As each step of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is approached, time is needed for listening for God's presence. This period of discernment allows the inquirer, the catechumen, or elect, a chance to consider how God is acting in his or her life and where God is calling the individual. Discernment in Christian Initiation assists initiation ministers with guiding people to listen to what God is doing in their lives and where God is leading them. The resource also aids initiation ministers as they help catechized and uncatechized baptized Christians seeking to be received into the Church to discern God's movement in their lives. A chapter focused on children provide initiation ministers with an understanding of how to discern the reasons for initiation with the parents and child as well as the needs of the child. This volume is an invaluable reference for sponsors and other guides who journey with RCIA candidates. It describes the decision-making process and how people have experienced it. The book serves to improve the listening skills of guides and helps them ask the right questions at the right time. The appendix contains specific suggestions for interviews during the four stages of the Christian initiation process and offers a format for a discernment day before the Rite of Election.

2021 Catholic Media Association Award first place award in faith formation 2021 Catholic Media Association Award second place award in pastoral ministry - catechetical The catechumenate is animated by trust. Seekers have to trust in new, barely-rooted faith. Seekers also need to have trust in parish ministers, who will to guide them on the way. Parish ministers need to have trust in their Spirit-given gifts. Most importantly, all involved in the RCIA process needs to have trust in the church’s normative formation practice—scripture and tradition mediated through the gradual encounter with Christ in the celebration of the liturgical year. Eliot Kapitan makes it easier for each to trust. With gentle wisdom, he presents an ordered method for preparing the Period of the Catechumenate Sunday-by-Sunday, season-by-season, liturgical year-by-liturgical year. If you have ever lacked confidence in your ability to lead the seekers on the way of faith, this book will help you trust that you already have all the skills and resources you need.

The revised second edition of the award-winning The RCIA: Transforming the Church incorporates new insights in liturgical catechesis and ritual celebration that have emerged since the original edition. The changed format includes an expanded commentary on each of the periods of the rite, expanded sections, all-new sections, practical guidelines, and suggestions for using the rite with children.Again divided into three parts, this resource first looks at foundational issues for implementing the rite, including underlying theological issues and ministries in initiation. The second section looks at each stage in the rite following a four-step process. The third section examines pastoral issues such as annulments, ecumenical sensitivity, discerning valid baptism, etc.

The period of purification and enlightenment is one of intense spiritual preparation for the elect, who have been chosen by God to receive the Easter sacraments. This guide provides practical and liturgically sound ideas for celebrating the rites of this period and for integrating these rites as the primary source of the elect’s formation and preparation for initiation. This resource includes: An overview of six foundational principles of initiation ministry and how they are applied to the period of the purification and enlightenment Background on the rites Suggestions for celebrating the rites Ideas for reflecting on the rites in a retreat-like way Guided meditations on the scrutiny Gospel accounts Seven fully prepared formation sessions on the Rite of Election, the three scrutinies, the handing on of the creed and the Lord’s Prayer, and the Rites of Immediate Preparation A newly composed hymn for use during formation sessions

The recent retranslation and US adaptation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults can be seen as the work of the Second Vatican Council continuing to unfold, fulfilling the council’s mandate to draw up texts and rites so that they “express more clearly the holy things that they signify” (Sacrosanctum concilium, 21). In this present volume, A Pastoral and Theological Commentary on the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, fourteen authors—all scholars and pastoral ministers steeped in the Church’s living liturgical tradition—help us appreciate this unfolding more deeply by presenting the historical development and theological significance of the OCIA rites and texts, thus enriching our pastoral practice. Introductory essays present a contextual foundation, including discussion of historical and theological roots and an exposition of Christian Initiation: General Introduction Then, following the structure of the OCIA, eight chapters of commentary concentrate on each stage of Christian initiation, from acceptance into the Order of Catechumens through the Period of Mystoagogy, including chapters on the Rites for Particular Circumstances. Further commentaries on the musical enrichment of the rites and on the newly revised National Statues for the Catechumenate round out this panoramic, yet accessible, view of the rites of the OCIA. “This book is for anyone ministering in or studying Christian initiation. We believe it offers a deep understanding of the rites for both those long familiar with this process and those fairly new to it. For those who wish to pursue further study, either casual or in-depth, a vast array of endnotes and bibliographies offer plenty of suggestions” (editor Victoria Tufano, from the introduction).

This resource forms Christian initiation coordinators in the many aspects of their role. It provides the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, outlines the roles of the coordinator in animating the parish and forming the team, and presents catechesis as framed within liturgical prayer. The Role of the Coordinator in Christian Initiation offers many practical tips to help the process flow smoothly in the parish.

This resource guides priests through the periods and steps of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, pointing out their role as a shepherd to the community. A table provides an easy reference to the steps and periods of the process.