How is God ‘Abba’ to us?
Before all the important moments of his life, Jesus takes time out to be with his father.
Luke gives us a slightly shorter version of Jesus's response to the question 'Teach us to pray', beginning with a simple intimate greeting equivalent to 'Papa' or 'Dad', and continuing as we know 'may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.' Again the simplicity strikes me - 'may your kingdom come' - may we really live out what we believe and share the life you give us with others, bringing your kingdom among us; and may we rely on you each day to nourish us with your life, and forgive us as we forgive each other. For the catechumen, and for each of us in the community, our life in Christ is like a spiral, ever deepening, the more we open to the truth Jesus gives us. And the truth today is staggering - that God is our 'dad'. In the human family, the dad is traditionally the member of the family responsible for providing for the needs of the body - food, shelter and warmth. He gives identity to his children. SO a son becomes a man and knows himself and his abilities from the way his father relates to him and what he says to and about his son. And in the same way, a daughter gains her identity as a woman through the way her father treats her and communicates with her. The father also provides protection and security. (A mother, and siblings/ friends have different roles in the formation of our person too, which you can align with the Holy Spirit and with Jesus, but I wont go into these here).
Towards the end of the catechumenal journey of conversion (either at the end of the catechumenate period, or during Lent), the Lord's Prayer, our prayer of the church, as an integral part of our daily prayer and our liturgy - is ritually 'presented' or proclaimed for and over the catechumens (or elect) - God is drawing them to himself, like a father who lifts up his child and holds them close (Hosea 11). This is a very moving moment - a moment of recognition of the compassion and love of God calling them to the waters of baptism - as the rite suggests: 'Give them new birth in your living waters, so that they may be numbered among your adopted children.' It is a preparation for the moment when they as baptised Christians will for the first time recite this prayer in the liturgical assembly of the faithful. It is a sign of recognition by the community of the progress of the candidates in spiritual maturity - they recognse who they are becoming. It echoes the process of human development in a family too.
In order for the catechumens to be able to publicly receive and pray the 'Our Father', it would be vitally important for the community, as represented in the team members and sponsor, to be aware of the need for ritual prayer throughout the catechumenate to help them towards this point - blessings, annointing and minor exorcism - all of which are there for affirmation and healing. None of our family backgrounds are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Ask a room full of people to put up their hands if 
they consider they come from a 'dysfunctional family' and 95% will do so! For all sorts of reasons, our family members may not have understood or were unable to f'perfectly' fulfil their roles in our lives - and this can lead to a misunderstanding of the who God is as Loving Father, or who Jesus is, or the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the blessings, annointings and minor exorcisms are to heal the wounds and lies that may have been learned from our experience, enable us to understand and forgive our families/those in close relationship for any inadequacies in their roles, and to open to the truth of the incredible intimacy offered by God, who says call me 'Abba' , offering identity, security and protection, as well as giving a joyful purpose for our lives as Christian family reaching out to love, heal and serve in the world.
The invitation to the elect following the Presentation of the Lord's Prayer has a prophetic ring about it:
'Although you cannot yet participate fully in the Lord's eucharist, stay with us as a sign of our hope that all God's children will eat and drink with the Lord and work with his Spirit to re-create the face of the earth'.
It’s Great To Be Growing! (Reflections for Corpus Christi)
Recently I planted some bedding plants in the garden ably assisted by my two children. A few days later after the copious amounts of sun, and rain, that we have enjoyed recently the plants had bloomed. Upon witnessing this, the joyful cry went up ‘THE PLANTS ARE GROWING!!!’
It’s great to see growth! It brings us joy and a sense of fulfilment.
When we see growth in the lives of neophytes we have been journeying with, and in our own lives, it too can give us a real sense that the God is truly with us. We can know once more that while we have done our best to be faithful ’planters’ and ‘waterers’ of the seed of God’s Word, it has been God alone who has given the growth.
