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	<title>TeamRCIA &#187; Mystagogy</title>
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	<link>http://teamrcia.com</link>
	<description>Start and sustain the catechumenate</description>
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		<title>Google Mystagogy</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2011/01/16/google-mystagogy/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2011/01/16/google-mystagogy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:52:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rita Ferrone</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Baptism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catechesis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Easter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neophytes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=6149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What are your plans for mystagogy this year? There may be several models to choose from.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2011/01/16/google-mystagogy/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p>I&#8217;m preparing to give a day-long workshop on mystagogy for the Archdiocese of Newark in February. Just out of curiosity, I thought I&#8217;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?</p>
<p><strong>What&#8217;s Out There</strong></p>
<p>Well, surprisingly, the results weren&#8217;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!</p>
<p>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!</p>
<p>Catholic.com offered us an article entitled Life Beyond Confirmation, and finally—drum roll, please—<strong>TEAM RCIA!  </strong>At that point, I felt I had an adequate sample.</p>
<p><strong>Models for Mystagogy</strong></p>
<p>Aside from Google, however, I&#8217;ve been watching as certain trends develop.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Another model was offered in Father Ron Oakham&#8217;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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>(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.)</p>
<p>Over the past few years I&#8217;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.</p>
<p><strong>The Discipleship Model</strong></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>But that&#8217;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&#8217;ve brought to the Liturgy of the Word is a discipleship skill.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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&#8217;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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>Future Posts</strong></p>
<p>In another post, I will share an actual schema for this model unfolded across the seven weeks of the Easter season. It&#8217;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.</p>
<p>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&#8217;ve never felt it natural to try and blend it in with the Easter season. Others may see this differently.</p>
<p><strong>What About You?</strong></p>
<p>I welcome your comments and suggestions about mystagogy. Do you have a model? What has worked well in your own experience?</p>
<p>Asking you is better than asking Google!</p>
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		<title>Keep the neophytes involved</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2010/05/02/keep-the-neophytes-involved/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2010/05/02/keep-the-neophytes-involved/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2010 04:23:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=4520</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2010/05/02/keep-the-neophytes-involved/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>Are you having difficulty keeping the neophytes involved during the post-baptismal period? Watch this video by Nick Wagner for some tips on how to improve your mystagogical period. &#160; &#160; &#160;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2010/05/02/keep-the-neophytes-involved/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><object width="240" height="180"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11415219&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11415219&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="240" height="180"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  hspace="10" vspace="6" style="float:right;margin-left:5px;" /></embed></object>Are you having difficulty keeping the neophytes involved during the post-baptismal period?</p>
<p>Watch this video by Nick Wagner for some tips on how to improve your mystagogical period.<br />
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		<title>Have you hugged your neophyte today?</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2009/06/17/have-you-hugged-your-neophyte-today/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2009/06/17/have-you-hugged-your-neophyte-today/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:06:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neophytes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=2017</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2009/06/17/have-you-hugged-your-neophyte-today/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>How&#8217;s mystagogy going for you right now, in the middle of June? More importantly, how is it going for the neophytes? Some teams think the period of mystagogy ends with Pentecost, but that&#8217;s not what the U.S. bishops think. Flip your copy of the RCIA open to the very back and look for the the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2009/06/17/have-you-hugged-your-neophyte-today/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><img title=" Margherita Pizza by The Punch Pizza; Tagged as neophyte" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/sdiworld/margherita-pizza-punch-1328400-l.jpg" alt=— width="180" height="271"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  />How&#8217;s mystagogy going for you right now, in the middle of June? More importantly, how is it going for the neophytes?</p>
