One of the most misunderstood elements of the catechumenate process is the ritual dismissal of the catechumens from the Mass after the homily. Many catechumenate team members resist dismissing the catechumens because, to the team, it seems inhospitable. In other parishes, there is a tendency to go overboard, dismissing everyone including baptized candidates and even […]
Why is the dismissal of the RCIA catechumens important?
22nd Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: Back to Mark after several weeks of John’s “bread of life discourse,” which explored the relationship between Jesus and the individual believer. Up until this interruption we had been seeing Jesus and his disciples proclaiming in Galilee the arrival of God’s promised kingdom/reign. Galilee was predominantly Jewish but surrounded by
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year B – The 22nd to 26th Sundays in Ordinary Time
18th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: This Sunday’s selection does not follow directly upon last Sunday’s since the crossing of the lake by Jesus has been omitted; that is why the crowd has to get into boats to see if he is on the other side. He had had to escape from them because they wanted
Reflection Questions for Seekers: Year B – The 18th to 21st Sundays in Ordinary Time
13th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: Once again words have power: over nature, as we saw last Sunday, and now over disease and death. But only if we have faith and trust in the power of God at work for us in Jesus. As the Book of Wisdom says, “death entered the world through sin,” and
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year B – The 13th to 17th Sundays in Ordinary Time
The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)Background: Out of the 26 particular churches that make up the Catholic Church (Maronites, Ruthenians, etc.), only the Roman Church abandoned in the course of the Middle Ages the sharing of the Blood of Christ by all believers during Communion. At about the same time the observance of
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.Fifth Sunday of EasterBackground: For two Sundays the gospel selections are a continuous reading from John, 15, part of what is called the Last Supper Discourse. It would seem odd that in Easter Season we are reading from a discourse given on Holy Thursday
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Eastertime — Year B
Introduction to EastertimeIn the post-Vatican II reform of the Roman liturgy, Easter became not a day but a season. The Sundays are not named as “after” Easter but rather “of” Easter. We must not subdivide this season into chunks but celebrate its overall flow.Because the different New Testament writers approached their proclamation of the Good
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Easter through the Fourth Sunday of Easter
Introduction to the Third to Fifth Sundays in Lent: For three Sundays the Gospel selections from John are part of the final, intense preparation of those called to the Easter sacraments of initiation. The scrutiny celebrated each Sunday is meant to help them “achiev(e) an intimate knowledge of Christ” by “progress(ing) in genuine self-knowledge through
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers — 3rd Sunday in Lent to 5th Sunday in Lent, Year A
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 life. Again, we learn each Sunday of God’s compassionate love, but
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers — 3rd Sunday in Lent to Palm Sunday, Year B
5th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: There is an ambiguity about Jesus’s mission. As God’s beloved Son upon whom the Spirit has come, both his words and actions have power. And so today we see his compassion towards those suffer in body and spirit. Yet his ministry as healer sometimes seems to get in the way
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers — 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time to 2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B
