Lent – an important time for RCIA
Lent can be very much a time of being alone in the wilderness. We may discover that we rely on some worldly things more than we care to admit to cope with life. Yet giving them up helps us to see things that matter more starkly in the clean dry air of the desert. We can only ponder what Jesus was thinking about for forty days in the wilderness but after fasting for such a long time it is not surprising that he was very hungry and this exposed him to temptation.
Jesus normally warns us to avoid temptation. He asks us to pray 'lead us not into temptation'(Matthew 6:13) and suggests that 'if your right eye should be your downfall, tear it out' (Matthew 5:29). But in Lent as we open ourselves up to God we also may expose ourselves to testing but, if we approach it in the right way, we do so in a safe environment. To help us to learn to swim better the instructor asks us to jump into the water but remains always on hand to save us if we get in trouble. Lent is, of course, a time to deepen our relationship with the Lord through learning humility through repentence (we discover we really aren't as good as we think we are), and learning to trust in Him.
Lent may be a time of being alone with God - yet, paradoxically, being alone is a communal activity. We are alone with our brothers and sisters of our parish community. The wilderness is full of our friends! For the catechumens and candidates preparing for the Easter Vigil it is a period of Purification and Enlightenment. But then that is what Lent should be for all of us. This is why the RCIA process involves all the parish community. The catechumens and candidates can be a great blessing for us all, an encouragement and a challenge in our own Lenten journey, and a source of joy in the Lord.
The RCIA process offers a route by which people can prepare to be received into the Catholic Church which is inseparable from growing in personal faith. It also offers nothing less than a means of promoting renewal within a parish community. The more the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is implemented in full and the greater the opportunities it offers.
In our parish, as in many others that 'do' RCIA, we have never really carried it out in full, and what actually happens is somewhere between the ideal and what seems to be practical. This year we have gone increasingly lectionary-based, and carried out a combined Rite of Acceptance (of Catechumens) and Welcoming (of candidates already baptised) in Sunday Mass. We combined these because this year we have fewer participants than usual, just one Catechumen and two candidates. It is important to emphasise that catechumens and candidates are different yet just as important to see them as fellow travellers with us on their journey in faith. The Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming did not take up much of the Mass yet it proved very meaningful not only to both Catechumen and Candidates but provided a 'before your very eyes' experience of the work of the Holy Spirit. As Lent began the Rite of Election and Enrollment in the Cathedral a few weeks later gave added to the momentum. Two weeks later our catechumen took part in the First Scrutiny in Sunday Mass. The candidates came to support their catechumen brother and the scrutiny concluded with all three being presented with the Creed. Thus the people of the parish have their own experience of Lent deepened by being part of it. This year we are going to carry out the second and third scrutiny within the weekly RCIA meeting but next year we shall consider doing all three in Mass, particularly if we have more catechumens. Perhaps each scrutiny at a different Sunday Mass so that more of the community might become involved.
So far we have not gone as far as dismissal. It is quite possible that once we started the practice it might well become accepted much more readily than one might think. We considered introducing the idea towards the end of Lent this year as the first step in extending it to the whole period of the catechumenate. To do it this year might be to expect too much of our one catechumen but perhaps we shall have more next year and we can extend dismissal to the whole of Lent. In our parish we tend to have more candidates than catechumens and the candidates consist a mixture of those who have already been catechised as practicising member of a non-Catholic Christian Community and some who, though baptised as infants, have had little or no further catechesis. The Rite suggests that the latter might be dismissed but the catechised might not, with an element of choice. For this year at least, with only one Catechumen and two candidates , it seemed better to keep them together and encourage each other. Perhaps we shall have more catechumens next year, do all the scrutinies in Mass and start to introduce the dismissal principal.
