For Christmas, a friend gave me The Complete Robuchon, which is 800 recipes for “French home cooking for the way we live now.” My friend and I both love to cook, although she is much more serious about it than I am. She takes classes from important chefs, stocks her pantry with sea salts from around the world, and has more All-Clad pans than some women have shoes. Still, she gave me this very serious cookbook as “re-gift” because, she said, I’m more of an artist than she is in the kitchen. And this is a book about art.

The art of eating

You’ll have to come over for dinner some night to determine which of us is more the artist. I thought her comment was odd, though, because I’m what folks call a “recipe cook.” Because she is better trained than I am, my friend can whip up wonderful meals without a cookbook in sight. I’m constantly double-checking myself against the “experts” as I cook. Whether you wing it or cook by the book, however, Joel Robuchon says something important about “the art of eating”:

Proper nourishment calls for a certain balance, within each meal and from one to the next. To be healthy, then, as well as engaged by the singular pleasure of eating, we must all find ways of varying what we eat. We may think of meat or fish as the center of a meal, but fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and grains should find their way to the table whenever we sit down to eat. The proportions may vary according to individual tastes and nutritional requirements, but no single food alone makes a satisfying meal.

He then goes on to explain the intangibles that go into the art of, not eating, but feeding others:

• You must first of all avoid overwhelming them, especially with heavy dishes served from beginning to end.
• At the same time, try to find something that will tie the whole meal together such as a common flavor note struck in several courses.
• You must also take into consideration your guests’ tastes, inevitable allergies, and religious requirements.
• Don’t forget that you will want to spend some time with your friends or family, away from the kitchen.
• The finest meals are planned with the season in mind….

A recipe for formation

I know you won’t be shocked when I tell you I think this is very similar to how we should think of our formation efforts. If we think of formation as meal-sharing, we can learn a lot. You can be a “recipe cook” when it comes to formation and still be an artist. The key is balance—and keeping the needs of your guests at the forefront of your planning. There is no one form of catechesis that is going to be satisfying. You need to vary what you are feeding the catechumens. Specifically:

• You don’t want to overwhelm them with heavy doctrines from beginning to end.
• Inquirers need a lot of appetizers—small but enticing bites of the best of our faith.
• Along with the main doctrinal courses, catechumens need plenty of side dishes of customs and practices along with well-matched wines of sparkling community and enlivening friendships.
• The elect need to be taught how to harmonize their faith the way the French balance a chorus of cheeses between the main course and dessert.
• And the neophytes are to be indulged in the eternal sweetness of God’s saving grace—much like a kid in a candy store.

Cook for whose coming to dinner

The thing that moves this method of formation beyond recipe and into art is knowing when to put down the book and take up the relationship. An artist doesn’t put a meal on the table just because some French chef said this tastes good with that. An artist starts with the question—what would my friends like to eat? What would delight them? What would feed not just their stomachs, but their spirits as well? What would make them leave the table completely satisfied and at the same time longing for so much more?

If we can serve up that kind of dish for the catechumens, we’ll all be artists of faith.

It’s good to see you again. If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend or colleague. Thanks for visiting!

I’m writing a guidebook for catechumens and candidates. My hope is to give them some ideas about how to look at the world through Catholic eyes. The book is not intended to be a “catechism” that gives them an outline of the faith. I figure you’re already doing that in your catechetical sessions with them. It’s more of an attempt to describe Catholic culture and spirituality to them.

How you can help

If you’d be willing, I’d like to get your help with two things.

• First, I’m looking for stories about catechumens. If you have a story about a catechumen you’d like to share, please post it in the comments or e-mail it to me at nick@teamrcia.com.
• And I’d like know what you think of the first draft of my book outline. What looks good to you? What is missing? What suggestions would you make?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Scarcity and abundance
3. Consolation
4. Religious imagination
5. Catholic eyes
6. Seeing God everywhere
7. Word
8. Community
9. Worship
10. Service
11. What’s expected of you?
12. Preparing for baptism
13. Baptized Candidates
14. Reflecting on your baptism
15. Appendices

• Postures for prayer
• Catholic customs
• Annulments

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 rejects 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
• Should the elect choose a baptismal name?

