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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: Prayers of the First Scrutiny

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Last week we discussed the approaches to translating the texts of the Roman Catholic Latin rites of the catechumenate reflected in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and in the new Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. This week we begin teasing out how those changes are reflected in the actual translations. Our first case study are the prayers of the First Scrutiny Rite on the 3rd Sunday in Lent. As I (Kent) noted in this blog several moons ago the orientation and purpose of the scrutinies in the modern RCIA is to allow the elect to renounce sin and evil and to make their profession of faith in the Triune God at their baptism. The scrutinies ritually express the turn from the lordship of sin, evil, and the devil and submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. The scrutiny rites are structured according to this pattern:

  • Readings from Series A (woman at the well, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus, seeking to illuminate the lives of the elect)
  • Homily (which includes exploration of the meaning of the scrutiny)
  • Silent prayer by the presider, sponsors, elect, and the assembly
  • Intercessions for the elect
  • Exorcism Prayer
  • [Psalm/Hymn/Song]
  • Dismissal of the elect

We will focus on the Exorcism Prayers. The Exorcism Prayers contain three parts: An initial prayer over all of the elect; individual silent prayer by the presider over each of the elect; a concluding prayer over all of the elect. I am going to focus this week on the first prayer of the exorcism prayers. In terms of the assessment of the prayers we should keep in mind two things. First, this Sunday through the Gospel reading focuses on Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well and her conversion to faith in the Messiah. Second, the primary orientations in terms of translation under the guidance of Comme le prévoit for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and Liturgiam Authenticam for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The former is “hearer-oriented” while being textually faithful. It wants the text to make sense for the hearer in that given linguistic context. The latter focuses on formal correspondence, translating the Latin as faithfully and literally as possible while creating a text that flows in the vernacular language in the rhythm of popular prayer.

Here are the two initial prayer texts from the Exorcism Prayer (RCIA first, OCIA second):

God of power, you sent your Son to be our Savior. Grant that these catechumens, who, like the woman of Samaria, thirst for living water, may turn to the Lord as they hear his word and acknowledge the sins and weaknesses that weigh them down. Protect them from vain reliance on self and defend them from the power of Satan. Free them from the spirit of deceit, so that, admitting the wrong they have done, they may attain purity of heart and advance on the way to salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Liturgy Training Publications, 1988, 84).

O God, who sent your Son to us as Savior, grant that these elect, who desire to draw living water like the Samaritan woman and have been converted by the Word of the Lord, may acknowledge the hindrance of their own sins and weaknesses. Do not permit them, we pray, to rely on a vain confidence in themselves, and to be deceived by the power of the devil, but free them from the spirit of untruth, so that, recognizing their sinfulness, they may be cleansed inwardly and advance on the way of salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, The Liturgical Press, 2018, 116-117).

Note that both texts pray for the elect in light of the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus. Thus, the prayer is intended to allow the elect to understand their own conversion to trust in Christ and his lordship from within the story of the Samaritan woman, to read their life in light of that story. How well does either prayer accomplish that? I’ll return to that at the end. In addition, note that the OCIA prayer is written in traditional collect fashion. It is one continuous prayer. The RCIA translation is written according to modern English syntax and oral patterns with shorter sentences and phrases, but still following the ancient collect structure.

Now let’s examine five different phrases in the two translations:

  • “thirst for living water” versus “desire to draw living water.” The RCIA text expresses faith in more active vocabulary that reflects the Gospel narrative. The OCIA is more abstract.
  • “turn to the Lord as they hear his word” versus “converted by the word of the Lord.” The RCIA text reflects the effective power of the Word through hearing it in the catechumenate as the means by which the Lord converts people. The active engagement with the oral word is lost in the OCIA version.
  • “sins and weaknesses that weigh them down” versus “may acknowledge the hindrance of their own sins and weaknesses.” Weigh is much more evocative language than hindrance in conveying the effect of sin.
  • “spirit of deceit” versus “the spirit of untruth.” Both of these phrases are effective but communicate differently. The RCIA focuses on how Satan’s lordship deceives the human. The OCIA focuses on how Satan’s lordship leads away from the truth in Christ.
  • “attain purity of heart” versus “cleansed inwardly.” For a Lutheran, neither of these are possible in this life so the prayer would need to be adapted to reflect the striving for this in sanctification while acknowledging it is only realized in the eschaton. However, the RCIA language is yet more evocative. Envisioning what being cleansed inwardly looks like is challenging.