<p>Some teams think the period of mystagogy ends with Pentecost, but that&#8217;s not what the U.S. bishops think.</p>
<p>Flip your copy of the RCIA open to the very back and look for the the National Statutes on the Catechumenate. Run your finger down to paragraph 24:</p>
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<blockquote><p>After the immediate mystagogy or postbaptismal catechesis during the Easter season, the program for the neophytes should extend until the anniversary of Christian initiation, with <strong>at least monthly assemblies of the neophytes</strong> for their deeper Christian formation and incorporation into the full life of the Christian community.</p></blockquote>
<h3>How do you get them to come back for mystagogy?</h3>
<p>Now you might be thinking you couldn&#8217;t get them to come back for regular mystagogy, much less a mystagogy that extends all year long. Well, you might be right, but that&#8217;s still no reason not to try. Before you do give it a shot, however, take a moment to put yourself in the new Catholics&#8217; shoes.</p>
<p>They might be feeling a little adrift right now. It&#8217;s been about two months since the Easter Vigil. The security of the small group of regulars at the weekly catechetical sessions is no longer there. And they might not really know anyone else in the parish. If you were in that situation, what would attract you to a &#8220;monthly assembly&#8221;?</p>
<h3>Invite neophytes to parish events</h3>
<p>I did a little snooping around and read some of your parish bulletins online. One parish is having a Summer Cabbage Ball Fun League that starts next month. I don&#8217;t know what cabbage ball is, but for a $25 fee, you get a t-shirt, a pizza party, and all the cabbage ball you can handle. What if the godparents called up the neophytes and personally invited them to play cabbage ball? Or at least come to the pizza party? And perhaps the league organizers would waive the $25 fee for the neophytes.</p>
<div class="simplePullQuote">Even if the neophytes don't come to these "monthly assemblies" in your parish, they will feel more connected to the community just knowing you haven't forgotten about them.</div>
<p>Another parish is rounding up a group of parishioners to go see the town&#8217;s minor league baseball team. Tickets are $7.00. Perhaps the parish might spring for the seven bucks. That, and a personal invitation from you or the godparents would probably get most of the neophytes to the &#8220;assembly.&#8221;</p>
<p>And a few of you are sponsoring monthly book clubs. What a perfect event to invite the neophytes to, especially the introverts. If they are feeling shy, they can just hide behind the book until they warm up to the group.</p>
<p>A lot of you are having farewell parties for pastors that are moving on. And others are having welcome parties for new pastors. Have the godparents get on the phone and invite the neophytes for some tears and cheers.</p>
<h3>Let them know you care</h3>
<p>Even if the neophytes don&#8217;t come to these &#8220;monthly assemblies&#8221; in your parish, they will feel more connected to the community just knowing you haven&#8217;t forgotten about them. Give it a try, and let us know what happens.</p>
<p>And what about those of you that are already implementing successful, year-long mystagogies? What tips can you share with the rest of us?</p>
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<div>&nbsp;</div>
<p><a href="http://teamrcia.com/bookstore/01-032lm/"><img title="Living Baptism Daily: A Guide for the Baptized by Lawrence E. Mick; Tagged as neophyte" src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/LivingBaptismDailyMick-1.jpg" alt=— align="left" /></a><br />
For more ideas on helping the neophytes during their first year of Christian life, check out <a href="http://teamrcia.com/bookstore/01-032lm/"><em>Living Baptism Daily: A Guide for the Baptized</em></a> by Lawrence E. Mick.</p>
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		<title>The Easter Vigil</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2009/04/11/the-easter-vigil/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2009/04/11/the-easter-vigil/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:54:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rita Ferrone</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Catechesis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Triduum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=1769</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2009/04/11/the-easter-vigil/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>The Paschal Triduum is the center of the liturgical year, and the Easter Vigil is its high point. It is the liturgy at which night turns into day, and death into resurrection. Why vigil? St. Augustine had a pithy insight into this question: &#8220;We now need not wait for the Lord to arrive&#8230;. And yet [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2009/04/11/the-easter-vigil/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><img title=" Blessing Paschal Candle " src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/blessing20paschal20candle.jpg" border="0" alt="RCIA image posted by TeamRCIA"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  />The Paschal Triduum is the center of the liturgical year, and the Easter Vigil is its high point. It is the liturgy at which night turns into day, and death into resurrection.</p>
<p>Why vigil? St. Augustine had a pithy insight into this question: &#8220;We now need not wait for the Lord to arrive&#8230;. And yet our annual celebration is not simply a commemoration of a past event; it implies a present action on our part, which we accomplish by our life of faith and of which this Vigil is the symbol. The entire course of time is in fact one long night during which the church keeps watch, waiting for the return of the Lord, waiting &#8220;Ëœuntil He comes.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
