TeamRCIA » Baptism

“In our own languages we hear them speaking”

Rita Ferrone — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:36:47 +0000

I am the proud owner of a series of four catechumenate books in Swahili. They were given to me by a religious Sister from Congo who attended a workshop I gave a couple of years ago in the Bronx. My Swahili is basically non-existent, yet I love these books.

Part of what attracts me are the illustrations. They are simple but eloquent line drawings illustrating stories from the Gospel. Here is the one for the story of Pentecost from the Acts of the Apostles. The people do not seem inert as the Spirit falls down on them. They are being blown away!

There are many charming pictures in these books. In their simplicity, they make the gospel come to life as it must indeed come to life—within the very people who receive it.

I share this picture for two reasons. First, as a reminder that the “hearers of the word” live in all parts of the globe. In this case, Africa. Congo. The catechumenate too is not only here in the US. It belongs to Africa and Asia and Oceania as well as to the Americas and Europe. People are being “blown away” by the gospel of Jesus Christ every day, and the catechumenate is the Church’s way of joining hands and hearts with them as the Spirit lifts our sails.

Second, I post this as witness to God’s grace transcending boundaries. I do not know Swahili. But as I pore over these pages, I discover words that I understand, such as Yesu Kristu (Jesus Christ) and Mama Maria (Mother Mary) and eklezya (church). I see pictures with all African faces and clothing, and yet I recognize the people because I share their story. The gospel belongs to all of us, equally. That’s a bit of Pentecost to me.

[The book: Maamini, published by the Centre Interdiocesain de pastorale, catéchèse et liturgie B.P. 162 Bukavu, edited by the Missionary Society of Saint Paul for the diocese of Uvira. Illustration found on page 218.]

Google Mystagogy

Rita Ferrone — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:52:12 +0000

I’m preparing to give a day-long workshop on mystagogy for the Archdiocese of Newark in February. Just out of curiosity, I thought I’d Google mystagogy and see what comes up. After all, many people today use search engines when they want to get information. If someone new to the RCIA wants to find out what is mystagogy what would they discover on the internet?

What’s Out There

Well, surprisingly, the results weren’t bad at all. The first was a blog, so I skipped it. Then an article by Father Paul Turner—his work is always very fine. The Free Dictionary came up next. OK. This was followed by a website by a retired Methodist clergy couple who are very active in liturgy. Clear information and helpful. Seeds were planted in the ecumenical institute at Collegeville. Our ecumenical partners are at work!

Next was a Faith Update from St. Anthony Messenger Press, followed by a good essay on the FDLC website by Sister Sandy DiMasi, longtime friend of the catechumenate. Then we had an article by our own Miriam Malone, SNJM at RPInet, entitled Six Steps to Effective Mystagogy. Go, Miriam!

Catholic.com offered us an article entitled Life Beyond Confirmation, and finally—drum roll, please—TEAM RCIA! At that point, I felt I had an adequate sample.

Models for Mystagogy

Aside from Google, however, I’ve been watching as certain trends develop.

Today in our pastoral practice, I think we are seeing several different models for mystagogy taking shape. A fairly common model is the mystagogy of reflection on the experience of the Easter Vigil. Many parishes will do this in some form. I call this the reflection / insight model.

Another model was offered in Father Ron Oakham’s recent Forum webinar on mystagogy. He offered a model of catechizing on the sacraments throughout the fifty days of the Easter season, based on the lectionary. I call this the sacramental / catechetical model.

Yet another model has surfaced through the RCL resource, Foundations in Faith, produced in the 1990s. It focuses on the neophyte Masses and especially that part of the Mass that the newly initiated now take part in: the Eucharistic Prayer and Communion rite. (Full disclosure: I was on the writing team for that resource.) I call this the Eucharistic model.

(N.B. The Foundations in Faith mystagogy manual also includes resources for experiences of a shared meal and shared social justice activity, as well as lectionary-based session plans.)

Over the past few years I’ve been writing RCIA guidelines for the Archdiocese of New York. Their advisory council suggested to me that we think in terms of models. In this context I began working on my own model. I call it the discipleship model.

The Discipleship Model

This model is governed by the question: what skills, experiences, relationships and understandings do the neophytes need in their lives now that they are initiated, in order to live as disciples? Discipleship is the measure.