So, how well does either prayer facilitate the elect reading their lives in light of the Gospel reading? The evocative vocabulary and language reflective of modern English thought patterns and usage of the RCIA translation, allows the hearer to hear their life in light of the reading in deeper and more profound ways.

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Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: Translating the Rites

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We embark on a series during Lent that might seem the height of all nerdiness to some (and Rhoda and I might rightly be accused of being liturgical nerds). With the appearance of the new 2018 translation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults last November from the Roman Catholic Church, it seemed appropriate to us to begin exploring this new translation. It is the form of catechumenate that the Roman Catholics will be using in English into the foreseeable future. So, we will compare prayer texts over the next five weeks from the stage of enlightenment and final preparation for baptism from the former process, The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and the new translation, with each other. Nerdy as it may seem, important issues such as clear understanding and participation in the process by which God through the church is making new Christians is at stake in the translations and in any Lutheran adaptation of them. Failure to understand and participate hinders the vary process of making Christians through the catechumenate itself.

What got this whole process of providing new translations for all the Roman liturgical books and rites started was the 2001 document Liturgiam Authenticam: Fifth Instruction on Vernacular Translation in the Roman Liturgy. Since in many ways some of the translations immediately after Vatican II were considered provisional, it was expected that new translations would appear in the future. All the original translations were guided by the first instruction Comme le prévoit of 1969, which was supplanted essentially by Liturgiam Authenticam. The catechumenate was one of the last documents to be translated anew. Comme le prévoit operated under the translation principle of dynamic equivalence. As John Baldovin observes, “It is as concerned with the receiver as it is with the original text. In other words, how is this text going to make sense (in an oral/aural fashion) for the listeners? This approach gave translators great leeway in fashioning texts and inspired avoiding a wooden literalism when translating” (Baldovin, 117). Liturgiam Authenticam on the other hand operated under the principle of formal correspondence, a literal, word-for-word approach. As Liturgiam Authenticam itself says,

“The translation of the liturgical texts of the Roman Liturgy is not so much a work of creative innovation as it is of rendering the original texts faithfully and accurately into the vernacular language. While it is permissible to arrange the wording, the syntax and the style in such a way as to prepare a flowing vernacular text suitable to the rhythm of popular prayer, the original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses. Any adaptation to the characteristics or the nature of the various vernacular language is to be sober and discreet” (Liturgiam Authenticam, 49; italics mine).

In previous translations, such as the Missal, some of the prayer texts are cumbersome and lack clarity in meaning. Is that the case for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults under the principle of formal correspondence? Or do they achieve their own goal according to Liturgiam Authenticam of providing “language which is easily understandable, yet at the same time preserves these texts’ dignity, beauty, and doctrinal precision?” (Liturgiam Authenticam, 25). Only an examination of the texts from the RCIA versus The Order can determine that.  One that was helpful and positive was the change of title. The RCIA was always a series of rites, a process including significant ritual action that birthed new Christians. It is an order, a process that identifies and creates a vocation, in this case catechumens, within the church’s life. And, as Stephen Wilbricht notes, “We have long been accustomed to abbreviating the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as the RCIA. It is time that we cease this unfortunate habit” [Wilbricht, “Synodality, Baptismal Ecclesiology, and Welcoming a Newly Translated Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, Worship 98 (October 2024), 305].

So, nerd away on prayer texts we shall over the next five weeks as we make the journey to the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. May these prayer texts invite us into that mystery. And may we keep in mind the words of Pope Paul VI when he said of the sacrifice of the priceless treasure of the Latin for the vernacular languages, “What is worth more than these sublime values of the church. The answer may seem trite and prosaic, but it is sound because it is both human and apostolic. Our understanding of prayer is worth more than the previous, ancient garments in which it has been regally clad. Of more value, too, is the participation of the people” (quoted in John Baldovin, Reforming the Liturgy, 117). Undoubtedly a truly catholic sentiment.