<p>The Easter Vigil is a masterpiece of inculturation. The oldest annual celebration in the calendar, it bears the marks of its creative handling over almost two millennia. Let it wash over you, and lead you into the mystery of Easter tonight.</p>
<p>This liturgy is full of unsuspected delights.</p>
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		<title>RCIA teams: 8 ways to make mystagogy work in your parish</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2009/03/15/rcia-teams-8-ways-to-make-mystagogy-work-in-your-parish/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2009/03/15/rcia-teams-8-ways-to-make-mystagogy-work-in-your-parish/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:32:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Easter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=1631</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2009/03/15/rcia-teams-8-ways-to-make-mystagogy-work-in-your-parish/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>For some RCIA teams, the period of postbaptismal catechesis, or mystagogy, seems to be the most difficult part of the catechumenate to implement. I commonly hear complaints that &#8220;they don&#8217;t come back&#8221; for mystagogy, and I get requests for &#8220;a good resource&#8221; to use during the mystagogy sessions. To me, those kind of comments reflect [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2009/03/15/rcia-teams-8-ways-to-make-mystagogy-work-in-your-parish/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><a href="http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/?action=view&amp;current=everystockphoto-2622693-l.jpg" target="_blank"><img title="Laugh Lounge 2/23/07 by Maryanne Ventrice [via Flickr]; Tagged as __ " src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/everystockphoto-2622693-l.jpg" border="0" alt="RCIA image posted by TeamRCIA" width="275" height="183"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  /></a>For some RCIA teams, the period of postbaptismal catechesis, or mystagogy, seems to be the most difficult part of the catechumenate to implement. I commonly hear complaints that &#8220;they don&#8217;t come back&#8221; for mystagogy, and I get requests for &#8220;a good resource&#8221; to use during the mystagogy sessions. To me, those kind of comments reflect a different understanding of mystagogy than what the RCIA calls for. If we are expecting neophytes to come to mystagogy and we are hoping for a resource from which to lead the mystagogy, we are thinking of mystagogy as something like classes that take place in a discrete place over a set amount of time.</p>
<h3>Test drive the faith</h3>
<p>The RCIA, on the other hand, envisions mystagogy as a principle for living that the neophytes have been learning and practicing throughout their catechumenate. The mystagogical &#8220;period&#8221; does not end after 50 days. Rather, the 50 days (or the 365 days called for in the year-long mystagogy in National Statutes 24) is an intense period of test-driving the newly acquired skill of Christian living. Note what the RCIA says about this period:</p>
<blockquote><p>This is a time for the community and the neophytes to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives&#8230;. (244)</p></blockquote>
<p>If we take that seriously, it&#8217;s clear that thinking of mystagogy as something the neophytes &#8220;come to&#8221; and that we might be able to create a &#8220;resource&#8221; for it are misunderstandings of what is supposed to be going on after baptism.</p>
<p>The neophytes are now full members of the body of Christ. As such, their job is now the same as our job—live the gospel. Whatever it is <em>we</em> do is what the neophytes are supposed to be doing. So what are we doing?</p>
<h3>Sunday Mass is the place of mystagogy</h3>
<p>Are we, the &#8220;old-phytes,&#8221; participating in weekly Easter catechetical sessions? Ideally, we are, but actually, most of us are not. What then is the primary catechesis for us in the Easter season? It is the Sunday Mass. And so also should it be for the neophytes:</p>
<blockquote><p>Since the distinctive spirit and power of the period of postbaptismal catechesis or mystagogy derive from the new, personal experience of the sacraments and of the community, its main setting is the so-called Masses for neophytes, that is, the Sunday Masses of the Easter season. (247)</p></blockquote>
<p>The place for mystagogy, then, is the Easter Sunday liturgies. The resource for postbaptismal catechesis is the personal experience of the sacraments and the worshipping community.</p>
<h3>Apply new skills</h3>
<p>The neophytes are like any of us who have learned a new skill. If a child keeps falling off her bike, she is still learning to ride. She&#8217;s not a rider yet. Once she can go several feet without falling, she&#8217;s learned the skill. She&#8217;s a rider-a beginning rider, but a rider. The new skill the neophytes have learned is offering a sacramental sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. This is a huge deal. We need to help them practice this new skill, running alongside of them, perfecting our own &#8220;grasp of the paschal mystery&#8221; even as we are keeping an eagle-eye on the neophytes as they practice. Too often, we confuse the idea of practicing new skills with signing the neophytes up to be lectors or communion ministers. Ack! Would you try to teach your daughter to play tennis at the same time she&#8217;s perfecting her new piano skills? One thing at a time! Keep the neophytes focused on perfecting their worship skills during the period of mystagogy.</p>
<h3>What skills do the neophytes need to practice?</h3>
<p>Here are two essential skills for the neophytes.</p>
<h4><strong>Develop a sacramental imagination</strong></h4>
