I went to the Rite of Election yesterday.
I love this aspect of the RCIA. I love the ancientness of it. People entering the Church were doing this same thing 1700 years ago.
The ancient Rite of Election
Interestingly, many people in the Church at that time were not baptized. They joined the catechumenate but delayed baptism until much later. Some even waited until their death beds! They were kind of like the nominal Catholics of today.
When people did decide to take the plunge at Easter (literally!) and get baptized, they enrolled themselves on the first day of Lent. The bishop would preside over the ceremony. He sat in the cathedra, the official chair that conveys the bishop’s authority, and questioned the godparents and neighbors of the candidate. He asked what kind of life the candidate led. Did he lie or cheat? Was he a drunkard?
In other words, has he converted? Had the instruction changed him? Had the Christian life taken hold? Faith, a living and active faith displayed by his life was the criteria for acceptance to the elect. It wasn’t automatic!
If he was accepted, the bishop would write down the person’s name. If rejected, he was told to go back and change his life!
The Rite of Election today
Essentially, the same thing happens today. At the climax of the rite, the bishop asks these questions to the godparents and sponsors, “Have they faithfully listened to God’s word proclaimed by the Church? Have they responded to that word and begun to walk in God’s presence? Have they shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer?”
For me, this is the destination of the RCIA process. All the instruction and programming are lead to these three questions.
The rite changes the candidates
It’s funny, the Rite of Election is a very simple thing, but it’s always powerful for the candidates. Their names are called, godparents and sponsors are asked to affirm their readiness, they are accepted and greeted by the Bishop. There’s not much to it, but it changes them.
It’s partly because there’s something bonding about a road trip. It’s like an adventure. 😉
But I think it’s more the majesty of the whole thing. The cathedral is an awesome building! The Bishop has a presence. There’s a huge pipe organ, incense, Knights of Columbus and hundreds of other catechumen and candidates from all over the diocese.
The Rite of Election gives them a sense of the Church–a sense of the magnitude that makes up a worldwide Church. So far they’ve only seen their classmates. There’s the tendency to think narrowly, like their the only ones doing this.
The Rite of Election explodes that myth. When they see the multitude on the same spiritual journey, making the same trek to the bishop, it changes things.
For the first time they’re part of something larger than themselves–larger than their individual experience or local community. They are part of a worldwide family! That’s sobering and comforting all at the same time.
I love the way that you describe this! Yesterday I was at a Rite of Election held in a high school auditorium and it just felt a little sad/incomplete even though everything was done well and I know that it is the bishop, not the cathedral, that matters. At the same time though it did feel amazing to know that there were so many people joining that the cathedral couldn’t hold them all, even in two sessions.
Thanks Rae!
That’s too bad you couldn’t go to the cathedral. It really adds something to it. Generally, everyone is quite awestruck by building and all the pomp & ceremony. However, the reason really is kind of cool! That’s very awesome that so many people are joining there!