The more the members of the parish become involved in the journey of the Catechumens and Candidates and the more they will share their joy at the Easter Vigil and the more the newcomers will be a blessing to the whole community. After the period of mystagogia and they descend from the mountain of transfiguration comes the challenge not only of integrating the new members of the body of Christ into the parish but in appreciating that they represent new life which has the potential to renew us all. Are we going to be content to let them merge into the inward-looking background or are they going to lead us in inviting strangers into our church to 'come and see a man who has told me everything I ever did'? (John 4:29). Our new brothers and sisters of the Easter Vigil offer us the opportunity to see our parish community to grow not only in numbers but in spiritual depth and in the Joy of the Lord.
May we, along with our new brothers and sisters, all be Easter people!
It is Wonderful…
It is Wonderful...
"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.
Building Good Foundations
A Reflection for the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
Our next door neighbours are currently having a house extension built. For the past few weeks the builders have been busy digging the foundations. Being wise builders they are spending a lot of time doing this properly, they are even re-routing pipes! They know the importance of good, solid foundations for what is to come. We too, as disciples, need good foundations as we seek the Kingdom of Heaven in our lives.
The key to entering into the Kingdom, according to the Gospel given to us in the 9th week of Ordinary Time is to do the will of God. Jesus says,
“It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21).
This will of the Father is revealed in Jesus own words, the words of the Gospel.
“Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man…” (Mt 7:24)
So we are challenged to both listen to and obey these words of Jesus because they really are for us the key for entry into God’s Kingdom, they are a sure foundation for us.
How well do we listen? How well do we obey?
As people involved in the RCIA process many of us are probably fairly used to hearing Scripture. Perhaps we can ask ourselves about the quality of that hearing. Jesus makes clear that both hearing and obeying are necessary. In the parable those compared to the wise and foolish both listen to the Word, the distinction is that only some act on what they hear.
“everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.”(v24)
“everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”(v26)
Perhaps I can ask myself today…
- What is the quality of my listening to God’s Word?
- To what extent, in all honesty, do I act on what I hear?
In the parable, storms come to both houses. Storms are inevitable. It is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’.
When the storms come, the quality of our foundations will be revealed.
Like the builders next door let’s encourage each other to build good foundations now.
“You are the salt of the earth…” Yes, but how?
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Well, have you noticed how salt improves the taste of the food that comes into contact with it? In the right amount of course, salt somehow makes the food more interesting; it brings out its characteristic flavour. So what is the particular gift, trait or value in us, in me, that brings out the best in my environment? And where around me is the taste bland, boring or lacking that pleasant “something” – a clear sign that the Gospel is missing? Or am I just safely clustering around the other “bits” of salt, the other Christians, creating salty “rocks” that are too big a dose for any regular consumption? The world longs for our “pinch of salt” - in moderation, but also in generosity…
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With salt in our diet, lots of things transpire. Salt makes people thirsty for example. But thirst is a good starting point for anyone looking for living water. It motivates and drives people to quench their need. So which elements of my life make people around me thirsty “for more”?
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Salt is also an ancient food preservative; it prolongs the sell-by date of meat by fending off the rot. Equally, our faith and the gift of our relationship with Christ can preserve “the flesh” in a confident hope of resurrection. This can be contagious too, despite the hardships we face. Our “saltiness” in season and out of season can enable those around us to pluck up courage and dare to hope for some meaning in the midst of various crises, pain, sin or suffering. In fact, even our tears are full of salt…
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Salt is occasionally used to thaw ice on roads. Similarly, we are called to warm the hardened hearts locked in fear, selfishness, anger or lack of forgiveness. Thus our “saltiness” can help to clear the path to God. However, this undoubtedly means getting “out there”, into the frozen conditions of our cultures, transforming them into safer places. And risking the resulting “melt-down” that binds us irrevocably together. Formerly two different materials, salt and ice, dissolve slowly into a single substance of salty water. Indeed, in Christ all can become one… but only if no one remains the same.
