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'.
Community Based RCIA
The RCIA network conference Bridging the Gap has come and gone and brought with it lots of ideas. Led by Fr Martin Jakubus’, his vision of a sponsoring community was thought provoking, but as often happens it is the odd comment that hits the nail on the head.
One of our clergy participants, made the point, that we still talk about ‘groups’ when it is about ‘community’ and about the oneness of God.
The word ‘group’ gives a vision of people with like-minded ideals gathering together, whether the activity or purpose is secular or religious. But the fact that a group has a title and consists of selected members is already divisive; whereas we are actually this big amorphous body, and as we welcome new members, we –the community, extend a bit, and open up to welcome this new person into our midst, as another joins the Body of Christ.
In Reflections for Corpus Christi the blogger referred to 1 Cor 3:5-7 when Paul asks what is Apollos, what is Paul. Paul in writing to the community about their divisions, reminded them that the individuals and their tasks count for nothing, for it is ‘God, who gives growth’. Paul was clear that having different factions was divisive.
Yet the human in us likes groups: there is something cosy about them, but have you ever been to a group that feels closed, or more intent on pursuing a specific purpose, so that it is bowed down by its process. I guess this is the Martha syndrome: being busy but missing the real point of what or who is important. A routine has to be followed with a ‘programme’ and a timetable, which doesn’t necessarily fit with every enquirer.
At your next team meeting, look at RCIA 4 & 9. You can’t swop the term ‘group’ for ‘community’; it doesn’t have the same effect. Why not, as part of your next evaluation -and summer makes a great time to evaluate, whether your team meets just term-time or all year round – ask how RCIA is growing in your parish.
RCIA 9 tells us ‘the entire community must help the candidate and catechumens throughout the process’.
How many of your parishioners are given the chance to welcome inquirers into their home? #9.1;
Do you publicise and give plenty of notice of celebrations occurring during the catechumenate, so that many of the community can be present? #9.
Perhaps those with welcoming skills are where Inquirers are first directed.
Do you have a pool of sponsors who benefit from the opportunity of ongoing formation ready for when their role is called upon?
Do your catechumens accompany those in specific parish activities, justice & peace and social action?
Do they attend prayer groups, help with fundraising or social events?
Is Your Community aware they are the lynchpin to evangelisation and mission?
Does everyone know that RCIA is carried out in your parish?
Do they know there is a team: who is involved and what specific tasks there are?
If you have RCIA sessions, are they well publicised. If they are closed sessions, have you explained why to the rest of the community
Does the community pray for its catechumens, support them on their journey and welcome them as Neophytes and befriend them for life?
During the summer break, why not get liturgists and catechists together to plan how the Rite of Acceptance or Welcome can occur at Sunday Mass, or how the Scrutinies can be celebrated at Mass next Lent, rather than at an evening group session.
When you think of RCIA as a whole community action, it makes it easier to select people for specific ministries: sponsors, godparents.
None of the above is new and probably many RCIA teams consider they tick all the boxes, but why not take the time to ask a few of your parishioners what they know about RCIA in your parish. Is their perception of RCIA what you expected? People come and go from parishes, and I’ve not been to one yet, where everyone is aware of what RCIA is, that it is being carried out in their church, and that it is the task of 'all the baptised' #9
Finally, please share your good practice of whole community RCIA, as well as the hurdles that had to be overcome. That is what the Network is for: to share ideas and exchange good practice.
SueP
Jonah – the Basil Fawlty of Prophets
Does lectio divina always have to be next Sunday’s Gospel?
Some times recently I have attended three meetings in one week where we have started each with a lectio divina on the same forthcoming Sunday Gospel. It seems to be fashionable at the moment to limit lectio divina in this way but’ in fact, lectio can be based on any part of Scripture – indeed on any suitable passage of spiritual writing. This is perhaps partly because many catholics are not very familiar with other parts of Scripture – despite the fact that the first reading in the Mass explores many parts of the Bible. An RCIA programme needs to equip prospective catholic Christians to begin to find their way about the whole Bible and to recognise it all as an expression the Word of God. This is an important strand in their spiritual growth, and an essential guide to their Journey in Faith.
