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Luther death mask resized

Commemoration of St. Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor (+1546)

To commemorate St. Martin on this website devoted to “forming Lutherans,” let us consider his lessons and encouragement for pastors and teachers in Luther’s Preface to the Small Catechism. Luther begins by setting forth his purpose for writing this catechism, a purpose just as relevant today: “The ordinary person … knows absolutely nothing about the Christian faith …”  He then gives step-by-step instructions for instructing “your people who are entrusted to you.”  First, Luther says, stick with one version of the Ten Commandments, Creed, and Lord’s Prayer, teaching these “word for word.” Second, “once the people have learned the text well, then teach them to understand it, too, so that they know what it means.” And thirdly, he advises further teaching to “impart to them a richer and fuller understanding.”

Rote memorization, denigrated by some, is but the first step to internalizing the faith of the church. Through steps two and three, the Spirit transforms a rote recitation into “knowing it by heart,” so that the faith of the church becomes personal, applicable to one’s life, and an anchor in times of doubt and temptation.

Luther closes the preface with a warning about the seriousness of catechizing and its rewards, also very apropos for today’s context:

“Therefore, pastors and teachers, take note! Our office … has now become serious and salutary. Thus it now involves much toil and work, many dangers and attacks [Anfechtung], and in addition little reward or gratitude in the world. But Christ himself will be our reward, so long as we labor faithfully. May the Father of all grace grant it, to whom be praise and thanks in eternity through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

A Prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in the faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor. I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you. In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have. I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor. I am a sinner; you are upright. With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give. Amen.

Sources:

Quotations from the Preface of the Small Catechism: The Book of Concord, Kolb & Wengert, editors.

Prayer of Martin Luther: Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 87.

About the Image:
The mold of Luther’s face in death was cast so that there was a material record that this “heretic” of the church died peacefully,
trusting in Christ to preserve him from the fires of hell and jaws of the devil.
Description: Cast of Luther’s face and hands at his death
Location: Copy in Luther Death House, Eisenach, Germany
Source: Photograph by Paul T. McCain, June 2006
 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luther_death-hand_mask.jpg
 
12-02-2018 Advent 1 Rite of Acceptance (44)

A Ritual Journey: Anointings of the Catechumens

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Several weeks ago we had discussed various rites and practices that can supplement the catechumens’ primary experience of the Sunday liturgy of the Word. During the period of the catechumenate these can include: Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. We focus on the last of these in this post.

Anointing the body is undoubtedly foreign to many Lutherans. Unfortunately the medieval approach to the anointing of the sick devalued it to the point that it had become a rite only associated with death. As a result, anointing in general was never a primary practice within Lutheranism. Yet anointing—as a symbol of the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon the people of God and of the Spirit’s cleansing, healing, and restorative power—is a powerful symbol. It has significant biblical precedence with the anointing of prophets, priests, and kings in the Old Testament and the anointing of Jesus in the New Testament.

Anointing has been associated with the rites of the catechumenate since at least the fourth century. There are the pre-baptismal anointings in the period of Enlightenment (which we’ll discuss in Lent) and the post-baptismal anointings. But anointing can be done anytime throughout the catechumenate whenever desirable and helpful.

Anointing during the period of the Catechumenate is intended to convey through the Word the power of the Spirit for strength to engage in spiritual warfare. Martin Luther, in his 1523 epilogue to his new baptismal rite, indicates that spiritual warfare is one of the primary tasks of the church whenever someone is baptized: “Remember, therefore, that it is no joke to take sides against the devil and not only to drive him away from the little child, but to burden the child with such a mighty and lifelong enemy. Remember, too, that it is very necessary to aid the poor child with all your heart and strong faith, earnestly to intercede for him that God, in accordance with this prayer, would not only free him from the power of the devil, but also strengthen him, so that he may nobly resist the devil in life and death” (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Vol. 53, 97). The rite of anointing during the catechumenate provides a means for the church to enter into that spiritual battle. The RCIA indicates that the intent of anointing in this period is to symbolize the catechumens’ “need for God’s help and strength so that, undeterred by the bonds of the past and overcoming the opposition of the devil, they will forthrightly take the step of professing their faith and will hold fast to it unfalteringly throughout their lives” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 52). It symbolizes the pouring out of the Spirit through baptism and the Word throughout faith formation which strengthens the catechumen to renounce sin, evil, and the devil. As Shawn Madigan indicates it symbolizes “the Holy Spirit taking over one’s own spirit of egotism, violence, injustice, or whatever needs to be healed, strengthened, or overcome” (Shawn Madigan, Liturgical Spirituality and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 36). The anointing text in the RCIA, while not as strong as Madigan’s symbolic meaning indicates (see Madigan, Liturgical Spirituality and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 38), points toward the power of Christ in the battle against all evil: “We anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior. May he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen” (RCIA, 54). These catechumenate anointings function as a precursor to the exorcisms in the period of the enlightenment in preparation for the change of lordship that comes in baptism.

