By Max Norden
To get maximum benefit for both catechumens and the dismissal session leader, it is helpful to have a simple template using three simple concepts for doing these sessions. Before discussing the template, let’s review the key points from the last Network News issue:
If you’re unsure of any of these points refer to the Network News October 2014 for part 1 of this discussion.
How to do dismissal
The dismissal is a formal liturgical action and should be treated with this respect. After the homily the presider calls the catechumens to gather at the front of the church.
There are formulae in RCIA #67. The celebrant recalls briefly the great joy …. and urges them to live according to the word of God. The rubric is for the rite of acceptance; adapt the rubric to be less solemn on other Sundays. The dismissal prayer should be brief, informal and dignified.
The rite allows for improvisation. An appropriate dismissal text can be developed each week by either the pastor or a RCIA team member. There are published resources that align with the liturgical year as well such as the books by Jerry Galipeau (We Send You Forth, ISBN 1-58459-270-2) and Mary Milne (Sunday Dismissals for the RCIA, ISBN 0-8146-2145-7).
Another aspect of the dismissal action is making it catechetical for the assembly. The words of the dismissal prayer is one way, another is incorporating symbolism – giving the catechumens the Lectionary to process out with. Another way is to include a prayer for the catechumens in the prayers of the faithful each week – see Mary Milne’s book for sample texts.
The three mystagogical questions – see, hear and do
Dismissal is liturgical. It is a continuation of the Liturgy of the Word and a reflection of the joy that the catechumens heard and experienced during the Liturgy of the Word. For the catechumens, dismissal is:
Sometimes what the catechumens will remember or experience most deeply may not be in the actual readings, it may be something in the liturgical actions of the liturgy of the word, opening prayer, processional hymn, or the words of the homily.
See, hear, do
To help make this a mystagogical experience for the catechumens we can ask 3 questions.
These 3 questions often take the form of breaking open the word. The danger of using a breaking open the word format is that it can become scripture analysis. The aim is to keep it focused just on these three questions.
Doing a little breaking open of the word is fine, but this is not a time to ‘explain’ the gospel or other readings. The catechumens should be doing most of the talking.
A simple 30 minute dismissal session
The basics of leading a dismissal session are not too difficult. There are three things to pay attention to:
The aim of the dismissal session is to enable it to be a mystagogical experience for the catechumens. What is the experience they are having with the risen Christ in today’s liturgy of the word, and how can they make that be a difference in their life.
The room
When you leave, you need to go somewhere. Make sure the room is prepared ahead of time. The faith sharing after dismissal is not catechesis. It is an extension of the liturgy. So, if possible, you want to go to a room other than the usual catechetical space. If that’s not possible, try to make the catechetical space look more like a prayer room and less like a classroom. You might want to have a candle, a cross, some flowers, and possibly a stand for the lectionary. Have the chairs arranged in a circle, and place a Bible on each chair (or a copy of today’s readings ).
The flow
Opening (1 minute)
Try to maintain an attitude of prayer as you gather. There will be time for socialising later. A simple way to keep the prayerful sense of the liturgy is to recite the refrain of the responsorial psalm from Mass and have the catechumens recite it back. If you are at all musical, by all means, sing it. Begin the faith sharing with a statement like this: ‘Today we heard readings from ______, _______, and ______. Tell us something you remember from these readings.’
What do you see? (8 minutes)
Encourage everyone to share something they remembered. After everyone has spoken, ask them to go deeper into the reading. Have them open their Bible to the passage. Ask them each to name something they see in the reading. Keep going deeper, and keep focused on what they see. Paint a word picture to encounter all the characters in the reading.
Ask them to describe in as much details as they can.
What do you hear? (8 minutes)
Now go around again, asking everyone what they hear in the reading.
Pay particular attention to questions they hear spoken. Ask them if they heard anything new or surprising. Start to go deeper – ‘Do you hear anything in this passage that the Lord is saying to you?’