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)
In the period of Mystagogy that many of us are now experiencing, as well as celebrating the growth that has taken place we can also look ahead with hope for the growth that is still to come. Our hope is that we will see growth in our own lives, in the lives of the neophytes and in the Christian communities to which we all belong. But how can we encourage this growth?
How does the Church grow?
This question was asked by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. In response they stated that “as often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which Christ our Passover was sacrificed is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried on.” In short they were affirming that the celebration of the Eucharist is at the centre of the process of the Church’s growth (Lumen Gentium 3, Ecclesia de Eucharistia 21).
Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia remarks that “the Apostles, by accepting in the Upper Room Jesus' invitation: ‘Take, eat’, ‘Drink of it, all of you’, entered for the first time into sacramental communion with him. From that time forward, until the end of the age, the Church is built up through sacramental communion with the Son of God who was sacrificed for our sake.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 21). He adds that “incorporation into Christ, which is brought about by Baptism, is constantly renewed and consolidated by sharing in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, especially by that full sharing which takes place in sacramental communion.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 22)
As we look back to the joys of our Easter celebrations, it is heartening to know that the grace of those baptisms are ‘constantly renewed and consolidated by sharing in the Eucharistic Sacrifice’.
So the Eucharist constantly renews and consolidates the gift of new life given at baptism, builds us up and enables us to continue to grow in our Christian life. This is captured in the Rite itself where the instruction for the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil states:
“Before saying ‘This is the Lamb of God’, the celebrant may briefly remind the neophytes of the pre-eminence of the Eucharist, which is the climax of their initiation and the centre of the whole Christian life.” (RCIA 233).
So right at the outset, in the Rite, and in the Easter liturgy itself, the Church is encouraging us to find the source of our life and of our future growth in the Eucharist. These can be deeply encouraging truths and timely for us as prepare for and celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
As we look ahead, to future ministry opportunities and new groups of catechumens and candidates we can also receive consolation and support by knowing that “from the perpetuation of the sacrifice of the Cross and her communion with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Church draws the spiritual power needed to carry out her mission.” The truth is that “the Eucharist... appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelisation...” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 22)
So the Eucharist renews and strengthens us, it is the centre of our Christian lives and also gives us the spiritual power we need to witness and share the Good News in many and various ways. Truly we can grow strong and bloom if we can remain true to this great Sacrament.
To end here is a song that I heard some children singing at our local Catholic School, the words are set to the traditional tune Frère Jacques. As we continue to be a Eucharistic people we pray that the truth of these simple and childlike words can become our own as we see the growth that God’s grace will bring in our lives as we share the one bread and the one cup.
"I am growing, I am growing big and tall, big and tall. Growing up for Jesus, growing up for Jesus, big and strong, big and strong!”
Believing in the Past
I have recently been reading Paul Bradshaw's Reconstructing Early Christian Worship. It follows on from two previous books: The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship and Eucharistic Origins. Paul Bradshaw is an liturgical historian who is interested what we know of the practice of the Early Church. He describes himself as a splitter rather than an a lumper. A lumper is someone who makes connection and fits the pieces into an overall picture; a splitter looks at the evidence and is suspicious of any suggestion that goes far beyond the text.
In this most recent book he looks at his three areas of interest: Eucharist, Baptism and Prayer, and explores a series of questions. His method is to look at what various writers or Church documents in the early Church tell us but recognising the geographical differences. This requires a careful reading of the texts but also acknowledgement that the we only ever have glimpses of the picture. Imagine, for example, that in 100 years time this blog was the evidence for RCIA - what picture would you construct.
There are 3 chapters on Baptism: Catechumens and the Gospel, the Profession of Faith and Varieties of Anointing, The third traces the differences in the practice across the churches of pre and post-baptismal anointing, The first, Catechumens and the Gospel, ask the question at what point did Catechumens hear the gospel. In looking at the evidence from the first 3 centuries the possible answer seems to be surprising late. Initial formation seemed to been ethical — how to live.