Since this is a rite of the Word it could be performed by a pastor, but also by a lay catechist within a congregation’s catechumenate. It usually takes place within the context of reflection on the Word, usually after a homily in a service of the word. Traditionally the oil used is simple olive oil, not perfumed in any way, although there would be no prohibition in Lutheran circles for using some form of perfumed oil. The order of the rite in the RCIA is a) a prayer of exorcism (grounded in Luke 3, Jesus’ preaching in Nazareth), although other prayers of exorcism in the RCIA could be used; b) the anointing text spoken over all the catechumens (although it could be spoken over each catechumen individually; and c) the anointing of each catechumen traditionally on the breast (breastplate of righteousness) and/or both hands. Other parts of the body could be anointed at the request of the catechumen. Often the forehead is added to or substituted for the breast. It would be good to consider the use of the Lord’s Prayer in the rite if it is not used at any other point in the service. Consideration might be given to allowing the catechumen to name any weaknesses, sins, or struggles, either silently or aloud, or to consider the use of some right of confession. A blessing can conclude the rite.

The catechumen enters into a spiritual battle with sin, evil, and satan when they engage faith formation. The rite of anointing embodies the spiritual strength that comes from the Spirit through the Word to engage that battle with faith, hope, and strength.

12-02-2018 Advent 1 Rite of Acceptance (1)

A Ritual Journey: Blessings of the Catechumens

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The period of the catechumenate immerses the catechumens in the gospel Word that leads to faith and Christian life. As we have seen, celebrations of the Word of God—in addition to ongoing catechetical instruction—feed and structure that immersion, along with various ritual acts that apply the Word to the lives of the catechumens. These include: Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. We turn this week to the Blessings of the Catechumens.

These prayers of blessing provide ongoing strength for the conversion journey. They can be used at the conclusion of any Celebration of the Word, during catechetical sessions, or as frequently as desired for the benefit of the catechumens. The RCIA indicates that these blessings should be prayed over all the catechumens as the presider extends his hands over them. Then the presider may lay hands upon each of the catechumens in silence, applying the words of the blessing to each of them. Of these acts of blessing the Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults indicates,

“As with the Word of God, blessings are meant to stir in us remembrance of all the good that God has bestowed upon us throughout history. This stirring of memory prompts us to ask in faith for more. Blessings, then, are an act of faith—an act of faith for the Church and an act of faith for the catechumens” (Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults, 49).

They root the catechumens and the church nurturing them to faith in the remembrance of God and His mighty acts of salvation. They point the catechumens toward the mighty act by which God will incorporate them into His rule and reign: the baptismal flood of rescue and renewal.

The RCIA provides nine distinct blessing prayers that each focus on different aspects of the journey toward conversion including the battle with sin, evil, and Satan; strengthening of faith; equipping for life in conformity with the faith; and understanding the Word, among others. The first prayer blessing (A) is general in application:

“Lord, form these catechumens by the mysteries of the faith, that they may be brought to rebirth in baptism and be counted among the members of your Church. We ask this through Christ our Lord” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 48).

Another example is the fourth blessing (D) which prays that the catechumens may grow in understanding truth and be free from falsehood:

“God our Father, you have sent your only Son, Jesus Christ, to free the world from falsehood. Give to your catechumens fullness of understanding, unwavering faith, and a firm grasp of your truth. Let them grow ever stronger, that they may receive in due time the new birth of baptism that gives pardon of sins, and join with us in praising your name. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.” (D)

The pastor’s use of the blessings throughout the catechumenate period leads catechumens to understand communion with Christ as an ongoing act of and participation in blessing. To be in Christ is to be blessed to participate in the life of the Triune God and to participate through Christ in the life of the Triune God is to be blessed. This life of blessing is finally realized at the eschaton when God establishes in full His rule and reign. As Shawn Madigan contends in Liturgical Spirituality and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults:

“Blessings are a form of praise and petition that reveal and bestow the power of the new creation in Christ. The Christian vision of the eschaton that is here, but not yet fully, suggests that blessings have a role to play in bringing the ‘not yet’ into the ‘now.’ When Christians bless, they remember that God has already blessed all creation in Christ and continues to bless all people through the Spirit. Christian blessing is intended to affirm and strengthen the experience of the mystery of joyous communion in Christ that is beyond what we can hope or imagine” (Shawn Madigan, Liturgical Spirituality and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 35).