Please note that what I am calling models are not mutually exclusive, as you already may have guessed. And, true to this insight, the discipleship model draws from several others. The distinction is found in the organizing principle. It begins and ends with discipleship.

Reflection on the experience of the Easter Vigil fits into the discipleship model. The experience of the sacraments of initiation, after all, is key to living as a disciple. Exploring this experience with others is an essential element.

But that’s not all. It is also important, as disciples, to get the most we can out of the second half of Sunday Mass. Sharing the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the same enthusiasm and receptivity that we’ve brought to the Liturgy of the Word is a discipleship skill.

Strengthening community bonds as full participants is part of the discipleship model too, as is mission. The rite firmly supports this. The foundation for community and mission was laid well in the catechumenate. Time to affirm it and take it a step further.

Another part of the discipleship model is intimacy with our Lord. Closeness to him. The image of the Good Shepherd is an icon of this important aspect of discipleship. It belongs in mystagogy. Jesus says in John’s gospel that he knows his sheep and they know him. The mystagogy period is a precious time to discover and enjoy that intimacy that will sustain the neophytes for the rest of their lives.

Finally, there is a golden opportunity during the Easter season to see the life of the early Church as the inspiration for our community of faith today. We hear every week from the Acts of the Apostles. I think there is a great (and largely untapped) resource here for mystagogy.

Future Posts

In another post, I will share an actual schema for this model unfolded across the seven weeks of the Easter season. It’s pretty simple, actually. Anybody can do it. I would also like to discuss the methodology of this model with anyone who is interested, because I am excited about the possibilities and I know you will help to get at what is most important and practical.

In a third post, I will share some ideas about ongoing mystagogy. You may have noticed that I did NOT suggest the fifty days as a time to catechize on the Sacrament of Penance. Many people fear that Penance is left dangling, because the newly baptized have not yet celebrated this sacrament. My own view is that an experiential catechesis on the Sacrament of Penance belongs in the year-long mystagogy that follows initiation. It needs and deserves more focus than the fifty days allow. I’ve never felt it natural to try and blend it in with the Easter season. Others may see this differently.

What About You?

I welcome your comments and suggestions about mystagogy. Do you have a model? What has worked well in your own experience?

Asking you is better than asking Google!

Seven reasons you should never empty the baptismal font

Nick — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:03:02 +0000

You might think the week after Christmas Day is a little early to be talking about emptying the baptismal font. Actually, it’s late. I walked into a local church during the fourth week of Advent to see what they had done with their environment. You guessed it. The baptismal font was bone dry and covered with a purple cloth.

So I’m on a mission. I’m asking all my friends to pledge never to empty their baptismal fonts again. And let’s all get T-shirts that say: “Friends don’t let friends drain fonts.” Why is this such a big deal? Here are seven reasons.

1. The liturgical seasons are not historical reenactments

When otherwise-pastoral people empty the font in Lent, the argument goes something like this. Jesus went into the desert for 40 days. There is no water in the desert. So we shouldn’t have water in our churches while Jesus is in the desert. Okay, here’s the thing. Jesus isn’t in the desert. Hasn’t been in the desert for 2,000 years. Isn’t ever going back to the desert. Jesus has transcended the desert and all the deprivation and desolation the desert symbolizes. Where is Jesus present? Truly, really present? In the primary symbols of the assembly of disciples gathered for worship: bread, wine, altar, word, oil, fire, and water. Lent is not a time machine that takes us back to when Jesus was absent for 40 days. As for what might be the pastoral justification for emptying the font in Advent, I haven’t a clue. But whatever it is, it doesn’t override the necessity of having baptismal water lavishly present when the assembly gathers for worship.

2. Draining the font is bad catechesis

Everything present—or absent—in the liturgy catechizes. What water teaches us is that we are a people who have died to ourselves and risen to new life. Every time we enter a church and cross ourselves with the saving waters of baptism, we teach ourselves, our children, and our catechumens that we will never die. To remove that life-giving water says that our baptism was not everlasting and eternal. We are teaching that our salvation is seasonal and occasional.