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Unsurprisingly, salt without its salty “edge” loses its purpose. In the same way, when we lose our integrity as Christians, we need “re-salination”. We need to regain that taste of eternity which God has engraved in us. For it is the internal structure of the atoms of salt that makes it taste salty. Equally, the very pattern of Christ in us gives us the unmistakable flavour of God’s children. We are the salt of the earth if we live out of this deep mystery dwelling inside us...
A parish RCIA group: the story so far
In an excellent book called ‘He loves me!’ by Wayne Jacobsen describes how he once prayed each day that God would bless his plans. The turning point came when he realised that it was a case of waiting and listening until the Lord said to him ‘I’m going to reach out to touch some peoples’ lives today – would you like to come with me?’.
I became involved in RCIA in our parish over 16 years ago by which time it had already become established through the vision and insight of two nuns. When the sisters left the parish our Parish Priest invited me to join the catechetical team of which he was a member himself. My previous experience had been as a catechist and parish co-ordinator of the Confirmation programme. I think it’s a privilege to be a catechist and I enjoy being there as people grow in faith and God does things in their lives. I never know what He will do next!
I am in the third of my three year stint on the RCIA national executive. I hope I have made a useful contribution as an ordinary lay person involved in parish RCIA but I have certainly enjoyed the experience and learnt a great deal.
In our parish we have always sought to follow the spirit of RCIA but I can’t say we have followed all the detail of the Rite as specified in the book. I think that this is true of many parishes. What happens is often a compromise between the ideal and what the people involved are comfortable with. In our parish 2010 to 2011 programme we have tried to move deeper into the RCIA process. In our enquiry phase we continued with our existing practice of looking at topics in order to explore what it is to be a Christian in general, and a Catholic Christian in particular. Part of this involved providing a kind of tool kit for enquirers, helping them to find their way around the Scriptures, sharing experiences of personal faith and starting to explore different forms of prayer.
In Advent 2010 we went lectionary based. We had not done this before but, despite some disruption of our meetings by snow just when we were getting used to the idea, this proved much easier and more successful than we had expected. The exploration of themes in scripture in the Enquiry phase probably did help but enquirers and catechists alike were led, through the lectionary, deeper into the wisdom of the Church’s year. After Christmas it was exciting to hear candidates and catechumens reflecting on how it now had so much more meaning to them than it had had before.
We have continued to use the lectionary-based approach and intend to continue to do so until Easter – what better programme can one have? The choice and combination of scripture readings in the lectionary is amazing, the connection between the Old Testament and the Gospel, and their rather more subtle connection with second reading. We have tried a little of the Lectio divina approach but we keep the period of silence very short at the moment. It will increase with time as people get more familiar with it. Some of our candidates find 'Wednesday Word' a useful preparation for the next RCIA session, based on the following Sunday’s readings. 'Wednesday Word' was the result of the vision of a member of our parish and intended to encourage families to pray and reflect on Scripture during the week to prepare themselves for Sunday Mass. It’s now used in many parishes and Catholic schools in England and Wales. We can always find spare copies for RCIA.
We effectively passed from the Enquiry phase to the Catechumenate at the beginning of Advent when the transition to lectionary-based catechesis represented a step-change in the character of the programme. The disruption of meetings due to snow meant that we weren't sure that the catechumens and candidates were all ready and fully prepared for the Rite of Acceptance. We have this planned for mid February. We shall have two catechumens and two candidates and we shall emphasise the distinction according to the Rite much more clearly than before. As we have a smaller number of candidates than we sometimes have, sponsors this year are all members of the catechetical team whom the candidates have already got to know by now. They seem to be very content with this arrangement.
Our parish priest is very supportive of our RCIA programme although he can’t be with us every week. He will be able to join us during Lent to provide some teaching and pastoral input. Our parish has also just been joined by another experienced priest who has started to come to RCIA. He has enriched our sessions by the spontaneous way he engages with everyone. I am hoping to persuade him to lead the group from time to time, but he seems to be comfortable doing a double act with the catechists.
