Lent comes early in 2008—February 6. That means that you only have a few weeks to decide who among your catechumens will celebrate the rite of election. Unless you have a year-round process, you’ve probably already made the decision. In most parishes, anyone who celebrated the Rite of Acceptance this past fall (or even this
Are your catechumens ready for the next stage?
The Elect are about to join the royal priesthood, and it is time to start getting them used to their royal status. Here are nine ways to help the Elect enter more fully into their preparation for baptism and Eucharist.
Nine ways to treat the elect like royalty
Have you ever been in love with someone you weren’t supposed to love? Someone your parents or your friends disapproved of? In the first two paragraphs of today’s Gospel, Jesus does some astounding things. He goes to Samaria. He walks up to a well where a woman is drawing water. He sends off his disciples
Reckless Love: A Scrutiny Homily
Okay, that’s a little strong. But if your lenten catechesis for the elect looks a lot like the catechesis that was going on during the period of the catechumenate, something is amiss. What the RCIA says about lenten formation The rite is pretty clear. If you have your RCIA handy (or maybe even if you
When you are planning for the scrutinies, be sure to move the Elect out into the midst of the assembly. The goal is to strive for both visibility and intimacy. If you only have one candidate for initiation this year, the action of the scrutiny should take place where it is most visible—usually at the