The second chapter of the section, the Profession of Faith, builds on the first chapter. Bradshaw first suggests that a profession of faith seems to be a key element in the process of initiation and then makes the distinction that we cannot be certain that credal texts in early documents are a record of catechetical or liturgical use. Looking at 4th century Syrian sources he notes that there was shift from a profession of faith in Christ coming when catechumens began to hear the Gospel, to a fuller credal statement which is connected to baptism. In Roman practice he makes the interesting proposal that the text: 'Do you believe…' 'I do believe' is not just a consequence of Latin not have a word for 'yes' but that form of question and answer is that of a Roman contract. So he suggests that someone being initiated understood themselves as making a contract with Christ rather than just assenting to a set of beliefs. This has implications for infant baptism as a sponsor is, in Roman legal terms, a proxy making contract.
Bradshaw does not study and write about the past just so that we know about the past but is fully aware of its implications for the present. He is not though someone who wants to recreate the past rather he wants to do a couple of things. One, help us understand what we are doing at present within the history of what the Church has done and secondly not to get stuck with the idea that there is one way of doing or understanding something.
The Rite of Election approaches – are we ready?
On Sunday next, 1st Sunday of Lent, our catechumens and candidates from across the Diocese will gather in the Cathedral, and be presented to our Bishop with the words :
'They have found strength in God's grace, and support in our community's prayers and example. Now they ask that after the celebration of the scrutinies, they be allowed to participate in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the eucharist'.
Those who have journeyed with them to this point find them 'to be sincere in their desire. They have listened to the word of Christ,and endeavoured to follow his commands; they have shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer', and so the Bishop announces to all present 'that our community has decided to call them to the sacraments', and then once again, he seeks the opinions of the godparents:
'As God is your witness, do you consider these candidates worthy to be admitted to the sacraments of Christian initiation?'
'Have they faithfully listened to God's word proclaimed by the Church?'
Have they responded to that word and begun to walk in God's presence?
Have they shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer?
And then speakly directly to the catechumens, the Bishop invites them to 'express your response clearly and in the presence of the whole Church', after which they are declared 'members of the elect'. The whole Church are charged with acceptance of these 'chosen of the Lord', and asked to continue to sustain them through 'loving care and example'
Quite a responsibility. Are we ready?
Lent is offered as a gift for the healing, encouragement and renewal of all - the catechumens, candidates, both adults and children, and the whole community:
- to grow in love
- to overcome hesitations and trust in Christ
- to find joy in daily prayer and reflection on the scriptures
- to acknowledge faults and work to correct them
- to share with others the joy found in faith.
In other words, as described in the Rite (RCIA 125-126) it is more about interior reflection than catechetical instruction - a time intended to purify and enlighten minds and hearts through a deeper knowledge and experience of Christ. So let go of anxiety about 'have we given them enough doctrine'/'do they know enough' - after all, the Rite of Election reminds us very firmly that this is a process of initiation - and relax, and allow lent to be the time of 'retreat' and deepening of relationship with Christ.
A friend offered me this Lenten Prayer which may help us to get the focus for Lent right!
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling within them. Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life. Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the realityof light. Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify. Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude. Fast from anger; feast on patience. Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism. Fast from worry; feast on trust. Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation. Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives; fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer. Gentle God, during the season of feasting and fasting, gift us with Your Presence, so we can be gift to others in carrying out your work. Amen.
Rite of Welcome/Acceptance in the West Country
I often wonder why some communities ignore the Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate and the Rites of Welcome for candidates, perhaps for fear of imposing a burden on people, but they are missing some exciting opportunities in the process. Our parish looks forward to celebrating these rites each year. At our recent combined Rite of Welcome and Acceptance held at the beginning of a Saturday evening parish Mass, there were so many people that we worried that our RCIA group, their families and sponsors and the parish community would not fit into the church. A recent Sunday Gospel reading from Luke 5:1-11 with its abundant image of bursting fishing nets full of teaming fish seemed rather apt.
