Bishop Solis presides at rite for those preparing to enter the Church

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis signs the Book of the Elect for a parish during the Feb. 25 Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion of Baptized Candidates.

SALT LAKE CITY — Bishop Oscar A. Solis celebrated the Rite of Election of Catechumens and the Call to Continuing Conversion of Baptized Candidates at the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Feb. 25.

This year, the diocese has 281 catechumens and 60 candidates who will enter the Church at the Easter Vigil. Catechumens are those who are preparing for baptism and will also be confirmed; candidates are those who are already baptized; they will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The rite “calls men, women and children from all over the diocese into a new relationship with the Church,” with the catechumens indicating their readiness for the sacraments; the candidates are preparing to complete their Christian initiation, the bishop said, speaking in English and Spanish.

In his comments following the Gospel reading, the bishop welcomed those gathered to the cathedral, “the mother church of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. … Please know that this is your cathedral, and all of you are welcome to come here any time to celebrate the holy Eucharist.”

The ceremony that day was another step for those preparing to become full members of the Catholic Church, he said. “Our celebration reminds us that each one of us is loved by God. God in his infinite love has called us to be in union with him. It is God’s plan, but he gives us the freedom, the freedom to decide for ourselves and accept his divine invitation for his will and his plan for our life.”

Referencing the day’s Scripture readings (Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7; 1Rom 5:12-19; and Matt 4:1-11), he noted that each person is responsible for his or her decisions regarding their salvation. While Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and through them sin entered the world, Christ’s “obedience to God’s will gave us our salvation,” the bishop said, “and in the Gospel, Christ showed us the right disposition of heart to make the right decision. He humbly relied on the power of the Word of God. He trusted God – quite different from Adam and Eve. It gave him the strength and the power to fight temptation and follow the will of God to be our savior.”

For those gathered in the cathedral for the rite, it was about their decision to accept “God’s invitation to love him and to be in union with him,” the bishop said. “Your presence today expresses your response to his divine initiative and invitation, which is a free and gratuitous gift from God. Choosing to embrace God opens the door for you to become part of the community of faith and members of the Catholic Church, the Body of Christ.”

The bishop said he looked forward to the Easter Vigil, when those present will receive or complete the Sacraments of Initiation, “so that we can gather together around the altar of sacrifice as one [family] of God, brothers and sisters united by the love of God, to joyfully celebrate the holy Mass and partake of the sacrament of our salvation – the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

During the Rite of Election, the catechumens inscribed their names in the Book of the Elect. During the Call to Continuing Conversion, the candidates were presented to the bishop and affirmed that they desire full communion with the Church.