3. There is no such thing as a “fast” from baptismal water

One of the arguments for removing the water from the font in Lent is that Lent is a season for fasting. So some say that it makes sense to fast from water. Really? Maybe in some gnositc universe. But in Christianity—or even just in the ordinary material universe—water means life. No water means death. When we fast, we don’t fast from things that are good for us. We fast from temptations, from indulgences, from all that masters us that is not God.

4. Emptying the font violates church teaching

About ten years ago, somebody got tired of dipping his fingers into a font full of sand every Lent, and so he faxed a “What up?” to the Vatican. The Congregation for Divine Worship wrote back saying, “This is what you Americans spend your time on?” Well, they didn’t say that exactly, but they did say that an empty font “is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season Lent.” A balanced understanding, they said, recognizes that, in addition to being a season of penance, Lent “is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.”

5. An empty font violates the spirit of Vatican II

Related to the issue of balance noted by the CDW, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy reminded us that Lent has a two-part character.

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By recalling or preparing for baptism and by repentance, this season disposes the faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. The baptismal and penitential aspects of Lent are to be given greater prominence in both the liturgy and liturgical catechesis. Hence, more use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy. (109)

And why would we want to make more use of the baptismal features of Lent? Because we have a whole group of people (the elect) preparing for baptism—the very purpose of Lent. So instead of draining the font, we should be filling it to the brim.

6. An empty font weakens the funeral liturgy

When we celebrate a funeral, we are celebrating a life lived in baptismal grace. A powerful symbol of that baptismal life is blessing the casket with living water. It is hard to see living water in a sprinkler that an acolyte retrieves from the sacristy closet. The water for blessing the casket should come from the same place in which we baptize—even in Lent. Especially in Lent.

7. Bad practice leads to more bad practice

That’s what I experienced in my church visit during Advent. Because some parishes have been emptying the font during the lenten season, one community, at lease, decided that more is better. Let’s have a dry font for both Lent and Advent. Next we may have empty fonts on rogation days or First Fridays. So let’s just stop the shenanigans now, before things get worse.

Remember: “Friends don’t let friends drain fonts.”

Do you need to have a saint’s name for baptism or confirmation?

Nick — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:47:03 +0000

On this All Saints Day, I have a proposal. Let’s not rename the catechumens with saint names. Many of them come to us with saint names already, but not all of them do. As I said in The Way of Faith, I once had a child catechumen named “Pebbles.” Let’s just say the topic of renaming came up.

The reason the giving of a baptismal name is even an issue stems from the 1917 Code of Canon Law. Well, it probably goes back farther than that, but most of us don’t date back that far ourselves, so it will do for an arcane reference. The old code says:

Pastors should see to it that the person to be baptized is given a Christian name; but if they are unable to fulfill this, they should add to the name given by the parents the name of some saint, and they should inscribe each name in the baptismal register.

Long before the 20th century, the practice of the pastor insuring the child had a saint name morphed into the giving of a new name even if the child was already named after a saint. So, in fact, many of us have two saint names. And it goes on. When confirmation was split off from baptism as a separate sacrament, the tradition of adding a saint name went with it. The end result: Most baby boomer Catholics have three saint names.

The 1983 Code of Canon Law changed the rules. Now the only requirement is that pastors make sure the child’s name is not “foreign to a Christian mentality.” In other words, if you don’t name your child something like “Son-of-Satan,” you’re good to go. So we baptized Pebbles as “Pebbles.”

The post-Vatican II sensibility of the 1983 code is reflected in both the Rite of Baptism for Children and the Rite of Confirmation, neither of which include an option for giving an additional name. And the United States bishops specifically reject the notion of giving the catechumens a new name (see RCIA 33.4).

Even so, I have to tell you, I was having a little trouble with “Pebbles” when I first realized this could possibly be the name of a future saint. Then I read this paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it. (2158)

Pebbles loved her name, and she loved Jesus. In the end, it was a great joy to see her become one with the Lord, named for Christ with the name she had known all her life. That’s when I resolved to never rename a catechumen.

Here are some previous posts from TeamRCIA that have to do with naming:

Choosing a confirmation name

Nick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:56:24 +0000

I’m editing the October 2009 issue of Religion Teacher’s Journal, and I’ve just run across the second author who casually refers to choosing a new name for confirmation as though that’s the ordinary practice of the church.