Whereas we normally have three or four adults, plus a few children for RCIA and CICCA (Catholic Initiation of Children of Catechetical Age) in our city parish here in the West country, this year we have twenty-five adults and children coming forward to be baptised and received at Easter, including seven adult baptisms and six adult receptions. This has brought its own logistical problems in our small church, one of three, which make up our small parish, where the total combined Mass attendance across three parishes, numbers no more than three hundred.
Although we had described the Rites briefly to the members of the RCIA group, - the danger of revealing too much could detract from the actual impact of the experience on the day, there was much excitement on the day of the event. The group had had two questions to consider "What do you ask of the Church and why?" Each had agreed to give an individual, personal answer. Responses were written at a previous RCIA session, to act as an aide-memoir in case adults and children were nervous on the day.
When this was tried last year, as a result of a suggestion made by the parish priest, but greeted with a little scepticism by hard bitten catechists, the catechists had been surprised that the adults had agreed to it and secondly, how deeply it had prompted the group to think about their responses. The third surprise was the witness that it gave and the impact it had had on the parish communities, who had strained to listen to every word of the moving answers. There was even a tear or two. This year a microphone was used!
On Saturday morning, the phone lines were busy, as catechists phoned and checked that people were OK and knew what they were doing, reassured those who were nervous, listened to question responses that had been changed, reminded people to arrive early. Both individuals and families shared how nervous and excited they felt. Some parents were busy listening to their children’s answers. Some could not but help mention at work, what was going to take place at the weekend. Some had spoken to others in the group and compared notes. Some shared how this had made them think very seriously about the step they were taking. It seemed the very act of preparing for the rites had brought the whole group together.
Even our parish priest, who enjoys celebrating these beautiful rites - he himself came into the church through the RCIA process – was becoming a little apprehensive, less he fail to remember which part of the rite applied to each adult and child. There was a master spreadsheet which showed all the permutations, which became translated into colour coded cards with names. The complication came when families had members who were to be received and baptised and where parents had to speak not only on their own behalf, but on behalf of younger children not old enough to be part of CICCA.
One of our parishioners, who normally directs the traffic in our local, large ferry terminal to make sure that all the lorries and cars are correctly loaded onto the ferries, made short work of organising the movement of prospective candidates and catechumens, adults, children and babies, sponsors, catechists etc., as they were greeted at the door at the back of the church at the beginning of Mass and then moved around our tiny church, so there was room for catechists and sponsors to continue with the signing after the priest etc., and the rite could be celebrated in a dignified manner.
After the homily, gospels were presented to each person. The Mass was a long one, but no one seemed to mind, as the excitement felt by the RCIA and CICCA groups was communicated to parishioners and reminded those who had been received in previous years of their own experience.
When entered into enthusiastically, these rites provide a profound experience for those standing at the threshold of their new Christian journey or encouragement for those already on their journey, they mark the next step, they give visible witness to the building of community and give heart to all of us who are on the self same journey.
The Messiah Is Among You
The Messiah Is Among you.
In one way it may seem the ideal if our Journey in Faith groups were to continue to meet over the Christmas season. It would be so good to share experiences of this and other Christmases in the light of the rich liturgies we will celebrate. As a catechist part of me wants to explore the richness of Word and prayer and living traditions. However, in the absence of dismissal catechesis at present, we have already bade farewell until January. This is ‘right and proper’. Family and other commitments also need to be honoured. I suspect it may be another reminder for us that the Spirit of God was at work calling our inquirers, catechumens and candidates to Christ in their familiar places, long before we met them.
