Announcing
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of November 8, 2010!
Congratulations to Darrilyn Lewis!

Darrilyn will receive a copy of Everyday Justice: 365 Reflections, a $14.75 value.

Everyday Justice
Author: Alan J. Talley, Scott Holsknecht,

Everyday Justice brings the principles of Catholic social teaching to teens, whether they are using it as a companion for a social justice course, to broaden their personal understanding for justice issues, or as a reflection guide while they are on a service project. But more than that, it inspires them to respond to our Gospel call. Each day begins with a quote from the Scriptures, a Church document, or an advocate of justice and is followed by a reflection, a prayer, and a call to action.

Everyday Justice
ISBN: 978-0-88489-858-0, paper, 384 pages

Confirmation and Liturgical Catechesis
One of the topics requested by a reader of The Servant Leader was Confirmation and mystagogy. In addressing this topic, I thought it would useful to look at the larger topic of liturgical catechesis, with mystagogy as one of the steps in the process.

Anointed in the Spirit: A Middle School Confirmation Program (Saint Mary?s Press, 2010) is a new Confirmation program that utilizes the process of liturgical catechesis in preparing middle-school-aged youth for the celebration of the Rite of Confirmation. Saint Mary?s Press will be releasing a high school version of the program in 2011.

The content of this article is a revised version of the explanation of liturgical catechesis, written by Rita Burns Senseman for the Anointed in the Spirit program. For the ?Make It Happen? resource this week, we are providing a mystagogy session for use with youth after they are confirmed. As always, I pray God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Liturgical Catechesis

In liturgical catechesis, the liturgy itself teaches. The ritual elements of the Confirmation liturgy lead the candidates toward full participation in the celebration of the Sacrament. By reflecting on the symbols that will be part of the celebration, the candidates prepare to fully enter into the liturgical celebration. Liturgical catechesis prepares them to grasp the realities to which the symbols point. Understanding the movement of the liturgy allows them to more actively and more consciously enter into the sacramental celebration.
Although there are many ways to describe liturgical catechesis, for our purposes it can be described as catechesis that (1) leads to and prepares for liturgy, (2) includes the liturgical celebration itself, and (3) reflects back on the liturgy (this activity is called mystagogy). Let?s look more closely at those three steps now.

Three Steps of LIturgical Catechesis

Step 1: Prepare for the liturgical celebration. Liturgical catechesis focuses on the elements of the liturgical celebration in preparing candidates. For Confirmation, the sessions to prepare candidates for the Sacrament should explore the ritual elements of Confirmation and build toward the celebration of the Sacrament. In Anointed in the Spirit: A Middle School Confirmation Program, the sessions unfold in this manner:
? Session 1, ?Being a Candidate,? starts with the Presentation of the Candidates, from the Rite of Confirmation (see no. 21). The session familiarizes the candidates with the idea of being candidates and being presented to the bishop.
? Session 2, ?Baptism: Waters of New Life,? is a reflection on the Sacrament of Baptism. In this session we are doing mystagogy (step 3 of liturgical catechesis?reflecting back on a Sacrament). Confirmation is the perfecting and sealing of Baptism. Recalling and reflecting on Baptism fully prepares the candidates for Confirmation.
? Session 3, ?Renewing Baptismal Promises,? continues the baptismal theme by exploring the meaning and importance of the Renewal of Baptismal Promises that occurs during Confirmation (see Rite of Confirmation, no. 23).
? Session 4, ?The Laying On of Hands,? examines the next major ritual moment in the sacramental celebration, the bishop?s laying on of hands. This ritual gesture is loaded with meaning and history.
? Session 5, ?The Gifts of the Holy Spirit,? focuses on the bishop?s prayer that is prayed during the laying on of hands. This prayer asks for the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
? Session 6, ?Being Anointed by the Holy Spirit,? is based on number 26 of the Rite of Confirmation. This hands-on session allows the candidates to see, touch, and feel oil?vegetable oil, that is! But then they apply their learning to the sacramental sign of anointing with Chrism.
? Session 7, ?The Eucharist: The Heart of the Church?s Life,? is grounded in the unity of the three Sacraments of Christian Initiation. This unity is made clearer when Confirmation is celebrated during the Mass (see Rite of Confirmation, no. 31).
? Session 8, ?Celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation,? is the immediate preparation for the sacramental celebration. It is an overview of the liturgical celebration.