The prayers of blessing are the mantle God provides covering the catechumens in the Word as they make the journey from their old lives into new life in Christ.

St. Stephen Cross

A Ritual Journey: Prayers for Christian Life

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As I mentioned last week, the Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites in addition to the Celebrations of the Word of God. The rites include: Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. They all flow from and lead back to the service of the Word in the Sunday liturgy and reflection on the Word in weekly catechumenal gatherings.

This week I’d like to focus on the Minor Exorcisms. The name is unfortunate since we usually think of exorcisms as casting out the demonic. The Roman Catholic Church titles the ritual action of casting out the demonic as Major Exorcisms. Minor exorcisms, both in the Catechumenate period and in the Enlightenment period during the Scrutiny Sundays (more on those in a subsequent post), are prayers for Christian life. Since the Catechumenate period is aiming to form the catechumens in understanding the shape of life in Christ this seems a most appropriate title: Prayers for Christian Life. Welcome to Christ doesn’t have any so-called Minor Exorcisms although it does have Prayers of Encouragement (p. 16) that can be used at any catechumenal gathering. The RCIA describes the Minor Exorcisms as “composed in the form of petitions directly addressed to God. They draw the attention of the catechumen to the real nature of Christian life; the struggle between flesh and spirit, the importance of self-denial for reaching the blessedness of God’s kingdom, and the unending need for God’s help” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Study Edition, 42). While the labor of self-denial isn’t a means for reaching God’s kingdom in a Lutheran understanding of justification, this description captures well the nature of these prayers for a Christian life. They pray that sin and evil may be cast away from the lives of the catechumens so that they may live as children of the light, become members of the church, and bear witness to the truth (RCIA, 43).

There are 11 prayer options (A through K), each of which confront different manifestations of sin and evil in the lives of the catechumens. Prayer A provides a good general example of these prayers:

God of power, who promised us the Holy Spirit through Jesus your Son, we pray to you for these catechumens, who present themselves before you. Protect them from the spirit of evil, and guard them against error and sin, so that they may become the temple of your Holy Spirit. Confirm what we profess in faith, so that your words may not be empty, but full of the grace and power by which Your Son has freed the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (RCIA, 42).

This general prayer for protection from the power of evil, error, and sin focuses in the other prayers on specific instances of sin and evil.  Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults summarizes some of these directions (47):

Remove hesitation in faith (B), remove from them the snares of the world—love of money, hatred, quarreling (B), greed (C), lust and pride (D), fatigue, and loss of hope (H).

It also summarizes the “requests that God may provide for, or strengthen, the good” (48) in the catechumens appearing in the second half of each of the prayers:

A spirit of faith, reverence, patience, and hope (B); open hearts to understand the gospel (C); help in finding blessings in poverty, hunger, mercy, and purity of heart; endurance in persecution (D), that with hope, they may join God’s priestly people (H).

These prayers can be tailored to speak to sins and evils confronting each group of catechumens or each catechumen individually. They provide models of prayer that can be used at celebrations of the Word throughout the Catechumenate period. When leading these prayers the pastor would extend his hands over the catechumens as a whole or over each catechumen individually as they bow or kneel.

The strength of these Prayers for Christian Life is that they acknowledge the ongoing battle against sin, evil, and Satan in the lives of Christians from the moment they enter into preparation for baptism. They put into practice what Martin Luther advocates in his postscript to his 1523 Order of Baptism, that the church would takes sides against the devil, resisting him boldly in life and death (Luther’s Works, vol. 53, 102).