Hopefully the next two weeks will also be a time when parishioners, with varying degrees of awareness, will have particular scope for their essential role:
“…the people of God should understand and show by their concern that initiation of adults is the responsibility of all the baptised… Hence, the entire community must help the candidates and the catechumens throughout the process of initiation… They should therefore show themselves ready to give the candidates welcome into their homes, into personal conversations, and into community gatherings…” RCIA n9
I am reminded of the story of the holy Rabbi living in the woods near a monastery that was declining in fervour and numbers. When the Abbot consulted him about his concerns the Rabbi told him that he had, indeed a message for him that he could repeat only once: the Messiah was living in his community. Returning to the abbey the Abbot told his brothers what the Rabbi had said, with the feeling that he had not received anything very helpful. It could just be true, but who could it be?! Gradually attitudes to each other changed – just in case this one or that one was the Messiah in disguise! This led to changes in the way they lived and prayed and soon others were attracted by their way of living and came to pray with them and some came to join them. Almost imperceptibly they’d found and shared a new way of living.
In responding to the Advent messages and all the preparations for celebrating Christmas (and the ancient ‘rites’ of the midwinter solstice too!) the parish community lives its response to the message that the Messiah is among us. In simple, unpretentious ways God’s presence will be witnessed again in this season.
Attracting people who wish to know more about being a Catholic Christian happens unseen, unknown to us. It is different for everyone but in our stepping back to appreciate this time of celebrating Incarnation we can consciously trust that it is the Spirit of God that works among us: individuals and parish.
By encouraging everyone to pray for each other, especially inquirers and candidates perhaps our community awareness of Christ being born in and among us will be heightened and grow the more.
WHAT TIME IS IT FOR YOU?
Advent is such a short season, yet its impact on the church year is phenomenal. There really is something for everyone whatever stage they are at in the RCIA process. For enquirers it might be their first experience of seeing the church in festive mode with the liturgical violet and the Advent wreath. It offers a great opportunity for those who may not yet be regularly attending mass, to explore the inside of the church and see the signs and symbols that speak of Advent. Or perhaps you have planned a celebration of the word of God [RCIA 81] for your catechumens instead of the usual RCIA session.
The second reading is particularly apt to the period of the catechumenate as Paul writes to the Philippians how confident he is
‘that the one who began a good work in you, will continue to
complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.’
That is being experienced by each one now at this very time.
The season offers a special chance for all to experience parish gatherings, whether it is Advent Stations of the Cross, special seasonal small groups, prayer groups, or the practical side of helping with the Bazaar or Fayre. This is a busy time for the SVP and church charities, and don’t forget local initiatives in the neighbourhood for helping those in need. These also offer a chance to work in co-operation with other faiths and people without belief: allow your catechumens to evangelise by their witness.
Perhaps your candidates have creative talents and will help in decorating the church or arranging the flowers. They may help in the organisation of parish social events, or those involving the elderly and the sick.
In the Gospel we are introduced to John the Baptist, who comes out of the wilderness ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. Luke records that John son of Zechariah, came at a very precise time in Caesar’s reign: fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. For our catechumens and candidates it is this precise time that is marking out something great in their life journey: perhaps to be written or drawn in their journal.
This is a time to show how we Catholics look forward to the end of time, and prepare for the coming of Christ, turning what many see as a secular occasion of spending money for one’s immediate friends and family, into a time of celebrating with praise and gladness the joys God has given us.
Here is an idea I heard this week in our small group. Turn the chore of writing Christmas cards into an opportunity to think lovingly of each intended recipient, offering a prayer to them as you sign the card.
Our great praise and our quiet prayer
The parish priest wants more people to join the choir. Six, he says, is not enough; there should be at least ten of us. And in a way he has a point. We're not a large parish, but there are certainly people scattered around the church with good voices, singing out on Sunday mornings, and every now and then he makes an appeal for more members. I'm grateful for his support, but I know from talking to people that one of the barriers to joining is our Wednesday evening practice: parents are busy with families, or aren't yet home from work, older people often don't like coming out on dark winter nights. So we adapt. The ones who come on Wednesdays, do. They learn the psalm, the communion song, the acclamations, so they can give a lead. On Sundays we have a short rehearsal before Mass, in the meeting room, to which all are welcome. People who can pick things up quickly, who like the singing, join us then, and everyone learns the psalm response, or a Communion chant, at a short introduction about seven minutes before Mass begins.