Nowadays we are called to be a prophet
At first sight the Old Testament Prophets might look a tough place to start getting more at home with Scripture – but this is not so. Each prophet was on a personal journey in faith and his personal relationship with God was very much along RCIA lines. In the Old Testament this kind of personal relationship seemed to be the preserve of a limited number of holy men and women but the prophet Joel (Joel 3: 1 to 2) tells us that ‘In the last days – the Lord declares - I shall pour out my spirit on all humanity. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old people shall dream dreams, and your young people see visions’. In the New Testament St Peter quotes this very passage (Acts 2: 17-21) to explain what was happening in Jerusalem in the first Pentecost after the Resurrection of Jesus. This is not an obscure bit of the catechism – this is one of the most precious, important and wonderful messages of RCIA – you too have the Spirit – open yourself to his potential and let him flow through you and lead you into all truth.
Isaiah – well now, there’s a real prophet
When Jesus, fresh from 30 days in the Wilderness, chose a passage of Scripture to read when he went back to his home synagogue (Luke 4:16-30) he chose Isaiah 61:1-2. At the end of the reading and in a silence where you could hear a pin drop, he declared ‘this text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening’. In other words ‘this is about me’.
And Isaiah, who lived over 600 years before the birth of Jesus, also describes a ‘servant’ who offered his back to those who struck him (Isaiah 50:6), ‘a man of sorrows acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3), someone whose sufferings and sorrows were ours and who was crushed because of our guilt (Isaiah 53:4-5), and who was given a tomb with the rich (Isaiah 53:9). A prophet was – and is – someone who understands something of the mind of God and who is on a mission to declare God’s message, even if it costs him his life.
We too are called to share in this work. Serious stuff.
If you were to do an RCIA session on Isaiah, a good passage to read would be chapter 6. You might read it in full and spend a couple minutes in silence before reading it again. Whether you proceed to a lectio divina or you decide to move directly to a more directed bible study will depend on what you discern is best for your group. Some points which may arise from the discussion include:
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Isaiah heard the voice of God after he had put himself in a Holy Place – in this case the Temple. Church is an obvious Holy Place where we can go to listen to God but can we create a Holy Place in our own homes, or, in a more abstract sense, within our lives?
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Isaiah’s first-hand experience of God was, to say the least, awesome, and it made him feel very sinful, very humble and very small.
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His humility and the honest acceptance of his inadequacy led to his lips being purified – of being made ready for what God was about to ask him to do
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Then God says ‘Whom shall I send?’
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And a trembling Isaiah responds ‘Here am I, send me.
What does it mean to our enquirers, candidates and catechumens to be called to be prophets?
Jonah – the Basil Fawlty of prophets
The book of Isaiah runs to 66 chapters and can be a bit much for many neophytes (beyond selected bite-sized chunks as above). But Jonah is only a modest four short readable chapters long and so it’s a good place to start studying a complete book of the Old Testament. You might get your group to read the whole book before the RCIA session, and then ask them to read part of the book aloud before leading a discussion.
The book was written in the 8th Century BC. Whether it describes actual events or is a work of fiction isn’t that important. Neither is it all that important whether it features a whale (not normally found in the Mediterranean) or a Great White Shark or a fictional zoological creation. At one level it’s quite amusing, over the top to make a good story. Jonah is a prophet like Isaiah – but not a very good one. It’s easier to identify with Jonah than with Isaiah – he tends to learn the hard way. Despite the humour in the book, the deeper layers beneath the surface become increasingly profound. Because it deals with God’s forgiveness of those who repent, it is read by Jews on the day of Yom Kippur. This message of repentance and forgiveness is a very profound one which is part of the core of the Gospel message. In the New Testament Jesus likens the three days in the belly of the whale (or big fish) to the three he would spend in the tomb (Matthew 12:40). He also suggests that even the notorious men of Nineveh will sit in judgement on the generation of the religious establishment which rejected him (Matthew 12:41).