One aspect of the Rite we haven’t yet implemented is the practice of dismissal of Catechumens (and candidates if appropriate) at the end of the Liturgy of the Word. As a parish and as a catechetical team we didn't to be ready for it this year. We are, I am sure, going to consider this issue thoughtfully with respect to next year’s programme.
We have moved deeper into the Rite this year and it’s been good. The Lord is touching people’s lives and it is a great privilege to be invited to come along with Him.
Made up your mind? For goodness’ sake, change it!
A busy last few days of Advent, with all the concerns about the celebration of Christmas at the end of the week - the weather, the food, the cards & presents, family relationships, lack of money, travel, church services, and so on! No time to log on and read a blog - facing all sorts of minor and major dilemmas! For the 4th Sunday of Advent we have Joseph as companion. Joseph is usually portrayed as the silent type, hovering at the edge of the nativity scene, or even asleep in a corner of the stall. Matthew gives us a very different picture, placing Joseph centre-stage, pivotal character in the story of Christ's birth - and through his experience, illustrating how the external forces beyond our control are often those which have the most powerful and significant effect in shaping our lives. Have you ever made up your mind about something important - and then had to change it because of someone else's greater need? How did you come to that decision, what forces were at work, and what blessings came from it?
Let's recap Sunday's Gospel for a moment: Mary, at stage one of her betrothal to Joseph, is pregnant, and he is not the father. He loves her and sees the solution, in obedience to the Law, as a quiet divorce, avoiding shaming Mary by a public scene. Having made up his mind, he goes to bed. In a dream that night an angel comes to him saying 'Do not be afraid to take Mary to your home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus'. Joseph affirms Mary's 'Yes' with his own courageous response, completing his betrothal by taking Mary to his home as his wife, offering her and the child Jesus security, love and protection.
- What major decisions have you faced in your life? How did you make up your mind?
- Have you ever said 'Yes' to a different course of action from the one you had planned?
- Do you believe that God is with you, now, today, whatever your circumstances?
I'm told that Joseph is the patron saint of anyone who has to change and adapt their lives because of 
someone else's needs. Perhaps this week, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we can reflect on Joseph, and thank God for all those people 'off stage' in our own lives who have said 'yes' for our sake, and nourished, guided, encouraged and enabled us to live out our calling. Parents, grandparents, friends....?
Second Sunday of Advent (Matthew 3:1-12)
"In due course John the Baptist appeared..."
It is amazing how God sends his people “in due course”. This fills me with hope – especially when I realise that the blank page that divides the old and new testaments in our bibles has a “value” of some 400 years’ silence and hunger for the word of God… It took God only about 400 years to send John the Baptist after the last prophet before him - so why should we get impatient when some “church things” are taking a bit longer than we anticipated? And equally, if John the Baptist hadn’t recognised the “due course” and responded, we would have been living a very different “now”. But thanks be to God, he did and:
"...he preached in the wilderness of Judaea..."
Or more precisely, in the wilderness at the far side of Jordan (John 1:28; 10:40). But why is this son of a priest (Luke 1:5-25) hanging around in the desert instead of serving God in the Temple? Why is he “out there,” in the barren land just behind affluent Jericho, far from the main focal point of the religion of his time? Perhaps because the river Jordan is a natural boundary and there is something about being immersed in it by another human being that brings home the striking message of John…
The Israelites crossed the river Jordan under the lead of Joshua (which we could equally transcribe as “Jesus”) in order to reach the Promised Land (Josh 3:15-17); and Elijah would cross the same river also dry-shod before he ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), making room for a double portion of his spirit in Elisha (2 Kings 2:9). So is John telling people that they first of all need to retreat from the known religious “landscape” in order to wholeheartedly re-enter the Promised Land with full and conscious commitment? Is he telling them that by doing so they will iron out the path for Elijah’s doubly-zealous spirit to rest on them in the baptism of fire that was to come?
