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8/27/2010

I'm not sure if it is a real song, but every now and then I hear my wife singing the following lyrics around our house: "It's the never ending story. It just goes on and on and on. It's the never ending story." The theme of the final period of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is also a never ending story. It is called the Period of Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy.

Mystagogy is a time for members of the parish community and the neophytes, as the fully initiated are called, to grow together in the knowledge and understanding of the Paschal Mystery and making it a part of their lives through the sharing of Scripture, the celebration of the Eucharist, and the works of charity and ministries of the parish. Many parishes will host ministry fairs during this period to introduce the neophytes to the different ways in which they can get involved in the parish community.

It is also during this period that the neophytes, with the help of their godparents, should experience a full and joyful welcome into the parish community and enter into closer relationships with other parishioners. Through the new involvement of the neophytes, the parishioners should be inspired to recommit to their own involvement in the life of the parish. Thus ends the journey of the four periods and three steps of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, but the journey of faith, postbaptismal catechesis, and lifelong faith formation has only just begun and goes on throughout our lifetime. It is a never ending story!

For more information on Adult Initiation call the Office for Evangelization and Faith Formation of the Diocese of Greensburg at 724-837-0901.

Posted at 4:15 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

8/19/2010

CRAMMING FOR THE BIG TEST

If we have ever been a college student, we have all done it. Some people may have even done it in high school. We knew the big test was coming, but we put off studying. Now it's the night before the big test and it's time for a big pot of coffee, because it's the time to "pull an all nighter," and intensely prepare for the big test. It's called cramming. The Period of Purification and Enlightenment is the time in which the elect cram for the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation.

After the Rite of Election, the elect enter a period, known as the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, in which their spiritual preparation is more intense. It entails interior reflection and less catechetical instruction. The main purpose of the Period of Purification and Enlightenment is for the elect to search their own consciences, do penance, and enlighten their minds and hearts with a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. This done through study, as well as the celebration of the scrutinies, the presentations, and the proximate preparation for the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation on Holy Saturday.

The scrutinies are rites in which the elect uncover those things in themselves that are weak, defective, and sinful and heal them. Additionally, the scrutinies strengthen the items that are good, upright, and strong in the elect. The ultimate purpose of the scrutinies is to deliver the elect from the power of sin and fortify their relationship with Christ and his Church. There are three scrutinies. They usually take place on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent.

Two presentations are made to the elect. The first presentation is the presentation of the Creed, during the week following the first scrutiny. The elect are to commit to memory the prayer. They will recite it publically, professing their faith in the articles of the creed on the day of their Baptism. The second presentation to the elect is of the Lord's Prayer. This presentation is usually done during the week following the third scrutiny. The Lord's Prayer is our stamp that we have received the spirit of adoption into Christ's family in Baptism.

The last part of the Period of Purification and Enlightenment occurs with the proximate preparation for the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation on Holy Saturday. That day the elect are told to spend time in prayer and reflection and to not participate in their normal activities. Some parishes even have a day of reflection.

Then, it's time for the big test, the Easter Vigil, the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation. This is the third step in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Through the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, the elect are pardoned for their sins, admitted to the people of God, graced with adoption as children of God, led by the Holy Spirit, and share in the Eucharistic sacrifice and meal.

But, this process is not over. Stay tuned.

Posted at 4:25 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

8/17/2010

LAST WEEK TO REGISTER FOR THE EVANGELIZATION AND FAITH FORMATION CONFERENCE

Don't forget that this is the last week to register for the Evangelization and Faith Formation Conference. Registration ends Friday, August 20.

We look forward to seeing you on September 11.

Posted at 3:35 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

8/13/2010

ARE WE THERE YET?

Every parent who has ever gone on vacation with their children has heard this question, "Are we there yet?" In fact my ears are still ringing from hearing that question from my three children during our summer vacation two weeks ago. "Are we there yet," is also the way in which we can characterize the second period and second step in the initiation of adults into the Church.

The second period in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is called the Period of the Catechumenate. It is an extended period in which the candidates for initiation or catechumens are involved in pastoral formation and guidance, which leads to training them in the Christian life. This goal is achieved in four ways:

The pastoral formation is to be a gradual process, accommodated to the liturgical year, and supported by the breaking open of Scripture for the catechumens. The formation should lead the catechumens to an understanding of the dogmas and teachings of the Church, as well as a sense of the mystery of salvation in which they desire to participate.
As they become familiar with the Christian way of life the catechumens will make it a part of their own lives to turn to God in prayer, bear witness to the faith, and compassionately love their neighbor.
Liturgical rites are celebrated during the Period of the Catechumenate which purify and strengthen them with God's blessing. At the Sunday Celebration, the catechumens participate with the faithful in the Liturgy of the Word, in anticipation of their participation in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
It is also during this period that the catechumens learn that the mission of the Church is apostolic and the importance of service and evangelization in the lives of the faithful.