What is the church’s position on baptizing adults that are traveling often and do not have time for a formal RCIA program? They are aware of all Catholic precepts but lack the formal baptism and confirmation but faithfully seek these sacraments. Any help would be appreciated.

This is a great question that sends us back to the ritual text, The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, to seek guidance for a real, practical, pastoral situation of someone seeking sacramental initiation. This traveling catechumen is not alone! Many parish communities include those whose work takes the away from home on a regular basis.

The obvious answer is that the “church’s position on baptizing adults” is the full implementation of the RCIA. Other than in the exceptional circumstances addressed in Part II of the Rite, the norm always includes a period of evangelization (or pre-catechumenate), the catechumenate, a time of purification and enlightenment, all leading to full sacramental initiation at the Easter Vigil. Nowhere does the rite call for a “formal program.”

To answer this question adequately and with fidelity to the rite, we must turn to the intent of each period of formation and make application to the situation of the individual who travels often and may not be able to gather with a home parish group on a regular basis.

Essential elements of formation

Paragraph 42 of the RCIA asks us to look far beyond Catholic precepts (with which the individual you describe is familiar) to issues of true conversion: evidence of faith, intention to change her or his life, a strong living, loving relationship with God, a sense of sin and repentance, a prayer life, and a sense of the church. If these qualities are “alive and well” in your inquirer, then he or she is ready for the catechumenate. The Rite of Acceptance should be celebrated in the home parish at a time when this catechumen can participate fully.

Remembering that the purpose of the catechumenate is apprenticeship into a life of discipleship, we turn then to paragraph 75 of the RCIA, which outlines the essential elements of formation for a catechumen:

• formation in the Word and solid catechesis based on the Word
• participation in the community
• active participation in the liturgy
• and apostolic witness and service

Think outside the “classroom”

None of these is time or place bound! Therefore, some out-of-the-box or, more appropriately, “out-of-the-classroom” thinking needs to happen so that some creative solutions for this situation may be discovered.

Some important considerations for the traveling catechumen include:

• Does she or he have a well-formed sponsor with whom there is a strong, consistent relationship and communication?
• Does the catechumen participate in the liturgy of the Word (and dismissal rite if available) on a regular basis regardless of what town or city she or he is in?
• Is there a catechist, team member, or sponsor who maintains regular online communication with the traveling catechumen to share reflections on the Word, discuss questions or concerns, share insights?
• In what ways is the traveling catechumen serving the community of the church and the world as a Christian disciple?
• When the catechumen is in her or his home parish, how is she or he involved in the life of the community? How and when are her or his stories of living the life of discipleship with its challenges and opportunities being heard and received by the home community? What support can she or he expect from the home community?
• With whom does the catechumen reflect on and discern her or his journey of discipleship and call to full sacramental initiation?
• When the catechumen enters into the period of purification and enlightenment as one of the elect, does the home parish make arrangements for her or him to celebrate the scrutinies in the parish to which travel takes her or him?
• Does the catechumen have a commitment to celebrating the Rite of Election in the home diocese and sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil in the home parish?

Focus on relationship

I wonder if the traveling catechumen isn’t somehow a sort of prophet in our midst calling us to look again at what we do and why we do it. Are we so used to or comfortable with the organization of parish programs that we miss the very essence and purpose of the catechumenate, the formation of faithful disciples? Jesus met his disciples where they were—in a tree, at the taxation bureau, by a well, near a lake, or in the dark of night—and began an intimate relationship with them in their particular time and circumstances, gradually drawing them into a share in his own mission. In his name, this is our task, too, whatever it takes.

Pope Benedict XVI’s newest encyclical, Caritas in Verite, has all the elements of a guide for living the Christian life that would be beneficial to catechuemens. All the elements, except one. It is not an easy read. Simply giving the document to those who are new to the faith could be overwhelming.

Fortunately, Sam Lucero has written a brief article: “How we can live out Caritas in Verite“ in the August 5 issue of The Compass. It is not comprehensive, and it is not a substitute for reading the document itself. But it is a terrific starting point for beginning Catholics.

