The coming of the Magi – a message for our time
To many people the Magi are the ‘three wise men’ of Christmas cards and nativity plays, and of the carols we learnt as children. Yet what little we know of them suggests that they were on a journey of faith. Whatever their religious background we presume that they were not Jews yet they made the connection between their own observations of creation and the Jewish scriptures. They were earnestly searching for the truth. They were prepared to think outside of their cultural box. Yet ultimately, beneath all the historical and cultural baggage, there is only one truth. Their appearance in the Christmas story emphasises that The Word was made flesh for everyone. The Catechism (819) recognises that ‘many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the confines of the Catholic Church’. This is largely referring to non-Catholic Christians, accepting them ‘with respect and affection as brothers’ (818). It also reaches out to those of other religions (839 to 843) and to ‘those, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart’ (847). There are a lot of such people around us these days.
Is RCIA about helping people to become Catholics or Christians? The short answer to this question is, of course, ‘both’. Most people who embark on an RCIA programme want to explore the possibility of being received into the Catholic Church. But RCIA is more than just instruction in what the Catholic Church teaches, important though that is. It is where a group of people at various stages on their faith journey share their experiences and deepen their personal relationship with Jesus Christ together. The Magi were neither Jews, Catholics nor Baptists but I imagine them as deeply spiritual people who, in the words of the catechism, had come to ‘seek God with a sincere heart’.
Some years ago our RCIA group was joined by a lady who was a Baptist minister. She wasn’t considering becoming a Catholic herself but she came to bring a friend. Her friend had been baptised a Catholic but had never been confirmed. The Baptist minister wanted to help her friend to grow in faith in the living reality of Jesus Christ in her life and she thought the best way to do this was to bring her along to RCIA. We enjoyed having our Baptist friend with us each week. She shared her spiritual experience with us and enjoyed sharing ours. She came along to the Easter Vigil to see her friend being confirmed. RCIA is not, of course, primarily preparation of baptised Catholics for Confirmation, but, in this case, it was very appropriate.
I often wonder how we would feel if someone were to come to RCIA and, after getting a great deal out of it and growing in personal faith, were to decide to become a Methodist. The Holy Spirit can surprise us but it’s exciting to see him at work.
What many non-Catholic Christians respect about the Catholic Church is its spirituality - the distillation of 2000 years of reflection and spiritual experience. What we do in RCIA is to share what we have with each other as well as with our enquirers and catechumens. Not all of Our Lord’s disciples are Catholics by any means. If we share our spirituality, our personal relationship with God, rather than focus on just recruiting more Catholics, we shall help to build up the Church in a way that will stand the test of time. Many of the enquirers probably would want to be received into the Catholic Church – because they were hungry for more of spirituality which it offers. And those who do not become Catholics may well go on to build the Kingdom of Heaven in some other way that we would wish to support.
Ecumenism has come a long way since the 1960s. Back then it sometimes seemed that ‘Christian Unity’ could be a case of fudging differences in doctrine. Some cynics would say being united by not being sure what you believed. It soon became accepted that the way to be an ecumenical Catholic was to understand our own tradition better so that we were more able to share what we have with others of different traditions and discover the reality of our shared spirituality. Discussion of doctrinal differences is a job for theological experts and church leaders. Meanwhile there is plenty for the rest of us to get on with at grass-roots level.
John Ortberg wrote a challenging book called ‘if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat’. Going into the world and making disciples does call for water-walking. The lives of many Saints, and of Christians in general, shows that it is amazing what people can do when they keep their eyes on Jesus rather than on the stormy waters around them.
But I’d like to focus on the importance of having a good strong boat to get back into when our attempts at water walking don’t quite come off. A boat where we can dry our clothes, get some encouragement from our friends, and, when necessary, learn some useful theory.
I chose to become a Catholic because it offered me a safe boat from which I could gingerly try a bit of water-walking. Non-catholic Christians who I meet whilst water-walking come from different boats yet they have been enticed out of them by the same Lord and they walk on the same water. We don’t always understand each other but what unites us is the common spirituality which lies beneath what we say.
Now we see through a mirror darkly but one day we may compare notes with the Magi.
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.
Rejoice All Who Are Chosen
This 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete/Rejoice Sunday, we light the pink candle to deliberately mark the advent and approaching celebration of the Incarnation. For some this might symbolise how quickly the time is passing while counting the many tasks on the list which are to be done before Christmas. Advent reminds us that this is a time of preparation, of considering how quickly time does pass, and the many ways we could be ready for the coming of Christ. During this season we sing in the familiar hymn 'Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.' Shall come to you, shall come to me, shall come for all. I rejoice each time I consider that our Lord chose to 'come', to manifest his love and trust in us, to marvel at and with humanity.