The time spent in the catechumenate should be long enough for the true conversion and faith of each catechumen to become strong. Thus, the question, "are we there yet?"

The period concludes with the second step or liturgical rite, the Rite of Election. The celebration of the Rite of Election, which is usually the First Sunday of Lent at the Cathedral, leads to the beginning of the more intense preparation for the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. During the Rite of Election the catechumens, now the elect, are encouraged to follow Christ more intensely. The Church, in the form of the diocesan Bishop, judges the state of readiness and decides on the catechumen's advancement toward the Sacraments of Initiation based on the testimony of sponsors and catechists, and the catechumen's reaffirmation of their own intention.

This step is called election because the acceptance made by the Church is based upon the election of the catechumens by God, in whose name the Church and Bishop are acting. The step is also called the enrollment of names because the elect pledge fidelity to finishing their journey to the Sacraments of Initiation by inscribing their names in the book that lists those who have been chosen for initiation.

The journey for the elect will now get more intense as they enter the third period in anticipation of the celebration of the third step. Are we there yet? Not quite. At this point the journey to the Sacraments of Initiation is similar to when after traveling a long distance you see the sign that says, "Welcome to Pennsylvania," and you still have 90 minutes until you pull into your driveway.

Don't forget there is only one more week to register for the Evangelization and Faith Formation Conference. The registration deadline is Friday, August 20.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With that in mind, let us remember the example that Mary is to us of humility, prayer, and discernment.

Prayer for the Assumption of Mary

Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness comes from you. In the plan of your wisdom she who bore the Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Posted at 4:20 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

8/10/2010

DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE EVANGELIZATION AND FAITH FORMATION CONFERENCE ONLY 10 DAYS AWAY!

The deadline to register for the Evangelization and Faith Formation Conference is only 10 days away. The registration deadline is Friday, August 20. There is still plenty of room in all workshops and facilitated discussions.

I look forward to seeing you on September 11 at the Evangelization and Faith Formation Conference!

Posted at 3:20 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

8/6/2010

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW

In this month's column I introduced the four periods and three steps that are associated with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA.) In the blog over the next month we will take a more in-depth look at these periods and steps.

In the 1990's the National Inquirer used the slogan in their promotions, "Inquiring minds want to know." The first period in the initiation of adults into the Church is known as Inquiry or Evangelization and Precatechumenate. It truly is a time for minds that have explored a relationship with Christ or the role of the Catholic Church in their lives to inquire and get answers to their questions about Christ and his Church.

During this time of inquiry the members of the RCIA team proclaim the living God faithfully and constantly and discuss how Jesus Christ was sent for the salvation of all. They also speak of how a life of faith has made a difference in their lives. It is a time where those who are inquiring have their hearts opened by the Holy Spirit. Hopefully through this proclamation of the Gospel the inquirer is motivated to initial conversion, pulled away from sin, and drawn into the mystery of God's love.

At the end of this time of inquiry and evangelization the first step, or liturgical rite of the initiation process takes place, with the acceptance into the order of the catechumens. At the Rite of Acceptance, the candidates who have completed the period of precatechumenate, for the first time publically declare their intention to the Church, and the Church in turn accepts them as persons who intend to become its members. Believe it or not, there is a prerequisite for participating in the Rite of Acceptance. There must be evidence of the beginnings of the spiritual life, that the fundamentals of Christian teaching have taken root in the candidates, and that initial conversion to change their lives and enter into a relationship with God in Christ has taken place. Most parishes will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance on specified dates during the year that are suited to their circumstances. The Rite of Acceptance usually consists of the reception of candidates, the celebration of the Word of God, and the dismissal of the candidates. Many parishes hold the Rite of Acceptance during a Sunday Liturgy.

So, the role of the faithful during this time of inquiry is to present and live the Gospel faithfully and support those inquiring about Christ and his Church. Inquiring minds want to know, let us help them know Christ through our lives and our worship.

Posted at 4:15 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

7/21/2010

CHARITY BEGINS IN LOVE

Many of us are familiar with a line from the ancient play, The Girl from Andros, written by the ancient Roman playwright Terence which goes, "charity begins at home." The meaning of that line is that we should be generous to our family before helping others.

The Church has a very different view of the theological virtue of charity. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church views the origin of charity in the love of Christ and the beatitudes. "Christ died out of love for us, while we were still 'enemies.' The Lord asks us to love as he does, even our enemies, to make ourselves the neighbors of those farthest away, and to love children and the poor as Christ himself." (CCC 1825)

The Church also sees charity as the preeminent of all virtues because of its origin in love and the beatitudes. "The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which 'binds everything together in perfect harmony'; it is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love." (CCC 1827)

Lastly, "the practice of the moral life animated by charity gives the Christian the spiritual freedom of the children of God. He no longer stands before God as a slave, in servile fear, or as a mercenary looking for wages, but as a son responding to the love of him who 'first loved us...'" (CCC 1828)

Posted at 4:50 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

7/16/2010

HAPPINESS DEFINED!

