The mystagogical period, when the newly initiated deepen their understanding through reflection on their lived experiences of ritual, is a profound and rewarding aspect of Christian initiation ministry. This process of mystagogy is especially powerful when working with children and youth. Young people seem to possess an innate openness and sensitivity to spiritual mysteries that […]
Children, initiation, and mystagogy
As we mark the progression of Lent week by week, we may be finding that the practices of prayer, fasting, and doing works of charity are becoming more like habits, like automatically putting our coins into the “Mission Box” for organizations like Holy Childhood or Catholic Relief Services. Or intentionally avoiding the fridge on fasting
Fasting and Feasting: Preparing Hearts for the Easter Mysteries
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
Among the legends of Christmastime, stories of St. Nicholas stand out and are popular especially among our Germanic and Italian communities. With the sense of his knowing the needs of persons and doing secret things to help them, delightful customs arise. In our family home back in the Midwest, two favorites stay in my memory.
Advent, St. Nicholas, and the Christ child
Each Advent, our Christian initiation group began to see, literally, some strong connections between the stories and figures of the Old Testament linked with Advent, the Nativity and the New Testament. As a classroom teacher years ago, I had a burlap December calendar with pockets identified for each day of the month from the first
Advent, Scripture, and the Jesse Tree
Perhaps it was the strong German background we had growing up, and the customs surrounding Advent that our parents kept alive, but along with the change in weather in the Upper Midwest came a distinct love of celebrating the liturgical seasons. Back then, we had simple ways of winding down the liturgical year, usually tied
Advent at home: Celebrating and waiting with the domestic church
A young man in his junior year of high school phoned the parish office, inquiring about becoming Catholic. He had been baptized Methodist. Several of his friends from high school were Catholic, and he would soon be with them at the university. These friends talked about their faith, Mass, and sacraments, sparking his curiosity. However,
The evolution of faith: one family’s journey
A mother and her teen-age daughter came to our information session about adult Christian initiation. Maureen was interested in becoming Catholic, and her daughter Maggie, recently graduated from 8th grade, was also interested. Now, as a family of two, they had taken a step they had talked about for several months and were eager to
It was early May that year when my office phone rang. The woman calling was so excited to tell me about how the Easter Vigil celebration had triggered something in her—a realization that she was missing something in her own life. But It was the sight of the joyous “people all dressed in those white
We found ourselves in the quiet, dimly lit church, a few evenings after the Easter Vigil. The neophytes, godparents, sponsors, candidates, catechumens, an inquirer, and team members were gathered, surrounded by the scent of incense and the sound of the flowing baptismal font, illuminated by the Paschal Candle. As we paused from our busy lives,