In fact, if catechumens and all the the regular Catholics took just this one suggestion from Lucero’s article and tried to live it out, we’d be a lot closer to fulfilling Christ’s mission:

Make changes in consumer buying habits. This suggestion has been around for more than a decade, but continues to make a solid impact. It includes purchasing fair trade goods such as coffee and boycotting companies whose workers are subject to sweatshop conditions. It’s one of the easiest ways to promote fair wages and human dignity.

Visit Catholic Relief Services’ fair trade Web site to learn about the latest fair trade issues. You can also sign up to receive the CRS Fair Trader e-newsletter.

Lucero has four other direct ways we can live out Caritas in Verite. Check out the suggestions and perhaps make a commitment along with your catechumens to focus on one of them this month.

• Free reader’s guide to Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate)
• An RCIA lesson from Barack Obama—community
• The parish is the RCIA catechetical plan

We have a new pastor, and he told us that we are not supposed to be confirming adult Catholics at the Easter Vigil. If confirmation is an initiation sacrament, what’s wrong with celebrating it at the Vigil?

Your question raises a larger issue of who should be celebrating sacraments at the Easter Vigil. I’ve seen group weddings celebrated at the Vigil because the couples were being “initiated” into married life. Simply attaching the word “initiation” to a sacrament does not automatically mean is needs to be celebrated at the Vigil.

Primary purpose of the Easter Vigil

The Easter Vigil is primarily for the initiation of unbaptized adults. If you turn to RCIA 23, you’ll read, “The celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation should take place at the Easter Vigil itself.” There are exceptions, but initiating unbaptized adults at the Vigil is the norm.

Children of catechetical age are considered “adults” for the purpose of the rite, but the Easter Vigil norm is a bit more flexible if they are under 14 years of age. Turn to paragraph 304 in the section on adaptations for children: “[C]elebration of the sacraments of initiation should preferably take place at the Easter Vigil or on a Sunday…” (emphasis added).

That’s really about it for the norm—the usual situation envisioned by the RCIA. Every other situation is some kind of an exception. Unfortunately, in some places, the exceptions are starting to become the norm. Let’s look at some of them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Becky added a comment to a previous post I wrote on the various types of baptized candidates we might encounter in an RCIA process. She suggested we might also encounter folks who were unbaptized and yet catechized.

That got me thinking about what we mean by “catechized.” Obviously, most of our unbaptized catechumens will reach a stage at which we consider them to be catechized. At that point, they are ready for initiation and have completed their catechumenate formation.

I wondered, though, if Becky might have been referring to unbaptized inquirers show up at our door with a great deal of knowledge about the Catholic faith from their own self-study. (Perhaps she’ll chime in on the comments and clarify!) While these folks might be further along in their formation than inquirers who know nothing about Catholicism, can we really consider them catechized?

If you flip open your RCIA to the section in which the bishop asks the sponsors if the catechumens are ready for election, you’ll see what I mean (see paragraph 131, b).

In order to be considered for the rite of election, the catechumens must have listened to God’s word proclaimed by the church (at Sunday liturgy), responded to that word and begun to walk in God’s presence, and shared in the company and prayer of other Christians.

If an unbaptized person has done a self-study of Catholic teaching, hurray for them! But that is only a part of their formation in faith. They still have a lot to do, and we probably wouldn’t consider them to be “catechized” until they had lived the Catholic life for a time in the midst of other Catholics.

What’s your experience? Have you encountered unbaptized, catechized candidates?

The news outlets are filled with speculation and commentary about Barack Obama’s transition team and his choice of cabinet members and White House staff. Yesterday the stock market rose 500 points simply because Obama announced who his Secretary of the Treasury would be. There are a lot of reasons that knowing who Obama plans to surround himself with are important, and I want to focus on one in particular. In both the primary and the general election campaigns, Obama was criticized for his lack of experience. Now the markets, the American people, and the world are watching to see if he chooses to place himself in the midst of a community of “elders”—people who have the experience he lacks.

What strikes me about this global anxiousness about who the neophyte president will associate himself with is that we might apply that same type of concern to the catechumens. Of the four markers of catechesis—word, community, worship, and service—I wonder if we pay enough attention to apprenticing the catechumens in what it means to live in community. What often happens is community is assumed. The catechumens are coming to church, they know the catechists, they have sponsors, and some of the parishioners are praying for them. From our point of view, they are already members of the community.