St. John gospel reading from aisle

A Ritual Journey: Rites of the Word

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The Catechumenate stage in the RCIA is filled with a number of minor rites, minor in comparison to the major rites by which catechumens move from one stage to the next, such as the Rite of Election. These minor rites include: Celebrations of the Word of God; Minor Exorcisms; Blessings of the Catechumens; and Anointings of the Catechumens. All of these rites are means by which God is working on the catechumens through the Word. They all flow from and lead back to the service of the Word in the Sunday liturgy. In subsequent weeks we’ll take a look at the exorcisms, blessings, and anointing, but let’s focus on these rites of the Word.

The Celebrations of the Word of God are the most significant of these minor rites. The RCIA says of them, “During the period of the catechumenate there should be celebrations of the Word of God that accord with the liturgical season and the needs of the community” (RCIA 81). Essentially these celebrations of the Word are mini-services of the Word, although they might include all of the elements of the Sunday service of the Word— collects, readings, psalm, hymn, brief homily, and blessing. They may conclude with one of the other minor rites such as a rite of blessing or anointing.  The RCIA describes the purpose of these celebrations in the following way

  • To implant in their hearts the teaching they are receiving;
  • To give them instruction and experience in the different aspects and ways of prayer;
  • The explain to them the signs, celebrations, and seasons of the liturgy;
  • To prepare them gradually to enter the worship assembly of the entire community (RCIA 82).

Celebrations of the Word focus on catechesis and formation, shaped by the story of God in Christ through the liturgical year.  They unfold the mystery of Christ through the Word in the church year. They function as a regular hearing and catechesis in the Word of God. As such, it is appropriate to observe these brief services of the Word (around 20 minutes maximum) every time the catechumens gather, including their weekly or regular catechetical sessions. These celebrations of the Word allow the Word and prayer to permeate the journey of the catechumens, centering their lives in the Word, prayer, and the community’s liturgy. Through these celebrations the Word penetrates the daily life, decisions, and actions of the catechumens.

In addition, the Word fills the lives of the catechumens every Sunday. Here the story of God in Christ by the Spirit shapes faith and daily life. The catechumens feast on the Word every Sunday and then may be dismissed to discuss what they have heard and taken to heart. These dismissals prior to the service of the Lord’s Supper, while unfamiliar to Lutherans, allow the catechumens, under the guidance of trained lay catechists, to reflect on the import for their faith and life of the words they have heard. While it might be a foreign practice, the dismissal of the catechumens fits the fellowship doctrine of the LCMS and promotes a serious catechesis in the Word of God. Through that catechesis the Word is broken open to the catechumens and they learn what it means to be conformed to that Word.

While some might think that the dismissals are inhospitable, as Bill Corcoran says in Preparing the Rites of Initiation, “This sending forth is a form of hospitality because the catechumens can not yet join us at the Eucharistic table…Simply by leaving, they remind the whole assembly of the dignity of baptism and the importance of the eucharist….It invites them to experience Christ’s presence in the sharing of the Word” (23-24).

Through the dismissals to reflect on and be catechized in the Word and through the regular Celebrations of the Word of God, catechumens are fed a steady diet of the Word. And in so doing, they become what they eat.

St. JOhn Sunday liturgy

A Ritual Journey: The Stage of the Catechumenate

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Over the last several weeks we have explored in detail the Rite of Welcome/Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. Once the inquirers cross this ritual threshold they enter into a new status in the church. They are now officially catechumens, intentionally committed to exploring the faith of the church and life within the Christian community that will lead to baptism. The catechumenate period, which ideally would last 6 months to a year, allows a much deeper exploration of the gospel and Christian faith than the Stage of Inquiry. It is a holistic immersion in the faith that intersects the catechumens’ lives with the Word of God, worship, prayer, the church’s ministry in the gospel and its service in the world. It explores not only the assembly’s life in faith but Christian life beyond the assembly in the world both near and far. As Ronald Lewinski says in his book An Introduction to the RCIA the catechumenate stage “gives reason to faith and enables [the catechumens] to live by faith in the world” (36).  One of the primary agents for facilitating this holistic immersion are the catechumens’ sponsors. They walk with them throughout the process, attending as many catechumenal activities as possible, and serve as partners in reflection on the gospel and the way of Christian life that flows from the gospel.