When I was a teenager a friend of mine had a poster in his room with words at the bottom that read, "Happiness Defined!" The poster contained a drawing with a man in front of a huge mansion in the hills overlooking Los Angeles. In the back of the home was a swimming pool and tennis courts. On the arm of the man was a beautiful woman. The mansion also had an eight-car garage, with a Corvette in each bay. In cultural art there are many ways in which happiness is defined. Some show the trappings of affluence. Some show serene scenes like the beach, flowers, children playing or eating, or rolling green meadows. Others show more familiar signs of happiness like the Smiley Face or a heart.

The Church knows and teaches that happiness is a desire of every person's heart placed there by our Creator. But, that it is the theological virtue of hope that assists in orienting our pursuit of happiness toward God. It is the hope that comes from God that keeps us going when life does not turn out the way we want.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men's activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity." (CCC #1818)

So keep hope alive in your heart, because it leads to happiness.

Posted at 4:00 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

7/9/2010

SEMPER FI

It has been the motto of the United States Marine Corps since 1883. It is engrained into one serving in the Marines as soon as they enter Boot Camp. It becomes a part of their life even after the leave the Corps. It's not odd to hear one ex-Marine yell to another "Semper fi," and the other respond, "OORAH!"

To the Marines, "Semper fidelis" signifies the dedication and loyalty that individual Marines have for "Corps and Country." The Latin meaning of "Semper fidelis" is, always faithful, always loyal. In this month's column I introduced the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. The next three weeks, the blog will take a more in depth look at each of these theological virtues.

Like the Marines, Christ, the Lord calls us to faithfulness and loyalty, because through faith, we can accomplish many things and we will be recognized by Christ. Christ illustrates this point twice in the Gospel of St. Matthew.

"Amen I say to you, if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Mt 17:20)

"Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." (Mt 10:32-33)

Lastly, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: 'All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks.' Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation." (CCC 1816)

We should always be ready to yell “Semper fidelis” to Christ, our Lord, our salvation depends on it!

Posted at 3:45 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

7/2/2010

CONFERENCE FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS: DON'T THROW AWAY THAT OLD GRILL

One of the things that I am famous for among my three children is grilling in the summer. In fact if you ask my son Colby, he'll tell you that I "make the best grilled stuffed hamburgers and hot dogs ever." For Father's Day this year, my wife and kids gave me a new grill. It was a nice upgrade from my nine-year old grill that I had to manually light. When it came time to take the old grill to the curb to throw out my two boys wouldn't let me. They said they "learned a lot from me about grilling" and wanted a grill of their own.

Asking questions and learning from someone with more experience and peers are the purpose of the Facilitated Discussions at this year's Evangelization and Faith Formation Conference. Participants in the Facilitated Discussions will be given the opportunity to ask questions that are important to them, and they will benefit not only from the facilitator but the collective wisdom of their colleagues. The Facilitated Discussions will be lead by experienced Evangelization and Faith Formation Leaders from the Diocese of Greensburg. The topics for the Facilitated Discussions include: evangelization, faith formation for Grades PreK-2, faith formation for Grades 3-5, Sacramental preparation, middle school youth ministry/catechesis, high school youth ministry, RCIA, family and intergenerational catechesis, adult Bible studies, and marriage preparation and enrichment.

In addition to Facilitated Discussions, participants will also be able to see some of the latest Evangelization and Faith Formation resources that are available in the Registration/Exhibit area. This year’s confirmed exhibitors thus far include: RCL/Benziger, Our Sunday Visitor - Curriculum Division, Sadlier, Loyola Press, Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association, the Center for Children and Theology, and various national organizations, diocesan offices, and religious communities.

Registration for the Evangelization and Faith Formation Conference is now open and runs through August 20. The registration fee is $20. You are now able to register for the conference online on the diocesan web site. Master Card, Visa, and American Express accepted. Those registering online will be required to pay the registration cost immediately using their credit card. Please call or email the Office for Evangelization and Faith Formation if you have any questions. Please remember that, although there will be two workshop sessions, they filled quickly last year and are again on a first come-first registered basis.

As we take the time to celebrate the 234^th anniversary of the birth of our great nation and all the freedoms that are a part of the United States of America this Sunday, let us pray for God’s continued blessings on our country and for the safety of those serving in the United States military.

Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer

- that You will keep the United States in Your holy protection,

- that you will incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government;

- and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States of America at large.

And finally that You will most graciously be pleased to dispose us all

- to do justice,

- to love mercy and

- to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of The Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.

Grant our supplication, we beseech you, through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen

- George Washington, April 30th, 1789

Posted at 4:05 PM by Sherwin, Robert | Category: Everyday Faith | Permalink | Email this Post

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