We'll never sing the Hallelujah Chorus like this - but why would we want to, at 10.30am in St Joseph's, with the Children's Liturgy group making their cheerful way back into the assembly, and the grown-ups welcoming them and assimilating the homily... What we might be moving towards is a gradual understanding that singing is something we do together, as a community gathered to worship in this place; and that our song is sometimes our great praise and sometimes our quiet prayer.
The women of the choir are mothers and grandmothers. Their attendance at choir practice and indeed at Mass on Sundays is affected by whether they're on grandparent duty or not. They are also (and I know you'll recognise this phenomenon) the ones who make the coffee after Mass, arrange the flowers, run the Church Bazaar, populate parish prayer groups, lead baptism preparation, visit the local prison. It's my hope that as people join with the song they might also join with the life of the church: not just the coffee and the flowers and the bazaar, but also the work of being Christ to others in their families, workplaces and in the town. I came into the Church twenty-seven years ago via a group of young people singing their way through the Celebration Hymnal in a presbytery in south London, and now I could not be anywhere else. What surprised me (again) when I came to St Joseph's, and began to look after the music and some of the liturgy, was how many people have taken this same route, and how much the liturgy sustains them in their lives of continuing conversion. Not as in 'Oh, the music was nice this morning', but as in 'I've been singing that psalm all the way through our OFSTED'.
Sing the Lord a new song.
Let the sea and all its creatures,
the coastland and its people,
fill the world with praise.
Let every village and town,
from Kedar on the plain
to Sela in the hills,
take up the joyful song.
Sing glory to the Lord,
give praise across the world
Isaiah 42:10-12
AnnB
Who Shepherds Whom?
Mark tells us that the crowd reaches that ‘quiet’ place before they do. Like Moses with the wandering Israelites, Jesus sees that the crowds waiting for them are “Like sheep without a shepherd.” So, they are shepherded and nourished by him and his words – the crowd’s need for other food will come later. This is still our way: we feed at the table of the Word then at the table of the Bread and Wine.
As Jeremiah promised and we hear in the first reading, Mark shows Jesus acting as the “virtuous branch… The Lord-our-integrity”; God, who will look after his own sheep when their leaders have failed to do so. Jeremiah’s anger at the leaders almost leaps out at us as he berates those shepherds of Israel who do not take care of the people, who do not build them up in unity. There are threats for them: “…you have not taken care of them. Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds…” But for the people, there is the assurance of God’s care: “I myself will gather…I will raise up shepherds to look after them…” God will not let the flock remain un-shepherded living in fear.
In our parish contexts of walking our road of faith with inquirers, catechumens, candidates and new catholics and with each other, what warnings, teachings and hope might this particular part of ordinary time offer us and prepare us for? Who shepherds us and those with whom we share our stories? As catechists what warnings are we offered about how we shepherd others, for example, those who come as inquirers, and how we allow ourselves to be shepherded along the way. How well do we each know the Lord as “My Shepherd” in truth; and how do we build up the unity of God’s people?
A presumption is, of course, that our notion of shepherding is real, never ‘soppy’. Shepherding is not for ‘whimps’, even in these days when farmer-shepherds often get around to their sheep on quad bikes. So too, taking care of God’s people doesn’t happen without cost to oneself. Indeed, we know it’s a pre-requisite of being a disciple of Christ who laid down his life for the flock!
At the Rite of Acceptance the parish community, sponsors and catechists promise to help the inquirers to “find and follow Christ”. From then on the period of the catechumenate enables them to become “familiar with the Christian way of life…” [The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) n75]. The promise has been made to live along side, to shepherd, the catechumens within the community. The Rite gives us the scaffolding of the example and the support that helps them embrace this familiarity:
“… 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.” [RCIA n75.2]
Jesus’ invitation to those who returned from their mission was to join him in some lonely place to rest. The primary response to conversion and on-going conversion is for the catechumens and ourselves to step back to make time for a deepening of our ‘readiness to turn to God in prayer’. Yet, Jesus shows that the shepherding of those in need challenges us with the ‘practice of love of neighbour’. That service will come with cost to ourselves and our plans. Had the twelve still had nothing to eat while Jesus taught all that day? They are then asked to feed all of that crowd!
