A significant part of our job as catechumenate ministers is to accompany catechumens on their journey towards full initiation into the church. Their initiation will include joining us for the first time at the Table of the Lord. While catechumens are not yet able to approach the eucharistic table, their participation in the Liturgy of …
Nurturing catechumens’ prayer life through active participation in the liturgy
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here. Transfiguration Background: We read this week the last of three interconnected episodes in the gospel: Jesus’s baptism, temptation, and now transfiguration. What links them is that they deal with the meaning of his being the beloved Son/Servant. We have seen how he …
Reflection questions for RCIA seekers: Transfiguration through the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
We often get questions asking, “Do we really have to do the dismissal? Couldn’t we just do them once in a while, or maybe just during Lent?” If you and your team have ever asked this question, take some time with us during this video to step back and think about what it means to …
It was early May that year when my office phone rang. The woman calling was so excited to tell me about how the Easter Vigil celebration had triggered something in her—a realization that she was missing something in her own life. But It was the sight of the joyous “people all dressed in those white …
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here. The 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Background: This is the concluding section of the “sermon” about what it means to be a person who lives and proclaims the gospel values of Jesus. Which one of Jesus’s statements here scares you the most? …
Reflection questions for RCIA seekers: Year A – The 13th through 17th Sundays in Ordinary Time
On the journey of faith for the catechumens, the role of scripture in discernment holds tremendous significance. As catechumenate team members, it is our responsibility to model the importance of engaging with scripture as a source of guidance and inspiration. By incorporating scripture into our daily lives and discernment practices, we not only deepen our …
In a previous article, I wrote about using prayer to discern God’s will. In this article, I want to look at morning prayer as a powerful way to pray. In an ideal world, every Christian would begin the day with prayer. Of course, that doesn’t always happen. Nevertheless, as catechumenate leaders, we have a particular …
Embrace the power of morning prayer—for the sake of your seekers
There is one thing you can do right now to make your Rite of Acceptance come alive! It happens at the beginning of the rite and embodies and summarizes so much of the meaning of this important ritual in the life of a seeker and of the community. That one thing is to make the …
The one thing that will make your Rite of Acceptance come alive
We have been asking catechumenate leaders and team members how they discern God’s will. (Click here if you’d like to share how you discern.) The one theme that is consistent in almost every answer is “prayer.” This makes sense, doesn’t it? Prayer is an essential aspect of the life of a disciple. It is through …
Prayer as a pathway to discernment: Seeking God’s will in catechumenate ministry
The catechumenate is designed to train catechumens to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. However, it’s easy to get caught up in delivering the curriculum and lose sight of the ultimate goal—the conversion of the catechumens. What we do matters, and if we are doing something that matters, that means we are creating change. So, …
