SAVORING THE MYSTERIES
“For the entire baptized Body of Christ, this ongoing practice of mystagogy—of learning to savor ever more deeply the Mystery of Christ— should last a lifetime.”
Instilling the importance of a lifelong journey of faith for the newly baptized will not be accomplished in one meeting but rather requires a mystagogical approach over time. David Regan asserts that “the 1972 Ordo . . . does not limit [mystagogy] to [the] final stage (often treated as optional), but sees it as pervading the whole process of initiation.”9
During
the Period of Evangelization, inquirers are “drawn into the mystery of God’s love.”10
Troughout the Period 36
of the Catechumenate, catechumens are presented with ways to deepen their understanding and experience of the mysteries through Scripture study and reflection, blessings, and anointings. Te Period of Purification and Enlightenment is full of mystagogical opportunities, most notably in the rituals of the Scrutinies and the Presentations of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. And, of course, the Sacraments of Initiation themselves offer a one-of-a-kind experience of the mystery of God’s love in the presence of the community. If these aspects of the initiation process are duly highlighted for the candidates during their journey toward the Sacraments of Initiation, a thirst for a lifetime of mystagogy will follow.
Mystagogy is an essential element for all the baptized. Tis model prepares new members of the community for their continued journey of faith, for a mystagogical way of life that transcends the formal process of initiation. Cronin reminds us that, when the catechumenate was reestablished, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was considered “the vehicle for continuing the task of renewal of the church,” and that the church community itself was viewed as “a mystagogical community.”11
By accompanying those
participating in all stages of the initiation process, the wider parish community immerses itself in its own mystagogical practice. Te season of Lent and the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, in
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