When we think of giving the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer to the elect, we often imagine that we are to give to them a beautiful piece of paper printed with those words. But the ritual has a different idea, one that is grounded in the way God interacts with everyone God calls. In this […]
How to present the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer to the elect
Some experiences from my childhood have shaped my spirit and understanding of Lent. Once the solemn busyness of Ash Wednesday Mass was over, our family’s daily life in Lent was anything but normal. Our Lenten intentions of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving were posted on the refrigerator, and we strived to follow through, with Mom and
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.Introduction to the Third to Fifth Sundays in Lent:The Johannine Gospels for the three middle Sundays in Lent for Year B pursue the same themes as those of Year A: how Jesus brings us in his person cleansing from sin, true light, and new
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers — 3rd Sunday in Lent to Easter Sunday, Year B
When the revised Roman Missal was published in 2011, it contained this rubric: “If the anointing of the adults with the Oil of Catechumens has not taken place beforehand, as part of the immediately preparatory rites, it occurs at this moment” (“Easter Vigil” 48). However, this contradicts the rubric in the Rite of Christian Initiation
Have you anointed your catechumens yet?
Every year, as we get closer to the Rite of Election, a lot of questions about godparents start to surface. When we are talking about catechumens, the roles of “sponsor” and “godparent” are different. And just to make things a little confusing, when we talk about infants, confirmation candidates, or baptized candidates for reception into
Understanding the role of godparents in the catechumenate
Compared to some of the other rites of the catechumenate, the Scrutinies can seem a bit boring, intimidating, or tedious. When they come across that way, it’s hard to get your assembly engaged in them, much less, your elect! And that can lead to treating the Scrutinies as unnecessary. But the Scrutinies can be some
What does a Scrutiny sound like?
One of our most vital tasks as catechumenate ministers is forming seekers in living a penitential life. “Penance” and “penitential” have a lot of meanings in Catholic teaching. We sometimes use the words “reconciliation” and “confession” interchangeably with “penance,” especially when we are talking about the sacrament of penance. My goal in this article is
More than just confession: Principles for living a penitential life
Q. Do the catechumens have to celebrate the scrutinies before they are baptized? A. Catechumens are required to participate in all three scrutinies, which are central to their spiritual preparation for initiation. Only the bishop may dispense someone from the obligation of celebrating a scrutiny (see RCIA 20). The scrutinies are only for the elect
Catechumens and the obligation to celebrate the scrutinies
Every second and third year in parishes across the country, pastors and liturgical leaders ask, “Why can’t we use the Year B/C readings for the scrutinies this year?” It’s an understandable question. After all, the Sunday assembly would get to hear the important readings they are missing from the B or C cycle. Surely Year
Why the Year A readings for the scrutinies matter for making disciples
Q. For children in catechumenate, is it not preferred to have parents present participating with the children and using parish sponsors only when the parents are not able to be present? I am getting a lot of “we always did it that way,” but I want to do things the preferred way. A. Thanks so
Parents should be front and center in children’s faith journey