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Like Isaiah Jonah gets a mission from God – to go to the city of Nineveh (near the modern city of Mosul in present day Iraq) and tell the people that if they do not repent they will be destroyed. The Ninevites were not Israelites. In fact, to the Israelites, they were the enemy and regarded as evil. What is God asking us to do right now?
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Jonah responds by running away as far as possible in the opposite direction. Tarshish might have been in Spain - on the edge of the known world – but, if not, it was certainly a long way from Nineveh. When people run away from God they not only make life hard for themselves but for others too. The storm threatens the lives of all the crew. The person running away may also not realise that all the trouble is their fault. In amongst all the mayhem Jonah is asleep. Have you ever run away from God and how did God bring you back?
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Jonah admits it is his fault and suggests that they throw him over the side. Looks like King Hezekiah had such a moment (Isaiah 38: 10-15). Have you ever felt that it would be better to be thrown over the side?
The large fish was provided by God to be on hand to rescue Jonah when he finally got to the end of himself. God did not abandon the disobedient Jonah – although the rather uncomfortable way this happened was because Jonah had to discover how to follow the will of God the hard way. Plenty of scope to discuss how this can apply to our lives.
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God now repeats the challenge for Jonah to go to the Ninevites and this time Jonah agrees. He preaches to the people of the evil city and they all repent and are saved. You might expect Jonah to be amazed at what God has done through him – but no. Jonah actually disapproves of the fact that God loves the Ninevites as much as he loves everyone. Jonah hates them and was looking forward to them getting destroyed. A key aspect of being a good prophet is to discern the mind of God and to work with him. In Isaiah 55:8 God observes that ‘for your thoughts are not my thoughts’. Which of the teachings of the Gospel do find most difficult to come to terms with?
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In the remaining part of the chapters 3 and 4 Jonah’s relationship with God continues to be a difficult one – because he is so stubborn and ill-tempered. He has a lot of difficulty seeing things the way God sees them, yet God never gives up on him and never stops loving him. Of course if Jonah could just fall in line with the sovereign will of God and learn to appreciate God’s wisdom – indeed rejoice in it – it would be so much easier. At the end of the book Jonah still hasn't quite got it Are you learning to see the world through God’s eyes?
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!”
And Renew the Face of the Earth
Pentecost - the Celebration of the Spirit; the Birth day of the Church; the fastest fifty days in the calendar.
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.
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.
This is the season
In the words of the Exsultet, This is the night! The Easter Vigil, often described as the high point of the liturgical year. For the people who have been preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation on this night, the description is a good one; but in the whole of our Christian life we might do better to describe the Vigil - or, better, the whole of the Paschal Triduum - as the centre of the liturgical year, the centre of our lives as Christians. Each year we prepare for it during Lent by prayer, and by thinking about how we live our lives, making a conscious effort to follow Jesus Christ more closely. We enter Holy Week ready to hear again the Scriptures which bring the mysteries of God's plan before us, and walk through the events of the Last Supper, Good Friday, the awfulness of death, the hope of the Vigil, the joy of the Resurrection. By Sunday morning we are very properly ready for a bit of a rest.
But what's this? Fifty days for our delight! It often seems that parishes are great at the seasons of preparation - in Advent and Lent you can't get stirred for shared lunches, Scripture study, Stations of the Cross and days of recollection, but Christmas and Easter arrive in a blare of trumpets, then fall away to white vestments and extra flowers. The effort we put into preparing for them is all too often not balanced by the actual celebration throughout the season.
