I’ve been smiling at the recent buzz about the “new rules” the bishops have issued for the catechumenate. The retranslation of the initiation rites, now called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, has inspired many people to dive deep into the rite — perhaps for the first time. And that’s great! People are discovering […]
How to read a rite: Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here. Epiphany Background: Matthew’s predominantly Jewish audience would have been a bit startled by the three Gentile “wise men” who come to adore the newborn King of the Jews. Yet Second Temple Judaism through the writings of the prophets had inherited a universalist component—as
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year C – Epiphany to the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Initiation ministers often say that the catechumenate process “takes as long as it takes,” therefore, there’s no specific calendar any seeker has to follow on their journey toward baptism. And that’s true because the Holy Spirit sets the schedule for each person. Yet, there is a calendar that is crucial and necessary for each of our seekers to
The liturgical calendar of the initiation process
In the previous posts in this series, we have been exploring how to make the catechumenate — and specifically the rites of the catechumenate — more effective. In this post, I want to focus on a specific element of effective ritual that Fr. Clarence Rivers called “catharsis.” Catharsis is an emotional release or purification that
The power of catharsis in the catechumenate
In previous articles, we have discussed “effective ritual.” First, Diana explored how effective liturgy enables seekers to follow “inspiration from above.” I then took a brief look at some of the foundations of effective ritual as taught by Fr. Clarence Rivers, who is often called the Father of Black Catholic Liturgy. While his principles arose
How to make the rites effective
In a previous post, Diana explored how effectively celebrating rituals in the catechumenate process can help catechumens follow “inspiration from above.” In this article, I want to build on that foundation by examining how the insights of Fr. Clarence Rivers, often called the father of Black Catholic worship, can help parish teams create a more
Make the catechumenate more effective using principles from Black Catholic worship
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here. Discussion Questions – Cycle C Introduction to Luke: Like Mark, Luke has arranged his gospel into four major sections: the Galilean ministry, the journey to Jerusalem, his ministry there, and the account of his death and resurrection. Yet Luke adds both an
Paragraph 75 of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults says that we are to help catechumens “grow accustomed to…following inspiration from above in their works.” The most essential way we do this is by celebrating the rites of the catechumenate powerfully and well, right from start of the seeker’s journey of faith. In this
How liturgy teaches us to follow the Spirit
When we think about rites for baptized candidates who want to either complete their initiation or be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church, we tend to think of the optional rites in Part II of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. These rites somewhat echo the rites for unbaptized catechumens. While
Understanding the rites for baptized candidates
The journey of faith is a transformative experience for both unbaptized seekers and the Christian community. Along the way, seekers learn how to be disciples and missionaries of the gospel. The primary way that they learn this is through the rituals of the church. The rites for the unbaptized are not just add-ons to the
Embracing ritual: Why the rites for the unbaptized are essential