So What? What difference is this going to make in your life? (8 minutes)
Reflect in silence for a minute on why they think these readings matter. After the brief silence, ask the group questions about what the readings mean to them and in their lives. If your parish uses a question of the week, use that to draw out the so-what moments. Or ask, how, having seen and heard what they have in this scripture passage, their lives might be different in the coming week.
Ask if they have discovered anything new about themselves, about God, or about the Church.
Ask what questions they are struggling with as a result of these readings.
The close (5 minutes)
Summarise what you heard from the group and close with a prayer of your own or another traditional prayer.
What will change by doing quality dismissals?
For catechumens
The catechumens ‘learn’ from their dismissal that a joyful response to God’s saving word is required of us.
For the baptised
The baptised learn that our sharing in the sacrifice of the Mass is both a privilege and a responsibility of baptism. The challenge for those of us on RCIA teams is to influence our parish worship in such a way that that liturgy – especially the dismissal – teaches by the way it is celebrated.
Example: 5th Sunday of Lent
Normally we would use Year A readings if we have the 3rd scrutiny and associated dismissal. Alternatively, if there is no scrutiny, or, the presider does not want to prepare a second homily just for a Mass with a Scrutiny, you will be using Year B readings. The key focus in the dismissal discussion will be the ‘So What’ questions. Here are some examples of ‘So What’ you could consider:
Year A
What was the last funeral you attended? Was the deceased close to you? Did you need time to grieve?
How can faith strengthen you in your loss? Do you know of anyone who has lost a loved one and who has become stronger because of faith?
How we face death can help determine our quality of life. Does the end of life give us despair or hope? In the story of Lazarus, Jesus used the phrase ‘I AM’ to denote his own divinity and his relationship to the Father. Those who entrust themselves to Jesus will never see spiritual death. In spite of physical death, they will always have life in Christ. How does this idea of death inspire your faith or create doubt?
In the Gospel Jesus gives the command ‘Unbind him!’ In what ways do you still feel bound up? What do you need to do to shed these bindings?
What aspects of yourself and life would you like to bury? What aspects would you like to give new life to?
In the 1st reading Ezekiel proclaimed a message of extreme doom, he expressed an almost unreal hope in God’s power, ‘How do you find hope in the midst of gloom?’ ‘How does God give you hope in your times of darkness?’
In the 2nd reading Paul urges us to live life like we are investing in an eternal insurance policy. Like insurance policies we can either use the escape clauses and live for today or we can continue to invest in our future. ‘How have you renewed your eternal life insurance policy today?’
Year B
In the gospel, Jesus stated his glory in plain terms. It was the cross. Does the cross have any meaning in today’s culture? Does the meaning that culture gives the cross have any connection to Christian faith?
What does the cross mean to you? Have you ever meditated on a crucifix, seen a Passion play, or participated in a ‘Way of the Cross?’ What happened? What did you experience?
Consider your journey with the Lord. ‘How has that journey led to times of discomfort, even suffering? How has your ‘experience of the cross’ helped you to grow spiritually?
Jesus offers the parable of the wheat grain needing to die to create new life, when and in what way have you seen life come from death? What have you let die in your life to create new life for yourself? What do you still need to let die to create new life for yourself?
In the 1st reading Jeremiah preaches hope with a new covenant that God would offer to a chastened people. The people would know God in this new covenant through his forgiveness. How has the experience of forgiveness in your life helped erase the consequences of hurt?
In the 2nd reading the author presents an image of Christ as the quintessential priest and mediator of the new covenant offering his own suffering and death and prayer asking forgiveness of sin before the Father. He is our king-priest and our means to offer worship to the Father. How does your prayer and worship reflect Christ’s? How have you realised his reign in your life?
About the author: Max Norden is RCIA coordinator for Lumen Christi pastoral region in the diocese of Wollongong. The pastoral region incorporates the parishes of St Francis Xavier cathedral Wollongong, St John Vianney parish Fairy Meadow, and St Brigid parish Gwynneville. Each parish within the pastoral region has its own RCIA. Max’s involvement in RCIA is in excess of 15 years.