<p>We cannot &#8220;see&#8221; God the way we see a photograph. We &#8220;see&#8221; God through sacramental signs. Saint Augustine focused on four major sacramental signs that he expected the neophytes to master: the Creed, the Lord&#8217;s Prayer, the font, and the altar. Augustine would hand on the first three during the period of purification and enlightenment. The last, the altar and all that takes place there, he would hand on in a series of &#8220;mystagogical catecheses&#8221; during the Masses of the Easter Season. This was not catechesis as we might think of a religious education class. It was a specialized preaching that would draw upon the symbols of the liturgy—especially the bread and wine that would later become the Body and Blood of Christ—to lay out for the neophytes and the rest of the faithful the full cosmic import of Jesus death and resurrection.</p>
<h4><strong>Act on the faith</strong></h4>
<p>In his homily, Augustine would point out to the neophytes that, just as the bread and wine were to be changed, so too had they been changed. The neophytes, now part of the Body of Christ, have the responsibility of being Christ in the world. Of course, they have been practicing this skill throughout their catechumenate, but now they have the fullness of Christ within them. Their proclamation of the good news to the oppressed of the world is a direct result of their sacramental sacrifice of dying and rising to Christ in the liturgy.</p>
<h3>Eight tasks for the team</h3>
<p>In order to make mystagogy successful, here are eight things the team needs to do.</p>
<ol>
<li>Throughout the catechumenate, <strong>focus on the symbolic imagination of the faith</strong>, helping the catechumens to &#8220;see&#8221; God in all the activities of their daily lives.</li>
<li>Throughout the catechumenate, help the catechumens understand they are not &#8220;becoming Catholic.&#8221; <strong>They are dying to themselves and converting to a new lifestyle.</strong> They are not &#8220;getting baptized.&#8221; They are learning a new way of living.</li>
<li>Make it clear to the neophytes and their godparents that <strong>they must be at all the Sunday Masses of the Easter season</strong>. This should be one of the criteria for &#8220;readiness&#8221; before the catechumens are discerned to be eligible to become elect.</li>
<li><strong>Prepare a series of Easter homilies that lead the neophytes through an exploration of the sacramental signs of the liturgy.</strong> The readings for Year A in the Easter Season are especially suitable for this. (See RCIA 247).</li>
<li><strong>Prepare a special place in the worshiping assembly for the neophytes</strong> to sit with their godparents. On Easter Sunday, introduce the neophytes by name to the assembly. (See RCIA 248.)</li>
<li>Provide a time soon after the Easter Vigil for the neophytes to <strong>reflect with their godparents and other members of the parish</strong> on their experience of the Triduum.</li>
<li>Ask some of the neophytes who were particularly insightful in their reflections to <strong>share some of their thoughts with the assembly</strong> at the next Sunday liturgy.</li>
<li><strong>Keep Pentecost Sunday focused on the neophytes</strong>. Hold a parish-wide celebration for them. Invite the neophytes from the previous Easter Season to join the festivities as honored guests (See RCIA 249-250.)</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h4>Featured resource</h4>
<p><a href="http://teamrcia.com/bookstore/02-002dm"><img src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/bookstore-handout2-1.png" border="0" alt="RCIA image: Lex Orandi Lex Credendi: Liturgy as Lifelong Formation - A How-To for Mystagogy, by Diana Macalintal" align="left" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Lex Orandi Lex Credendi: Liturgy as Lifelong Formation &#8211; A How-To for Mystagogy</em> (Powerpoint file)</strong><br />
Diana Macalintal<br />
Price: $8.99<br />
<a href="http://bmb.goemerchant.com/cart/cart.aspx?ST=buy&amp;Action=add&amp;Merchant=teamrcia&amp;ItemNumber=02!45002DM"><img src="http://management.goemerchant.com/StoreData/t/teamrcia/Images/Default_Buyme.jpg" border="0" alt=—  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  /></a></p>
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		<title>How do you party with the neophytes?</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2008/07/06/how-do-you-party-with-the-neophytes/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2008/07/06/how-do-you-party-with-the-neophytes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:17:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neophytes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Q&A]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pentecost neophyte_year]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=199</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/07/06/how-do-you-party-with-the-neophytes/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>Do you have any recommendations for &#8220;some sort of celebration&#8221; at the end of the Easter season that the RCIA mentions in paragraph 249? Our parish has traditionally done a &#8220;commissioning,&#8221; a blessing prayer over the neophytes by the community at the end of mass on Pentecost. Does it need to be on Pentecost or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/07/06/how-do-you-party-with-the-neophytes/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><img src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/Q-1.png" alt=— hspace="3" vspace="0" align="left" /><strong>Do you have any recommendations for &#8220;some sort of celebration&#8221; at the end of the Easter season that the RCIA mentions in paragraph 249? Our parish has traditionally done a &#8220;commissioning,&#8221; a blessing prayer over the neophytes by the community at the end of mass on Pentecost. Does it need to be on Pentecost or is the following Sunday fine?</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/A-1.png" alt=— hspace="3" vspace="0" align="left" />I don&#8217;t think there is a specific guideline for the celebration mentioned in paragraph 249. My sense is that the Rite means simply a party—a parish pot luck or reception after Mass, perhaps. I would think it could include a blessing prayer over the neophytes, but <strong>I would be reluctant to call it a &#8220;commissioning.</strong>&#8221; I would worry that might diminish their initiation as their &#8220;great commission.&#8221; If you are going to pray a blessing over the neophytes at Mass, it seems like Pentecost would be the ideal Sunday. <strong>If you are going to offer the blessing at the party, any Sunday near Pentecost, before or after, would be appropriate. </strong>The following paragraph in the RCIA notes that the neophytes from the previous year be brought together to give thanks to God on their anniversary. <strong>It might be a joyful moment for those who are ending their neophyte year be at the party also</strong> to be witnesses to those who are about to begin their neophyte year.</p>
