIA process is that gradual realisation and acknowledgement of who Jesus is for us.  In that journey we are often called to change; to change our ways, our perceptions and our outlook.  Jesus' outlook was transformed.  This is a reminder to us that His example of obedience to the Father's will, His faithful friendship and service to the people he met and His invitation to us to continually recognise him in his glory remains available to us today.

The Call to Continuing Conversion alongside the gospel of the Transfiguration promts us to reflect on this slow but steady process of becoming more Christlike while anticipating the surprises associated with the ongoing experience of conversion.

Peter is moved from excitement to reverence.  We are to look for and savour those moment when we 'see' or know who Jesus Christ really is for us peronally and for all of us in the world toda.  The call to continuing conversion asks us to be ready like Abram and like Peter to journey and then re-settle ourselves in the presence of God.

This weekend’s Gospel from Luke reminds us to be ready to stand up for our faith and not to be deceived into thinking the Kingdom of God is at an end by worrying about the events in the world or the disparaging way in which we see many Christians being treated.

To follow on from the recent visit of Pope Benedict, September 2010 we are urged to respond and affirm through our faithfulness his comment ‘that the Catholics of this land will become ever more conscious of their dignity as a priestly people, called to consecrate the world to God through lives of faith and holiness.’        

One of the key documents from the Second Vatican Council was Lumen Gentium; the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, which can also be understood as ‘Christ is the Light to all humanity.’ 

In Chapter 4:31 we read that ‘The duty of the laity, which springs from their own vocation to seek the kingdom of God in the transaction of worldly business and the godly arrangement they give it.  Their life is lived in the world.  It is lived in each and all of the world’s occupations and employments and in the ordinary situations of the life of the family and society.  This is the context of their existence.  This is where they have their call from God to make their contribution to the sanctification of the world from the inside, as a leaven, by tackling their own job with the spirit of the gospel as their guide.  This is the principal way in which Christ is to be shown to others, by their life’s witness, in the glow of their faith, their hope and their charity.  It is their especial concern to bring such light and order to all worldly business, in which they are deeply involved, that it may be performed and developed in Christ’s way, and may give glory to the Creator and the Redeemer.’

This passage is rich in its parallels with the Rite and aspects of the Catechumenate when catechumen and candidates are encouraged to consider the ways in which their lives in the ordinary experiences of work and family life are impacted by the action of God.  It is also where the opportunity to witness to our faith comes alive.  RCIA teams, groups and parish communities express this witness in their love, prayers and support for the catechumens and candidates. The ways in which we greet, work and interact with people each day is a significant example of how we show and share our love of God. 

RCIA 75.2 reiterates the themes from Lumen Gentium when it offers the instruction:

‘As they become familiar with the Christian way of life and are helped by the example and support of sponsors, godparents, and the entire Christian community, the catechumens learn to turn more readily to God in prayer to bear witness to the faith, in all things to keep their hopes set on Christ, to follow supernatural inspiration in their deeds, and to practice love of neighbour, even at the cost of self-renunciation.’ 

 Archbishop Vincent Nichols wrote recently that in order to accept the Pope’s invitation that to be more overt in our expressions of faith we could take small steps such as offering to pray for and with people, making the sign of the cross or simply saying ‘God bless you’ all of which can be daily signs and witness of our faith and which encourage others to ‘become familiar with the Christian way of life.’ 

 God Bless You.

September comes with the scent of new books, new supplies, new uniforms and new or familiar routines. The roads fill up with extra cars on the school run and the sound of more children's voices can be heard.

This is also the time when our parish pews fill up again with those who have been away, choirs and liturgical ministers are back on schedule and RCIA groups begin, once again, to offer the invitation to those who might be enquiring about what it means to be a Catholic.

The Gospel heard this weekend, reminding us of the resolute and determined cost of discipleship, also gives us Jesus reflecting on 'being ready'; 'having a plan; and ‘thinking things through’.  Jesus is reminding us to have our plan of action in place.

