Franciscan at Home

It was a Sunday just like any other. At the end of Mass, the priest said, “Next week, bring a non-Catholic to Mass.” I turned to my wife and whispered, “I have someone in mind.”

I had a Chinese coworker whom I will call “John.” He and I often talked about philosophical topics such as the meaning of life. At first, John was an atheist, but through our conversations, he had moved into agnosticism. Accepting Thomas Aquinas’ arguments for the existence of God wasn’t too hard for John because he often praised Aristotle, and Aquinas seemed like a continuation of Aristotle.

Discussing Aquinas was good progress in our conversational catechesis, but getting from Aquinas to Jesus seemed far off. So one day I decided to jump right to it and asked point-blank:

“Who do you say that Jesus is?” John was surprised by my question.

“My understanding is that he founded Christianity,” he responded politely, “but I need to read more about his philosophy.”

Not knowing where to go from there, I told John that I would find some material and get back to him. But I felt lost. Should I talk about the historicity of the Gospels? Should I explain that Jesus is the only person in history to be preannounced? Should I tell John that Jesus is God?

Before I could find the material that I had I promised to give John, I found myself at church, at that liturgy, with Father encouraging us to bring a non-Catholic to Mass. So, back at work, I took the plunge and said to John, “The best way to understand Jesus is by taking you to Mass next Sunday.” He didn’t hesitate to accept my invitation.

When Sunday came, I waited for John in the parking lot, and then my family and I accompanied him into the church. I could tell he was curious about the reverence parishioners showed toward the altar. As the Mass began, I waited for the priest to say something along the lines of, “Welcome all non-Catholics; I will explain the Mass.” However, he began celebrating the Mass as usual. It was a beautiful liturgy, as always, and the priest gave a wonderful homily—but he made no special mention to acknowledge any guests.

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.

My first Christmas Eve as a priest, while I was putting the finishing touches on my Midnight Mass sermon, the rectory office doorbell rang continuously with devoted parishioners dropping off many gracious gifts. I opened the door for the umpteenth time, and there appeared before me a college-aged guy . . . without a present or card. “Are you a priest?” he asked. My collar was apparently not tipping him off. “Yes,” I confirmed. “I want to be Catholic!” he eagerly rejoined. It was a far better Christmas present than any other I would receive.

The technical term “care of souls” sadly remains almost unknown outside of clerical training. The concept encompasses serving the spiritual needs of all: reconciling the wayward, evangelizing the unchurched, serving the suffering, challenging the staunch—in short, everything that makes the life of the Church fruitful from the parochial level on up. An older translation renders it “cure of souls,” highlighting the hope of health for the spirit from the disease of sin with which we are plagued. For that reason, it applies specifically to the responsibilities of bishops and parish priests, the holy doctors of human hearts, but all the faithful have a share in its spirit of pursuing the salvation and sanctification of souls. No devout Catholic can be without a long prayer list for special cases in need of conversion or reversion. Imagine including the ones we’ve not even encountered yet!

What does it mean to receive the Eucharist, to enter into communion with Jesus?

“He’s just too small,” sobbed a woman we had just met. It was a sunny summer day, and the pastor, transitional deacon, and I were out knocking on doors within our parish boundaries. This woman’s door was within eyesight of the rectory, and it happened to be the first one we had visited. The conversation had started off just as awkwardly as one would imagine. She answered the door hesitantly, but smiled as we introduced ourselves. She was a parishioner and relaxed when she saw the pastor standing at the back of our group. We explained that we were out introducing ourselves and the parish to the neighborhood. When we asked if there were any intentions we could pray for, she took a deep breath and said yes. She then began to tell us about her unborn grandson and how her daughter’s pregnancy was not going well. She asked us to pray for the baby boy, who was just too small.

We could have just as easily not been there. That same morning, I had offered a training for any parishioners who wanted to learn about door-to-door evangelization. The idea was to walk them through a basic script at the parish and let them shadow those of us with more experience as we knocked on doors in the surrounding neighborhood. Nobody came.

Door-to-door ministry is a frightening prospect for many Catholics, and it is a frightening ministry to organize. Yet, there are overflowing graces to be had, both for the evangelist and the evangelized. Consider my opening story: What would have been lost if our team had gone home after the failed training seminar? Within eyesight of our parish was someone who needed Jesus’ comfort and the only way we could bring it to her was by following Christ’s own counsel: “Ask, . . . seek, . . . knock” (Mt 7:7).

I have been engaged in door-to-door evangelization since 2017. In that time, I have knocked on countless doors and said countless prayers. I have been invited into living rooms and have been cursed from behind locked doors. I have interrupted drug deals and witnessed spontaneous neighborhood prayer meetings. Through it all, I have become convinced that this style of ministry does have a place in the Catholic Church.

Historically, door-to-door ministry has been the near-exclusive province of Protestants, Latter Day Saints, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Frankly, there have been times that, after seeing two men in white dress shirts and ties walking through my neighborhood, I suddenly decided there were errands I needed to run. Undoubtedly, the first pitfall to be overcome in this ministry is its perception. The very words “door-to-door” conjure up images of tract-wielding zealots and vacuum cleaner salesmen. The only way to change this perception is to do the ministry a different way. What if door-to-door evangelists were like those servants of the master who went out into the streets and through the city inviting all they met to the great wedding feast (see Lk 14:15–24)?

