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'.

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

“Who do you say I am?” is a truly demanding question. It invites each one of us to look deep into our hearts and souls to find the answer. For many ‘enquirers’ the answer is often expressed in moments of revelation or in moments of conversion. Some times the experience is dramatic – sometimes it comes in the bits and pieces of every day.

For some of us there isn’t a moment in our lives when we weren’t conscious of Jesus in our lives. We simply imbibed him with our mother’s milk and have continued to grow in our awareness of who he is both for ourselves and the community of the Church. We have had to let go of childish and infantile ideas of Jesus as a sweet and cuddly toy, for instance.– letting of these false images may have been difficult and even caused pain. For me, at this moment, Jesus is the one who challenges the status quo and invites his followers to have the courage to grow in freedom – freedom to commit oneself to working for the good of others, working for Justice and peace and reconciliation.

Last Friday the final report on the terrible happenings which took place in Derry over 30 years ago, known as Bloody Sunday became public. It was a frightening indictment of the then ‘powers that be’ defending the status quo and falsifying evidence, casting the victims of official violence as perpetrators of violence rather than as the recipients of violence. I was deeply impressed by the Prime Minister’s whole hearted and unconditional acceptance of the report and expression of sorry for what happened in ‘our name’. I was even more impressed by a relative of one of the victims who said ‘We don’t want vengeance or anything like that – all we wanted was the clearing of the victim’s names and now we seek for reconciliation.’

There is someone who like Jesus in yesterdays Gospel learned to ‘pray alone in the midst of his disciples’ – who has learned to take up ‘his cross and follow Jesus’ – To follow Jesus not just to the place of the scull but to follow him through the cross echoing those incredible words of Jesus “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”.

The richness and compassion of his response  disturb me deeply. Despite my deep conviction of the significance of Jesus in my life - would I be capable of such a truly liberating act, if one of my family had been so unjustly treated for so long? I’d love to think that my answer would be ‘Yes’ but I can honestly say that I don’t know and can only hope that my ‘Yes’ would be unconditional. 

As I write this I am reminded of another friend of mine Johnny Leary, who sadly died of cancer. Johnny, whose eyes continued to sparkle through out a long term of illness, once again challenged me to the very core when we were having a conversation about the inevitability of what was going to happen. This is what he said, “It’s a real hard thing to begin to see your own body as your enemy. And you know that eventually you come to realize that you have to enter into relationship with the illness and the cancer inside you and in some way allow it to become your friend.”  I stand in awe of such people for whom the ability to ‘take up the cross and follow me’ are times of liberation and true freedom.

A question for all who journey within the RCIA, in whatever role, is to try to share as honestly as we can our experience of answering the question; ‘Who do you say I am?’ and sharing how ‘taking up the cross’ has liberated each one of us. As the saying goes ‘Be not afraid.’

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: 

• 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?

• 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.

• 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

• Then God says ‘Whom shall I send?’

• 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 8^th 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).

• 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?

• 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?

• 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. 

• 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?

• 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?

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!”

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. 

The Bureau is being hosted this time by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

We are staying in a retreat centre in Lohja Vivavum on one of the country's 190,000 lakes (into which some of us have plunged during  the Finnish 'saunas' in the evenings - putting a whole new slant on the initiation experience!)    We have had a very warm welcome - in writing from the Bishop of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku, Kari Makinen, and in person, from Maria and Sennika, and a number of their Lutheran colleagues who  planned & prayed liturgy for and with us, sang songs, and BBQ's sides of salmon around a campfire - first sign of Finnish summer is when the BBQ's begin - in 4 degrees celsius, but at least the snow has melted!

Joining us on the first evening was Bishop Teemu Sippo, RC Bishop of Helsinki.  Bishop Teemu told us that the Bishops' Conference of the Nordic Countries had recently published a joint pastoral letter on the Adult Catechumenate (and Reception into Full Communion of the Catholic Church). The letter begins:

'Where is the entrance?  If someone needs to ask this question, the architect has probably made a mistake.   Entrances need to be recognisable and inviting, unless one wants to keep away uninvited guests......it is not enough that we guide them to priests or others working in pastoral tasks.  Parishioners are needed... offering a kind and friendly reception, willing to share their own faith'

Further, the letter speaks of the opportunities that the restoration of the adult catechumenate offers, not only for evangelisation of those who are searching, but for those already in the church,  causing them to reflect on their own Baptism, their own faith, their own sense of belonging, rediscovering the rich nourishment in the liturgy, and the very nature of the Church as 'missionary'.  United as a body, the Nordic Bishops are strongly encouraging all the faithful, priests, parish councils, pastoral councils, and religious orders to discuss and ponder... and one step at a time, for parishes to engage  with the different phases and rights Catechumenate (RCIA), convinced that in so doing

'the consciousness of the mission of the parish and of the whole Church would grow, and the connection between faith and life would become clearer.  The parishes would gain an attractive and radiant power... beginning the Catechumenate aids the renewal of the whole parish!'