I chose a confirmation name as a child as I’m sure most of you did. But our experience with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has given us a renewed understanding of the unity of baptism and confirmation as sacraments of initiation. In order to reinforce (and catechize about) that unity, the proper confirmation name is the name one is baptized with.

See this helpful article by Dennis Smolarski, SJ, for a more complete exploration of the topic.

What’s your experience? Does your parish encourage children to choose a confirmation name or to celebrate their baptismal name?

32 best RCIA practices for Easter Vigil

Nick — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:15:35 +0000

Rehearse on the Saturday before Palm Sunday (not on Holy Saturday)
Catechumens and candidates are not at rehearsal; their sponsors are and godparents are
The pastor and the Vigil presider (if it is not the pastor) do not need to lead the rehearsal, but they need to be there
Rehearse with the lectors—a lot
Create a retreat day on Holy Saturday for the elect
The elect do not choose a baptismal name and candidates do not choose a confirmation name
Keep the focus of the Vigil on baptism
Begin after complete darkness
Build a bonfire for the new fire. Ask a boy scout. Better, ask a fire fighter (because they’re not afraid of big fires)
Notify the neighbors ahead of time about the fire
Buy a real candle for the Paschal Candle, not a white tube filled with oil
Don’t give individual candles to the elect until after they are baptized
Buy or rent a portable sound system for the blessing of the fire and candle
Choose music the entire parish knows well and can sing in the dark
The Exsultet is sung by the best singer in the parish. It is only sung by the presider (or deacon) if he is the best singer in the parish
The Gloria is sung by all; it is never spoken
The Alleluia is sung by all; it is never spoken
Make the Gospel procession the biggest of the year, processing throughout the assembly
Proclaim more than the minimum required number of readings
Proclaim the Romans reading from memory, looking directly at the elect
Baptize by full immersion
Chant the blessing over the water
Pour more water into the font as the blessing is chanted
Invite the children present to come close enough to the font to see well
Chant the names of the elect instead of speaking them when you call them forward
Include the names of the elect in the Litany of Saints
The Litany of Saints is only sung if there are candidates for baptism
If you baptize someone, confirm them, including children
Use a handful of Chrism for each confirmation; rub it in, don’t wipe it off
Plan the ritual so the communion of the newly baptized is the climax of the liturgy
Just before saying, “This is the Lamb of God,” call the newly baptized forward, by name, and speak a short, poetic reminder “of the preeminence of the Eucharist, which is the climax of their initiation and the center of the whole Christian life” (RCIA 243).
Plan a reception for the newly initiated following the liturgy
(click on comments to add another best practice)
(click on comments to add another best practice)
(click on comments to add another best practice)
(click on comments to add another best practice)

For guidelines on how to celebrate the Easter Vigil, get a copy of The Three Days: Parish Prayer in the Paschal Triduum. Click here for more information.

Conditional baptism? Three interesting thoughts

Nick — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:33:13 +0000

I recently read this line in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults:

The sacrament of baptism cannot be repeated and therefore it is not permitted to confer it again conditionally, unless there is a reasonable doubt about the fact or validity of the baptism already conferred. If serious investigation raises such prudent doubt and it seems necessary to confer baptism again conditionally, the minister should explain beforehand the reasons why this is being done and a nonsolemn form of baptism is to be used. (480)

One thing I find interesting is, this is in the section for the Reception of Baptized Christians and not in the section on initiation. There’s good reason for that. Before the Second Vatican Council, most Catholics figured that being baptized in a Protestant tradition was reason enough for “prudent doubt.” Almost everyone who was received into the Catholic Church from another Christian tradition was rebaptized—just in case. In fact, there was no Rite of Reception until after the Second Vatican Council.

No more indiscriminate conditional baptisms

While there may be a few curmudgeons around who still doubt the validity of Lutheran holy water, most of us are onboard with the church’s teaching that the use of water and the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” are sufficient for a valid baptism. So the text about conditional baptism is more or less a stop sign to those who might still be tempted, “just to be sure” to conditionally baptize anyway.

What is more common these days is, once in a while, we wind up with a candidate for initiation who either can’t remember if he was baptized or cannot find any documentation that he was baptized. In those instances, we start to wonder if a conditional baptism is appropriate.

