Walking the Rite way

The Miracle Maker is an animated film produced for the Jubilee Year 2000 which tells the story of Jesus. It generally uses the gospel of Luke as the source for its narrative – but it hangs loosely to the source, and treats it somewhat creatively. This is most noticeable in its development of the character of Tamar, the daughter of Jairus. It’s easily available from most DVD stores, or of course from Amazon. or Play.

It was well-received by faith communities: A pretty typical review follows:

In The Miracle Maker, the film’s makers have a small miracle of their own: a simple, modest retelling of the gospel story of the ministry and passion of Christ that does little more than present the bare events of the gospel narratives, without adornment or invention, without idiosyncratic “explanations” or editorial spin, without elaborations for the sake of amusement or excitement.

It’s so straightforward, it’s practically revolutionary. Adapting a story for the screen substantially as it was written is a lost art nowadays. It’s easy to see why, in a way; storytellers are just naturally attracted to projects to which they feel they have some creative contribution to make; some special angle or insight to offer.

http://artsandfaith.com/t100/2005/entry.php?film=52

You might wonder about the claim that there is little adornment or invention – remember Tamar – but she operates more as a narrative device to help the viewer engage with the story of Jesus than a distraction or dumbing down.

The Miracle Worker is a rather beautiful creation – most of the narrative shown through stop-go animation; but others through painted cell work. And it is an engaging presentation – with much of the credit for this going to the somewhat stellar cast, led by Ralph Fiennes as Jesus.

We’ve been using it in our parish over the past weeks – a ten minute section as a time, as a way of familiarising the group with the outline of the story of Jesus, and as a ‘safe’ way of giving them matter for discussion reflection. Last year we had a very quiet group who rather resisted discussion. It’s a different group this year but there’s much discussion and I think the film is to credit for that.<

I’d recommend the film as a most useful aid for first evangelisation, for the pre-catechumenal time. And I am happy to share below the  discussion sheets we used to to give you an indication of the sort of conversation starters we’ve used.

• 1-Values.pdf
• 2-Kingdom.pdf
• 3-Call.pdf

The Summer holidays, or any holiday is a time to catch up on reading . If you have time try Paul Turner’s  When Other Christians Become Catholic.  It is a must when considering how we should be planning our catechumenate.

Turner not only explores the ritual text, but puts the practice of receiving others into full communion with the catholic church into our 21^st century context, reminding us that the rite is what it says, about being “received”: it is not about being ‘forgiven or reconciled’. We have moved on from the early church  needing a route, by which those guilty of heresy or apostacy, could renounce their beliefs and return to the fold. The process and rites that applied to such a situation are hardly applicable to those christians who knock on our parish doors today.

While restoring the RCIA, Vatican 2  also looked at providing an appropriate means that would enable other christians to come into full communion with the catholic church, in a way that would not make too burdensome, Turner shows how we have in a way compromised the rite, when we combine the rite of receiving baptised christians  into the catholic church with the rite of initiating  unbaptised catechumens.

What becomes clear, reading Turner, if you hadn’t already felt it so, is that there was no intention to make is so easy for catechists, that those already baptised would be added to  the catechumens, so that all progressed the same route, using the same rites.

From such a background there are some surprising but reassuring insights, for Turner says the rite was intended for a single candidate. How many of us worry when we only have person forward? Turner refers to such a situation, which calls for a ’simple ceremony with a profound meaning’. Looking at it from the opposite perspective, what does this say to us, when we have a large number of candidates, generally outnumbering the catechumens in combined rite? Should we immediately be thinking of spreading out our rites of reception throughout the liturgical year, so as to help that meaning come out? 

For Turner the Rite of Reception happens within a Sunday mass, at any time of the year,  any time that is, but at the easter vigil.  Why not read his book and see if you think what he says makes sense . Will it influence your future planning of the RCIA process?

Sue