Archdiocesan Catechetical Centre
Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
Introduction
At the recent Easter Vigil, thousands of adults, who journeyed in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), were fully initiated into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Upon their initiation, these adults are known as ‘neophytes’. The word "neophyte" originates from the Greek word neophytos, meaning "newly planted" or "newly converted". Generally, it refers to someone who is new or a novice to a field or activity. In the Church, it means a person who is a “new convert” to the Catholic faith.
For the neophytes, the journey in the RCIA usually lasts about nine months, beginning in July or August of the previous year. The journey reaches its highest point at the Easter Vigil. However, the RCIA journey does not end there. Instead, the neophytes enter the final period of the catechumenal process, that is, the Period of Mystagogy. This period extends through the entire Easter season and concludes on Pentecost Sunday. According to the RCIA, it is a period “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).
Devoted to post baptismal catechesis or mystagogy
‘Mystagogy’ has its roots in the early Church (2nd – 4th centuries). At that time, after they were initiated, the neophytes returned each day for the rest of the week to celebrate the Eucharist and to hear catechetical homilies preached by the bishop on the accounts of the Lord’s resurrection. Through a series of homilies, the bishop leads the neophytes to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Mystery of the resurrected Christ whom they had encountered at the Easter Vigil and in the sacraments they had received. In this way, they were helped to look back on what they experienced in order to gain a new perspective as to what it means to be a baptised member of the Church.
Nowadays, the main setting for the post-baptismal catechesis for the neophytes are the Sunday Masses of the Easter Season. As in the early Church, through the scripture readings and homilies that they hear, the neophytes are led to reflect on their encounter with the Risen Lord and to a richer understanding and appreciation of the sacraments in their lives. From this experience, states the RCIA, “they derive a new perception of faith, of the Church, and of the world” (RCIA, 246).
Deepening the Christian experience and spiritual growth
The word ‘mystagogy’ means leading the one who has been initiated into the Mystery. Its aim is to help a neophyte to savor the mysteries, that is, to become conscious that the Mass is not something that is merely celebrated or that the sacraments are something merely received but are in themselves sacred and profound encounters with the Risen Lord. Therefore, during the Period of Mystagogy the emphasis is distinctly on the experience of the Mystery of Christ’s resurrection rather than on the impartation of any knowledge or intellectual content.
At this time, the neophytes will begin to participate fully in the Sunday Eucharist with the rest of the community. It is significant that, as members of the worshipping community, they can now partake of Holy Communion. In this sense, the liturgical assembly itself becomes part of the Mystery into which the neophytes enter more deeply. In other words, it is particularly by their participation with all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration that the newly baptised can experience being truly a part of the Christian community.
The Period of Mystagogy is also a time for the community to deepen its own understanding of Christ’s resurrection, and especially its link to the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist which they themselves have received. Therefore, during this period, through hearing the Gospel message and sharing in the Eucharist, they too are called to reflect deeply on the Mystery of the Risen Christ and on their relationship with him as his disciples.
Entering more fully into the life and unity of the community
According to the RCIA, during the period of Mystagogy, the faithful should “… welcome the neophytes with open arms in charity and help them to feel more at home in the community of the baptised” (RCIA, 5). The neophytes, as such, should experience the Risen Christ through the joyful welcome of the community and by entering into closer ties with the other faithful. As they begin their new life as Christians, they are to be guided by the community to know what it means to belong to a community of believers and to be at the service of others.
The faithful, in meeting the neophytes, should themselves derive a deeper understanding and appreciation of their own faith and what it means to be members of a welcoming, participatory and serving community. Infact, one of the greatest gifts that community members can receive during the Period of Mystagogy is the witness of the neophytes’ enthusiasm and presence. In seeing the newly baptised eagerly embrace the gospel way of life and commit themselves to Christ, the community itself should be inspired to deepen its own awareness of its faith and sense of Christian discipleship.
Conclusion
It is clear that the Period of Mystagogy is a sacred moment not only for the neophytes but also for the community, most especially the parish community. Members of the parish must come forward to help the neophytes experience the Mystery of the Risen Christ, while they themselves must enter more deeply into it. Seen in this way, this period provides a privileged time and setting for community members to remember and deepen their original commitment to God which they made on the day of their baptism. If taken seriously, it can motivate them to discover anew their baptismal identity and make a greater commitment as members of the Church and as disciples of Christ.