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Enlightenment during Advent: Repentance and Healing

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A full and robust catechumenal process has four stages: inquiry, catechesis, enlightenment or final preparation (which culminates with the sacrament of baptism or a rite of remembrance/renewal for those already baptized) and mystagogy. Our current Advent Series is exploring an alternative timing of the catechumenal process. We are taking a close look at the lectionary readings leading up the festival of the Baptism of our Lord, as a suitable time for the final preparation or stage of Enlightenment. Last week Kent’s blog reviewed the final two weeks of the church year, noting the themes from the appointed gospel texts in the lectionary that correlate with themes of discipleship for this stage of the catechumenal process.

Today we flip the calendar (and lectionary year) to the first Sunday of Advent (Year A, with Matthean gospel texts). In the Roman Catholic catechumenal process, these Sundays include “the scrutinies,” which are “rites for self-searching and repentance … meant to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect” (Catholic Rites Today, 91-92). The corresponding ecumenical Journey to Baptismal Living rites of “Healing and Deliverance” have a similar purpose (and a more eponymous title). As Kent noted, our starting point is the LSB lectionary, which is closely aligned with the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC). For Advent 1, the two lectionaries are nearly identical, and themes appropriate for this third week in the stage of Enlightenment run as a golden thread through all the appointed texts.

The Advent 1 Old Testament reading, Isaiah 2:1-5, is filled with beautiful language of “all nations” that “stream to [the Lord’s house]” (2:1). The people of all nations are quoted: “Come … [so that the Lord] may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths” (3). The Lord’s house, the temple in Jerusalem, is located on “the highest of the mountains” and the verb “to stream” evokes the image of moving water. Contrary to the natural world, where water flows downhill, the nations (in Isaiah’s day the enemies of the people of God) are streaming uphill—going against the flow of worldly life—and are drawn to the ways and paths of God. The text lends itself to the stage of Enlightenment, to the movement away from sin that separates people from God and toward a repentance heart, ready to listen to “instruction … out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (3). God’s judgment has the power to “beat their swords in plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (4), to end conflict and war. The text concludes with an exhortation to the people of Israel to do the same as “the nations”: “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” (verse 5).

That final phrase, “walk in the light,” is the image picked up in the epistle reading from Romans:

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14

Quoting again from the RCIA explanatory notes for the scrutinties, this is a most suitable text “for self-searching and repentance … meant to uncover … all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect,” and to prepare them to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” in baptism.

The traditional gospel text from the one-year lectionary, Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11), is list as the first of two options for Advent 1 in the LSB lectionary; the alternate LSB gospel text is the text appointed in the RCL, Matthew 24:36-44. Contextually, this latter passage is part of the eschatological discourse of Jesus spoken to his disciples who “came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming of the end of the age?’’’ (Matt 24:3). The appointed text primarily answers the “when” question: “About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (24:36). It will be “as the days of Noah were,” unexpected to many people; and as Noah was saved, so will some be at the “coming of the Son of Man” (24:37): one of two working in the field; one of two women grinding meal together (24:40-41). “Keep awake,” Jesus warns, and “be ready” (24:42, 43), language that evokes the same theme Paul wrote to the Romans: “now [is] the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near” (11). These texts speak to the Elect in these weeks of final preparation, reminding them that baptism is not an end but a beginning, one that calls disciples to stay alert to the temptations of the world, to stay on the paths of the Lord, to hold fast to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, to “keep awake” so that they are prepared for his Second Coming.

Finally, we consider Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the question it evoked (Matt 21:10). “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’” The text has given clues, by quoting from Zechariah, “Look, your king is coming to you,” and by recording the shouts of the crowds: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” This text may evoke for the Elect how they felt during the first stage of the catechumenal process, inquiry; perhaps some were “in turmoil” and asking “Who is this” about Jesus. The Elect (and the whole assembly) can be reminded on this Sunday of who Jesus is, the Word made flesh who lives among us and whose birth is anticipated with hope in this season of Advent.