One of the ways in which the Church shows that it is still celebrating is by continuing to highlight the sacraments of initiation and those who will receive them. Many parishes invite the Bishop to confirm their young people and schedule their children's First Holy Communion during the fifty days, recognising that every sacrament has its roots in Baptism, knowing that the most appropriate time for a Christian community to make new members is during the Easter season. The liturgy itself makes all the connections: light, water, oil, the story of the young Church in the Scriptures, the eucharist we share. In mystagogia new Christians explore the Church and the world with new eyes, from the point of view of those who have just been baptised. But it is an exploration we all need - and this is the season!
Celebrating the Rite of Election
The Catholic Communications Network has efficiently compiled a report of the numbers attending a Rite of Election, held on either Saturday or Sunday of last weekend (1st of Lent) from each of the dioceses in England and Wales. Once again the numbers reveal a consistent response from people who have made an active choice to come into full communion within the Catholic Church, which also affirms and celebrates the process of welcome, accompaniment and formation which is obviously happening throughout the country.
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.
What’s Cooking?
In her blog last week Caroline asked are we ready for the third period the Rite of Election heralds? Before we file this rite away until 2011, I would like to suggest that we ask ourselves, are we ready to think of a time in the not too distant future when we celebrate the Rite of Election as a single rite, and not as a combined rite with the Call to Continuing Conversion.
I know ours is not the only diocese to hold the rite on two separate occasions. We split the parishes: some in the morning and some in the afternoon. This was necessitated by the large numbers forward: 70 catechumens and 110 candidates. The cathedral could have been comfortably filled with just the catechumens, their godparents, family, friends and representatives from the parish communities.
So why would we bother to change?
Well, we’ve already been adapting the rite. In the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as approved for use in the Dioceses of England and Wales, Scotland, there is no provision for a combined rite. Have a look at the introduction #105-115. The combined Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion is borrowed from the USA edition (RCIA #547).
Another way of looking at it is to think of it as preparing a meal. The different dishes will complement each other, each important in their own way. Into one big cooking pot, you put some basic ingredients. You have done your preparation (see #107 and 108 2nd para). The pot is simmering nicely. It just needs the final touch and a bit of time, which comes with Lent.
Into another pot you place some different ingredients: green vegetables. See Part 11 chapter 4: Preparation of Uncatechised Adults for Confirmation and Eucharist. The preparation is similar to that of the catechumens, though not identical, because of the need to remember the candidates ‘already baptised status’. The candidates are not in the same position as the elect. Though some of the rites of the catechumenate can be used to advantage: this does not include the Call to Continuing Conversion (#382). Not the same basic ingredients as our catechumens, and so great care needs to be taken, calling I suggest, for a separate pot. Side by side, they can come to the boil at the same time (#385).
Then we have some more ingredients, root vegetables, all grown from the same prepared plots. They keep their flavour by cooking separately and come to their peak in their own time. These are covered by Part II chapter 5 Reception of Baptised Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church. They too receive spiritual and doctrinal preparation, suited to their specific needs, but avoiding anything that would equate them with catechumens (#391). So they definitely go in a separate pot.
As in all meals, each dish complements the other.
As to the advantage of having just the elect: it would allow for one ceremony where the elect could have their day. There would be room enough for more representatives from their parish. Thomas Morris (p.160) in his work on RCIA says how wonderful it would be if the affirmation by godparents could be spontaneous. Instead of the communal ‘They have’ called out, how great to hear a few words of witness about the catechumens progress.
For the candidates and those previously uncatechised catholics, our diocese already celebrates a special mass for new catholics and their families. Held in June it offers an opportunity for all new catholics to enjoy cathedral worship, feel what it is like to be part of the wider church and to meet the Bishop.
I wonder how long it will be before the conversation starts that will lead to just the Rite of Election being held in our different dioceses. I like to think that in years to come it will be necessary for our diocese to hold a morning and afternoon rite, but due to the sheer numbers of elect being prepared.
Sue P
Morris, Thomas. (1997) The RCIA: Transforming The Church. A resource for pastoral implementation.
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.