If we are following an academic model of September to June then it raises all the very important questions about how we respond to an enquiry in the other months and what provision we have in place to respond to this situation.  Do we have members of the RCIA group ready to meet with our summer enquirers; are we thinking our welcome through?   

Along with all those children and young people returning to their studies and activities, RCIA groups could also use this period in early September to re-gather, to share their own summer stories, to reflect on where the group is at the moment.  This could be a time of formation by having a Team Development Day, a Retreat Day or a Day of Reflection.  It could be open to those who have been involved in the RCIA process in the past, as well as a time to welcome new members to the group.  This is an opportunity to refresh the understanding of the 4 stages within the process and to reflect on the individual elements of welcome, space, prayer, liturgies, content, community and group dynamics.

A time like this could also include reflection on passages directly from the Rite, for example to review the period of the Precatechumenate we could use RCIA 37 which reads:

 ‘From evangelisation, completed with the help of God, come the faith and initial conversion that cause a person to feel called away from sin and drawn into the mystery of God’s love.  The whole period of the precatechumenate is set aside for this evangelisation, so that the genuine will to follow Christ and seek baptism may mature.’ 

Or RCIA 38 which identifies who and why by suggesting:  ‘During this period, priests and deacons, catechists and other laypersons are to give the candidates a suitable explanation of the Gospel.  The candidates are to receive help and attention so that with a purified and clearer intention they may cooperate with God’s grace.  Opportunities should be provided for them to meet families and other groups of Christians.

If these two points were the focus of a team/group reflection and discussion then the value of God’s action in peoples’ lives, patience on our part as people move toward this clearer intention, the importance of relationships developed in the group and in the community and a discerning approach to the Gospel could be explored. 

As we prepare for Benedict XVI’s visit ‘Heart Speaks Unto Heart’ we may have more and more people drawn by God to seek out their local Catholic church and ask the questions which may arise from this event.  Have we a plan, have we thought things through, have we laid the foundations upon which to witness to and build a lasting relationship with our Lord and with others.        

The time between the celebrations at the Easter Vigil and Pentecost seems to be caught by the image of the Spirit which blows when and where it will leaving the neophytes, parish RCIA teams and communities in a spin.

In theory the process of the RCIA should still be engaging in the period of Mystagogia  of reflecting on the experiences preceding and proceeding the Easter Vigil, but in reality many parish groups have by now stopped gathering.   Some may have come together for a few weeks after Easter to share their Vigil stories and perhaps had a party of celebration.  Some groups may have continued with a few sessions in order to cover some of the items left out of the schedule and other groups haven't met again, now that everyone is 'done'.

The Feast of Pentecost reminds us that in these past 50 days we were meant to gather in upper rooms and other rooms, not out of fear any longer but in anticipation of the coming of the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which animates all of us together, sending us out into the world as witnesses to God's power and Gods' presence in our lives.

The period of mystagogy is extended well beyond the 50 days, in reality the mystagogy of going deeper and reflecting on our faith experience is a life long activity...we are all still in this period.  Reminding our newest members that we are also joining them in this life long journey gives them the assurance that we continue to be with them even after any formal meetings stop. 

Now is the time to integrate them more fully into the community at whatever level and pace is best for them.  Afterall, it is into the life of the Christian experience that has been the goal, not the meetings.  However, even though teams and the neophyetes themselves may be 'tired', it is crucial that people are not just left alone and this is where the role of the whole faith community comes into being.  It is in this period of mystagogia that the people of the parish, of all ages, become real and tangible for our neophytes. A welcoming, consistent, authentic community will gather the neophytes in as if they had always been there. 

