No mystagogia phase in RCIA?

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Im currently in RCIAvand look forward to coming into full communion with the Church. I have a relative who is also in RCIA but it seems they do it different at his parish. For example, we just completed all 3 scrutinies at Mass whereas his parish only had 2 of them and one was only in a classroom. And he just told me that they don’t have a mystagogia phase. We certainly have one at my parish and I’m looking forward to it. Is the RCIA process supposed to be different like this? O is there some leeway in how the process goes?
 
It really depends on the parish resources.

For you and your friend, I’d recommend reading **Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians **for Mystagogia.

Until we get to heaven, we’re all unfinished Christians.

There are no “self-made” success stories in the spiritual life. No do-it-yourself kits for aspiring saints. That’s why Living the Mysteries is ideal for a family member, friend, or fellow parishioner who was recently in the RCIA program and received the sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist – at the Easter Vigil. That’s why it’s perfect for a lifelong Catholic, too.

The early Church had a process in which a teacher guided seekers through stages of inquiry and purification, culminating in a final phase called “mystagogy” — MIST-a-go-gee — “the revelation of the mysteries.”

The instruction the early Christians needed is what we all need, no matter when we were baptized, no matter how much theology we’ve studied. That’s because God’s mysteries are inexhaustible and, until we get to heaven, we’re all unfinished Christians.

Spirit-Led Mystagogy from the Ancient Masters

Now eight of the early Church’s greatest teachers can be your guides as Living the Mysteries presents the wisdom and insights of: St. Ambrose
  • St. Augustine
  • St. Basil
  • St. Clement of Alexandria
  • St. Cyril of Jerusalem
  • St. Gregory of Nyssa
  • St. John Chrysostom
  • St. Leo the Great
Designed as a devotional – and more – for the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, Living the Mysteries is a rich spiritual resource valuable any time of the year. Each day features:

• A passage from the Church’s great teachers that focuses on a relevant point of the mystical or moral life

• A plan with practical applications for letting that reading inspire your prayer and actions throughout the day

You will treasure these timeless lessons on gaining eternal life.

About the authors Scott Hahn and Mike Aquilina are the founders and trustees of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and have co-hosted several series on the Eternal Word Television Network. Each has written extensively on Catholic doctrine, history, and devotion.

As it mentions, it is designed for daily reading through Mystagogia, the period from Easter to Pentecost – but it can be read at any time.
 
Mystagogia is really the phase that most of us are in. We’ve received the sacraments of initiation and are living that out on a daily basis.

Parishes handle mystagogia in different ways. The primary form is the Sunday Masses of the Easter season. Homilies should be focused on mystagogy and the neophytes should be there to hear them.

Whether formal classes are needed or wanted is up to the discretion of the parish.

From the rite:
  1. Since the distinctive spirit and power of the period of postbaptismal catechesis or mystagogy derive from the new, personal experience of the sacraments and of the community, its main setting is the so-called Masses for neophytes, that is, the Sunday Masses of the Easter season. Besides being occasions for the newly baptized to gather with the community and share in the mysteries, these celebrations include particularly suitable readings from the Lectionary, especially the readings for Year A. Even when Christian initiation has been celebrated outside the usual times, the texts for these Sunday Masses of the Easter season may be used.
 
Regarding RCIA:

A. From a Decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship: “The Second Vatican Council …decreed that the catechumenate for adults, divided into steps, should be restored”
Code: 
                     -so what’s your position on the validity/authority of the Council?
                     -and what does "should" mean?
B. Then there’s the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, which in the section titled Rites Belonging to the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, enumerates three scrutinizes, provides the rite for each, and states “the scrutinies should take place on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent” or on other Sundays or weekdays “for pastoral reasons.”
Code: 
-so what do they know, some ask, and what authority do they have?
C. Then there’s the National Statutes for the Catechumenate, again approved by the NCCB, which says that after their initiation “the neophytes should begin the period of mystagogy…the mystagogy should embrace a deepened understanding (of the sacraments)…(and this program) should extend until the anniversary of their Christian initiation."
Code: 
-see comment under B above, plus there’s that pesky word “should” again, not once but three times
D. Finally, from the first in my future line of bumper stickers for Catholics, “at the local level, the pastor is god.”

Welcome to the cafeteria!
Goodness, I think this qualifies as my first rant on CAF.

Seriously though, if your local program closely follows the Rite as outlined, count your blessings. If not, probably all one can do is take a deep breath and move on.

God bless all those on this wonderful journey.

.
 
We stopped having a formal period of Mystagogia in our parish because no one showed up, I was told.

But I still see most of members of the RCIA classes where I was on the team in past years at Mass on Sunday, so they seem to be living out their faith.
 
kingofseoul said:
Im currently in RCIAvand look forward to coming into full communion with the Church. I have a relative who is also in RCIA but it seems they do it different at his parish. For example, we just completed all 3 scrutinies at Mass whereas his parish only had 2 of them and one was only in a classroom. And he just told me that they don’t have a mystagogia phase. We certainly have one at my parish and I’m looking forward to it. Is the RCIA process supposed to be different like this? O is there some leeway in how the process goes?
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Hello, I was just confirmed on Sun, Mar25th, after being in RCIA since last September. Our program does have a mystagogia phase. I too, am looking forward to it. In fact, I can see myself studying the Catholic religion intently for the rest of my life.

God Bless :signofcross:
Ruth
 
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