And that brings me to another interesting point. If we really have serious doubts that the person was baptized, and the candidate himself cannot remember if he was baptized, why don’t we just all agree he is not baptized? Then he would enter the catechumenate and be treated just as all the other catechumens.

Proof of baptism

On the other hand, what if he does remember being baptized but cannot prove it? Well, the bar for proof here is pretty low. If his 98-year-old great aunt Mabel will say she was at the baptism, that’s good enough. Or a snapshot from a cousin’s photo album will also work. Any indication the baptism took place is enough justification to assume it did. But what if the candidate cannot come up with even the slimmest of proofs? Well, in that case, you have to determine how reasonable your doubt is. If you have reasonable and prudent doubt, the RCIA says you are to “confer baptism again conditionally” using “a nonsolemn form.”

Interesting thing three. The RCIA gives no ritual for “a nonsolemn form.” The RCIA goes on to say your local bishop is supposed to decide what is and is not included in the nonsolemn form for your diocese, but I’m guessing he has two or three other things on his plate to get to before he gets to this. So what should be included in a nonsolemn form? This is where we really have to put on our RCIA hats and remember what we have been teaching the catechumens about baptism all this time.

What does “nonsolemn” baptism look like?

First of all, there is the baptism itself. The National Statutes for the Catechumenate tell us:

Baptism by immersion is the fuller and more expressive sign of the sacrament and, therefore, is preferred. (17)

We might say that since this is a conditional baptism, we don’t need to do full immersion. But remember, we have serious doubt that a baptism ever took place. If there was no previous baptism, wouldn’t we want the fullest and most expressive sign possible? Just in case? Then there is the baptismal formula. In the old days, when we thought Protestants might be heretics, the formula was: “In case you were never baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” However, that form does not exist in the post-Vatican II ritual. So far, we are looking at a conditional full immersion baptism, using the same words of baptism as a “regular” baptism. What else do we need to include? What about the other initiation sacraments? Well, let’s look at RCIA 215, and tell me what you think:

In accord with the ancient practice followed in the Roman liturgy adults are not to be baptized without receiving confirmation immediately afterward, unless some serious reason stands in the way. The conjunction of the two celebrations signifies the unity of the paschal mystery, the close link between the mission of the Son and the outpouring of the Spirit….

I think what that means is that baptism isn’t just baptism. It’s baptism-confirmation. And RCIA 217 goes on to tell us that the celebration of the Eucharist is “the culminating point of their Christian initiation.” So it is actually baptism-confirmation-Eucharist that needs to be celebrated conditionally. In a nonsolemn way, of course.

Is it getting solemner in here, or is it just me?

Now my head is starting to hurt. I guess we could leave out the white garment. But if we’re doing full immersion, the poor guy has to put on something dry afterward. Why not a symbol of putting on Christ? We could maybe leave out the presentation of the baptismal candle. But that isn’t one of the optional parts in the adult initiation rite (230), so that’s going to need clearance from the bishop. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to get that request.

The only other thing I can think of that would make this a nonsolemn celebration is to not celebrate it at the Easter Vigil. But if not then, when? If we celebrate it on a weekday, doesn’t it feel a little like we’re slipping the candidate in the back door? And if we do it on a Sunday, don’t we have to explain to the assembly why the baptism isn’t taking place at the normal time? And doesn’t that call more attention to the “nonsolemn” nature of this conditional baptism than we wanted to in the first place?

My thought would be to celebrate the conditional baptism at the Easter Vigil along with all the other candidates for initiation. The only ones who need to know it is conditional are the candidate and his sponsor, the minister, and the catechumenate director. That seems like the simplest, least-solemn solution. What do you think?

Can we baptize outside the Easter Vigil?

Rita Ferrone — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:58:13 +0000

QWe have a catechumen who would have been initiated at the Easter Vigil last month, except her husband’s annulment had not come through in time. Now it has come through. She has been in the catechumenate for almost two years now. Can we celebrate initiation outside of the Easter Vigil? What about the Rite of Sending and the Rite of Election? Would we do the Scrutinies within class? Is there a format to follow?

AYour catechumen’s case falls under “unusual circumstances,” which are described in paragraphs 26-30 in the RCIA. See especially paragraph 29, which says Election is to be celebrated six weeks before baptism, and there should be sufficient time for the Scrutinies and Presentations.