<p>How about the rest of you? Any suggestions for or examples of implementing RCIA 249?</p>
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		<title>The Neophyte as Evangelist</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2008/06/02/the-neophyte-as-evangelist/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2008/06/02/the-neophyte-as-evangelist/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:57:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Diana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Evangelization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neophytes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RCIA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=182</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/06/02/the-neophyte-as-evangelist/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>You know who they are. They&#8217;re the ones who keep coming back week after week long after the Easter Vigil and Pentecost are over. They light up anytime someone mentions the RCIA or the catechumenate or becoming Catholic. They want to be sponsors even before they&#8217;ve gotten the Chrism smell off their pillow case. They&#8217;re [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/06/02/the-neophyte-as-evangelist/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><img class="alignright" src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/MeandtheCoolLectionary-maveric20-1.jpg" border="0" alt="'Me and the Cool Lectionary' by maveric2003, via Flickr; Tagged as neophyte" hspace="10" align="right" />You know who they are. They&#8217;re the ones who keep coming back week after week long after the Easter Vigil and Pentecost are over. They light up anytime someone mentions the RCIA or the catechumenate or becoming Catholic. They want to be sponsors even before they&#8217;ve gotten the Chrism smell off their pillow case.</p>
<p>They&#8217;re the neophyte evangelist, those newly-initiated who are not only living breathing proof of the resurrection but also walking billboards for the RCIA. They are your greatest fans and your number one supporters.</p>
<p>The RCIA process is not a one-way street that shapes only the catechumen into a disciple. It&#8217;s a mutual formation in the life of Christ that changes both the catechumen and the parish. That mutual relationship is evident when a neophyte feels called to share his experience of transformation with others. Essentially, this neophyte is doing faith-sharing, exactly what the catechumenate taught him to do and what all the baptized are called to do.</p>
<p>Some parishes invite neophytes to share their experience with the rest of the parish some time after their initiation. It&#8217;s best to give a neophyte time to process for himself or with a small group what he experienced and what it meant (mystagogy) before you ask him to speak to the assembly at a Sunday Mass about his experience. They might speak during the announcements or before Mass begins or even at coffee and donuts after Mass.</p>
<p>But don&#8217;t limit yourself to just the Sunday gathering as the venue for evangelization. Neophytes who are more comfortable writing their thoughts can provide a brief reflection for the bulletin or your parish Web site. Or better yet, record their reflection and put it on your parish Web site or blog just like Saint John the Evangelist Parish in Davison, Michigan, did with their neophytes.</p>
<p><a href="http://teamrcia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/MichaelMcCartyTestimony.mp3">Listen to Michael McCarty&#8217;s testimony</a></p>
<p>(Thanks to Michael McCarty and Elaine Ouelette, Director of RCIA and Family Faith Formation for their permission to include this testimony on TeamRCIA.com. Go to <a href="http://www.stjohndavison.org/mod/group/view.php?group_id=1" target="_blank">Saint John the Evangelist&#8217;s RCIA Web site</a> to hear more testimonies.)</p>
<p>Imagine an entire CD filled with reflections like Michael&#8217;s from your neophytes, sponsors, team members, and parishioners who witnessed the transformation taking place in your catechumens and in themselves!</p>
<p>Do you have other ways you invite your neophytes to share their experience with the community? Have you included reflections from your neophytes on your Web site? Click the comment link below and share your ideas.</p>
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		<title>How to catechize about apostolic mission in the RCIA</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2008/05/11/how-to-catechize-about-apostolic-mission-in-the-rcia/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2008/05/11/how-to-catechize-about-apostolic-mission-in-the-rcia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2008 17:07:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Catechesis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catechumens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RCIA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/?p=170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/05/11/how-to-catechize-about-apostolic-mission-in-the-rcia/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>The Concord Pastor reminds us on this feast day about the implications of Pentecost. He cites Economic Justice for All, which bears reading for all of us who are trying to be faithful to RCIA 75:4: ((Since the