Step 2: The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The liturgy itself is the central step of liturgical catechesis. This grace-filled sacramental moment is the pinnacle of the process. Liturgical catechesis not only should prepare the candidate for the Sacrament, it should engage candidates in the preparation of and reflection on the liturgy. For Confirmation candidates this can include involving candidates and their sponsors in the planning of the liturgy and providing resources and time for candidates to reflect on the Sacrament prior to the celebration.

Step 3: Mystagogical reflection on the celebration of Confirmation. The third part of liturgical catechesis is mystagogical. Mystagogy means ?to reflect on the mystery.? In this case, a mystagogical reflection on the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation means that the confirmands (newly confirmed) reflect on their experience of Confirmation. They reflect on the meaning of the Sacrament they now have received. Liturgical catechesis involves gathering the confirmands to reflect on the Rite of Confirmation and their experience. It is important to provide the opportunity for the newly confirmed to name for themselves the significant moments in the celebration and what they see as the implications being confirmed has for their lives. The purpose of mystagogical reflection is to deepen the confirmands? understanding of the Sacrament and lead them outward into mission.

Why Liturgical Catechesis?
Confirmation is a sacred celebration, a once-in-a-lifetime moment, a grace-filled sacramental moment, a transformative moment. Indeed, the Church tells us that all the Sacraments are transformative. And the catechesis that surrounds the Sacraments helps us to prepare for, and subsequently understand, the transformation that takes place. Moreover, as Pope John Paul II tells us, catechesis is ?intrinsically linked with the whole of liturgical and sacramental activity? (On Catechesis in Our Time, no. 23).
Liturgical catechesis prepares the candidates to enter into the liturgy. Then, the liturgy itself forms them in faith. After the liturgy, liturgical reflection (mystagogy) helps the confirmands to more fully understand that which they have received and to respond faithfully.

For young adolescents, focusing on the rituals, signs, and symbols of liturgical catechesis is an engaging and imaginative way to prepare for the Sacrament. Middle schoolers are in transition between concrete and abstract thinking. Exploring the abstract meaning found in the concrete symbols of water, oil, and the laying on of hands allows them to think more deeply about the meaning of ritual symbols in a developmentally appropriate way. When done properly, liturgical catechesis provides the candidates with solid Church doctrine on Confirmation, but the candidates approach the teachings through the liturgical symbols, making the concepts more accessible.

Click Here for More Information

Session 10: Mystagogy II: Reflecting God's Word
from Anointed in the Spirit Catechist Guide

Overview

This session is a mystagogical reflection on one of the readings from your celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. After listening again to the proclamation of one of the readings from the Confirmation liturgy, the participants share reflections.
Next, background information on the Scripture reading is provided to help deepen the confirmands? understanding of the reading. Finally, the participants are asked to give a second, deeper response to God?s Word.

Objectives

Enable the participants to do the following:

reflect on a Scripture reading from the celebration of Confirmation

learn a process they can use on their own to reflect on the Word of God

At a Glance

A. Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 minutes)
B. Listen Again: What Did You Hear? (15 minutes)
C. Deepen your Understanding (15 minutes)
D. Deepen Your Response (20 minutes)
E. Closing Prayer (5 minutes)

I shall always consider the establishment and the direction of our community as the work of God. That is why I have entrusted it to his care, in such a way that as far as I am concerned, I shall do nothing that concerns the Institute except by his orders. For that reason I shall always consult extensively concerning what I ought to do. I will often speak to God in the words of the prophet Habacuc: Domine opus tuum. [Lord, the work is yours.] (Salm, The Work Is Yours, p. 126)

Materials and Preparation

Materials Needed:

Gather the following items, one for each participant:

copies of handout 10?A, ?Your Response to the Reading?