If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to celebrate all the rites to the greatest extent possible, knowing some compromises will have to be made.
For example:

Celebrate the Rite of Election at a Sunday Mass six weeks before you plan to celebrate the Initiation sacraments. You need to get the bishop to delegate authority to the pastor to do this. (Or maybe the bishop would come to the parish to preside himself! See paragraph 29.)
You would not do a Rite of Sending because you aren’t sending your catechumen anywhere. However, you can adapt this rehearsal outline for the Rite of Sending for the celebration of the Rite of Election in your parish.
Click here for a handout here on the Rite of Election that you might want to adapt to give out to your parish assembly.
It might be pastorally best for your Sunday assembly if you move the Scrutinies and Presentations to “convenient weekdays” (see paragraph 20), with as many people from the parish as care to come, and this may include the team and the other participants in the process. Click here for a rehearsal outline for the scrutinies.
You would then want to celebrate the Initiation sacraments on a Sunday (see paragraph 27).

It is important to strive to give your catechumen the fullest experience of the rites possible. These rites have value even if they are done on a modest scale, with a small assembly. She will only be baptized once in her life (we hope!). She deserves to experience everything the rites have to offer.

Has anyone else had experience with celebrating the Initiation Rites outside of the Easter Vigil? Click on the comments button below and tell us about it.

Baptismal Garments

Diana — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:13:40 +0000

What do I wear?! That’s a question I get often when I’m planning liturgies. Whether it’s the confirmation candidate, the newly-ordained, or even the bishop, himself, we have a natural concern over what to wear.

The baptismal rite in the RCIA gives us at least one answer: Put on Christ. Therefore we physically clothe the newly baptized with a white garment. As we do so, we say them:

You have become a new creation
and have clothed yourselves in Christ.
Receive this baptismal garment
and bring it unstained to the judgment seat
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
so that you may have everlasting life. (RCIA, #229)

This white garment should then be:

white (although another color may be used according to local custom, cf. RCIA, #229)
unstained
dignified
fitting to the person’s height and size
preferably new
preferably theirs to keep.

It should not be:

stained
dingy or ragged
wrinkled
flimsy or small
a dalmatic (vestment worn by a deacon)
a chasuble (vestment worn by a priest).

Nor should you add a stole to the garment. This and the last two items above are reserved for the ordained. (Read what the United States bishops say about the baptismal garment.)

One option is to sew your own garments for your elect. This can be a ministry of the parish and a creative way to involve more people in the ministry of initiation. Invite especially the homebound who have sewing skills and those who prefer to serve “behind the scenes.”

A simple and elegant pattern for a baptismal garment can be found in the appendix of The Three Days: Parish Prayer in the Paschal Triduum, by Gabe Huck (Liturgy Training Publications, 1992). You can also purchase a pattern from the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Syracuse here.

Other options can be to gift each neophyte with an alb, the common ritual garment used by any baptized minister. (“Alb” comes from the Latin word, alba, which means “white.” The alb is worn by any liturgical minister, from the altar servers all the way up to the bishop, and serves as a reminder of baptism.) This would be an appropriate gift from the godparents, parish, and catechumenate team. A white choir robe can also work. An alternative to a full-length alb or choir robe, and a less expensive option, would be a surplice (without the cassock), such as this example.

If you sew your own baptismal garments or purchase special garments for your neophytes, send us your best pictures and we’ll post them up here.

The Easter Vigil—should you rehearse the catechumens?

Miriam — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:23:21 +0000

The Easter Vigil is coming—that most amazing liturgical celebration at the center of our faith that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. We who have been working, praying, planning, collaborating, and sacrificing for the good of our catechumens and candidates are now focused on how to plan for the great liturgy of the year. We want it to go well. We want it to be “right.” And we want it to speak powerfully of the very mysteries we celebrate.

And so, many of us turn to rehearsal as the key to success. Our catechumens in particular are nervous, excited and filled with anticipation of their immersion into the waters of baptism and their first feast at the Table of the Lord. If they know just what to do, when to do it, what to say, and how to participate in the various aspects of the Vigil liturgy, surely everything will go well. Right?

