This is a guest post provided by Joseph Mangone, a pastoral liturgist from Irving, Texas. I recently had time to read Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel.” It is deeply profound, yet Pope Francis’ style of writing is not papal but that of a disciple, teacher, and shepherd who want his flock to discover the […]
The church evangelizes with beautiful liturgy
For the neophytes, the Sundays of the Easter Season are the primary setting for mystagogy. One reason that is so is because it is during this time when the neophytes will first pray the Eucharistic Prayer with the rest of the baptized faithful. The Eucharistic Prayer is supposed to be a climactic moment in the
Six ways to actively involve the neophytes in the Eucharistic Prayer
Obviously, the Eucharistic Prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving. But what makes it so essential to our worship that the church teaches that it is the "center and summit of the entire celebration" of the Mass (General Instruction on the Roman Missal, 78)? Our first clue We cannot say for sure. We don’t know the
What is the Eucharistic Prayer? (A summary for RCIA catechists)
Why is the Eucharistic Prayer important? When I was a child, I thought it was because that’s the moment in the Mass when the bread and wine are turned into the Body and Blood of Jesus. And while that’s true, that is a very narrow understanding of the importance of the prayer. In fact, the
Is the Eucharistic Prayer a big deal for RCIA catechesis?
Our friend and fellow catechumenate minister, Rev. Andrew Varga, shared this blessing with us for the New Year. Thanks, Fr. Andy! (Click the image for a larger version.)
A Blessing of Calendars for the New Year
In 1952, educator Robert Havighurst wrote: “When the timing is right, the ability to learn a particular task will be possible. This is referred to as a ‘teachable moment.’ It is important to keep in mind that unless the time is right, learning will not occur” (Human Development and Education). So how do you know
The right way and the wrong way to do a “teaching Mass”—according to the pope
My friend and I were laughing the other day remembering how our kids loved to put on “shows.” In fact, on Erin’s daughter’s eighth birthday she received a special gift which she had specifically requested: a huge roll of red tickets – the kind you get at a school carnival or raffle. These tickets were
Why the RCIA is Dead Wrong about Celebrating Rites with Children [paragraphs 257, 260]
This weekend, I’ll be leading an institute in the Los Angeles archdiocese that focuses on the cathechumenate period (sponsored by the North American Forum on the Catechumenate). One of my presentations is on the minor rites that might be celebrated during that time. Lately, I’ve been using an online service, Prezi.com, to create my presentations.
In our Diocese of San Jose, we have dancing books for the Rite of Election. Now hold on before you start groaning as you imagine young waifs in tights and leotards flitting about the altar. Our Scriptural tradition has many stories of dancing—but the kind of dancing that comes out of ordinary, everyday people. David
Have you ever seen dancing books at the Rite of Election?
Keep your eyes open when you attend the Rite of Election. Notice what happens. Here are ten questions (in no particular order) to help you sharpen your observations. 1. Did each catechumen have a godparent? They should. The godparents have an important role in this rite. No group godparents, please. Each catchumen should have somebody
Ten Questions about the RCIA Election Rite