Reflection is a central aspect of the catechumenate stage. The catechumens’ reflection on the meaning of faith in the gospel and its implications for life begins with listening to the Word. As the Rule of St. Benedict says one should “Listen with the ear of your heart.” This implies an in-depth exploration of the meaning and significance of the Word of God. Hearing the Word and reflection on the Word is the heart of the catechumenate stage. Every gathering of the catechumenate should focus on the Word. Ideally, the weekly lectionary and the church year serve as a focal point for forming the catechumens into the Christian way. This provides a rhythm, grounded in the gospel readings, for reflection on the gospel and faith. This rhythm may include dismissing the catechumens after the service of the Word each Sunday to discuss the readings just heard. Or it may include focusing on the readings, especially through the lens of the gospel, in midweek gatherings. Pastors, catechists, and sponsors facilitate reflection on the meaning of the Word and its significance for the daily life of the community and of the catechumens now immersed in that community.

And the Word cannot be contained just to the Sunday assembly and reflection on it. The Word should permeate the entirety of the assembly’s life: worship, prayer, ministry, teaching, fellowship, service, and mission. The catechumenate stage brings the catechumens into engagement with the Word as it is heard and gives shape to all the varied areas of parish life. This is why, as we noted in a previous post, Diana Macalintal refers to the parish as the curriculum of faith formation. Catechumens should be exposed to the ways in which the Word interpenetrates the entire assembly’s life. This will initiate the catechumens into God’s mission through the congregation. It will allow them to “see” God’s mission in motion beginning in worship but stretching out through the parish’s life in service to one another and in witness to the world.

Like the Word, catechetical teaching permeates the catechumenate stage. It thoroughly introduces the catechumens to a host of catechetical and doctrinal topics. Yet, those topics should be grounded in the Word that the catechumens are hearing from Sunday to Sunday. In other words, the Word in the weekly assembly and permeating congregational life should prompt the kinds of topics taught and reflected upon in catechesis. As Ronald Lewinski says of catechesis, “The object of catechesis is communion with Jesus Christ. Catechesis leads people to enter the mystery of Christ, to encounter him, and to discover themselves and the meaning of their lives in him” (37).

And just as the Word permeates congregational life, so does conversation with God or prayer. The catechumenate stage is a mentorship in prayer for the catechumens. They should be formed toward a life of prayer and taught how to pray. Prayer, perhaps encapsulated in brief rites or devotions, should begin and end each catechumenal gathering. And sponsors ideally will model a vigorous life of prayer with their catechumens. Developing fellowship centered in prayer and the Word also encourages regularly eating a meal together whenever the catechumens gather.

The end of the catechumenate stage leads to the crossing rite of Election/Enrollment for Baptism. Each catechumen, their sponsors, the catechists, and the pastors navigate a path of discernment as to when each catechumen is ready to cross the threshold with the intention of preparing for baptism. It is important for each person to take as long as is necessary for them to be ready to cross that threshold.

Until that point there are practices and rites throughout the catechumenate that form the catechumens on this journey. We’ll explore those practices and rites in subsequent weeks.

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Advent: A New Beginning for Those Seeking God and Community

In last week’s video excerpt Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor spoke about the anointing of the senses in the Rite of Acceptance as practiced at Redeemer Lutheran Church in The Bronx. In this excerpt from the same conference conversation, Pastor Taylor discusses other aspects of the Rite of Acceptance: The use of a recurring musical theme throughout all the rituals associated with the catechumenate; the role of sponsors in the rite; pastoral rationale for the simplicity of questions to and responses by those entering the catechumenate. It is a rite that involves the whole assembly, ritually enacting this core value of Redeemer’s catechumenal process—that making disciples is the task of the whole people of God.

This rite takes place on the first Sunday of Advent at Redeemer.  The excerpt opens with Pastor Taylor commenting on the unique way that the members of Redeemer mark each season and festival of the church year. We pray that the Church begins this new church year with hope in Jesus Christ, whose  coming into the world we anticipate, and with love for the whole cosmos.

Note: please log into your Google account to view the video.
Note: please log into your Google account to view the video.
anointing rite

A Ritual Journey: The Anointing of the Head and Senses in the Welcome Rite

The signing of the candidates with the cross and the signing of the other bodily senses is one of the most moving and richly symbolic rites in the entire catechumenal process. This marking indicates that the candidates belong to Christ and are moving toward baptism where they will receive the benefits of forgiveness, life, and salvation and be united to Christ by Word and faith. They also begin willingly to carry the cross in their life of witness to Jesus. The signing of the senses claims every part of the body and all the senses as redeemed by Christ Jesus’ passion and resurrection, oriented in service to His kingdom, and directed toward the final renewal in the new heavens and new earth.

