SACRAMENT MATTERS: Evangelisation and the Sacraments
Dr Christine Wood, Director, Office of Evangelisation & Catechesis
Attempting to evangelise can be a daunting task, with risks of rejection, but also opportunities to help people encounter the living God.
Since the Church exists to evangelise, it’s imperative that we learn how to do it well.
Methods of evangelisation abound, but the Church’s own model is called the ‘baptismal catechumenate’. Based on the evangelising techniques of Christ and his Apostles, the model developed considerably during the fourth and fifth centuries. Vatican Council II restored this ancient catechumenate in what’s called today, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
The baptismal catechumenate is a process consisting of four steps: pre-catechumenate, the catechumenate, purification and enlightenment, and mystagogy.
The process begins in befriending people and helping remove any obstacles they have to encountering God.
This might require conversations about difficult topics, or simply accompanying them in order to show that you are invested in their wellbeing. Praying for them is essential.
The next step is to proclaim the basic Gospel message (the ‘kerygma’) in order to facilitate an encounter with Jesus Christ.
This includes calling the person to conversion, repentance, and faith. This opens the door to a lengthy period of catechesis in which the Mystery of Christ is explored whilst providing numerous opportunities to deepen their conversion to Jesus Christ.
It’s helpful to speak to people about the Gospels, so they hear Jesus’ words and learn about what he has done to save us.
As people grow in Christian faith and turn more away from sin, they begin to seek a new community that can support them in the new life that God has called them into.
Connection with the local church community is vital for spiritual and moral growth. The local church’s prayer groups, bible studies, and outreach ventures are essential avenues for supporting those seeking to become Catholic.
After a lengthy period of preparation and discernment, these people begin their final journey towards the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Blessed Eucharist. Notice that the sacraments are not the beginning of the work of evangelisation.
After receiving the sacraments, newly initiated Christians require further catechesis on the sacraments in order to discover how to live out the sacramental life fully.
Children who were baptised as infants still need to be evangelised and catechised. The Catechism says: “By its very nature infant Baptism requires a post-baptismal catechumenate.
Not only is there a need for instruction after Baptism, but also for the necessary flowering of baptismal grace in personal growth. The catechism has its proper place here.”