Bibles

Gather the follow additional items:

a large, glass container, such as a pitcher or vase, filled with vegetable oil

a Bible, Lectionary, or Book of the Gospels marked with a reading from Confirmation or Luke 8:4?15 (see ?Preparation Tasks? for more information about selecting a reading). If feasible, use the Lectionary or Book of the Gospels that was used at Confirmation.

recorded instrumental music and appropriate player (optional)

Preparation Tasks:

Review the session and select a reading from your parish?s celebration of Confirmation. The reading is introduced in the opening prayer and then is the focus of the rest of the steps in the core session. Choose a reading other than the one you used for steps C and D in chapter 8 if you think the participants may find it repetitive. Consider using the reading that was the focus of the bishop?s homily at Confirmation.

Consult a biblical commentary to learn more about the historical and theological context of the reading you?ll be using in the session. Go to your parish resource center to find such a commentary or ask your director of religious education or pastor. Plan your comments for step D, ?Deepen Your Response.? This session provides an example using Luke 8:4?15.

Write the following quotation from Pope Benedict on the board:

My dear young friends, I urge you to become familiar with the Bible, and to have it at hand so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow.
(Pope Benedict XVI)

Choose a psalm to be used in the closing prayer service. Preferably, use the psalm from your parish celebration of Confirmation. Be prepared to explain to the confirmands how it will be used in prayer.

Catechist Prayer

Holy and ever living God, your Word guides my path and inspires all that I do. Help me to faithfully reflect your Good News to these newly confirmed disciples. May the Holy Spirit grace me with the necessary wisdom and knowledge as I prepare this session. I ask this through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Background Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 131?133 (Scripture as nourishment), 1103 (Liturgy of the Word), 109?119 (Study and interpretation of Scripture)

Rite of Confirmation, no. 13

Session Steps
A. Welcome and Opening Prayer (5 minutes)

1. Welcome everyone and make any announcements.

2. Light the candle, make the Sign of the Cross, and lead everyone in saying, ?Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.?

3. Open with these comments:

Today we will continue to reflect on the celebration of Confirmation. Our focus for this session is the Word of God proclaimed during Confirmation and what it means for our lives. The Word of God is especially important because when we hear God?s Word, we are hearing his will for us and our lives.

And, as Pope Benedict reminds us, it is important for us to be familiar with the Scriptures (read the following quotation from board):

My dear young friends, I urge you to become familiar with the Bible, and to have it at hand so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow.

4. Introduce the reading you?ve chosen to use in the session by highlighting a key verse or idea. Here?s an example from the passage from Luke that is used for the samples in this session:

In the parable from the Gospel of Luke we?ll hear today, Jesus tells us, ?The seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance? (8:15, NAB).

Let?s ask God to help us persevere and to help us hear his Word with an open heart.

5. Pray the following opening prayer:

Let us pray. Almighty and ever living God, we give you thanks and praise for the power of your holy Word. Help us to have a spirit of openness and to retain your Word in our hearts. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

6. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

B. Listen Again: What Did You Hear? (15 minutes)

1. Begin the reflection on the reading with these or similar comments:

Let?s think back now to the Word of God proclaimed at Confirmation. Of course, it?s hard to remember exactly what we heard. Let?s listen once again to the Word and remind ourselves what we heard on that special day. Try to imagine yourself sitting in Church during Confirmation and listening to the Word of God.

I?ll proclaim the reading and then pause. During the silence, try to recall what you were thinking and feeling when you listened to the Word being proclaimed at your Confirmation.

Note: Mention to the participants that if their minds wandered during the readings at Confirmation, that?s okay. Ask them to concentrate on what they are hearing now rather than recalling the past experience.

2. Proclaim the selected reading from your parish?s celebration of Confirmation (or Luke 8:4?15). Then pause for a moment of silence.

Note: The instructions for the following steps use Luke 8:4?15 to demonstrate the process presented. Use the steps as a guide for preparing your reflections on the reading you selected for this session.