As we reflect on the fire of Pentecost which kindles and sparks us into a community which accepts and respect all, we remember that each person has something to offer in spreading the Good News and building up the Kingdom of God.  When we are tired or fearful or doubtful we could recall this excerpt from Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Address, May 1994:

'Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask oursleves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?"  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.  It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. '

As we embrace the power of the Spirit, reaffirmed at Pentecost, we look forward to the life long period of mystagogy and the variety of ways in which together we will renew the face of the earth. 

http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/catholic_church/media_centre/press_releases/press_releases_2010/rite_of_election_weekend_of_joy_for_the_catholic_community

It also reminds us that not all parishes are able to, or chose to, attend the central Rite of Election which means that the ‘numbers’ tallied each year are only a benchmark.  They are also somewhat misleading due to the fact that we don’t see the distinction between catechumens and candidates.  However, the implication of increasing totals each year can only be Good News.

Listening to the different ways in which the Rite of Election is celebrated led me to reflect on our experience here in Southwark.  We begin planning the Rite in October, reflecting on scripture, music and liturgical art options. An invitation is sent to all parishes in January with a Registration form where the names of those catechumens and/or candidates expected to attend are recorded.  As the Diocese is quite large we group the registration of parishes and attendees by area: South East, South West and Kent.

The Rite is held at St George’s Cathedral for everyone registered and is a collaborative effort between the parishes, the Chancery and the Auxiliary Bishops, the Cathedral staff, Liturgy & Music Committee, the Christian Education Centre and a wide variety of volunteers.

Because the Rite of Election is a liturgy unlike any other there is a vibrancy and chaos that brings its own joys and challenges.  In the planning we remember this may be the first, and possibly only, time that many of those attending will have been in their metropolitan church.  Several ‘Preview Evenings’ are held for RCIA co-ordinators, teams, catechumens and candidates in order to give them a sense of the liturgy and what to expect. We receive many positive comments about how helpful these evenings have been.

 We use the Combined Rite #547-561 with Election for Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates.  A service booklet is prepared with the hymns, scripture references, prayers and responses.  The Book of the Elect is symbolically located in the Baptistery and once the Catechumen has signed it they are seated with their Godparent in a group on and around the sanctuary.  Candidates and their Sponsors are seated as a group in the central nave.

Just as the Book of the Gospels has been brought forward in procession and proclaimed, so too is the Book of the Elect.  Three readers, representing the three areas, and the Auxiliary Bishop of that area take turns to proclaim the parish name and the person’s name: St Francis, Maidstone    Sally Tracey, Robert Stillwell, etc …. It takes ages, but as each catechumen stands with his or her godparent the Cathedral comes alive.  The presider then enters into dialogue with the godparents, the assembly and the catechumen.  A joyful acclamation is sung to acknowledge the presentation and election of these catechumens and then we repeat the proclamation of parishes and people’s names as the candidates are presented. 

The affirmation of the sponsors and assembly and then the Act of Recognition is a powerful witness of ongoing conversion and community support.

This year 88 parishes were represented giving the catechumens and candidates present a glimpse of Southwark’s boundaries while inviting them to see themselves as part of the wider Church. 

 As we move further into the stage of Purification and Enlightenment let us pray:

Father of love and power, it is your will to establish everything in Christ and to draw us into his all embracing love.  Guide these chosen ones: strengthen them in their vocation, build them into the kingdom of your Son, and seal them with the Spirit of your promise.  We ask this through Christ our Lord….Amen.   

This 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete/Rejoice Sunday, we light the pink candle to deliberately mark the advent and approaching celebration of the Incarnation.   For some this might symbolise how quickly the time is passing while counting the many tasks on the list which are to be done before Christmas.  Advent reminds us that this is a time of preparation, of considering how quickly time does pass, and the many ways we could be ready for the coming of Christ.  During this season we sing in the familiar hymn 'Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.'  Shall come to you, shall come to me, shall come for all.  I rejoice each time I consider that our Lord chose to 'come', to manifest his love and trust in us, to marvel at and with humanity.

This Sunday we have also celebrated the Rite of Acceptance for our catechumens and the Rite of Welcome for our candidates.  The RCIA team, liturgy committee and the parish priest prepared a leaflet based on the combined rite (found in the American publication of the Rite) #507-528.  The prayers speak of joy and rejoicing, of preparation and the time spent in coming to know Christ more fully.  They speak of how God has 'sought and summoned' them in many ways and acknowledges how in response the catechumens and candidates are seeking to know more about and are turning toward God.   The assembly were asked if they were ready to help the catechumens and candidates 'follow Christ' and we answered 'We are.'  Now that is really something worth adding to the task list.