These hopes will echo with the memories and experience of  all of us involved in RCIA, for however many months or years.  What was particularly impressive was the Bishops writing together, united in their commitment to RCIA, leading from the front!

The rest of the weekend was engaged in bureau members sharing their experiences of the catechumenate (in Europe RCIA is referred to as 'The Catechumenate').  It was interesting to note the variations in emphases/styles between the different countries, the 'old hands' and the new (including Orthodox engaged in catechumenate in Finland) The consistency emerging, as ever, in shared passion for initiation.

Challenges? For practice of RCIA and for Eurocat

• Our diversity - in culture, experience, in approaches, interpretation of the Rite, theological views
• Increasing size of Eurocat - more member countries: how to develop structures that support/develop/sustain warm friendship as well as share experience and learn from one another - finding the best process/way of facilitating the meetings to be as inclusive as possible
• How to develop/engage with the ecumenical dimension of Eurocat - ecumenical sensitivities
• Initiation as a process of  'being' and 'becoming' - the symbiosis of community/liturgy/initiation
• Context of  'church in crisis' - community initiates, and yet there is a sense/reality that communities are 'disintegrating' rather than growing?
• Seeking and sharing best practice
• Use of Lectionary

It has been a good weekend in Helsinki, connecting with the broader European picture .  Perhaps one or two European friends will join us in Manchester for our Conference 'Bridging the Gap'? (30th June - 2nd July: Book on-line at www.rcia.org.uk )   The Nordic Bishops' encouragement for (us) to be missionary and help those seeking to join us on 'the Way' offers inspiration us as we move towards our Conference together, exploring what it is to be missionary, sponsoring communities.  Places at Manchester are limited, so please do  Book now to avoid disappointment!

It is quite likely that new Catholics, catechumens and candidates would be reluctant to bring up a subject that they know will be embarrassing and distressing to their priests and catechists. Where they do, it is worth reflecting on how to respond – and where they don’t, to find ways of addressing it. It can be helpful to speak honestly of the pain caused to the vast majority of priests and religious who also trusted those who committed these crimes – helping them to consider how they might be feeling, perhaps by thinking about how they would react if someone they respected or admired was found to have done similar things. Talk about how “ordinary” Catholics can feel betrayed – particularly when the crimes were committed in their own parish or nearby – and how their feelings about family baptisms, first Communions and other celebrations are tainted. It will take sensitivity to know how much to share of the “family’s” shame, but openness following decades of silence and cover-up can only be helpful in the healing process.

The bishops also ask Catholics to pray, particularly on the Fridays in May. Not one of us can put the clock back and stop the abuse from ever having happened but, as the bishops remind us, we can turn to the Holy Spirit who “guides us to sorrow and repentance, to a firm determination to better ways, and to a renewal of love and generosity towards all in need.”

For many of us, words have failed – what can we say that others haven’t said better? And are there enough words in the universe to express the anger and dismay we might feel? This is why one of the ways of prayer suggested by the bishops is silence before the Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps a time of such prayer could be built into a meeting.  Set the scene with candles, flowers and incense – but explain that it is the Presence of our Risen Lord that is the most important thing. Choose a couple of psalms (for example, No 50: Have mercy on me God in your kindness, or 129: Out of the Depths) and pray them antiphonally, allowing pauses for the words to hang – and then at the end to fade into the silence. Select short phrases from Scripture to “drop” into the silence – or gentle music that speaks of sorrow. Alternatively, resources for group and personal prayers are being prepared.  You can find some of them, and links to others, here.

Ritual and symbol can also help when words fail. You could reflect on the darkness surrounding the abuse – of how it will have wounded and darkened the lives of those most directly affected – how it was used to conceal the crimes – and how a shadow has fallen upon many in the Church. Remind the group of the Triduum … of Holy Thursday and the watching in darkness – of Good Friday when, Scripture tells us, a deep darkness covered the earth as the Lord of Life died – of Holy Saturday and the long waiting for the evening – the gathering in the dark – until finally, the moment when the darkness was broken by the light of one candle and the acclamation: Christ our Light! And then the passing of that light from one to another until the church was filled with small lights which finally dispelled the darkness of that night. Our prayer may only be one little light – but it is, as the saying goes, better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Our Church needs light – to uncover and bring into the light all that has been sinful and damaging to so many people. Our new Catholics and those preparing to become Catholics offer us hope by showing us that, in the face of so much hostile press, they find much that is good, holy and attractive in the Church and want to be part of it. Drawing them into the prayers during May can help them to feel they belong – and be a blessing to those whose faith is being stretched to breaking point.

Lord God,
source of unfailing light,
by the death and resurrection of Christ
you have cast out the darkness of hatred and lies
and poured forth the light of truth and love
upon the human family.

…

Enable (us) to pass from darkness to light
and, delivered from the prince of darkness,
to live always as children of the light.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

(Prayer from the Second Scrutiny, RCIA #155B,
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults approved for use in the Dioceses of England and Wales and Scotland, p91)

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.

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!