3. Facilitate the confirmands? reflection on the reading by using the following guide:

What word or image from the reading stands out to you? It may be that you heard the reading in a new way today, or you may have thought back to your hearing of the reading at Confirmation.

Do any images or words from the bishop?s homily come to mind?

I will say a word or image aloud that stands out for me. Afterward, I invite you say a word or image aloud that stands out for you. There is no need to add a comment or an explanation.

Say the word, phrase, or image that stands out for you. Wait silently and patiently for the participants to share. Be comfortable with the silence. Don?t rush to fill the void. Let the confirmands think. If there are no responses after 2 or 3 minutes, modify the question by asking something specific about the reading. Here?s an example using the reading from Luke:

If the seed is like the Word of God, where does it fall most often in the world today? Which of the four: a footpath, rocky ground, a briar, or good ground? Name one by saying it aloud.

Allow time for responses, without commenting. When all have had an opportunity to respond, move to the next step.

Option: This could be a ?forced choice? activity if you sense your group needs to get up and move. Identify in advance a few likely images or phrases and designate a place in the room for each. Invite everyone to select the one that means the most to them and move to the corresponding location. Ask volunteers to share why they made the choice they did.

C. Deepen Your Understanding (15 minutes)

1. Provide a small amount of historical or theological background on the Scripture reading. This helps the confirmands to better understand the reading and thus make a better response to what God is saying in the passage. (If feasible, incorporate points from the homily at the Confirmation liturgy.) Here is an example using Luke 8:4?15:

Jesus is talking to his disciples in this story, and he is using a parable. Jesus uses parables a lot in Luke?s Gospel. What is a parable? (Allow for the confirmands to respond, and if necessary explain that parables are stories that use metaphor and sometimes surprising elements to teach us something about God.)

In this parable, the seed that is sown is like God?s Word. Jesus describes four different types of listeners and what happens to God?s Word with each.

Ask the participants to recount the four places the seed fell and what happens. Continue by emphasizing what happens when the seed falls on good soil:

When the seed falls on good soil, it produces a tremendous harvest. When we are like good soil and hear God?s Word, it takes root and bears fruit in our lives.

In his homily, this is what the bishop challenged you to do?to be hearers of God?s Word. He asked you to embrace the Word and to persevere in your listening, even when it is not a popular thing to do. (If feasible, include the bishop?s remarks.)

Think about how you can be good, rich soil and how the gift of the Holy Spirit will help you.

D. Deepen Your Response (20 minutes)

1. Distribute the copies of handout 10?A, ?Your Response to the Reading,? and the Bibles. (Note: The questions on the handout are general enough to be used with any reading. You may wish to adapt them to fit a particular reading and your commentary on the reading, or you can use them as they are given.)

2. Invite the confirmands to use the handout to think about what God is telling them through the reading. Ask them to jot their thoughts down on the handout.

3. After 10 minutes, invite the participants to share their reflections in pairs or with the whole group. Be prepared to share your own reflections.

E. Closing Prayer (5 minutes)

Lead the participants in following prayer service:

1. Ask everyone to find in their Bibles the psalm you have selected. Divide the large group into two smaller groups, and designate one group as side 1 and the other side 2. Then explain how a psalm is prayed antiphonally:

For our closing prayer, we?ll pray one of the psalms from the Rite of Confirmation antiphonally. This means one group will pray one verse and the other group will respond by praying the next verse.

2. Invite everyone to stand. Start the psalm by saying ?Let us pray.? Then signal for side 1 to start reading the first verse.

3. Conclude with the following comment:

Our prayer has ended. Let us go in peace.

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 14, 2010
Luke 21:5-19

Opening Prayer
Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith that gives purpose to our lives. Strengthen our faith as we read your word and practice living out our faith through charity to the world. Amen.