"...and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’"
Certainly, something amazing is about to happen… Like the dust stirred on the horizon by the hoofs and wheels of a king’s carriage, the certainty of God’s reign drawing near is almost tangible - and so people cannot go about their business as usual. How invigorating it would be if such a sense of expectation and urgency could soak our Advent time like the water must have soaked the garments of those seeking John’s baptism... What is more, even Jesus was happy to preach this is message (Mt 4:17) after the arrest of John.
"This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight."
This is a quote from the Second Isaiah which was originally addresses to the Jews who had been exiled to Babylon after Jerusalem fell in the 6BC. This was the in-between time when the First Temple was already destroyed and the Second one was waiting yet to be built. Therefore the restored connection between God and his people required a “highway” at that moment in time, a straight path of communication that allowed for the “flow” of God’s presence into human history. And once again a “divine highway surveyor” enters the scene of human history to mark out the path in the wilderness.
"This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey."
In a certain sense, John the Baptist reminds me of a hippo… Quite a grotesque creature out in the open - but extremely dangerous, especially when plunged in its element. He is cut as a prophet in his camel-hair outfit and leather belt accessory (2 Kings 1:8), feeding on a radical diet of clean (Leviticus 11:21, 22), wholesome and providential food. He thus walks in the footsteps of Samson, Samuel and Elijah. No wonder he attracts some curious attention. In fact, he is a magnet that pulls the whole region into a movement towards the most significant river in his people’s history: the river Jordan.
"Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins."
So why is it that John often gets just a cursory glance from us? Why is it that we often overlook the fact that he was such a powerful magnet that he drew even Jesus out of his “hidden” life into the “public ministry” as his call echoed “righteousness” in the heart of the Son of God (Mt 21:23-27 & Mt 3:15)? It is perhaps because the realm of water is where John becomes dangerous…and that is perhaps something that does not sit easily with us because the font of baptism contains water too. At any rate, John turns out to be a “wild beast,” defending the territory marked out for God from any sinister trespasser:
"But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’"
And maybe John is not so far off the mark when he claims that God can raise Abraham’s children even from stones. There is a master-builder coming soon, known as the carpenter’s son (Mt 13:55) – where carpenter (tekton) means also a stone mason or builder. He will also refer to himself as a cornerstone by the words of Psalm 118 (Mt 21: 42-43), and he will be on an outrageous mission to build a new temple (Jn 2:19). So perhaps the most pertinent question is: do I let myself be chiselled by the master builder this week?
Advent is coming
Advent: The Lord came once and He’s coming again.
Christmas is coming Christmas cards have been on sale for several weeks. I’ve already seen a garden centre advertising Christmas trees and a shop selling all you need to make a crib. All around us the world of commerce is gearing up for Christmas.
Harry Potter films do Christmas well – a flurry of snow, Hagrid dragging in a huge tree (presumably from the creepy forest), everyone riding in horse-drawn sledges and that magic happy snow music. To many people looking forward to Christmas is to chase a fantasy of lost childhood which often fails to meet the expectation. What kind of Christmas did you have? ‘Well you know, um, quiet. It’s nice for children though isn’t it?’ To say Christmas often turns out to be an expensive anticlimax has been said many times before. For many people it’s the looking forward to the great day that matters, rather than the day itself. To me the best bits of Christmas are not fantasy at all – seeing the family together again, and celebrating the birth of the Redeemer at Midnight Mass.
Advent is coming Advent does involve preparing to celebrate the birth of the child Jesus 2000 years ago, but the first two weeks are about staying awake for the Lord’s second coming when we shall meet him face to face. On the third Sunday we do commemorate the earthly life of Jesus but the Gospel is about John the Baptist sternly exhorting us to ‘repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand’. Only on the fourth week do we hear about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem but even this is full of harsh realism, a typically heavy handed piece of bureaucracy which sends a young pregnant women on a stressful journey and a birth in completely unsatisfactory circumstances because there was no room at the inn.
