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SEIS ETAPAS DE UNA MISTAGOGIA EFECTIVA
Segun el Ritual de Iniciación Cristiana de
Adultos
by Miriam Malone, SNJM
There is a Haitian proverb that says, "We
see from where we stand."
Often those in the ministry of Christian
initiation stand exhilarated, tired,
gratified and relieved after the Easter Vigil.
And then they stand
wondering how to successfully and effectively
move through the final
stage of the initiation process, the time
of mystagogy. For many, this
final period of the initiation process continues
to be a challenge at best,
or worse, a period of frustration, disappointment
and discouragement.
Where do those newly initiated Catholics
go? Why don¹t they keep
coming back? Why don¹t they return to us
for the last part of the
process?
Effectively implementing the mystagogical period of Christian initiation
will remain a challenge as long as we begin
with the question, "What
should we do for mystagogy?" What we need to is stand in the place
of the fully initiated at the end of the
formal process - and facilitate
the entire initiation process from that perspective. Mystagogy will be
vibrant, effective and formative to the extent
that each of the prior
stages of initiation has been vibrant, effective
and formative.
As in the implementation of the full Rite
of Christian Initiation of
Adults, there is no easy answer, no magic
formula, and no one recipe
that will work for all situations, cultures,
communities, team
configurations and personalities. There are,
however, some steps or
guidelines out of which an "effective mystagogy" will unfailingly
emerge.
Be ROOTED in the Rite
According to the mandate of the Church, the
Christian initiation of
adults is a magnificently unique process
of adult formation responsive
to the individuality of the person, the movement
of the Spirit in that
person’s life, and the particular community
to which that person is
called. While no reference is made to a particular
methodology, the
process respects the experience of the adult
learner and the sacred
nature of an individual’s conversion experience.
There is no reference to or recommendation
for a particular program
or publication; the "teaching material"
is the conversion experience of
the individual within the context of the
life of the church. The Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults describes
what is "effective" for each stage
of initiation in simple, clear language:
#42 describes what is necessary
before acceptance into the Order of Catechumens;
#75 describes
what constitutes a full catechumenal experience;
#120 indicates what is
expected before the Rite of Election. Mystagogy becomes a natural
outgrowth of this ever-deepening experience
of conversion in the
context of community, Word and sacrament.
"Since the distinctive
spirit and power of the period of postbaptismal
catechesis or
Mystagogy derive from the new, personal experience
of the
sacraments and of the community, its main
setting is the so-called
Masses for Neophytes, that is, the Sunday
Masses of the Easter
season." (#247 RCIA)
SHARE the Vision
This guideline might also read, "Watch
your language." Inquirers often
come asking for baptism or for membership
in the Catholic Church
through a profession of faith and sharing
at the Table of the Eucharist.
Ministers of initiation often respond, albeit
in the context of a warm
welcome, with a series of requirements for
baptism or full initiation.
The language of the dialog is one that reinforces
the concept of
"getting" initiated, as if that
were the end in itself. It is a
product-oriented dialog. Once the product
is received, once the end is
achieved, mystagogy is no longer relevant. No wonder they do
not
come back for more! Our language should constantly
and consistently
refer to the purpose of initiation being
the life of full participation in the
Church. If we "practice" this new
and ongoing way of life within our
community of faith throughout the catechumenal
journey, the support
offered by the official period of Mystagogy will be both relevant and
welcomed.
SUPPORT the Growth
The elements of the catechumenal process
are clearly delineated in #75
of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
#75 ought to be in the
minds, on the lips, and in the hearts of
each person engaged in
catechumenal ministry. Within the four facets
of formation called for
suitable catechesis (founded in celebrations
of the Word), familiarity
with the Christian way of life (in the context
of the community),
liturgical participation and apostolic activity
- are a myriad dimensions
for the full development of the person in
the process of initiation. If the
initial formation periods tend to challenge
and reflect upon growth in
these various aspects of the full Christian
life, the ongoing formation
supported by mystagogy will be experienced as natural and necessary.
A Neophyte who has known faithful support
in his or her relationships
in community, participation in liturgy, and
active engagement in works
of charity, will not give up that support
once he or she has committed
to full participation in the life and mission
of the Church.
Mystagogy will be vibrant, effective and formative
to the
extent that each of the prior stages of initiation
has been
vibrant, effective and formative.
INTEGRATE the “Real” and “Spiritual”
The wisdom of the Rite of Christian Initiation
of Adults is that it
recognizes the mysterious and powerful work
of the Spirit in the lives
of very real individuals. The rite acknowledges
that the spiritual quest
of the adult is part and parcel of real and
everyday life. This is evident
in the many references to the individual’s
journey of faith, to the
relationships that are critical to the building
of community, to the
consequences of the conversion experience
evidenced in daily life, and
to the power of storytelling, witnessing
and testimony among those
who make the paschal mystery the pattern
of their own lives.
In traditional classroom settings, and even
in discussion or support
groups, a separation between the spiritual
life and "real life" can be
mistakenly reinforced. In an integrated formational
process the pattern
of the Gospel and the Paschal Mystery inform
and express the realities
of an individual’s daily life. If this integration
happens consistently, the
follow-up period of mystagogy will flow naturally as a time and
opportunity to reflect on the sacramental
experience of life within the
Church. "Out of this experience, which
belongs to Christians and
increases as it is lived, they (Neophytes)
derive a new perception of
the faith, of the Church, and of the world."
(#245 RCIA)
The rite acknowledges that the spiritual
quest of the adult is
part and parcel of real and everyday life.
