Presented at SFX-PJ-RCIA on 7.4.2013

3. (newly planted)
from Greek
neos – New phytos – Planted (a new convert )

6. • Holy
Thursday
• Good Friday
• Easter
Sunday

7. • 4 distinct stages :-
– Service of the
Light
– Liturgy of the
Word
– Liturgy of Baptism
– Liturgy of the
Eucharist

8. Blessing of the new fire
• The Celebrant
blesses the new
fire: the
celebrant and
faithful gather
around it and
experience the
flames dispelling
the darkness and
lighting up the
night.

9. • Central
symbolic object
of the Vigil
because it
represents the
Risen Lord in
His glory.

10. It is blessed and inserted
with the 5 grains of
incense now. The Easter
candle is lighted from the
new fire.

11. It is a majestic proclamation of the
Resurrection of Christ, a dramatic invitation
to heaven and earth to join with the Church
in joy and jubilation. It is the rite of
sanctification of light and night, of place
and time, of priest and faithful for the
celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord

12. The Exsultet
The Easter proclamation has survived nearly 2000 years of
Christian music and stands as one of the finest of liturgical
poetry. It captures the whole Easter mystery placed within
the context of the economy of salvation and celebrates the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

13. Liturgy of the Word
• Each reading is followed by
• 5 Readings and 4 an invitation to pray in
Psalms silence, which is followed
– 4 from the Old by a special prayer
designed for that reading.
Testament
• These readings help us
– 2 from the New meditate on the wonderful
Testament works of God for his people
including the since the beginning of time.
Gospel Reading • The Gloria is sung before
the reading of the Epistle of
the Romans, and the
Alleluia is sung before the
Gospel.

14. Liturgy of Baptism – litany of the saints
A prayer in to and in honour of the saints,
appealing to them for help and divine protection.

15. Blessing of water
The baptismal water is consecrated by a prayer of epiclesis.
The Church asks God through his Son the power of the Holy
Spirit may be sent upon the water, so that those who will be
baptised in it may be “born of water and the spirit”.

16. Rite of baptism
The copious use of water during baptism is the most expressive
outward sign of God’s gift of sanctifying grace in abundance:
the water not only signifies the removal of but actually washes
away original and all personal sins. Baptism makes the
neophyte an adopted child of God and “partaker of the divine
nature.”

17. • The white garment
symbolises the purity of
a soul cleansed from all
sin: the person
baptised has “put on
Christ”, has risen with
Christ.
• The Godparents will
light their candle from
the Paschal candle for
the neophytes. It
signifies that Christ has
enlightened the
neophyte. In Him, the
baptised are “light of
the world”.

18. Effects of the Sacraments of
Christian Initiation - Baptism
• Through Baptism we are freed from sin ....
• all sin, original sin & personal sin
and reborn as children of God; ....
• we become members of Christ, ....
• an identity “Christian” - sharers in the
prophetic, priestly and kingly mission of
Christ.
• are incorporated into the Church ....
• as a baby is born into a family, so is the
whole Church our family
• and made sharers in her mission....

19. Confirmation
LAYING OF HANDS AND ANOINTING

20. “The Eucharist is the source and summit
of Christian life”. (CCC1324)

21. The Sacraments of Christian
Initiation – Holy Eucharist
• Baptism is necessary to
obtain a share in the life
of God.
• The Eucharist is equally
necessary to remain
spiritually alive.
(“..unless you eat the flesh of
the Son of Man and drink his
blood, you willl have no life
in you… for my flesh is true
food and my blood is true
drink.” – John 6: 52, 55)

22. Holy Eucharist
• “Anyone who desires
to receive Christ in
Eucharistic
communion must be in
the state of grace.
Anyone aware of
having sinned mortally
must not receive
communion without
having received
absolution in the
sacrament of
Penance.” CCC 1415
(“..Examine yourselves,
and only then eat of
the bread and drink of
the cup.” –
1 Cor 11:28)

23. NEOPHYTE

24. To summarise …
The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism,
Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the
foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing
in the divine nature given to men through the
grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the
origin, development, and nourishing of natural
life. the faithful are born anew by Baptism,
strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation,
and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal
life. - CCC 1212

25. Sharing
• Recall the night of your
baptism.
• What was your
experience like?
• What lingers in your
memory?
• How did you feel?
• What touched you?
Engaged you?
Disengaged you?
• What did you hear,
smell, see, taste?