The second coming of Jesus Christ will not be as a baby but as King and Judge. The scriptures speak of difficult times with a final assault by the powers of evil before the final fulfilment of the Kingdom and they speak darkly of the antichrist and end of the world. The Church’s teaching is neatly summarised in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 671 to 679). I explained some scripture to someone to whom I take Holy Communion recently by saying that one day we shall meet the Lord face to face and she said, searchingly ‘and do you believe that?’. It was Jesus who taught us the ‘Our Father’ and he included the line ‘thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven’ and we often say ‘he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead’. The real meaning of Advent is very challenging to catechists as well as catechumens and candidates. Do we look forward to him coming in glory and majesty or do we secretly think to ourselves ‘well that probably won’t happen just yet’. When we say ‘thy Kingdom come’ do we not only believe it’s going to happen – but are we looking forward to it. And what we are looking forward to is the ultimate opposite of an anticlimax. It is about that which lasts even after heaven and earth have passed passed away. This is our faith.
How literally are we to take the details? The word Armageddon appears only once in the Greek New Testament. Some of the events prophesied in the New Testament, such as the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD70, have already happened. Members of the New Testament Church seem to have expected the Lord to return within their own life time which he clearly didn’t. Does time have any meaning in eternity? Prophesy may contain deep truth but it may be attempting to describe the indescribable. St Paul observes that we ‘prophesy imperfectly’ (I Corinthians 13:9) and that ‘now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face’ (1 Corinthians 13:12).
In a recent Gospel (33rd Sunday of the year, Luke 21:5-19) Jesus
- Warns people not to rely on things like the Temple which will pass away
- Warns them not to try to predict when the end will come and not to be taken in by dangerous distractions like false messiahs
- Warns his people not to be afraid when disasters happen
- To use every opportunity to witness to the Gospel and to trust him in it. He promised to give them the eloquence and wisdom they needed to witness
- Reminded them that not a hair on their head would be lost
- Pointed out that endurance would save them their lives.
And how anxious should we be when we meet the Lord face to face? If we are in Christ then we are adopted sons and daughters – we are members of the family. We are not relying on perfection produced by our own muscular spirituality to justify us but on the sacrifice of the One who was crucified. His warning to stay awake is really about staying close to him and not being distracted by things that will not last, by fantasies and by false messiahs. When we meet him we shall be aware of our unworthiness and developing such an awareness is a feature of the life of faith.
I once had the privilege of briefly meeting Her Majesty the Queen. I remembered that, at the age of six, making red, white and blue decorations for her coronation. I had followed the events of her life ever since then and so I already knew her when I finally met her face to face. She looked at me thoughtfully and kindly and I wanted to be polite and respectful. During my life of faith I have slowly been getting to know the Lord and one day I shall meet him face to face. One of the ways that this meeting will differ from that with Her Majesty is that he will already know me and will have known me since before I was born.
The importance of grown-up thinking I am writing this blog on the Feast of Christ the King. The second reading (Colossians 1:15-20) emphasises that Jesus is King - the first-born of all creation whilst in the Gospel (Luke 23:35-43) he is a man being crucified with two thieves. One of them recognises his own unworthiness in the presence of someone special yet feels he can say ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom’ and Jesus replies ‘today you will be with me in paradise’. The fact that Jesus is both King and someone with whom we have an intimate relationship is so truly awesome that we shall never fully understand it until we meet him face to face’.
I tried to explain this to someone on my Holy Communion round, although it might just as much have been someone in the RCIA group. She replied thoughtfully that it was quite a difficult idea. Do we have to understand it? No, I don’t think so. If it’s getting complicated we only have to go back to Jesus the carpenter of Nazareth – for he is ‘the image of the unseen God’ (Colossians 1:15). What a wonderful thing for God to reveal himself through a person. You don’t need to be able to read or talk theology to understand a person. The ‘good thief’ was able understand what Jesus was about. In fact, Jesus likened himself to a ‘good shepherd’. Sheep cannot read and neither can they talk theology but they know a good shepherd when they see one and all they have to do is trust him. The potentially fatal mistake a sheep can make is to wander off to where it can’t hear the Good Shepherd’s voice. The Shepherd will leave the others and come and look for it – but a roaring lion might have found the sheep first.