The texts in Welcome to Christ (p. 11) and in the RCIA (pp. 24-26) are very similar and this basic pattern: the candidates are invited forward and addressed by the presiding minister; their foreheads are signed with the congregation responding in thankful acclamation, then each of the senses is signed: ears, eyes, lips, heart, shoulders, hands, and feet. Each is accompanied by an appropriate text linked to the biblical narrative with a concluding signing of all the candidates together. Catechists and/or individual sponsors may follow the presiding minister in signing each of the candidates. While the resources don’t indicate this, the oil of catechumens may be used for the signings.

The video provides the reflections of Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor regarding their practice of signing in the Welcome Rite at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Bronx, New York. It will give you a sense of how personally intimate and transformative the rite of the signing is for new catechumens. So receive the cross on your ears, that you may hear the gospel of Christ, the Word of life (from the WC signing of the ears, p. 11).

Note: Please, sign into your Google account in order to view the video.
Note: Please, sign into your Google account in order to view the video.

Rite of Acceptance welcome Redeemer

A Ritual Journey: Formative Aspects of the Welcome Rite

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As I mentioned last week, the most significant aspects of the welcome rite are the presentation and dialogue with the candidates, the signing with the cross and of the senses, the presentation of a Bible, and the prayer and blessing of the candidates.  We’ll take up the signing along with a brief video discussion of it at one congregation next week. The other formative aspects of the rite position those who are now catechumens as ones who are becoming part of the household of Christ since they are now in the process toward full baptismal incorporation into Christ. The rite leads them into this status by placing them publicly before the congregation, directing them to an ongoing encounter with the Word, and praying for them and blessing them publicly.

The Presentation of Inquirers and Dialogue with the New Candidates

The Presentation of the Inquirers positions them at the center of congregational activity and focus. Usually done at the entrance to the nave, the inquirers gather with their sponsors and the presiding minister presents them in Welcome to Christ (WC) with these words:

Dear friends, we are gathered at this door today to meet these persons who have been called by God’s Spirit to inquire into the Christian faith and life in this congregation. Together, let us welcome them to this community of faith in Jesus (p. 9).

Then the sponsors present each inquirer by name to the congregation. The presiding minister then dialogues with each candidate:

P: What do you ask of God’s church?

C: To hear God’s Word with you (RCIA: Faith)

P: What do you seek from God’s Word?
(RCIA: What does faith offer you?)

C: Faith and fullness of life (p. 9). (RCIA: Eternal life)

The presiding minister then points them toward baptism in the dialogue referred to in the RCIA as The Candidates’ First Acceptance of the Gospel. In WC, the presiding minister asks if the inquirers will “be faithful in learning the way of Christ?” Questions are then put to the sponsors and catechumens asking if they and the assembly will welcome and support them as they hear the gospel. Through this presentation the inquirers enter into the focused hearing of God’s Word in preparation for baptism and the assembly promises to intensely nurture them in that process.

The Invitation to the Word and Presentation of a Bible

Preceding the signing with the cross in WC and following it in the RCIA, is the invitation to hear the Word of God with the assembly. The RCIA text is: “Come into the church to share with us at the table of God’s Word” (p. 28). In WC it is “Come into the church to hear the Word of God with us” (p. 10). The presentation of a Bible may follow with the following text in WC: “Receive this Bible. Hear God’s Word with us. Learn and tell its stories. Discover its mysteries. Honor its commandments. Rejoice in its good news. May God’s life-giving Word, sweeter than honey, inspire you and make you wise” (p. 12). This invitation to and presentation of the Word of God makes explicit that the living Word of God is at the center of the catechumenate and of the catechumens’ journey toward baptism. They will hear the Word proclaimed in worship and in catechumenal gatherings and read and study the written Word in and outside of the congregation.

The Prayers over and Blessing of the Catechumens

The final aspect of the rite is the prayers over and blessing of the catechumens. In the RCIA following the service of the Word and before the Prayers of the church, this takes the form of intercessions, a concluding prayer over the catechumens, and a blessing dismissal of the catechumens to go and study the Word during the Lord’s Supper. In WC the catechumens are invited to kneel and the presiding minister may lay hands on each candidate’s head or over all of them jointly. The salutation, prayer for the catechumens, blessing of the catechumens, and brief congregational song follow. Prayer and blessing are a feature of every subsequent rite in the catechumenate, both in the worshipping assembly and in catechumenal gatherings. The assembly demonstrates its commitment to nurturing the faith and Word-directed life of the catechumens through its devotion to prayer for them and the Word of God’s blessing in Christ which it speaks to them. Word and prayer surround the catechumens and ritually indicates that these things will surround them throughout their baptismal life.