church&#8217;s life is apostolic, catechumens should also learn how to work actively with others to spread the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/05/11/how-to-catechize-about-apostolic-mission-in-the-rcia/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><a title="IMG_0038 by mikebitton [via Flickr]; Tagged as apostolic_mission" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43498104@N00/2481995512/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/2481995512_444fae4648_m.jpg" border="0" alt="RCIA image posted by TeamRCIA"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  /></a>The Concord Pastor reminds us on this feast day about the implications of Pentecost. He cites <em>Economic Justice for All</em>, which bears reading for all of us who are trying to be faithful to <strong>RCIA 75:4</strong>: ((Since the church&#8217;s life is apostolic, catechumens should also learn how to work actively with others to spread the Gospel and build up the church by the witness of their lives and by professing their faith. RCIA 75.4))</p>
<blockquote><p>After Jesus had appeared to them and when they received the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:1-12), they became apostles of the good news to the ends of the earth. In the face of poverty and persecution they transformed human lives and formed communities which became signs of the power and presence of God. Sharing in this same resurrection faith, contemporary followers of Christ can face the struggles and challenges that await those who bring the gospel vision to bear on our complex economic and social world. (Economic Justice for All, no. 47, <a href="http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:nuI3sM5EqpIJ:www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/EconomicJusticeforAll.pdf+economic+justice+for+all+usccb&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;cd=1&amp;gl=us&amp;client=firefox-a">US Conference of Catholic Bishops</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>This, I think, points out the clear distinction between a classroom model of faith formation in the RCIA and a mystagogical or apprenticeship model. Our task is not merely to teach the catechumens <em>about </em>the apostolic mission of the church. Our task is to form followers of Christ who will transform lives and create communities that challenge the structures of endemic poverty and persecution in the world.</p>
<p>Check out the Concord Pastor&#8217;s entire post by clicking <a href="http://concordpastor.blogspot.com/2008/05/pentecostal-implications.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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		<title>Checklist for an effective mystagogy</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2008/03/04/check-list-for-an-effective-mystagogy/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2008/03/04/check-list-for-an-effective-mystagogy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:52:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miriam</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neophytes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/2008/03/04/check-list-for-an-effective-mystagogy/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/03/04/check-list-for-an-effective-mystagogy/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>What do you do after the Easter Vigil? What does the ritual text call us to do and be for the neophytes during the sacred time of mystagogy? The following checklist will give you guidance and suggestions for effective mystagogy. . &#8220;Expect&#8221; neophytes to gather the week after initiation to share stories and pictures of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2008/03/04/check-list-for-an-effective-mystagogy/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><a href="http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/?action=view&amp;current=baptism.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/baptism.jpg" alt="RCIA image posted by TeamRCIA"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  border="0" height="163" width="255" /></a>What do you do after the Easter Vigil? What does the ritual text call us to do and be for the neophytes during the sacred time of mystagogy? The following checklist will give you guidance and suggestions for effective mystagogy.</p>
<p><font color="white">.</font></p>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;Expect&#8221; neophytes to gather the week after initiation to share stories and pictures of their Easter Vigil celebration and to share the Scriptures for the Sundays of Easter in light of their sacramental experiences.</li>
<li>Avoid the temptation to use the six weeks of Easter as a time for information and recruitment for parish service. The appropriate time for guest speakers and sharing information about various ministries is during the initial stages of formation.</li>
<li>Affirm the primary role of the assembly in liturgy and the place of the neophytes in that assembly. Avoid having neophytes serve in catechetical or liturgical ministries for at least a year, and avoid using them as RCIA sponsors or team members. Ministry flows from the experience of being a member of the assembly and then being called to ministry. The newest neophytes are not meant to be a new pool of parish volunteers! Neophytes ought to be engaged in social and service ministries from the time of the catechumenate and gradually experience the connection between the celebration of Eucharist and the eucharistic lives they live through these ministries. This takes time and reflection on what it means to be a &#8220;regular Catholic in the pews.&#8221;</li>
<p><span id="more-141"></span></p>
<li>Plan for monthly gatherings following the Pentecost celebration and look forward to experiencing with the neophytes their first year of full membership in the church. Plan with them from the beginning of Lent to celebrate the first anniversary of their initiation at the Pentecost that concludes their neophyte year.</li>