This Sunday we have also celebrated the Rite of Acceptance for our catechumens and the Rite of Welcome for our candidates. The RCIA team, liturgy committee and the parish priest prepared a leaflet based on the combined rite (found in the American publication of the Rite) #507-528. The prayers speak of joy and rejoicing, of preparation and the time spent in coming to know Christ more fully. They speak of how God has 'sought and summoned' them in many ways and acknowledges how in response the catechumens and candidates are seeking to know more about and are turning toward God. The assembly were asked if they were ready to help the catechumens and candidates 'follow Christ' and we answered 'We are.' Now that is really something worth adding to the task list.
Like the pink candle of Advent, this liturgy marks a stage in time within the journey that both catechumens and candidates are on in the company of our communities. In the Gospel this weekend we hear of others who were 'filled with expectation and were questioning in their hearts and who wanted to prepare themselves for the Messiah.' Lk 3:10-18 They ask John the Baptist 'What then should they do?' John speaks to them of charity, of acting justly and with integrity and to live faithfully as they prepare for baptism. Echoed in the Rites of Acceptance and Welcome the catechumens, candidates and assembly reflected on the how we are to listen to the Word, to come to know God, to love our neighbours, to gather for prayer and to participate in the service of others.
I thought this was a very appropriate time to celebrate this combined Rite which clearly resonated the Advent message of preparation, prayer and expectation. It is a time to rejoice for all who are chosen to follow Christ. 'Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.'
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.
Be patient! Be confident!
I find it even more difficult to be patient and wait these days - really I think because of the speed of life, pressure of work, and expectations for instant response. I have an irrational fear of not being ready, or not working hard enough, or of what 'might happen'. And yet as Advent begins, I hear God speak through the First Sunday readings - 'yes, there are nations in agony, and menaces in the world, but dont you be 'coarsened' by the cares of life. Instead, pray for strength, and stand with confidence. Trust in your friendship with God - Christ has already offered salvation, the battle is won, and the life God wants you to live you are living!' That is the Truth, and we are invited to enter, patiently, more deeply into this liberating, life-giving truth. There are tensions in the double-sided message... of 'now' and 'not yet', 'disaster' and 'deliverance', 'destruction' and 'new dawn' - and advent faith says stay awake and actively live with it - and sure enough, if we live the present moment fully, we find signs of the One we are waiting for. As Nouwen says in 'Bread for the Journey' 'waiting patiently always means paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of God's glorious coming.'
And I see it on the faces of those being 'Welcomed' or 'Accepted' into the Order of Catechumens - they are such witnesses to patient waiting for me! One Enquirer has been coming to Mass with her little nephew for 6 years (since his mother died - she made a promise!). She is actively taking that first step now, and says it feels so exciting, and so natural. Her enthusiasm is catching - the whole parish seem to be full of advent expectation, really loving this 'new' catechumen who brings new life & hope to us - God is bringing order and beauty amidst the chaos, beginnings and endings, death and birth, dark and light, despair and hopem so in a nutshell, love one another and trust God.
I hope Advent starts well for you - enjoy Thom Shuman's poem:
Every evening it's the same: put the key in the deadbolt, turn and lock; check the windows; put out the cat; leave a light on...
all those routines to feel safe and fall asleep in peace.door open ajar
But some night, in the midst of my security, you will tiptoe into my house,
rearranging the furniture, cracking the combination of my heart, and ransacking all my fears.
Then, softly whistling 'Come Thou Long- Expected Jesus' you will slip out, leaving the door standing wide open
that I might follow you into the kingdom.
Come Lord Jesus! Amen!
Reflections on All Saints Day
There appears to be overwhelming evidence that we share a common 
ancestry with the animal world and that our remote roots go back quite literally millions of years. This is the 150th anniversary of the voyage of the Beagle. The insights of Charles Darwin have coloured our view of ourselves and our world. We hold in our hands the incredible variety and beauty of creation along with the cold restlessness of ‘survival of the fittest’. A restlessness endlessly challenged by the human experience of compassion and mercy.
The readings of the Eucharist for the feast of All Saints remind us that we are not just the accidents of an evolutionary process but are touched by something of the divine – we are in the words of St John “already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed”. We are still growing - one could say evolving, into a new creation.