28. The Period of Mystagogia

29. Mystagogia:
an ancient Greek word meaning
"education in the sacred mysteries".
It describes the life of a Christian
believer after baptism and the first
initiation rites - that is, the growth of the
mind and heart in the ancient Christian
faith.

30. The Fourth Phase: The Period of
Mystagogia
The period of mystagogia is a time for:
living a sacramental life
living out the gospel way of life
becoming more involved in the parish

31. Living out the faith
Remain in me, as I
remain in you. Just
as a branch cannot
bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on
the vine, so neither
can you unless you
remain in me. – John
15:4

33. "My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge."
Hosea 4:6

34. If we say, "We are without sin," we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 JOHN 1: 8
If we say, "We have not sinned," we make
him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 JOHN 1 :10
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin
which is not mortal. 1 John 5:17

35. GROWTH IN THE SPIRIT
(VERTICAL DIMENSION)
• SACRAMENT;
• STUDY;
• SERVICE;
• SUPPORT GROUP
& COMMUNITY;
• SOLITUDE &
PRAYER.
• MASS
• RECONCILIATION

36. What is sacramental living?
Living out of a normal Catholic spiritual life; a life within
the Church in which the Christian fulfills his/her
vocation.
(“vocare”– Latin – to call)

37. SACRAMENTAL LIVING
Do not be conformed
to this world, but be
transformed by the
renewing of your
minds, so that you
may discern what is
the will of God-
what is good,
acceptable and
perfect. – Rom 12:2

38. 38

39. The point of all the sacraments is to
make us holy, to make us radiate
with God's own life, and to bring us
to heaven. That is the great mission
of the Holy Spirit.
39

40. God’s ultimate plan for us – that we may:
...attain to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13)
"Our greatest wish and prayer is that you
will become mature Christians." 2 Cor
13:9
…press on to maturity (Heb 6:1)
40

41. The Charismatic
Gifts empowers
the "Doing“
to build the
Church
The Sanctifying
Gifts roots the
"Being“
to bear fruits
41

42. 42

43. “At the end of our lives,
we will not be judged by
how many diplomas we
have received, how much
money we have made or
how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and
you gave me to eat. I was naked and you
clothed me. I was homeless and you took
me in.’”
43

44. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or
a clanging cymbal."
1 Corinthians 13:1
If I have the gift of prophecy
and can fathom all
mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a
faith that can move
mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing
1 Corinthians 13:2

45. “ Charisms are therefore
graces bestowed by the
Holy Spirit on certain
members of the faithful to
prepare them to contribute
to the common good of the
Church.”
Pope John Paul II
Address to participants in the
Second International Conference
of Ecclesial Movements, 2 March
1987, L'Osservatore Romano
45
English edition, 16 March 1987,

46. 46

47. “Here am I, the servant of the
Lord; Let it be with me
according to your word"
(Luke 1:38) 47

48. You say:
"It's impossible“
God says:
All things are possible
(Lk18:27)

49. You say:
"I'm too tired"
God says :
I will give you rest
(Matt11:28-30)

50. You say:
"Nobody loves me"
God says :
I love you
(Jn3:16 & Jn13:34)

51. You say:
"I can't go on"
God says:
My grace is sufficient
(2Cor12:9)

52. You say:
"I can't forgive myself"
God says:
I FORGIVE YOU
(1Jn 1:9 & Rm8:1)

53. You say:
"I can't manage"
God says:
I will supply
all your needs .
(Phil 4:19)

54. You say:
"I can't do it"
God says:
You can do all things
(Phil4:13)

55. You say:
"I'm not able"
God says:
I am able
(2Cor9:8)

56. You say:
"It's not worth it"
God says:
It will be worth it
(Rm8:28)

57. You say:
"I'm afraid"
God says:
I have not given you
a spirit of fear
(2Tim1:7)

58. You say:
"I'm always worried
and frustrated"
God says:
Cast all your cares
on ME
(1Pet5:7)

59. You say:
"I don't have
enough faith"
God says:
I've given everyone
a measure of faith
(Rom12:3)

60. You say:
"I feel all alone"
God says:
I will never leave
you
or forsake you
(Heb 13:5)