But if we think that through a little bit, they haven’t yet learned what it means to be among a band of disciples. Their fellow catechumens are not disciples—at least not experienced disciples, who, like Saint Paul, have run the good race and been tested over time. When the catechumens’ ship of faith is swamped by trials and temptations, who will they turn to for advice and support? Have they been sufficiently acquainted with the parish community so that they can identify a “transition team”? Do they have a “cabinet”—a core group of fellow believers, most more experienced than themselves, who they trust and who will give them honest feedback? Do they have a community that will challenge them to grow in faith and discipleship and hold them accountable to that growth? I think that if they do not yet have such a deep commitment to and understanding of Christian community, they may need more time to learn how to do this before they are initiated.

What do you think? How do you discern a catechumen’s readiness in the area of community? Click on the comment link below and share your thoughts.

I was inspired to write about this through Liz Strauss’ blog, Successful and Outstanding Bloggers. Earlier this month, she posted “6 Ways to Build Your Own Personal Developmental Network.” Another prominent blogger, Juliann Grant, commented on the post: “It is very helpful to have a core group of people to trust and get continual feedback on our personal and professional development.” I read that after having listened to the morning news dominated by speculation and commentary on the president-elect’s cabinet and staff choices and wondering why that would be more newsworthy than, say, the seizure of two more banks, which also happened yesterday.

• 5 questions for every RCIA team
• Add 5,000 families to your RCIA team
• The parish is the RCIA catechetical plan

Recently, I was at a liturgy with what appeared to be some unsponsored catechumens. Perhaps they had sponsors, and the sponsors were just absent that day. Still, I wondered how that happened. In sponsor training sessions, it is important to emphasize the crucial role sponsors play on Sundays. Here are nine tasks for sponsors to attend to when caring for their catechumens on the Lord’s Day.

1. Pick up your catechumen for Mass or meet him or her at the entrance to the church. The catechumen shouldn’t have to walk into church alone.
2. If your catechumen misses Mass, make a follow up call on Sunday afternoon.
3. If you have to miss Mass, find a substitute to be with your catechumen.
4. Show your catechumen how to bless him or herself with holy water from the font.
5. Introduce your catechumen to at least one new parishioner each Sunday.
6. Show your catechumen how to genuflect and bow. If the tabernacle is in the sanctuary, behind the altar, you would genuflect before entering your pew. If the tabernacle is off to the side or in a separate space, you would bow to the altar before entering your pew.
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7. Show your catechumen how to use the parish worship aid or hymnal.
8. Always sing and respond to the ritual dialogue to provide a good example for the catechumen.
9. After Mass, join your catechumen for the catechetical gathering. If there is no catechetical gathering, touch base and say goodbye before going home.

What’s missing? Can you think of other tasks for RCIA sponsors? Add to the list by clicking on the comments link below.

See also these related articles:

• Listening skills for RCIA sponsors
• How do you train sponsors for the RCIA?
• 20 ideas for finding sponsors
• Sponsors: Nine must-know facts

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says the homily should be “an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners” (65, emphasis added).

The same can be said of your extended catechesis. You can base your process on a liturgical text other than the readings, taking the needs of the catechumens into account. If you intend to base your catechesis on this prayer, be sure to alert the presider to use it on Sunday.

Alternate opening prayer

Let us pray
[that through us others may find the way to life in Christ]

Father,
we come, reborn in the Spirit,
to celebrate our sonship in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Touch our hearts,
help them grow toward the life you have promised.
Touch our lives,
make them signs of your love for all men.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

The way of faith

• Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ. It is granted us through Baptism. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who justifies us. It has for its goal the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life. It is the most excellent work of God’s mercy. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2020)
• We acknowledge one Lord, confess one faith, are born of one Baptism, form only one Body, are given life by the one Spirit, for the sake of one hope, at whose fulfillment all divisions will be overcome. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 866)
• The title “Son of God” signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father; he is God himself. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 454)

To see how you might use one of these three points in your catechesis, see “How to lead a 90-minute catechetical session.”

• Teaching secrets from the ancient church
• The Four Essential Doctrines the Liturgy Teaches