by Michael Podrebarac
This Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent, the church throughout the world will celebrate the Rite of Election. This rite begins the final period for the catechumens who will be baptized at Easter.
Many dioceses will also be celebrating the Rite of Calling the Candidates to Continuing Conversion. This rite recognizes those who, already one with us in baptism, are seeking confirmation and full communion with the Catholic Church.
The season of Lent traces its very origins to the ancient catechumenate, originally a final period of fasting and prayer which followed years of formation and growing closer and closer to the Lord. It was only over time that what the catechumens were first called to, everyone became called to, as the faithful would come to renew their own baptism at Easter.
During the next six weeks, the catechumens will likely be anointed with the oil of catechumens, which the archbishop blesses during Holy Week. On the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, they will celebrate the Scrutinies, three minor exorcisms which will free them even further from the bonds of sin and draw them ever closer to Jesus.
After the first scrutiny, they’ll receive a copy of the Creed, the profession of faith that all the faithful make at their baptism; this creed they will profess just before their baptism on Holy Saturday. After the third scrutiny, they will be presented with a copy of the Lord’s Prayer, the model of all prayer by which we pray in solidarity with him to God the Father.
Finally, after the last counsels, instructions, preparations and rehearsals have taken place, the catechumens will gather with the church in the darkness of Holy Saturday night, to receive the light of Christ in the blessed fire of Easter, and to listen to the “greatest (and truest) story ever told” — the history of salvation from the chronicle of creation in Genesis to the empty tomb of conquering life in St. Matthew’s Gospel.
Then, led by a faith which began long ago, and has matured steadily day after day, week after week, and month after month, they will be buried with Christ in the waters of baptism, rising with him as beloved children.
They, alongside the candidates for full communion, will be anointed with the Holy Spirit of Pentecost. They will enter fully into the eucharistic sacrifice for the very first time, partaking of the body and blood, soul and divinity of the Son of the living God, the holiest of all communions.
One journey completed, a greater journey begun.
