Do you remember the Third Sunday of Lent in 2020? Most of us celebrated Mass that day, and many of us celebrated the first scrutiny with the elect. And for most of the parishes in the United States, that was the last time we would be in church together for a very long time. The …
As we approach the beginning of Lent, it is a good time to think about how we teach the catechumens to pray. The best way, of course, is by example. So here is a list of suggestions for deepening our prayer lives this Lent. Pray at a set time Make an appointment with yourself to …
For reflection questions for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A, click here Fifth Sunday of Lent Background: For the second Sunday in a row, we are presented with a story about a sinner and the self-righteous—who are also sinners but don’t want to admit it. Yet, as Paul says today, all this judgment of …
For reflection questions for the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent, Year A, click here First Sunday of Lent Background: To understand this Sunday’s gospel, we need to realize that we are jumping back over the unfolding of Jesus’s ministry in Galilee that we have been reading in the early Sundays of Ordinary Time and …
Reflection Questions for RCIA Seekers: Year C – The First through Fourth Sundays in Lent
In a recent Community Chat, TeamRCIA discussed the many ways the baptismal priesthood is the primary agent of formation for the inquirers, catechumens, elect, and baptized candidates. There were a lot of questions about where to find resources to help parishioners “do Lent” in such a way that they also accompany the seekers on their …
Initiation team resources for Lent, Triduum and the Easter Season
In the Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults, we have several celebrations for the catechumens: the Rite of Election, the three scrutinies, the Presentations of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer (or Rites of Handing On), and the preparation rites on Holy Saturday. But what do we have in Lent for the baptized candidates? …
In a previous post, we looked at Joe’s baptism. Joe, a long-time choir member, had finally reached “the fullness of time” in his heart and moved out of his old life into new life in Christ through the waters of baptism. There are many things that brought Joe to that point in his life, but …
1. Don’t rehearse the Easter Vigil Almost everywhere, parishes are planning to rehearse the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. I know this is going to be hard to hear, but we have to stop making Holy Saturday a work day. It is a day of prayer, reflection, and fasting (see RCIA 185). In the Eastern …
Q. We have a candidate who was baptized as a Baptist going through RCIA. Can he be confirmed with our teen confirmation candidates when the bishop comes to celebrate? A.Thanks for reaching out. Your candidate needs to celebrate the Rite of Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church prescribed in RCIA Part II:5. …
Q&A: Can we celebrate confirmation with an RCIA candidate when the bishop comes to our parish?
Q. I have a question about the minor rites. Because of COVID, should we skip all exorcisms, blessings, and anointings before the Rite of Election? Or should we try and include the anointing at the Rite of Election? Is the anointing in the minor rites the same thing as the prebaptismal anointing? A. I would not …
Q&A: How to celebrate the Anointing of the Catechumens and other RCIA minor rites in pandemic
