FINAL PREPARATION AND INITIATION RITES (36)

Introduction

In the last article, I examined the RCIA process from the Rite of Election to the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. In this article, I will discuss the rites belonging to the final stage of preparation and the third step of the RCIA, that is, Reception of the Sacraments of Initiation, namely Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

What are the preparation Rites?

There are a number of rites that may be celebrated to help the elect to make the final preparations for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation. Usually, these rites take place on the morning of Holy Saturday, where the elect gather with the celebrant, usually the parish priest, and some members of the community.

Recitation of the Creed (RCIA, 193-196)

In this rite, the elect recites the Creed before the celebrant and the community. This prepares them for the profession of faith that they will make just before they are baptised. Prior to the recitation, the celebrant says a prayer for the elect, after which they recite the Creed.

Ephphetha Rite (RCIA, 197)

The Ephphetha rite, also known as the rite of opening the ears and mouth, is celebrated to impress upon the elect their need for the grace to hear the word of God and to profess it to others. The rite has two parts. Firstly, the elect listen to the Gospel reading and an explanation of the passage as found in Mark 7: 31-37. Then, they come before the celebrant, who touches the right and left ear and the closed lips of each elect with his thumb, and says: “Ephphetha: that is, be opened, that you may profess the faith you hear, to the praise and glory of God.”

Choosing a baptismal name (RCIA, 200)

The rite of choosing a baptismal may also be celebrated on Holy Saturday if it was not done so in the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens.

The priest concludes the preparation rites with the prayer of blessing and dismissal of the elect. The elect are then asked to spend the rest of the day in quiet reflection and prayer as they look forward to the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

What are the rites belonging to the Reception of the Sacraments of Initiation?

At the Easter Vigil, the elect enter the third step in the Christian initiation of adults, where they receive Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

Celebration of Baptism

The rite of Baptism takes place after the homily at the baptismal font. It begins with the presentation of the candidates, where they are called forward one by one, and are accompanied by their godparents. After which, the celebrant invites the community to pray for the elect. Then, the litany of the saints is sung.

Prayer over the water

The prayer over the water declares the religious meaning of water as God’s creation and the sacramental use of water in the unfolding of the Paschal Mystery. It is also a remembrance of God’s wonderful works in the history of salvation. Therefore, it also introduces an invocation (a calling upon) of the Trinity at the very start of the rite of baptism.

Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith

The renunciation of sin and the profession of faith are a perfect prelude to baptism. By their own personal act in the rite, the elect renounce sin and Satan. By professing their faith, the elect express that they will not be baptised passively but will receive this sacrament with the desire to renounce error and to hold fast to God.

Baptismal washing

Immediately after their profession faith, the elect come forward to be baptised. The celebrant baptises them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as the elect had earlier professed their faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, invoked by the celebrant, the Holy Trinity now act on those who are being baptised. From now on, the baptised person is called a “neophyte”, a Greek word that means, "newly planted" or "newly converted". 

The baptismal washing is followed by certain rites that give an expression of the sacrament the neophytes have just received.

Clothing with the baptismal garment

It signifies the new dignity the neophytes have received. In his prayer, the celebrant says to each of them, “(Name)… you have become a new creation and have clothed yourselves in Christ. Receive this baptismal garment and bring it unstained to the judgement seat of our Lord Jesus Christ so that you may have everlasting life. At the words “Receive this baptismal garment”, the godparent places the garment on the newly baptised.

Presentation of a lighted candle

This rite shows that the neophytes are called to walk as children of the light. The celebrant takes the Easter Candle in his hands or touches it, saying to the godparents: “Godparents, please come forward to give to the newly baptised the light of Christ”. The godparent of each newly baptised goes to the celebrant, lights a candle from the Easter candle, and then presents it to the neophyte.

Celebration of Confirmation

In line with an ancient practice, adults who are baptised will receive Confirmation immediately afterward, unless some serious reason stands in the way. The celebration of the two sacraments one after the other signifies the close link between the saving mission of the Son and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whom come with the Father to those who are baptised.

Invitation

At the start, the celebrant says to the neophytes: “My dear newly baptised, born again in Christ by baptism, you have become members of Christ and of his priestly people. Now you are to share in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among us, the Spirit sent by the Lord upon his apostles at Pentecost and given by them and their successors to the baptised.” After this, he addresses the rest of the assembly, asking them to pray for the newly baptised and later, prays with his hands outstretched over those to be confirmed.

Anointing with chrism

Then, the celebrant dips his thumb into the chrism and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the one to be confirmed saying: “[Name]... be sealed with the Holy Spirit.” The newly baptised responds “Amen”.

Renewal of baptismal promises

The celebrant invites the community and neophytes to join together in the renunciation of sin and profession of faith, after which, he sprinkles the entire assembly with the blessed baptismal water, while all sing an appropriate song. The rite concludes with a prayer by the celebrant.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Finally, in the liturgy of the Eucharist, the newly baptised reach the culminating point in their Christian initiation. Now raised to the ranks of the royal priesthood, they take an active part in the prayer of intercession. With the entire community they say the Lord’s Prayer and receive in Holy Communion for the first time.

Conclusion

With this, the neophytes enter the final period of the catechumenal process, that is, the Period of Mystagogy. This is a period which extends through the entire Easter season and concludes on Pentecost Sunday. It is “devoted to the post baptismal catechesis or mystagogy” and is a time “for deepening the Christian experience, for spiritual growth, and for entering more fully into the life and unity of the community” (RCIA, 7.4).  (For Period of Mystagogy: see my article entitled “MYSTAGOGY - EXPERIENCING THE MYSTERY (26)."