To complete the circle, we return to Isaiah 2, filled with the powerful symbolism of the city of Jerusalem, from which comes instruction, and with the “house of the Lord,” the dwelling place of God. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, it’s Passover, and Jews from all over the Roman Empire have streamed to the holy city; they long for a king who will bring the peace of the pruning hook and plowshare—of agricultural abundance, not of the Pax Romani, maintained by the sword. Enter Jesus, who comes as a gentle king, who, if one reads further in Matthew 21, is healing “the blind and the lame” in the temple (21:14). It is this Jesus who comes to the Elect on this day to “heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the [their] hearts.”

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Sources Referenced

Catholic Rites Today: Abridged Texts for Students, edited by Allan Bouley. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992.

https://journeytobaptism.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/04/Rites-Booklet-2024-07021745.pdf

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Christ Enthroned in the Heavenly Jerusalem: Christ is flanked by archangels, with an empty space representing Lucifer’s vacated position. From left to right, the five archangels are: Uriel holds the sun; Michael is a glorious figure in armour; Gabriel bears the lily of the Annunciation; Chemuel (Camael), the angel of the Sangreal, stands next him with the sacred cup; and Zophiel (Jophiel), to his left, holds the moon. Mosaic at the St Paul’s Within the Walls, an Episcopal church in Rome, Italy, 1885.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Enthroned_in_the_Heavenly_Jerusalem,_St_Paul%27s.jpg
http://romananglican.blogspot.com/2014/09/st-pauls-within-walls-episcopal-church.html

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Enlightenment in Advent: End of the Church Year Readings

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If one were to utilize Advent as a season leading to the rites of initiation culminating in baptisms and incorporation into the Church’s life on Epiphany or the Baptism of our Lord, then, as Rhoda noted last week, the period of Enlightenment and Purification could begin on the second to last and last Sundays of the church year, the latter being Christ the King/Sunday of the Fulfillment. These Sundays are, as Rhoda also observed, appropriate times for Calling to Baptism or for the Call to Continuing Conversion (Baptismal Living) since the Gospel readings for these Sundays possess common themes about living faithfully as a disciple of the Lord Jesus in the End Times. Christ the King Sunday would serve particularly well for the ritual of handing on the creed to the Elect.

So, what are these themes on the final two Sundays in the Lukan year, series C, and how might the Elect and the entire church be shaped toward baptismal living by these texts? I will focus on the Gospel readings since they are determinative and for the sake of space. [We are following the texts in Lutheran Service Book. Generally, they are the same texts as the RCL and the Roman lectionary].

2nd to last Sunday in the Church Year

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is Luke 21:5-28 which attends to Jesus’ words about the coming of the Day of the Lord and the signs that will indicate its coming. While wars and rumors of wars abound throughout history, in Jesus’ words those are not signs of the end. Rather, it is the “signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (vv. 25-27) that will be the harbinger of the End. Then, Jesus says to his disciples, “But watch yourselves…stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (vv. 35, 37). Perseverance is a central character of the Christian disciple.

On this Sunday of Enrollment in the final period of baptismal preparation, the Elect would be called to repentance in light of the Days that are coming. The church would call them to trust in the Lord because their redemption is drawing near. Election into the period of final preparation for baptism entails an awareness of where earthly and human history is headed. Baptism into Christ means that the disciple lives with these coming days in view and with a trust in the Lord that impels them to persevere in hope and in witness of that hope to the world.

Last Sunday in the Church Year/Christ the King/Sunday of the Fulfillment

The Gospel reading for Christ the King Sunday is Luke 23:27-43 which is part of the Crucifixion account, including the mocking of Jesus and the conversation of the two criminals crucified with Jesus. At the center of this reading are the words of the penitent thief and Jesus’ response, “And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise’” (vv. 42-43). Jesus reigns over the sinful and evil ways of His rebellious creatures on the throne of His cross, dispensing the good gifts of His kingdom—His mercy and grace. The kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God are like night and day.