In Sunday’s liturgy we will have prayed the psalm before hearing the gospel passage. In that ancient prayer we state our trust in the Shepherd who leads us and spreads a banquet, even though the journey passes through the valley of darkness. May summer breaks offer some ‘rest for a while’ and opportunities to shepherd and be shepherded.
Spreading the Word – Mass in the Park
Many apologies for the lateness of the posting of this week’s blog – as the saying goes “circumstances beyond our control”!
It was one of those blogs that you can’t prepare in advance since the plan was to share the story of something that happened on Sunday morning (21 June) that could provide ideas for evangelising and witnessing to the joy of being people of faith to people who wouldn’t remotely set foot through a church door (save for “hatchings, matchings and despatchings”).
A bit of history first… In 2006, our diocese created Pastoral Areas in which parishes would be encouraged to work more closely together and support each other in developing the faith lives of the people in their Area and in reaching out to others. In my own Area, there had often been the thought that it would be good idea to come together for a shared celebration but, with 1500 Catholics, no venue was readily available. However, across the road from one of the churches, which is geographically in the middle of the Area, is a park – and in the park is a bandstand. The bandstand is host to concerts during the summer and, in years gone by, was the focus of the parish’s Corpus Christi processions. These had ceased years before though many parishioners could remember their First Communion year in which they wore their Communion Day clothes and scattered rose petals before the Blessed Sacrament – when the Polish community turned out in force in national dress – and when people in the town would stand and watch. Quite what they made of what they saw no-one knows but it was an event that was part of the town’s calendar and proclaimed that here was a community confident in its faith.
And so, in exploring the possibility of a Mass for people across the Pastoral Area, the thought of an Open Air Mass on the bandstand grew. A team of volunteers came together to plan the celebration – which, to run smoothly, had to be organised a bit like a military operation. The PA system for the bandstand and its operators had to be booked (fortunately, a Mass in the Park for the church’s patronal feast last year had given them experience of what would be required). Chairs were also borrowed to supplement those brought by participants. Banners and bunting decorated the bandstand and volunteers were working on moving altars and lecterns, chairs and flowers from 7am on the Day. The list of songs to be used was posted on the PA website and circulated to the mailing list. Readers were invited for the different churches as were Ministers of Communion. Children who had made – or are soon to make – their First Communion brought forward the Gifts, which included pictures and a prayer commemorating the event which would be blessed and taken back to the six churches in the Area. Young people rehearsed and performed a mime to accompany the proclamation of the Gospel. Car parking was made as easy as it could be for people who did not know the area with maps and information circulated through the website – and, on the Day, a team of welcomers and ushers (identifiable by their green sashes) made sure that everyone was made welcome and had Mass booklets, those with disabilities seated so that Ministers could bring Communion to them and generally keeping an eye out to iron out potential hiccups.
On the day, all three priests from the Pastoral Area concelebrated – joined by deacons and those in training … and around 500 people came together to sing, pray and worship together. It was a memorable experience and one that we hope will be repeated. But, such a public act of worship does not go un-noticed. The park is a major thoroughfare and people going backwards and forwards to the shops slowed and watched what was happening.
Children and parents heading to and from the play area looked at the unusual spectacle of the decorated bandstand with priests, deacons and servers.
Dog walkers settled their dogs and, for just a few moments, became part of something very different from their usual Sunday morning stroll.
To cater for those who might have been attracted by what they experienced, a note was put into the Mass booklet inviting people to pick up “Seekers’” leaflets and to come along to an evening in a couple of weeks to find out a little more about these people and their faith.
How many will take up the invitation we don’t know – but in drawing communities together and proclaiming our faith to local people, hopefully a few will be drawn to find out more – and those in the various churches will be as welcoming and as joyful as they were at the sunlit Midsummer Mass in the Park.