Like the pink candle of Advent, this liturgy marks a stage in time within the journey that both catechumens and candidates are on in the company of our communities.  In the Gospel this weekend we hear of others who were 'filled with expectation and were questioning in their hearts and who wanted to prepare themselves for the Messiah.'  Lk 3:10-18 They ask John the Baptist 'What then should they do?'  John speaks to them of charity, of acting justly and with integrity and to live faithfully as they prepare for baptism.  Echoed in the Rites of Acceptance and Welcome the catechumens, candidates and assembly reflected on the how we are to listen to the Word, to come to know God, to love our neighbours, to gather for prayer and to participate in the service of others.

I thought this was a very appropriate time to celebrate this combined Rite which clearly resonated the Advent message of preparation, prayer and expectation.  It is a time to rejoice for all who are chosen to follow Christ.  'Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.'

You may have seen the bus campaign sponsored by R. Dawkins & friends ‘There’s probably no God.  Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’ Produced in opposition to the visual Christian messages found in the public domain, the comment seemed to suggest that worry was associated with God while enjoyment wasn’t.

But the statement has also engendered a healthy Christian response, with one local church displaying the sign ‘There is probably no bus; so why not come in and enjoy God.’ Another has used the modern text message of: OMG! adding ‘Learn to say it and mean it’…and I’ve seen www.lookingforGod.come! with an arrow pointing to the church nearby.

The latest Alpha promotion asked several questions including ‘Does God Exist?’ with the familiar method of expressing an opinion in tick boxes of: □Yes, □ No □ Probably.

I saw examples where people had indeed ‘ticked a box’; one was Yes and one was No.  The No was on a large billboard, where the person had made a significant effort to climb up and make their mark in a bold lime green.  The Yes was in one of the tunnels at London Bridge station, where hundreds of people could potentially see this affirmative sign.  The fact that people were stimulated enough by the question to physically express their declaration of belief was very interesting.

It made me consider all those people who are searching, who are asking the same questions and who are coming to our RCIA groups to figure this out:  Is there a God?, Does God exist?, What do I believe?, What does it mean to say Yes?, Could we ever be satisfied with .. & How do we respond to… a Probably?, Are we part of transcending a Probably into a Yes?

These larger questions go well beyond ‘What does it mean to be Catholic …..??’ but they are linked to the deepest and innermost questions an enquirer might ask.  How do we, as those walking alongside listen, respect the curiosity within the questions…. and wait.  The Rite #6 mentions the periods of the RCIA and the steps that are part of the process with 6.1 ‘The first step: where an enquirer reaches the point of initial conversion and wishes to become Christian.’  Until that conversion of heart and mind, we are there to show through our lives, words and actions, the Yes of God’s love.

That waiting may challenge us not to rush to tick our own boxes.  Do we turn our RCIA time into an assessment:  Have they done this?  Do they meet our criteria?  Are we trying to give them the big answers too soon?   Paul addressed this in his letter to the Colossians 4:4-6 when he suggests that we ’Be tactful with those who are not Christians and be sure you make the best use of your time with them.  Talk to them agreeably and with a flavour of wit, and try to fit your answers to the needs of each one.’

Public displays which demonstrate a Christian presence and invitation may be the trigger/ prompt for those who are searching and some groups invest significant funding to promote their option.  A 2005 study by the Heythrop Institute for Religion, Ethics, and Public Life called ‘On the Way to Life’ pointed out that: “If the religious community seeks to evangelise the culture, it must also be aware that it is being evangelised by the culture.”

In the world, in our Catholic communities, and in our RCIA groups, our witness, sincerity and visible Yes may also animate someone’s quest to encounter Jesus Christ, who makes God known to all.