To see how you might use one of these points in your catechesis, read “How to lead a 90-minute catechetical session.” The Way of Faith Explain that the tenth commandment forbids greed. In the news Obama administration officials and Republicans alike were nearly universal in condemning the $165 million in bonuses […]
Breaking Open the News for Fourth Sunday in Lent—A
For some RCIA teams, the period of postbaptismal catechesis, or mystagogy, seems to be the most difficult part of the catechumenate to implement. I commonly hear complaints that “they don’t come back” for mystagogy, and I get requests for “a good resource” to use during the mystagogy sessions. To me, those kind of comments reflect
RCIA teams: 8 ways to make mystagogy work in your parish
To see how you might use one of these points in your catechesis, read “How to lead a 90-minute catechetical session.” The Way of Faith Explain that, despite what is often reinforced in popular culture and even at times in the church, women have a primary role in carrying out the mission of the church.
Breaking Open the News for Third Sunday in Lent—A
St. Augustine saw it as his duty to pass on four essential “sacraments” to the elect. These were the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the font, and the table. He would teach them about the table after their initiation; he would explore the meaning of the font with them on Holy Saturday, before the Vigil. And
How to celebrate the Presentation of the Creed and Lord’s Prayer
People keep usurping the word evangelization, and therefore make it more difficult for us to accomplish the primary mission of the RCIA—go and baptize. First it was the evangelicals, who used the word to identify a denomination of Christianity quite distinct from Catholicism. On the face of it, there’s nothing wrong with a denomination defining
Evangelization 2.0: Reclaim the mission of the RCIA
The initiation rites of the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent don’t have the most comforting of names. On these days we engage the elect in rites and prayers called scrutinies and exorcisms. The first connotes probing and critical examination of one’s life, and the second—well, let’s just say many of us have had
History of the scrutinies: 3 things your RCIA team needs to know
Many have interpreted the signing of the Book of the Elect to be a sign of commitment and discipleship. This is certainly true, and when seen in this light, it would seem appropriate for both catechumens (the unbaptized) and candidates (the already-baptized) to sign the Book of the Elect. However, the commitment and discipleship that
Who signs the Book of the Elect?
I’m off to help distribute ashes at Mass later today. I’ve done this a few times in my life, and it’s always a humbling experience. Yes, the ashes remind us of our mortality and dependence on God, but that’s not mostly why I feel humbled. It’s humbling for me because I get to see so
In the June 2009 issue of This Sunday’s Scripture, Paul Bernier, SSS, writes in his commentary for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ that the body is the “what” and the blood is the “how”: It might be pointed out that the now common practice of offering the chalice to the faithful
Communion—is the cup necessary?
These are some of the workshops I’m interested in at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress this weekend. If you plan to be there, look me up. When I’m not in a workshop, I’ll be at the Bayard / Twenty-Third Publications booth. Forming Adults in the Faith—Bishop Gerald Kincanas The Emerging Church—Richard Rohr Celebrating the
Will you be at the LA Congress?