So does it matter, trying to understand some of the huge ideas in scripture? If it’s starting to confuse and is leading catechumens away from the shepherd it is better to avoid it. But the understanding that is pitched at just the right level can deepen faith, release praise and promote faith sharing. St Paul exhorts ‘Brothers, do not remain children in your thinking; infants in wickedness – agreed, but in your thinking grown-ups’ (1 Corinthians 14:20).
But my real life is the faith I have in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2: 19-20
RCIA: A BALANCING EXERCISE
RCIA A Balancing Exercise
In the 21st century we have to become very adept at balancing: juggling our home life with our work commitments, ensuring a good balance of ‘busyness’ and ‘me-time’. It is the same with RCIA: using the resources at hand (and here it is helpful to keep reminding ourselves ‘that the initiation of adults is the responsibility of all the baptised’ RCIA 9), as a variety of enquirers, catechumens and candidates have to be assisted and supported along their journey of faith.
Fortunately as well as human helpers we are blessed by our scriptural and liturgical resources. There is the ease and importance of using lectionary based catechesis. ‘Ease’ because it follows the liturgical year and the scripture text comes around every three years, so it is experienced by every one of the faithful; and ‘important’ because it is the Word of God on which we all feed for the truth of what it means to be a catholic christian.
On the 32nd Sunday in ordinary time as we near the end of this liturgical year it is easy to follow on from All Saints and All Souls and discuss the promise of resurrection in our sessions or meetings. In balancing the needs of the unbaptised: whether initial enquirer or catechumen, and those perhaps of the already baptised: whether uncatechised catholic or those pursuing reception into full communion with the catholic church, the lectio divina process could be employed.
- Depending on when they became involved in the RCIA process, enquirers* should be open to learning about this ancient form of prayer. I find that it helps the focus, to use the shortened version of this text (Luke 20:27, 34-38).
- By explaining the whole exercise in advance, the enquirer knows how the time is going to be spent.
- Before it is first proclaimed, ask them to listen to it and to see if a word, phrase or image strikes them. (I find it breaks concentration if you say this after it has been read)
- If this is their first experience of lectio divina you may find it helpful to read it a second time before you invite them to share their phrase.
- Invite them to listen to what strikes them when they hear it proclaimed again.
- Then for the next reading invite them to listen to how the Word of God is meeting them at this stage of their life.
- In the final proclamation ask them to dig deep into their heart and ask what God is calling them to do.
- After each reading give at least a couple of minutes for reflection.
- After sharing give further time for meditation on what has been said.
The challenge of this type of prayer is that you don’t always know where it is going to lead, but it can offer a real insight into where your enquirer or catechumen are in their journey.
* For those making initial enquiry I would use part of the gospel, read once and invite them to spend a couple of minutes in quiet reflection on what it is saying to them,
You might also find it useful to look at the Rite of Acceptance with the enquirer. In the first acceptance of the gospel all the proposed addresses stress that faith leads to ‘eternal life’ #52.
What does eternal life mean to those approaching the catholic church? How does the promise of eternal life impinge on their present way of living? Does it involve change and if so what support will they need from the community?
This also offers consideration for the discernment process. The uncatechised baptised may benefit from celebrating a Rite of Welcome #381. This needs to be discerned.
Discernment is also needed when considering the committed non catholic churchgoer. Perhaps in their previous church they were involved in church ministries and so may need very little ‘doctrinal and spiritual preparation’ #391. Their individual journey will help channel their journey, having regard that the Rite of Reception ‘is so arranged that no greater burden than necessary is required...’#387.
Whatever the individual journey lectionary based catechesis is an essential tool.
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'.