Rite of Election inspires cradle Catholics

Intermountain Catholic

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Catechumens sign the Book of Elect during the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, expressing their desire and intent to celebrate baptism, confirmation and Eucharist at Easter. IC photo/Marie Mischel

This past week our diocese celebrated the last of three Rites of Election, during which members of the RCIA formation process confirmed their commitment to be fully initiated into the Catholic Church this coming Easter.

Those who are preparing for baptism, i.e., the catechumens, were invited to take the next step in their journey of faith as they were received as members of the Elect. The candidates, i.e., those already baptized in another Christian religion and who will make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church this Easter, were affirmed in their process as well.

As we celebrated these three ceremonies, I was struck by the enthusiasm and excitement of the participants. It was clear to me that Jesus Christ is a vibrant reality in their lives and that they are responding to his call to give witness to Christ’s love by living the Catholic faith. While I am hesitant to draw comparisons, I couldn’t help but think of what I have heard many times over: Converts are more enthusiastic about their faith than are cradle Catholics. Certainly, this is not true across the board and I know many enthusiastic and passionate Catholics.

Nonetheless, there does seem to be a kernel of truth to the fact that converts have a deeper appreciation for the faith than do those of us who were baptized as infants and who may be more inclined to take our faith for granted.

To the extent that this may be true, I wonder why it is. Certainly Jesus Christ is calling each of us at every moment of our lives to embrace him and the Catholic faith with renewed vigor and energy. Yet it seems that converts are more keenly aware of this call than lifelong Catholics.

Of course, new beginnings are exciting and converts to the faith have a tremendous support system within our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process. Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that our elect and candidates see themselves as part of the process. They recognize that they are on a journey of faith and that they are getting closer and closer to a very dramatic moment in their lives when they celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism or profess their faith in Jesus Christ through the instrumentality of the Catholic Church. It may be that we lifelong Catholics have a subtle sense that, when it comes to our faith, we have arrived, our journey is complete and there is no need for us to do more.

Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth.

C.S. Lewis once said that to be a Christian one has to begin again each day as if nothing happened before. He instinctively knew that to be a Catholic means that we are always growing, always on the road, always living as a pilgrim.

When I was ordained a priest I had the idea that I had made it through 12 years of seminary and now I could relax and not have to worry about tests and study and evaluations. The seminarians of today know better than I did that this is not true. We no longer see ordination as a graduation but rather as a critical and important step along an entire lifetime of formation. In fact, we do not speak of priestly education but rather of priestly ongoing formation. This is also true of those in secular jobs. Doctors, executives, lawyers and so many others must continue to study and grow in their chosen profession if they are to remain competent and vibrant in their chosen profession. As human beings, we are always growing, always learning and always being formed.

To my way of thinking, the best way to be involved in the lifelong formation in the faith is to develop the all-important skill of listening. I noticed in the newspaper last weekend that Bill Marriott recently spoke about his great success in developing the famous hotel chain he inherited from his father. He indicated that he learned a great lesson from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, namely, that listening is the hallmark of a successful leader.

If we are to grow and learn, we must be good listeners. This does not simply mean listening on the surface but listening deeply to what others are saying. It also means that we listen to our mistakes and learn from them.

This is particularly true when it comes to prayer. So often we enter a moment of prayer and then proceed to do all the talking. It is important for us to listen to Christ speaking to us in the silence of our hearts, in holy Scripture, in the sacred tradition of the Church and in the celebration of the sacraments. Christ also speaks to us through our spouses, our children, our parents, our friends and our fellow parishioners. Each day we have a new opportunity to listen and to learn as Christ continues to work in us and in our formation process.

Another important element of faith formation is to put our listening into practice. Jesus reminded his followers that those who hear the Word of God and keep it (act on it) are truly blessed. As we live the faith we learn the faith. We learn from our mistakes and from our missed opportunities as well as from our successes. Putting the faith into action confirms what we’ve heard in prayer and helps us to grow as Catholic witnesses to the Gospel. During Lent we are called to give alms and to perform other works of charity that deepen the faith that motivates this outreach to others.

We are also formed in the faith as we celebrate in the sacramental life of the Church. Each time we come to Eucharist we have an opportunity to grow in the faith as we are nourished by God’s word and sacrament and strengthened in our commitment to live the faith more fully throughout the week. Gathering with our brothers and sisters, we give each other encouragement as we turn our hearts to the Eucharistic Lord and recommit ourselves as living members of his body, the Church.

These three areas of formation sum up the holy year we are celebrating this year. To study the faith (or listen), to live the faith and to celebrate the faith are the core elements of our Holy Father’s invitation to enter into this Year of Faith. He is inviting us to enter more fully into the formation process of being a Catholic. Embracing this life of formation extends well beyond the Year of Faith and enables us to journey with our elect and candidates as together we approach the Easter mysteries. At that time, all of us will enter more deeply into the mystery of baptism as we renew our baptismal promises and then feel the life-giving waters pour over our heads either in the baptismal font or in the pews during the Sprinkling Rite that calls to minds our baptism early in life.

Congratulations to our RCIA members who for the first time will experience the life-giving waters of baptism or who will make their profession of faith. Also, on behalf of us "cradle Catholics," let me add a word of gratitude to my congratulations: Thank you for inspiring the rest of us to quicken our pace as we join with you in the lifelong process of saying "yes" to Jesus Christ as baptized and enthusiastic Catholics.