<li>Encourage the neophytes to take ownership of their gatherings, forming their own agenda based on their experiences.</li>
<li>Lead them into deeper prayer and into greater participation in the parish community, primarily through worship and service.</li>
<li>Offer a special invitation to neophytes to participate in various sacramental experiences throughout the year, and then to reflect on them together. Possibilities include first Communion, communal penance services, communal anointing of the sick, confirmation of the youth, and infant baptisms.</li>
<li>Hold a special gathering each year for all neophytes from the previous years. Consider having the gathering just prior to Lent or at Pentecost time.</li>
<li>Remember to follow the directives of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults by:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>offering neophytes special seating in the midst of the assembly at the Neophyte Masses of Easter time</li>
<li>inviting neophytes to wear their white baptismal robes throughout the Easter Season</li>
<li>inviting neophytes to give testimony, witnessing to their conversion journey in the midst of the parish assembly</li>
<li>asking neophytes to participate in the General Intercessions and Preparation of the Gifts</li>
<li>using the Easter Season Cycle A readings at Masses where neophytes are present and preaching the homily with them in mind</li>
<li>inviting the local bishop to visit with the neophytes during their first year as fully initiated Catholics</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>Click here to read <a href="http://www.rpinet.com/ml/2703mys.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Six steps to effective mystagogy</a>, a practical article on how to &#8220;do&#8221; mystagogy from the first moment an inquirer knocks on the door through the year(s) following sacramental initiation.</p>
<hr /><font face="arial" size="2">Click on the links below to read</font>:</p>
<ul>
<li><font face="arial" size="2"><a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/10/14/a-step-by-step-guide-to-mystagogy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">A step-by-step guide to mystagogy</a></font></li>
<li><font face="arial" size="2"> <a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/05/09/awe-inspiring-rites/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Awe Inspiring Rites?</a></font></li>
<li><font face="arial" size="2"> <a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/04/11/five-ways-to-preach-mystagogically/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Five Ways to Preach Mystagogically</a></font></li>
<li><font face="arial" size="2"> <a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/04/04/how-to-do-mystagogy-with-the-neophytes-in-easter/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">How to do Mystagogy with the Neophytes in Easter</a></font></li>
</ul>
<p><font face="arial" size="2"><br />
</font></p>
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		<item>
		<title>A step-by-step guide to mystagogy</title>
		<link>http://teamrcia.com/2007/10/14/a-step-by-step-guide-to-mystagogy/</link>
		<comments>http://teamrcia.com/2007/10/14/a-step-by-step-guide-to-mystagogy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 16:08:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mystagogy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://teamrcia.com/2007/10/14/a-step-by-step-guide-to-mystagogy/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/10/14/a-step-by-step-guide-to-mystagogy/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div>Many of us think of mystagogy as the final period of the catechumenal process, occurring in the 50 days after the Easter Triduum. It is, however, a much broader reality. We need to shift our thinking a bit. Mystagogy is not only for the 50 days, but for all our days. From the very beginning, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="fb_share_1" style="float:left; margin-left: 10px;;" name="fb_share"><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=291226864239417&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/10/14/a-step-by-step-guide-to-mystagogy/" send="" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" font="arial"></fb:like></div><div style="height:33px; padding-top:2px; padding-bottom:2px; clear:both;"></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><p><img src="http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u59/teamrcia/secret_shadow_lights_236907_l.jpg" title="mysterious door by carlohh [via stock.xchng]"  class="alignright" align="right" hspace="10"  border="0" hspace="10" /></a>Many of us think of mystagogy as the final period of the catechumenal process, occurring in the 50 days after the Easter Triduum. It is, however, a much broader reality. We need to shift our thinking a bit. Mystagogy is not only for the 50 days, but for all our days. From the very beginning, our encounters with the inquirers and later the catechumens should be mystagogical.</p>
<p><strong>Defining mystagogy</strong><br />
It might help to break apart the word a little. The root of &#8220;mystagogy&#8221; is &#8220;agogy,&#8221; which comes from the Greek word &#8220;agogos.&#8221; That means &#8220;leader.&#8221; So pedagogy, for example is about leading (or teaching) children. A synagogue is a gathering place (<em>syn</em>-&#8221;together&#8221;) to which people are led.  Mystagogy is a process of leading (or training) into the mystery. Or, perhaps a better way to say that is that mystagogy is initiation into that which is not yet fully revealed.</p>
<p>Even more specifically, mystagogy is an initiation into God&#8217;s self revelation. We&#8217;ve all experienced God&#8217;s revelation. If you think about it, you can probably recall something that happened to you just a moment ago that you&#8217;d identify as God acting in your life. Certainly you&#8217;ve experienced an act of God within the last 24 hours. God is acting all the time. God is in every breath we take and every blink of our eyes. It&#8217;s not as though God chooses some obscure moment to break into our lives with thunderbolts or floods. Just the opposite. God is <em>so </em>present that we sometimes take the ongoing, constant revelation of God for granted. We have to actively <em>remember </em>how God has been acting in our lives to fully see.</p>