Go Make Disciples: An Invitation to Baptismal Living, a resource intended to accompany the Welcome to Christ materials, encourages a period of reflection on the Rite of Welcome for the catechumens (p. 95). Possible questions include:

  • How did you experience the rite?
  • Were you surprised by anything?
  • Were you confused by anything?
  • Is there anything that you wish could be explained?

Through the Rite of Welcome inquirers have crossed the threshold and become catechumens entering into an “open-ended period of apprenticeship, and formation in worship, prayer, reflection on scripture, and ministries of service and justice to others in need” (p. 94).

Redeemer Rite of Acceptance Anointing #3 2019 revised

A Ritual Journey: Welcome of Inquirers to the Catechumenate

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A Ritual Journey: Welcome of Inquirers to the Catechumenate

In the process of faith formation the stage of Inquiry leads into the stage of the Catechumenate (this term can be used to denote both the entire process of faith formation and more narrowly the second stage of the process). We’ll explore the stage of the Catechumenate more fully at a later time. The Inquirer crosses over from the stage of Inquiry into the stage of the Catechumenate through the rite of Welcome of Inquirers/Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. In both the Lutheran Welcome to Christ and in the Roman Catholic RCIA this is a public rite usually conducted within a congregation’s regular worship time. It is a threshold crossing rite for the inquirer. They now change status/role (or order as the RCIA puts it) within the congregation’s life. As an Inquirer they were on the edges of baptismal life in the congregation, exploring what this baptismal life might mean. After their Welcome into the Catechumenate their status is much more public. The congregation promises to support them as they begin formally the journey toward baptismal initiation into the church and to lead them to fully know and follow Christ by faith. The Inquirers who are now becoming Catechumens, as Roman Catholic Ronald Lewinski says in his book, An Introduction to the RCIA, “make a public promise to follow the way of Jesus, and they commit themselves to the formation process that leads to the initiation sacraments” (33).  The rite of Welcome to the Catechumenate is a threshold rite because it requires spiritual discernment, both on the part of the inquirer and on the part of the congregation, as to whether the inquirer is ready to make the commitment into the next step in following the Lord Jesus by faith supported by this assembly. It is a serious commitment. The rite ritualizes the embrace of that commitment. Here is the outline of the rite in Welcome to Christ and in the RCIA.

Welcome to Christ
Gathering
Presentation of Inquirers
Entrance Hymn
Kyrie
Hymn of Praise
Salutation
Prayer of the Day
Reading and Responses
Sermon
Hymn of the Day
Signing with the Cross
Presentation of a Bible
Prayer and Blessing of Catechumens
The Prayers

RCIA
Greeting
Dialogue with New Candidates
Candidates First Acceptance of the Gospel
Affirmation by the Sponsors and Assembly
Signing with the Cross on Forehead
Signing of the Senses
Concluding Prayer
Invitation to the Service of the Word
Instruction on the Word
Readings and Responses
Homily
[Presentation of a Bible]
Intercessions for the Catechumens
Prayer over the Catechumens
Dismissal of the Catechumens
Prayers of the Church

In following weeks I will walk through some of the specific aspects of the Rite of Welcome. The most significant aspects of the rite are the presentation and dialogue with the candidates, the signing with the cross and of the senses, the presentation of a Bible, and the prayer and blessing of the candidates. Note that the RCIA presumes a gathering of the congregation, possibly at a Mass, but not necessarily on Sunday (as indicated by the omission of the entrance rite), whereas Welcome to Christ presumes that it takes place at a Sunday Divine Service. The goal of the rite is to transition the inquirers into a lifelong pattern of faith formation. As the blessing prayer of Welcome to Christ says:

Merciful and Most High God, creator and life-giver of all that is, you have called all people from darkness into light, from error into truth, from death into life. We ask you: grant grace to [names] and bless them. Raise them by your Spirit. Receive them by your Word. Form them by your hand. Bring them to the water of life and to the bread and cup of blessing, that with all your people they may bear witness to your grace and praise you forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A pattern of faith formation—raised by the Spirit, received by the Word, formed by God’s hand, brought to the water of life and the bread and cup of blessing.

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