FOCUS on the Mission
"We see from where we stand," and
it is imperative that when working
with catechumens and candidates we stand
at the heart of the life of the
church. We must stay standing not at the
font; the font leads to the
Table. We must stay standing not at the Table;
the Table leads to
Mission. We must stand with our sisters and
brothers in the midst of a
world crying for liberation and justice and
peace. We must stand with
them, join our voices with theirs, blend
our energies with theirs, and
commit ourselves to action that will bring
the reign of God closer. We
must invite catechumens and candidates to
stand and act with us. They
need to see their initiation as a commitment
to life-long participation in
the mission of the church. Mystagogy then naturally becomes " a time
for the community and the Neophytes together
to grow in deepening
their grasp of the paschal mystery and in
making it part of their lives
through meditation on the Gospel, sharing
in the Eucharist, and doing
the works of charity." (#244 RCIA)
EXPECT the Impossible
If a collective assumption among ministers
of initiation is that the period
of Mystagogy is the most difficult, a collective conversion
point might
be the expectation of the impossible. Perhaps
an attitude adjustment is
appropriate, as well as a renewed enthusiasm
for the work entrusted to
"RCIA Teams" indeed, to all the
faithful. Standing in a new place
while considering the challenges of Mystagogy, one might see exciting
possibilities inherent in "doing"
Mystagogy throughout the entire
process of initiation, as well as in "doing"
the catechumenal process
throughout the period of Mystagogy. Having experienced such a
dynamic process, Neophytes will want to continue
their formation
actively and creatively in our midst; they
couldn’t consider not doing
so! This integrated approach yields valid
rationale for expecting the
impossible. Ministers of initiation may even
discover that entering fully
into Mystagogy with the Neophytes becomes
a life-giving source of
ongoing conversion and commitment in their
own lives.
Practical Suggestions
What difference do the Neophytes make in
your community? What
difference do the members of the community
make to your
Neophytes? What have you set in place to
ensure that the relationship
between the newly initiated and the community
at large is nurtured,
strengthened, and contributive to the life
and mission of the church?
Here are some practical suggestions:
Successful Mystagogy begins with the first
interview with an
inquirer.
Include the concept of Mystagogy as an integral
part of the
process from the very beginning, avoiding
any hint of Easter
being the end or the goal. Avoid any use
of school or
"graduation" vocabulary.
Include the formal period of Mystagogy in any written calendar
of events for the entire process so that
it is always seen in the
context of the whole process.
Develop competency at breaking open the Word
during the
Catechumenate. The richness of the experience
will make the
newly initiated eager to continue this during
the six weeks of
Easter and beyond, now with the sacramental
experience and
grace to further enlighten and to challenge
them. If you’ve been
having "class," they’ll be glad
it’s over!
What difference do the members of the community
make to
your Neophytes?
"Expect" Neophytes to gather the
week after initiation to share
stories and pictures of their Easter Vigil
celebration and to share
the Scriptures for the Sundays of Easter
in light of their
sacramental experiences.
Avoid the temptation to use the six weeks
of Easter as a time
for information and recruitment for parish
service. The
appropriate time for guest speakers and sharing
information
about various ministries is during the initial
stages of formation.
Affirm the primacy of the role of the assembly
in liturgy and the
place of the Neophytes in that assembly.
Avoid having
Neophytes serve in catechetical or liturgical
ministries for at least
a year, and avoid using them as RCIA sponsors
or team
members. Ministry flows from the experience
of being a
member of the assembly and then being called
to ministry. The
newest Neophytes are not meant to be a new
pool of parish
volunteers! Neophytes ought to be engaged
in social and
service ministries from the time of the Catechumenate,
and
gradually experience the connection between
the celebration of
Eucharist and the eucharistic lives they
live through these
ministries. This takes time and reflection
on what it means to be
a "regular Catholic in the pews."
If you’ve been having "class,"
they’ll be glad it’s over!
Plan for monthly gatherings following the
Pentecost celebration,
and look forward to experiencing with the
neophytes their first
year of full membership in the church. Plan
with them from the
beginning to celebrate their first anniversary
at the next
Pentecost.
Encourage the Neophytes to take ownership
of their gatherings,
forming their own agenda based on their experiences.
Lead
them into deeper prayer and into greater
participation in the
parish community, primarily through worship
and service.
Offer a special invitation to Neophytes to
participate in various
sacramental experiences throughout the year,
and then to reflect
on them together. Possibilities include First
Eucharist,
communal Penance services, communal Anointing
of the Sick,
Confirmation of the youth, and infant Baptisms.
Encourage the Neophytes to take ownership
of their
gatherings, forming their own agenda based
on their
experiences.
Hold a special gathering each year for all
Neophytes from the
previous years. Consider having the gathering
just prior to Lent
or at Pentecost time.
Remember to follow the directives of the
Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults by:
1.offering Neophytes special seating in the
midst of the assembly
at the Neophyte Masses of Easter time
2.inviting Neophytes to wear their white
baptismal robes
throughout the Easter Season
3.inviting Neophytes to give testimony, witnessing
to their
conversion journey in the midst of the parish
assembly
4.asking Neophytes to participate in the
General Intercessions
and Presentation of the Gifts
5.using the Easter Season Cycle A readings
at Masses where
Neophytes are present and preaching the homily
with them in
mind
6.inviting the local Bishop to visit with
the Neophytes during their
first year as fully initiated Catholics
ML
Miriam Malone is a Sister of the Holy Names
of Jesus and Mary
and a team member for the North American
Forum on the
Catechumenate. She was formerly Director
of Christian Initiation
for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She can
be contacted at
miriamalone@earthlink.net.
