How to tell your catechumens the gospel truth

In the Rite of Acceptance, a major element of the rite is the Candidates’ First Acceptance of the Gospel (“candidates” as used here means candidates for the Rite of Acceptance, not baptized candidates; see paragraph 52, which is on page 22 in my edition of the RCIA).

Sometimes folks who are new to planning this rite confuse the first acceptance of the gospel with optional “Presentation of a Bible,” which comes later in the rite (para. 64). But there is no book presented in this part of the rite. What is presented is truth. To proclaim the truth effectively requires some listening skills.

Read the small red print of paragraph 52 closely:

The celebrant addresses the candidates, adapting one of the following formularies to the answers received in the opening dialogue.

That’s an interesting statement for a couple of reasons. First reason is the rite does not give the presider the option of adapting his response. The rite assumes he will adapt his response.

The second reason it is interesting is because if the candidate’s answers are real answers to real questions, the presider won’t know ahead of time what the candidate will say in the opening dialogue. That means he will need to listen closely to what the candidate says and adapt his response on the spot.

So suppose John Candidate is asked in the opening dialogue what he’s seeking, and suppose says something like: “I am looking for peace and happiness in my life.” Using formulary A, the presider might respond: “John, God gives peace and happiness to everyone who asks for it.”

Or, adapting formulary B, he might say, “John, God is our creator, and he created us to live in peace and happiness.”

Or, using C: “John, this is peace and happiness: to know the one true God and Jesus Christ.”

That is gospel truth: Jesus Christ is the answer to whatever our deepest desires are. Once that is made clear to the candidate, he is asked if he is ready to accept the good news. If he accepts the church rejoices! (That’s not technically in the rite, but it’s okay. Let loose and rejoice a little. Shout out an alleluia, or sing something.)