The church calls the Elect to make the cry of the penitent thief their own: “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Today, every day is the time of decision, the time to walk in the ways of the kingdom of the Lord. This final period of Enlightenment prepares them for baptism and baptismal discipleship, for living in the kingdom of the Lord. And the Lord will answer that cry, as he did for the penitent thief. At their baptisms the Elect will become participants in paradise, in the kingdom of God. As they receive the Apostles’ Creed from the church, they make that cry their own. They acknowledge the lordship of God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. The Elect live in the eternal today of God’s Kingdom. “It is on the cross that Christ has inaugurated his reign and opened the way to the kingdom. Henceforth, to everyone who turns to him and says: ‘Jesus, remember me,’ he will respond, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise’” [Days of the Lord, volume 6 (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1991), 325].

Thus, the Elect enter discipleship in the latter days as they are enrolled into the period of Enlightenment during Advent. Because Jesus reigns through His cross and resurrection, it is, in the words of the Roman preface for Christ the King, “a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.” That is the kingdom of the Lord into which the newly enrolled Elect begin to take their place.

Scrutines of Lent 2019 (9)

A Ritual Journey: The Third Scrutiny

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The Third Scrutiny follows the Second Scrutiny on the Fifth Sunday in Lent. As we saw with the first two scrutinies, the intent of the Third Scrutiny is for the elect to “renounce sin and evil and profess faith in the Triune God at their baptism” (Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults, 58). The pattern is the same:

  • Readings from Series A (John 11: The Raising of Lazarus, pointing the elect to the new life received through their dying and rising with Christ in their baptisms)
  • Homily (which includes exploration of the meaning of the scrutiny)
  • Silent prayer by the presider, sponsors, elect, and the assembly
  • Intercessions for the elect
  • Exorcism Prayer
  • [Psalm/Hymn/Song]
  • Dismissal of the elect

The Third Scrutiny, through the Gospel text of the Raising of Lazarus, emphasizes that only in Jesus can they receive true “life in the face of death” (Guide, 60). Each of the scrutinies in the RCIA includes two sets of intercessions and two sets of excorcism prayers. Set “B” better highlights the Gospel reading of the raising of Lazarus and the theme of death and new life in Christ. This is reflected in the following texts among others: “acknowledge Christ as the resurrection and the life”; “become like Christ by baptism, dead to sin and alive for ever in God’s sight”; and “the Eucharistic food, which they are soon to receive, may make them one with Christ, the source of life and resurrection” (RCIA Study Edition, 105-106). The exorcism prayers further open up these themes. As one of them prays,

“Lord Jesus Christ, you commanded Lazarus to step forth alive from his tomb and by your own resurrection freed all people from death. We pray for these your servants, who eagerly approach the waters of new birth and hunger for the banquet of life. Do not let the power of death hold them back, for, by their faith, they will share in the triumph of your resurrection, for you live and reign forever and ever. Amen (RCIA Study Edition, 108).

Once again the presider calls the elect and the assembly to pray silently and so to examine their lives and repent in light of the authority of the Lord of death and life. Like the previous two scrutinies, the elect are focused on enlivened faith in the Triune God and are directed toward their liberation from sin, evil, and the power of satan through their enlightenment in their baptism into Christ Jesus.

Scrutines of Lent 2019 (9)

A Ritual Journey: The Second Scrutiny

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The Second Scrutiny follows the Presentation of the Creed on the Fourth Sunday in Lent. As we saw with the First Scrutiny, the orientation and purpose of the scrutinies in the modern RCIA is for the elect to “renounce sin and evil and profess faith in the Triune God at their baptism” (Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults, 58). The Second Scrutiny follows the same pattern as the first:

  • Readings from Series A (John 9: the man born blind, seeking to illuminate the lives of the elect)
  • Homily (which includes exploration of the meaning of the scrutiny)
  • Silent prayer by the presider, sponsors, elect, and the assembly
  • Intercessions for the elect
  • Exorcism Prayer
  • [Psalm/Hymn/Song]
  • Dismissal of the elect