<p>So try this.</p>
<p><span id="more-89"></span>At your next team meeting, start out by asking everyone, <strong>&#8220;How have you encountered God this week?&#8221;</strong> That question is mystagogical. It leads us deeper into the mystery, or ongoing revelation, of God.</p>
<p><strong>Mystagogy with inquirers and catechumens</strong><br />
If we are doing mystagogy with inquirers, instead of other Catholics, the inquirers set the agenda. We ask them, in various ways, how they have encountered God in their lives. We help them explore their experiences of God, and, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gradually lead them to connect those experiences with the stories and traditions of the church. But this process is spontaneous and unstructured, led by the promptings of the Spirit.</p>
<p>When the inquirers move into the catechumenate, the process changes. Now, instead of spontaneous promptings of the Spirit that lead to revelation, we provide systematic and regular experiences of revelation. This happens in the celebration of the liturgical year in the Sunday assembly. The liturgical proclamation of God&#8217;s Word over the course of the year &#8220;unfolds the entire mystery of Christ&#8221; (General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 1).</p>
<p>When the inquirers move into the catechumenate, the question shifts as well. We ask more specifically, <strong>&#8220;How have you encountered Christ <em>in the liturgy</em> this week?&#8221;</strong> We can ask that question in a variety of ways, but the goal is to lead them into the mystery in a less spontaneous, more systematic way by beginning with the liturgy.</p>
<p><strong>Getting to the meat of it all</strong><br />
What happens next is very important. When we ask that question of catechumens, their responses will be true but incomplete. They are learning to experience Christ more fully, and they do not yet see and hear as clearly as we pray they might. We ourselves still have scales on our eyes and plugs in our ears, but we have been given the gift of sight and the gift of hearing though the grace of baptism.</p>
<p>Even more importantly, we have been schooled in the tradition of the church. So we rely not only on our own ability to discern God&#8217;s presence, but also on the teaching of the saints who have gone before us. Our job as catechists is to bring all this remembering to bear in the exploration of God&#8217;s revelation this week in the liturgy.</p>
<p>So the mystagogical process for the catechumens looks like this:</p>
<ul>
<li>An experience of Christ in the celebration of the Sunday liturgy</li>
<li>A remembering and exploration of that experience that is prompted by mystagogical questions from the catechist</li>
<li>A like remembering of the catechist&#8217;s and sponsors&#8217; experiences-those who have been given &#8220;insight&#8221; into the mystery through baptism</li>
<li>A clearer exploration of this encounter with Christ through the apostolic teaching handed down by the saints of the church (the &#8220;doctrine&#8221;)</li>
</ul>
<p style="float: right; width: 150px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Georgia; font-size: 28px; line-height: 24px; color: #ff6600; text-align: right"><span style="color: gold">&#8230;mystagogy </span> is initiation  <strong> into that</strong> which is  not yet <span style="color: orange">fully revealed.</span></p>
<p> It is that last step, the &#8220;remembering&#8221; of the story through church tradition that is especially germane to the catechumenate period. It is the &#8220;meat&#8221; of catechesis. It is through this mystagogical catechetical process that we expect the catechumens to acquire an appropriate understanding of what it means to live as a Christian.</p>
<p><strong>Ongoing catechesis</strong><br />
However, the basic outline of the process is intended for all Catholics as a lifelong catechesis. We still see only dimly, as St. Paul says, and it is through the ongoing liturgical celebration of the mystery and the systematic exploration of our encounter with the mystery that the scales are lifted from our eyes.</p>
<p>The final phase of the catechumenate is called &#8220;mystagogy&#8221; because it is through baptism that the catechumens are given the insight of the royal priesthood of Christ. With that grace, they are brought to the table to eat and drink the full presence of Christ in way they have not yet fully encountered. The 50 days of Easter is a time to focus specifically on remembering that initiation into the Banquet in a systematic way. However, this is not similar to the catechumenate process. It is primarily a liturgical experience that takes place in the midst of the Sunday assembly. The neophytes might be gathered once or twice in the Easter season specifically to remember and explore the experience of their initiation at the Vigil. But the systematic, catechetical process of the catechumenate ended when Lent began. Now, we would hope, the neophytes would enter into the ongoing adult faith formation process of the rest of the baptized. And that process is, of course, mystagogical.</p>
<hr /><font face="arial" size="2">Click on the links below to read</font>:</p>
<ul>       <font face="arial" size="2"></p>
<li><a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/04/11/five-ways-to-preach-mystagogically/">Five Ways to Preach Mystagogically</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/04/10/what-is-mystagogy/">What Is Mystagogy?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/04/10/mystagogy-my-mother-could-do/">Mystagogy My Mother Could Do</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teamrcia.com/2007/04/04/how-to-do-mystagogy-with-the-neophytes-in-easter/"> How to Do Mystagogy with the Neophytes in Easter</a></li>
<p></font></ul>
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