Wrong. Remember, we are celebrating sacrament, a living encounter with the Risen One in liturgical form. That moment cannot and should not be rehearsed but fully experienced with all its sights, sounds, smells, touches, and tastes.

Two years ago when we celebrated the funeral liturgy for my dear Mother, we as a family relied on the liturgy to carry us through this most difficult moment of grief, faith and hope. It would have been ludicrous to think of rehearsing her liturgy! We trusted that we would know what to do and be guided by the liturgy itself to enter into the Paschal Mystery that gave meaning to this dark moment in our lives. And it did! Family members participated in a variety of ways gently guided by the presiding and assisting ministers. The liturgy was in no way a repetition of a previously staged event but rather a powerful experience in the moment of all that liturgy can be: the presence of the Risen One in the midst of the community transforming even death into life.

And so it is with the Easter Vigil. For our catechumens who are preparing to die with Christ in the waters of baptism, there should be no rehearsal, but the invitation to trust the liturgy and enter into it fully, and the gentle assurance that the ministers, especially the godparents, and the community will be there to guide them.

In the meantime, there are a few specific steps that we can take to assure that the liturgical movement is crafted well and the power of this unparalleled liturgical celebration is unleashed as the Spirit wills. May it be very clear as we consider these points that “no rehearsal for the catechumens” in no way means “no preparation for the Vigil!”

Know the Rite well! Know the theological and ecclesiological foundations of the Rite. What is it that we are truly celebrating? What is the church proclaiming, enacting and celebrating in this Vigil? Make that the primary focus of your work and planning.
Know the Rite well! The focus is on the baptism of catechumens. Although the RCIA provides for the reception into full communion of candidates, be aware of the Rite’s caution to “avoid any sense of triumphalism” by allowing the reception of Christians overpower the baptismal liturgy. It may be more appropriate to fully initiate only catechumens at the Easter Vigil and to celebrate the reception of candidates at another appropriate time during the year.
Know the Rite well! Make sure that you are very clear on the various liturgical moments and movements of the Vigil. Know how and when the catechumens appropriately participate in those moments. Consider the “mechanics and logistics” of those moments and rehearse them well with both ministers and godparents who will guide the catechumens during the liturgy.
Know the Rite well! And be vigilant that everyone involved in liturgical ministries—presider, assistant ministers, MC, lectors, Communion ministers, hospitality ministers, music ministers. Know the Rite well. Planning for this liturgy cannot be done in categories or in piecemeal fashion. The Vigil is meant to be a well integrated unfolding of, present experience of, and future vision of the great story of salvation accomplished in Jesus Christ through the Paschal Mystery.
Know the Rite well! Work with your parish liturgist to create a script that can be used by all the principal ministers in the liturgy. It can make all the difference if you prepare a very detailed and color-coded script so that each minister, including and especially the presider, knows exactly what to say, where to stand, etc. Although this takes time, it is well worth it to provide a common script that encompasses the entire liturgy (so that ministers are not going from liturgical book to liturgical book) and clearly indicates each person’s role. (For further assistance with this contact miriam@teamrcia.com).
Know the Rite well! Know it so well that you can call a detailed rehearsal of all the principal ministers for the liturgy including the godparents (and sponsors) who will guide the catechumens (and candidates) through the liturgy. Spend time reflecting with them on the meaning of the various parts of the Vigil as well as going through the mechanics of movement, logistics, etc. Rehearse and rehearse again until the godparents (sponsors) are confident that they understand the various movements of the liturgy and their role as guides. Make sure that they are ready and willing to reassure their catechumens (candidates) and invite them to trust both them and the liturgy itself and so enter fully into the experience as it unfolds.

To rehearse or not to rehearse the catechumens?

The answer is yes and no. There is a significant difference between preparing and rehearsing. The catechumens are preparing through their lenten retreat, fasting, praying, and celebrating the scrutinies. We who are charged with the responsibility for the Easter Vigil celebration join them in this spiritual preparation. Of great importance is the understanding that we (presiders, godparents, team, assisting minister) are responsible also to plan and to rehearse well and with great attention to detail so that at the moment that new fire is lit we can all let go and allow the liturgy as it unfolds through the night to carry us all into the mysteries of faith as we fall into the depths of God’s redemptive love.