Choreographing 
the Catechumenate

The Owned Dismissal: Claiming our motherhood as a parish

We started two issues ago by gathering the people for dismissal. Last month we talked about telling stories to prepare the community and catechumens for dismissal of the catechumens to their breaking open of the word. We begin here after the second reading, remembering how we are trying to link all of the parts into one giant word celebration that feeds, sustains and nourishes. “Joined to the Church, the catechumens are now part of the household of Christ, since the Church nourishes them with the word of God and sustains them by means of liturgical celebrations” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 47).

The Alleluia should pick up where the second reading’s energy left off. It should move us to our feet, lure us into the Gospel. The cantor should clue us in with eye contact, stillness, breath or a word of transition: “The story continues in song.” The Alleluia verse plants the question that continues to guide us forward in the story. Neither the Alleluia nor the Gospel end with a finality that says the word is over, because now comes the breaking open of the word in community. 

Led by the homilist, the people of God now have a chance to bring the long salvation story of the day right into their own laps. The preaching should open up how the long story they just heard is their story. It should be so satisfying an experience that they are nourished and sustained, challenged and knocked off center, made enthusiastic and eager again. Perhaps the preacher opens up the homily to the community to complete the story in dialogue. Then, when the homily ends and the people have been fed fully today at the ambo/table-of-the-word, it is time to ask to be dismissed from the table. 

The rite says that, “After the liturgy of the word [the catechumens] should, if possible, be dismissed” (RCIA 83). This is, of course, not done in the sense of the church dismissing the catehumens from it’s presence. The purpose of dismissing the catechumens is “to implant in their hearts the teachings they are receiving” (RCIA 82). Because the catechumens are asking to join the church, they are, in a sense, asking to be dismissed so the teachings of the church may become more deeply rooted in them. Perhaps, one of the catechumens proceeds to the ambo-table and says, “The catechumens, having heard the stories of the community, ask to be dismissed so we may go and break open this word in our own lives.” Or, the catechumenate leader stands and asks the community, “May we be dismissed from the ambo-table so we may go and tell our stories, finding out how our stories fit into this story?” This places the ownership of the dismissal in the hands of the dismissed. It is an active choice, not a passive one. The community of course would have a response. “Yes, go and break open the word.” “Yes, go and find the truth of the Gospel in your stories.” And then the Alleluia verse is sung again as they leave. 

This is the goal of the dismissal — to create ownership in the people of the story, our story. 

It should be apparent after these three reflections on the dismissal process how much these folks already belong to us. The rites put it this way: “When two catechumens marry or when a catechumen marries an unbaptized person, the appropriate rite (of Christian marriage) is to be used” (#47). “One who dies during the catechumenate receives a Christian burial” (#47). If we have claimed the catechumens this deeply, their presence and participation at the liturgy deserves much more honesty and maturity. We accept them as part of our community, a part of the community in discernment. The truth is probably we are all catechumens, all in discernment, and all should ask to be dismissed from the table. The remarkable thing the rite of dismissal accomplishes is that it reminds the assembly about their manners: “May we be dismissed from the table?” This is the mothering instinct of our church and our God. God answers their question: “Yes, take your dishes, silverware and cup and all of the other ordinary things of your life and go make sense of them, and then come back when you are ready for a banquet. Go and prepare for the banquet.” 

If we do well gathering and telling stories, we will have catechumens politely asking to be dismissed from the first Sunday after Rite of Acceptance. They will be so overwhelmed with the nourishment of the word and the sustenance of the gathering that they will need time to digest it.

Maybe others will start asking to go to deepen their understanding and tell their story and make their connection. Maybe the preaching would improve. Maybe the Gospel would enter our lives and hearts and world and everyone would be dismissed and nourished in community dialogue before Eucharist.

ML

Michael Mansfield teaches dance, theater, ritual, justice-making, and spirituality at the University of Creation Spirituality, in Oakland, Calif. He ministers at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Concord, and at St. Paschal Baylon Church and School, Oakland.

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