Back in 1989, when I first began working as a parish catechetical leader, I remember becoming alert to a pattern that unfolded regularly in our church parking lot. Two nights a week, our empty parking lot would become quite busy for two short periods of time. A line of cars would begin to form at 6:45 p.m. that would slowly inch along as parents dropped their children and teens off for parish catechesis. Then the lot emptied except for the dozen or so cars of the catechists. And then, an hour and a half later, the methodical line would predictably form again and creep along as parents retrieved their kids.

I had never been particularly attentive to this until that night. My alertness came about because of a contrasting pattern I had noticed for the first time in a church down the street. The previous week, I had noticed just how different the experience was in the evangelical Christian church parking lot. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, that church also had many cars entering the lot. But these cars were parked and remained for several hours until their drivers exited together at around 9 p.m. In that community, the adult drivers got out of their cars and entered, and then, surprisingly, remained in the building. As their kids went to Bible studies, so did their parents and other adults; whereas in our Catholic parish, the adult-chauffeurs immediately departed as their kids were catechized. In one church, the idea of studying and growing in an understanding of God’s Word was normative adult Christian life. Yet in the other—in ours—catechesis was an activity meant for the kids.

When it comes to the Catholic parishes with which each of us might be most familiar, what age level receives the most focused catechetical attention?

In 2017, the bishops of the United States held a convocation focused on unpacking and applying Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”). It was a beautiful moment of solidarity around the essential mission of the Church. Throughout the convocation, the bishops often repeated the mantra “We all are missionary disciples!” That phrase certainly echoes Pope Francis’ words in Evangelii Gaudium, “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples,” but it also reflects a desire in the American episcopate for the faithful to embrace the mission of evangelization and live out their identity as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.[1]

This expressed desire has inspired many efforts to form evangelizers and missionary disciples at the diocesan, parochial, movement, and apostolate levels. These formation opportunities have helped the Church ask more specific questions, such as: What does a missionary disciple need to know? What skills are necessary for missionary discipleship? Given the wide array of pastoral gifts, abilities, and methods, are some more pertinent or necessary than others? How long does it take to form a missionary disciple? These questions are all relevant, even important. But in forming a missionary disciple, there is one key question: how does baptism make one a missionary disciple? Understanding the answer to this question helps catechists and leaders to approach formation from a position of collaboration with what God is already doing rather than what we hope he wants to do.

Notes

Americans love to buy things. Many even consider “going shopping” an actual recreational activity. But for most people, before they surrender their hard-earned cash on a new pair of shoes, a phone, or a car nothing sways consideration between choices more than a personal recommendation of someone they know who has used the product. The personal experience of friends goes a long way toward giving them confidence that they are making the correct decision. In the world of marketing, this kind of product endorsement is called a “testimonial.”

The first celebrity endorsement came in 1882 when Pears’ Soap used a picture of Lillie Langtry, a famous actress, on its advertising poster.[i] Manufacturers soon learned that if they have a familiar face admit to using their product, their product will have more credibility. If this was not the case, advertising today would simply consist of listing out the benefits of a product and expecting people to make a rational choice.

All catechesis, especially in RCIA, requires that we do more than simply list true facts about the faith. If we want to lead people to a deeper conversion and a genuine “yes” to Jesus, we must employ the power of personal testimony from those leading them to Christ.

Within the process of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), the Rite of Election is a powerful liturgical moment. The Church rejoices at the imminent birth of new Christians, praying for the Elect as they draw even closer to the Lord in preparation for receiving the Sacraments of Initiation. The rite is also a culmination of learning about the Church—it is the point when catechumens formally declare their desire to enter the Church. The Rite of Election can serve as a valuable opportunity for reflection for those of us who are parish catechetical leaders, reminding us too that communion must form the context for catechesis.

This intention of the Rite of Election is especially pronounced in the modified wording of the Rite of Election for children over the age of seven. In this version of the Rite of Election there is a  profound moment when godparents are asked to formally declare the preparedness of the children through a series of questions: “Have these children shown themselves to be sincere in their desire for baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist?” “Have they listened well to the word of God?” “Have they tried to live as his faithful followers?” “Have they taken part in this community’s life of prayer and service?”[1] While these questions are asked about the children, they have implications for the godparents and parents, and, by extension, us catechists as well. The questions point to the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not happen in a vacuum.

An Integral Part of Discipleship and Catechesis

The Directory for Catechesis, quoting Pope Francis, teaches that “The faith is professed, celebrated, expressed, and lived above all in community: ‘The communitarian dimension is not just a “frame,” an “outline,” but an integral part of the Christian life, of witness and of evangelization.’”[2] We see this implied in the questions asked in the Rite of Election. The first three questions could technically be discerned individually by the godparents alone but are more richly lived and discerned within the parish community. The fourth question necessarily includes the broader parish community. We as parish catechetical leaders have an incredible opportunity to pray for and foster this community within the programs we lead.

Practically speaking, parish catechetical leaders are often the first real contact a family seeking the sacraments through RCIA has with the parish community. We can guide this family into the community in not merely a superficial way but one that allows for friendship and apprenticeship in the Christian life. We become the gatekeepers in some sense, with a duty to bring those coming to the Church into the community of the parish. And, may I argue, we also have the mission to, under the guidance of the pastor, foster and encourage deep Christian community for all. The connections we facilitate can potentially allow catechumens to receive from and enrich a community for generations.