The catechetical aspect of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is inseparable from the practical reality it seeks to inform. It is the work of teaching the faith so as to empower people to truly live it in their daily experience. Catechetical sessions cannot be nebulous or theoretical; they must be real and applicable to participants. To give a suitable and complete presentation of the Gospel and the full deposit of faith to those who are considering becoming Catholic means that participants gain a solid hold on what they are taught, and they need to know they have a hold on it. This is only possible if the truths are taught so as to move participants—to foster change—in their interior life of adoration and acceptance of the divine will. This must be so in their actions, their participation in the life of the Church, their married and family lives, their professional lives, and their economic and social responsibilities. In the truths that the catechist gradually unveils, participants discover their deepest aspirations fulfilled; they find what they are seeking and they find it superabundantly (GDC 55).[1]

Therefore, OCIA catechesis, echoing down that which has been revealed by God, must be wholly directed to the conversion of the hearts and minds of participants, allowing for the flexibility demanded by differing pastoral circumstances in parishes from year to year and using a learning model suited to adults of various faith backgrounds.[2] This article seeks to present how that effort of conversion is fostered through a gradual work of catechesis ordered to the liturgical year and the gateways of initiation.

Catechesis in the Precatechumenate: Laying Out the Framework of the Gospel

Catechesis in the Precatechumenate is quite distinctive. The catechetical components of this period flow from the need to set out a framework upon which can be laid the full structure of the deposit of faith in the next period. For the next period to be truly systematic and organic, all the necessary elements must be put into place during the Precatechumenate:

• The Gospel is expressed carefully and completely, by means of testimonies and explanations of Scripture, building out God’s plan in salvation history (OCIA 38).[3]
• Answers are given to the most pressing and obvious questions of the inquirers (OCIA 38).
• Teachings must adequately prepare them for the first major rites and content of the process, as well as the daily living of Catholic life: believing, hoping, and loving (faith, hope, and love) (OCIA 42, 43).

The third bullet will be elaborated in upcoming articles. The second bullet will be addressed in the paragraphs on apologetics below. As to the first, the giving of the Gospel, this begs the question: What is the Gospel?

In a nutshell, the Gospel is the good news about God: his wonderful works, his love for humanity, and his plan for us. The Gospel is the path made clear—illuminating the two ways, one of life, one of death.[4] God is our Creator, and in him all things have their existence. God gives light to everyone who comes into this world, revealing himself through his works, so that all may learn to give thanks. Breaking down the Gospel into catechetical essentials could be done in the following manner during this period:

• Trinitarian: He who was sent by the Father and anointed by the Spirit is Lord, Messiah, and Savior, Son of God and Son of Mary. The Father has sent his faithful begotten one, Jesus Christ, to announce to us his inner life, the mysteries of heaven. This is eternal life: to know the one true God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent; the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is our destiny and model of perfect love (see Jn 6:29; GDC 99–100).
• Christ-Centered: Through the saving action of his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven (the Paschal Mystery), Jesus has become the way for us to take advantage of the Father’s plan for our salvation (see Jn 14:6; GDC 98).
• Ecclesial: While on earth, Jesus went about doing good and preaching the kingdom of God, which he perpetuated in a visible Church (see Eph 3:10; CCC 760).
• Personal: The Holy Spirit has made it possible for us to turn from the slavery of sin and to access the full power and merits won for us by Jesus Christ, which are dispensed in the Church through the sanctifying action of the sacramental life, enabling us to make the mind of Christ our own and to love God and neighbor in holiness (see 1 Cor 2:16; GDC 43, 117).
• Forward-Looking: Jesus ascended to the Father to prepare a place for his people, who have been freed from sin and taken into the family of God (see Jn 14:1–7). We are a people founded in hope (see GDC 16).
• Heaven-Focused: The Father’s plan for our salvation is for us to “become partakers of the divine nature” (see 2 Pt 1:3–4; GDC 36). Jesus’ family will endure the judgment that is to come and will enjoy his steadfast love that endures forever (see Ps 89:2) in the heavenly banquet.
• Experienced in This Community: This parish family warmly invites you to come and see our life, to enter into full communion with Christ, and to participate in the Father’s plan with us (see 1 Jn 1:1–4; GDC 102, 256).

The catechist in the Precatechumenate is continually linking everything he or she teaches to the great story of the wonderful works of God and his plan revealed for us. Through reason, humanity can know that God exists; however, only from Revelation can humanity know who God is. Necessary to teaching during this period is helping inquirers understand how to navigate the Bible, as well as soaking each session in Scripture in order to guide and apply divine Revelation to daily life.

It is worth noting at this early stage that the use of citations from the Old and New Testaments in teaching OCIA sessions should evidence the radical change wrought by the Incarnation. Prayer, for example, has a different meaning in the Old Testament in that it is a human activity; whereas in the New Testament, it is the activity of redeemed and elevated humanity and a participation in the prayer of Jesus Christ. God is involved with his people in a new way in Christ Jesus, and his people are involved with him, here and now, immediately. The Church, then, is our encounter with Jesus, the Risen One, and the Risen One’s encounter with those being transformed by his Spirit. The Church is not just the means that help us to encounter Jesus—she is the encounter.