In this post, I’m going to share with you the secret to a powerful period of mystagogy. If you’ve been struggling with what to do during this final period of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, keep reading. However, I have to warn you that, while the solution is simple, implementing it in your parish may take time and patience.

Are you using your most effective catechumenate resource?

The main reason catechumenate teams struggle with the Period of Mystagogy is that they do not make effective use of their most potent catechetical resource — the worshiping assembly.

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults paragraph 9.5 says:

During the Period of Mystagogy they should participate in the Masses for the neophytes (cf. no. 25), embrace them with charity, and help them to feel more at home in the community of the baptized.

If, as the quote above suggests, you turn to paragraph 25 in the ritual text, you will see more about the role of the assembly:

On each and every Sunday of Easter following the First there should take place the so-called “Masses for the neophytes” which both the community and the newly baptized with their godparents are urged to attend (cf. nos. 247 [Canada/Australia/UK: 237]).

So finally, turning to paragraph 247, we read:

Since the character and value of this period should arise from this new personal experience both of the Sacraments and of the community, the principal place for “Mystagogy” is the so-called “Masses for the neophytes” or Masses of the Sundays of Easter Time…For that reason, the entire local community should be invited to those Masses together with the neophytes and their godparents….

Eight great Masses is the key to great mystagogy

There is a theme common to each of these directives that is often overlooked by initiation teams. None of these passages speak about adding on extra catechetical sessions or gatherings after baptism. Instead, they all focus on the role of the faithful, especially in the context of Sunday Mass. So in order to provide a postbaptismal catechesis as envisioned by the rite, we have to celebrate eight excellent Sunday liturgies, starting with the Easter Vigil and ending with Pentecost.

To have a great mystagogy in your catechumeante process, celebrate eight great Masses during Easter.

And, for these liturgies to be truly excellent, we will need more than just good production values. The liturgies have to be celebrated in such a way that successfully encourages the full, conscious, and active participation of the assembly.

You know in your heart why this is true. The entire purpose of the catechumenate is the lead the catechumens into a relationship of communion and intimacy with Jesus. They will, for the very first time, experience the fullness of that intimacy at the Easter Vigil when they join us at the Eucharistic table.

The culmination of our union with Jesus is the Eucharist

You have felt that intimacy yourself. Perhaps you have felt it on a retreat or during your personal prayer time. But for most of us, nothing equals the powerful feeling of the Spirit surging through a singing, worshipping, assembly gathered for Eucharist. Throughout the catechumenate, we strive to unite the seekers to Jesus. And the culmination of that union happens in the Eucharist.

But not just their first Eucharist at the Vigil. It’s going to take eight in a row. Eight excellent, top-notch, outstanding Sunday Masses to deeply root the neophytes in the richness of everything life in Christ has to offer.

So now you can see why this is both simple and difficult. Most parishes know how to celebrate really great liturgy. Usually Easter Vigil is pretty great. Often, Easter Sunday is one of the best celebrations the parish has. So too, Pentecost seems to be a time when we do our best. But the other Sundays of Easter are often lagging in quality and parishioner participation.

The difficult part is not learning how to celebrate Sunday Mass well. It is having the patience and stick-to-itivness to make every Sunday of Easter as great as the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday.

Some parishes are already pretty good at this. But for most of us, it is going to take a while to build up to the vision given to us in the ritual text. The question for most of us is, what next-step can we take this coming Easter season to move closer to the goal? Your answer is the secret to a powerful period of mystagogy.

Your turn

What steps will you take this coming year to celebrate eight great Masses during the Easter season? Share your thoughts below.