The quality of that ‘new creation’ is found most profoundly in the person of Jesus of Nazareth – in whose life we discover the limitless riches of what it is to be a compassionate, merciful, forgiving, generous human being and the price that is paid for living such a life, challenging as it does the power structures of the ‘survival of the fittest’ mind set of our world.
The feast of All Saints is a celebration of the countless people whose lives have been touched by the example of Jesus of Nazareth. Not just the obvious St Francis’s or St Therese’s of our tradition but the so called ordinary people who have touched the lives of others by their compassion and generosity of spirit. Murmur name upon name of those who have graced your life and you will begin to move into the mystery of this feast and discover that you are literally standing on holy ground.
In the Celtic Tradition of these Islands this time of year is called Samhain. It marks a significant divide in the year’s cycle – a movement into the dark but creative time of the seasons of the year. It was known as a ‘thin time’ – a time when it was possible for movement to take place between the Two Worlds of the Celtic Imagination. It was a time of creativity and mystery, not without the possibility of discomfort and danger. The ‘trick or treat’ celebrations of Halloween with the emphasis on ghosts, witches and all things that go bump in the night are a pale reflection and mere shadow of this ancient tradition. The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are more than likely a Christianisation of that tradition. Reminding us that to live as followers of Jesus is to live in ‘thin times’ – to live as beatitude people
- To be on the side with those who have no status
- To grieve in solidarity with those who have lost their identity
- To be open to the possibility of God’s action in our world
- To hunger for justice and peace
- To be merciful in all cases without exception
- To live in integrity and truth
- To actively pursue the cause of true peace (Shalom)
- To be open to the possibility of rejection without bitterness
The poet Brendan Kennelly in the poem “The Good” reminds us that..
“The good are vulnerable
As any bird in flight,
They do not think of safety,
Are blind to possible extinction
And when most vulnerable
Are most themselves.”
He concludes the poem with these two lines
“I think that I know one or two
Among my friends”
The first reading of the Mass for All Saints is an affirmation that far from there being only ‘one or two’ the numbers are impossible to count of those who have born witness to the life and teaching of Jesus. The question for each one of us is:
“Can I add my name to the list?”
Being dogmatic or About a Boy
At the recent Network Study Days One of Us one thing that I heard a number of times was either 'I have never thought of it like that' or I had not realised it meant that'. These moments of revelation were often connected with fundamental aspects of rite. They were theological equivalent for not being able to see the wood for the trees. We may have read the Rite through but unless we have grasped some guiding principles or recognise the assumptions that the text is making we may miss the meaning. To give one example I think the rite assumes that parishes are places of life long learning. A surface reading of the rite might assume that mystagogia ends at Pentecost rather than the neophyte is initiated into a community that continues to want know more about the love of God and has opportunities to do so.
One of my favourite phrases in my favourite paragraph (75) is a suitable catechesis… 'accommodated to the liturgical year'. You could breeze past that without a pause. An interesting aspect of the Rite is that does not contain a syllabus, at first glance there are only rites but I would argue the information is all there. But first a quotation from Pope Benedict:
…in the Church's ancient tradition the process of Christian formation always had an experiential character. While not neglecting a systematic understanding of the content of the faith, it centred on a vital and convincing encounter with Christ,as proclaimed by authentic witnesses. Sacramentum Caritatis 64
This echoes the General Directory for Catechesis that the object of catechesis is to promote communion with Christ. (GDC 30)
Back to my favourite phrase. What is the purpose of the liturgical year — 'to unfold the entire mystery of Christ' (GNLYC 1). I would suggest that within the simple phrase 'accommodated to the liturgical year' is a the foundation of the catechetical content of the catechumenate — to know the life, mission, teaching, passion, death and resurrection of Christ as unfolded through the liturgical year. We hear this story unfolding but it is not enough to know the story that would be seeing only wood. The story has meaning and challenges to how we live our lives.
In a review of the recent book by Karen Armstrong The Case for God the reviewer Paul Vallely summarised part of Armstrong's argument about the differences between earlier centuries understanding of belief and current perceptions:
We see a number of revealing shifts in meaning 'I believe' has become scientised to mean 'I assert these propositions to be empirically correct.' What it originally meant was 'I pledge my heart and my loyalty'. Jesus was asking for commitment not credulity. Similarly the word dogma now means a ruling laid down by authority. But originally it meant a teaching that cannot be expressed verbally but which is intuited through the liturgy.
…a vital and convincing encounter with Christ,as proclaimed by authentic witnesses…
A final reminder as to why the life of Jesus is not only foundational but necessary is the results of the Biblical Literacy survey. It is an area rich in anecdotes which we who are familiar can find amusing or astonishing, or perhaps should remind us that we can take these things for granted. As in one of a group of art students going round the National Gallery after seeing numerous Nativity scenes and asking why is it always a boy?