Context Connection

Sunday's Gospel begins with a description of the Temple in Jerusalem, a glorious site built by King Herod: "Some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God" (21:5). At the time of Jesus, the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem was still in process. Herod began the project in 20 BC, and the Temple was not completed until AD 63. The Temple was a building of magnificent white stone, with the Holy of Holies adorned in gold. Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple: "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down" (21:6). In AD 70 the Romans destroyed the Temple and the city of Jerusalem in an effort to suppress the Judean revolt that had begun in AD 66. The historical accounts from the war tell us that the destruction was complete; no stone was left upon a stone. For the Jews of Jesus's time, the Temple was a symbol of divine protection, its destruction signaling the end of the world.

In response to Jesus's prediction, the crowd asks: "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" (21:7). They want Jesus to help identify the signs that would foretell not only the destruction of the Temple but also the end of the world. Jesus cautions the crowd: "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them" (21:8). Jesus is concerned that his followers, out of fear, will be vulnerable to false messages from self-proclaimed messiahs or false prophets who will point to apocalyptic signs (war, earthquakes, plagues, signs in the heavens) to show that the end of the world is near. Luke has already stated in 17:20-21 that attempting to calculate the end of the world is a waste of time. Catastrophic events happen in every age and do not predict the day or the hour of the end of the world. Jesus's advice to his disciples is that when these things happen, they should "not be terrified" (21:9). Jesus then tells the disciples that they face the more immediate threat of being arrested and persecuted. When this happens, the disciples will have an opportunity to give witness to their faith. Jesus prepares the disciples with these instructions: "So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict" (21:14-15). Then he follows with these words: "But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls" (21:18-19). Jesus's promise that no harm will come to the disciples seems like a strange prediction for those facing persecution. It does, however, speak of the ultimate spiritual protection that all disciples will have if they endure persecution for Jesus's sake.


Tradition Connection
Paul tells us that "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is our guide in our relationship with God. It enlightens us with an understanding of God. Through faith, we are given a foretaste of what it will be like to encounter God after death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision, the goal of our journey here below. Then we shall see God 'face to face,' 'as he is'"1 (paragraph 163). Throughout the Gospels, Jesus encourages us, as his disciples, to persist in our faith: "To live, grow, and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God" (Catechism, paragraph 162).

Because we live in a world that often seems far from the ideal spoken of in the Gospels, we need to bolster our faith through the example of others. The many living saints we encounter each day show us how to be faithful to Jesus and live in accordance with the values of the Gospel rather than the values of our society. In addition to the living saints, we have the community of canonized saints, now living in the presence of God, whose lives exemplify for us how to live Gospel values: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith"2 (Catechism, paragraph 165). Our faith in God assures us that one day we shall see God face to face.

Wisdom Connection
The destruction of the Temple in AD 70 brings about a different relationship between the Jews and the Christians. Before the destruction, Christians were considered a sect of Judaism. In the aftermath, Christianity emerges as a separate religion, and strong persecution ensues. Knowing that the Christian community faces persecution at the hands of the Romans, Luke tries to strengthen the disciples' courage by urging them to remain faithful in the face of this great danger. Just as Jesus is handed over to be put to death, so too would his disciples face the same fate. During chaotic times, the disciples may be tempted to say that the end of the world is imminent. Jesus cautions them, saying that these things will happen, but that they are not signs that the end of the world is near. As disciples, they need to persevere in faith and in love of one another. Jesus is telling his disciples that following him almost guarantees persecution. Jesus continues by cautioning his disciples against false messiahs who will try to mislead them. Finally, Jesus asks his disciples to place their trust in God's wisdom and strength.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1. 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2.
2. Hebrews 12:1-2.

Saint Martin of Tours

November 11 is the feast day for Saint Martin of Tours. Saint Martin of Tours was the son of pagan parents.

As a young man, he served in the Roman imperial army, and at the age of 18, he was baptized into the Church. The most well-known story about Saint Martin of Tours describes him cutting his cloak to give half to a beggar. He later had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak he had given. Later in life Saint Martin of Tours served as the bishop of Tours, France.

For more information on Saint Martin of Tours, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-martin-of-tours/