THE WEIRD & THE WONDERFUL


“By praying together in a way that flowed and needed no rehearsal, we understood what God was doing to and in us through Christ.”


in a style that reflected their liturgical sensibility, and highlighted the rite’s climax while flowing seamlessly into the Glory to God.


It was no longer “weird.” It was glorious! Tat assembly and our new catechumen were changed by that ritual, “disrupted” out of our old paradigms. We all felt the meaning of the rite through our singing. By praying together in a way that flowed and needed no rehearsal, we understood what God was doing to and in us through Christ. We were being transformed, little by little, into “a community of lively faith in Jesus Christ dead, risen, and present actually among his People.” Kavanagh was right. When one change occurs, all changes.


Endnotes: 1


Aidan Kavanagh, “Christian Initiation in Post-Conciliar Catholicism: A Brief Report,” in Living Water, Sealing Spirit: Readings on Christian Initiation, ed. Maxwell E. Johnson (Liturgical Press: Collegeville, MN, 1995), 7-8.


2


Bracketed text in this article is from the proposed new English translation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults for use in the dioceses of the United States.


3


International Commission on English in the Liturgy and the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States: Washington, DC, 1988), no. 1.


4


Te Rite of Election or Enrollment of Names is another significant rite in the catechumenate process. However, since this rite is normatively celebrated by the bishop at the cathedral and the music is usually prepared by diocesan or cathedral staff, we will omit it here for the purpose of the limited focus of this article.


5


RCIA, no. 141. [“…set forth to purify minds and hearts, to fortify against temptations, to convert intentions, and to awaken the will, so that the elect may cling more closely to Christ and pursue more vigorously their desire to love God”] (OCIA, no. 141).


6


Te name given to catechumens who have been chosen by the bishop to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the next Easter Vigil.


7


RCIA, no. 141. [“…to reveal what is weak, sick and sinful in the hearts of the elect so that it can be healed; and what is honorable, strong and holy, so that it can be strengthened”] (OCIA, no. 141).


8 RCIA, no. 60. 9 RCIA, nos. 55-56.


Diana Macalintal is the cofounder and codirector of TeamRCIA.com and Liturgy.life and is a widely recognized leader in the areas of the catechumenate and Catholic liturgy and music. With a Master of Arts in Teology from Saint


John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, she served in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for over thirty years. Diana is a prolific author and speaker and a published liturgical composer. She serves on the advisory boards of several national Catholic organizations. Find her with her husband, Nick Wagner, at TeamRCIA.com.


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