Open to the Spirit
Pentecost is upon us – the formal time of Mystagogy is complete, at least for those who were initiated at Easter and in at least some parishes things quieten down again in the catechumenal programme.
Lent and Easter sees extraordinary activity for our RCIA groups. The Rite of Election, Scrutinies, and the celebration of the sacraments at the Vigil, and then adapting ourselves to the distinctive form of catechesis that is Mystagogy and finally the gathering of new Catholics with their bishop. Now there’s a checklist and a half. Which of these things have we done? And which have we failed to do. What omissions were due to us, and which were due to others? What might we learn from how kept Lent and Easter with our catechumens and neophytes this year for what we might want to do next year?
In the parish where I serve our catechumenal programme used to really quieten after Pentecost. In fact it went into complete hibernation – with an expectation that it would start up again in the Autumn. This was the practice up until this year.
That things are different this year is not especially because we decided to do things differently, (and some might say ‘properly’). However change has been thrust upon us by those who have been coming along to our parish enquirers meetings this year.
Unusually (for us) those people have mostly been unbaptised people, and have been young parents with pre-school children. The number of pre-school children for whom our enquirers have responsibility presented us with an early challenge.
Our Enquirers group has traditionally met on a weekday evening. This year’s participants were happy with this so long as they could bring their babies and toddlers with them. The group leaders found this a challenge too far so after six weeks or so we switched to an afternoon meeting which was good for the parents and ok for our leadership team.
The next challenge was just how much formation the group needed at enquiry stage. It was quickly clear that they would not be ready for the sacraments at Easter this year, and that was quite a break with tradition in this parish, where we have for many years operated a curtailed and constrained Autumn to Easter programme. So we had no Easter baptisms or confirmations from this group and had a very much more extended enquiry stage, because the members were very clear they were not ready to make any commitment.
Interestingly enough we did have a number of confirmations this Easter – for a number of adults, already regular in their practice, independently approached the parish team wanting to receive the sacrament. Our enquirers not yet having become catechumens we found it better to establish a new group which met weekly during Lent to prepare for confirmation.
The experience of Lent/Easter was a powerful one for our Enquirers and has helped them all to come to the decision that they want to make the commitment to continue their exploration of faith in a more committed fashion. Which itself presented the team with an issue – what to do about welcoming into the catechumenate, and what form might that catechumenate take.
Over recent years we have not made much of the role of sponsor: the RCIA group itself has tended to take on that responsibility. But this year was to be different in this respect also. We’ve encouraged the enquirers to think about who they already know that in fact is exercising something of that role. And where those people are ready and able we have chosen them to be the sponsors.
The Rite of Entry into the Catechumenate is being celebrated on Trinity Sunday. The season of Easter has come to take on a particular initiatory flavour for our parish. This is not only because of the (usual) celebrations of adult initation at the Easter Vigil. In our diocese confirmations take place in the Easter season and this year all our parish first Holy Communions (about 100!) have taken place over the last 4 Sundays of the Easter season. But this year, when Easter has finished we gather the next Sunday to celebrate a rite which has us mark out work to be done in readiness for Easter 2010.
Our present expectation is that the group will be ready for baptism next Easter but as flexibility has been our keyword so far this year, who knows?
And as for catechumenal process, one good thing that has come from this group is that because of their various other commitments they are happy to try out Sunday dismissal catechesis. This will be something new for us all. So please keep us in your prayers!
Living the Ascension
The feast of the Ascension is a feast which might not seem to reach into the everyday living of our faith. Although Mark's account gives us the barest of details, simply telling us that Jesus was taken up into heaven, this only happens after Jesus has spoken to them and conjuring up all kinds of seemingly strange images about snakes and poison. However, I think the Ascension and the Gospel for the day offer us quite a lot to go on both personally and as a member of the Catholic Community. First of all the commands:
1) Go out to the whole world
2) proclaim the good news to all creation.
These are pretty demanding commands. Is going out to the whole world something simply geographic? Is it easier to think in terms of great distances rather than the whole of the world gathered in my town or place of work? Keeping things at a distance is often much easier. And proclaiming the good news to the whole of creation? Not just people? That made me think - how do I proclaim the good news to the whole of creation? Does my lifestyle and choices actually make good news for the whole of creation? Over the last couple of years, the LiveSimply network have been promoting the call of creation to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with all. How do you or your church community rate yourselves in those three areas?