The Second Scrutiny according to the account of Jesus’ healing of the man born blind emphasizes to the elect the ways in which blindness might affect them and where they need the light of Christ “so that they might see the truth” (Guide, 60). The intercessions over the elect highlight the following: “God may dispel darkness and be the light”; “lead them to Christ, the light of the world”; and “That our elect may…acknowledge God as the source of light and the witness of truth” (RCIA Study Edition, 97). The exorcism prayers further open up these themes. As one of them prays,

“Father of mercy, you led the man born blind to the kingdom of light through the gift of faith in your Son. Free these elect from the false values that surround and blind them. Set them firmly in your truth, children of the light forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (RCIA Study Edition, 98).

Silent prayer calls the elect, and the assembly, to self-examination and repentance in light of the themes enunciated in the scrutiny texts. It leads them toward enlivened faith in the Triune God who pours himself upon them in their baptismal enlightenment. Like the First Scrutiny, in this second instance the elect are directed toward their liberation from sin, evil, and the power of satan.

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.

Redeemer Giving of Candle at Baptism 2019

A Ritual Journey: The Rites of Faith Formation

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This week I am beginning an ongoing exploration of the rites of faith formation. In order to explore the rites that can be used as a central experience of faith formation, I need to outline the structural process of the catechumenate. So, for those for whom this may be an elementary review, my apologies. As a holistic experience of faith formation, the catechumenate employs a variety of things to facilitate conversion and form the life of faith, all of them experiential in nature: individual mentoring, small group discussion, acts of service, lecture, reflection, journaling, corporate and personal prayer, fellowship (especially over meals), shadowing the baptized, preaching, and ritual action. Of the liturgical rites Roman Catholic priest Ronald Lewinski says, “These liturgical rites flow naturally from the spiritual formation and catechesis that is offered…. [They] are integral to the whole process of conversion and initiation” (An Introduction to the RCIA, Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2017, 21). The liturgical rites mark a catechumen’s journey through faith formation as they gradually cross the threshold into life in Christ within the assembly of God’s people.

As I noted in a previous post, Diana Macalintal outlines two catechetical paths in faith formation that are interdependent but distinct: the Ritual path and the Catechetical path. The Ritual path is the formation that happens through the crossing of the various ritual stages that the catechumen experiences. They focus on the gradual transition of the person in terms of their order/place within the Christian community: from inquirer to catechumen to neophyte. Formation happens through the Word and ritual action in the liturgies of the church. The second path she labels the Catechetical path. This path is less structured and attends to the level of faith instruction in the Word that the individual person has received. A congregation ideally nurtures both paths in order to have a vibrant catechumenate.

The Ritual path is composed of four periods and three transitions between those periods. [Welcome to Christ adds one additional transitional rite near the end of the post-baptismal mystagogy]. I’ll use the terminology of both the Roman Catholic Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and the Lutheran Welcome to Christ: Lutheran Rites for the Catechumenate (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1997), divided by a slash.

  • Period #1: Evangelization and Precatechumenate/Inquiry
    • Transition #1: Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens/Welcome of Inquirers to the Catechumenate
  • Period #2: Catechumenate/Inquiry [Welcome to Christ doesn’t distinguish precatechumenate and catechumenate periods]
    • Transition #2: Rite of Election for Initiation/Enrollment of Candidates for Baptism
  • Period #3: Purification and Enlightenment/Preparation for Baptism
    • Transition #3: Rites of Initiation at Easter Vigil: Baptism, Sealing (Chrismation/Confirmation), Lord’s Supper/Baptism and Communion at the Vigil of Easter
  • Period 4: Post-Baptismal Mystagogy/Baptismal Living
    • Transition #4: Affirmation of the Vocation of the Baptized in the World

That is the basic outline of the Ritual Path. In coming weeks I will examine the rites associated with each of these periods and rituals. If you are interested in a copy of a particular rite from one of the resources email me either through FormingLutherans.org or at burresonk@csl.edu.