A few years back, a colleague and I were invited to lead an evening reflection for a Lent group in a Derbyshire village. During the evening, there would be a fasting supper. However, the person who invited us to lead the reflection suggested it would probably be worth eating before we came as there wouldn't be much to eat (Honestly!) During the evening, the finest home made soups, freshly baked breads and rich cheese appeared. It seemed that somewhere along the line, the point of the fasting supper had been lost Maybe too, we have missed the point of proclaiming the good news to the whole of creation, especially when we proclaim it only in words.
At the risk of being overly political, maybe you've seen the advert being used by the BNP for the elections next week. An image of Jesus, pretty negative BNP questions about multiculturalism and then the question "What would Jesus do?" I think the answer the Gospels give is not one the BNP would expect: "Go out to the whole world, proclaim the good news to all creation" - speak with it, touch it, nurture it, heal it, support it, stand in solidarity with it. The whole of creation - including people.. The feast of the Ascension calls us to rise above our small concerns and to be lifted out of our small world view . That means proclaiming the good news to all creation - and living simply, sustainably and in solidarity.
One final question: how does our catechesis - especially in this season of mystagogy - tap into the nature of faith and politics as a lived reality.
LIFT
Well here we are in the middle of the easter season, and although our new catholics remain full of enthusiasm following their easter experience, and want to recount their feelings, they also have questions. They want to ask about the sacraments they have been initiated into, to explore their new status as members of the parish community, and revel in being one of the worldwide Church. Yet I often feel there is that sense of ‘what do we do now’ with our new Catholics?
So we have the final period of initiation: mystogogy ‘devoted to postbaptismal catechesis’ (RCIA 7.4) constantly reminding the whole church that what has just happened at the Easter vigil is an endless mystery that we are always trying to unravel. For those parishes who practice ‘ dismissal’ (RCIA 67), the candidates (and probably also catechumens) have been used to having the scriptures opened up for them when they retire to a place of their own, following the gospel each Sunday mass. The only ‘dismissal’ they encounter as fully initiated Catholics is that at the end of Mass when they are sent forth with the whole assembly to consider the Gospel.
The test is to build on the experience and practice of dismissal, or of the regular sessions arising from lectionary based catechesis, so that when RCIA meetings are no longer ‘a must’, our new catholics will have formed the habit of wanting to hear more of the Word of God: desirous of knowing Jesus more intimately and lovingly through a deepening understanding of the scriptures.
During the first half of the easter season we listen to many of the meal narratives in which Jesus reveals himself and teaches his disciples. On this 4th Sunday we heard how Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, was able to stand up to the Rulers of the synagogue; how John speaks of the love lavished on us as God’s children, and we hear the beloved parable of the Good Shepherd. Our new catholics are also called to go out into the world as disciples, but they like all of us, need continuing support from the community.
Here is an idea that can be used fruitfully during the mystagogy stage, but also answers Caroline’s question (blog 27.4.09) of ‘ How do we begin to integrate candidates and catechumens into the life of the community from the very start?’
Try Living In Faith Together
In small groups, enjoy a fellowship meal at each other’s homes. Not as formal as an RCIA session, nevertheless it involves dialogue, liturgy, and catechesis. Everything about the evening is about sharing – food, home, companionship and our faith, and that’s where the name LIFT comes from. It is important that the host does not provide any food, but that the guests bring it, so there is a real sense of sharing and of bringing the food to the home. It also reduces the pressure of being ‘host’. The evening starts with someone reading the forthcoming Sunday Gospel, followed by 2 minutes silence, then it is proclaimed by a different reader, followed by silence and a sharing of an image or word. Perhaps offer a commentary, or put it into context with the other lectionary texts. You can make it as simple or as detailed as those present require, so it is equally suitable for pre-inquiry and all stages of the catechumenate. A good session may start around the Bible and a candle, lasting half an hour before the group begin the meal and together, sit, eat and talk, starting with the gospel but wherever the discussion takes you.
Suggestions
- A gentle introduction is to say the Opening Prayer for the coming sunday,
- adapt the psalm as a prayer for enquirers,
- read the gospel once followed by silence but without inviting a response,
- A LIFT meal once a month can help extend the mystagogy period through to the anniversary of initiation,
- Have a Justice and Peace Meal,
- Include Ambrose’s sermon on the Baptismal garment (Yarnold, 1994, 2001, The Awe-Inspiring Rites Of Initiation, pp.129-30).
- Mystagogy: do refresh by reading RCIA #7.4 #244-251