Palm Sunday 2019 (219)

Lifelong Disciples: The Congregation Training Ground

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Throughout her book Your Parish is the Curriculum Diana Macalintal has emphasized that formation of the catechumens through the catechumenate happens in the life of the parish. In chapter 3 she discussed the ways that the assembly is involved in the rites of the catechumenate. In chapters 4 and 5 she turns toward the “The Curriculum for Making Disciples” and how “Parish Life is the Syllabus.” If it hasn’t been clear, it is now apparent that the catechumenate is focused on creating lifelong disciples, people who live by faith and show forth the fruits of faith. And the best way to learn to live that life is by watching, hearing, and doing that life with the congregation as it lives it. That’s why apprenticeship is the primary model for formation in the catechumenate. It is an apprenticeship with Jesus through his body, the church. The congregation is the training ground for new disciples, disciples making disciples. The catechumenate is not only about knowledge of the faith, but also about the living of that faith. It trains disciples in the Christian life.

In order to learn the church’s lifestyle (and each congregation has a unique way of living the faith, which is why it is important for everyone who wants to be a disciple in that congregation journey through the catechumenate), the Roman Catholic RCIA outlines four disciplines that are the curriculum:  Word, Community, Worship, and Witness. I believe all four are central to a Lutheran conceptualization of the life of faith. The Word (Incarnate, proclaimed, and written) is at the center of the apprenticeship. It is the opportunity, as Macalintal puts it, “to meet Christ and his friends” (75). Catechumens (along with their sponsors) should gather at the divine service every Sunday to hear the Word, and also attend other opportunities to explore the Word such as Bible studies, devotional experiences, etc… This encounter with the Word entails breaking it open for the catechumens so that they see their daily lives through the Word. Macalintal provides the outline of such faith sharing through the Scriptures (75-77). Other forms of breaking open the Word include the African Bible study method, lectionary-based discernment, ritual-based discernment, and visualization discernment.

Encountering the Word takes place within the Community. Arthur Carl Piepkorn referred to this as the Life of God in the Life of the Parish (a seminal article in The Church: Selected Writings of Arthur Carl Piepkorn). Meeting Christians in the community is the second part of the curriculum. Thus it is incumbent that the parish be a hospitable place, welcoming inquirers and catechumens into its life together. Only by interacting with the members of the parish do the catechumens learn how to live in hope and how to forgive.

The third component of the curriculum is Worship, both the Sunday assembly and the other opportunities for worship in a parish throughout the week. Only through attending these do the catechumens learn to pray and worship. The dismissals in the Sunday gathering, after the service of the Word, are continuations of worship (not primarily instructional times). They allow members of the parish to lead the catechumens into breaking open the Word through faith-sharing that flows from the Word.

The last component of the curriculum is Witness. By joining the parish’s events and activities the catechumens learn how to witness, to proclaim the gospel in words and actions. Hopefully, they learn the priority of bearing witness to a life of faith and hope in Christ Jesus toward the poor and those at the edges of the assembly and society.

When a catechumenate immerses the catechumens in the parish’s life, then parish life becomes the syllabus for the catechumenate. It is a hands-on course as the catechumens do what Christians do day-in and day-out, week-in and week-out. Macalintal refers to this as Upside-Down catechumenate. In other words, it’s not the usual way that the catechumenate is done. The usual way entails trying to recruit volunteers to enact the activities of the RCIA which are all focused in the RCIA itself. In the Upside-Down catechumenate, catechumenate meetings are less frequent, but sponsors are immersing the catechumens in parish activities on a weekly basis. Through this the catechumens meet the assembly and learn how they believe and live the faith. Macaltinal examines bulletins from large and small Roman Catholic parishes to demonstrate the myriad of activities in a parish on a weekly basis, aligning with the four disciplines, in which catechumens might immerse themselves (even in small parishes).

If we want catechumens to become lifelong disciples, then they need to be incorporated into the faith community. The best way to do that is let the congregation’s life be their training ground in the faith.

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