Get Equipped to Bring the Bible to Life in Christian Initiation
The Order of Christian Initiation names four areas of discipleship formation, the first is growth in God’s word (OCIA, 75).
What is Growth in God’s Word in the context of Christian Initiation?
It’s knowledge of the Christian faith, but not merely knowledge presented as disconnected doctrines or points to be believed, but an organic presentation of the deposit of faith, flowing from the wellspring of the Sacred Scriptures. When we bring people to directly touch, read, pray, hear, and ponder the Bible, we are bringing them to encounter Jesus, the Master Teacher, who offers relationship and conversation through the Sacred Scriptures.
Those who experience OCIA formation in this way desire to make this relationship with God through the sacred word not something that it is left to parish leaders or clergy, but to make it their own.
The Order of Christian Initiation encourages the Word of God to be proclaimed and taught in celebrations of the Word, just as Jesus taught in the context of liturgical celebrations of his time.
The Bible in OCIA: Sprinkle it on Top or Dive In?
When we make the mistake of envisioning OCIA as a series of doctrines to be taught so that people “know” the Catholic faith, the Bible becomes a little extra, sprinkled on top. You know–add a Bible verse or two to the lesson just to show that we Catholics read the Bible.
Many practitioners make the mistake of treating RCIA as a program through which inquirers are taught the Catholic Faith, or undergo a series of liturgies, and in the end graduate with the Easter sacraments.
Dr. Christine Wood, “Are You Equipped to Lead an RCIA Ministry?”
While this may make us feel like we’ve “checked the box” on sharing the scriptures with those experiencing Christian initiation, it’s far from the vision of the Order of Christian Initiation.
As the General Directory for Catechesis states, “The Gospels, which narrate the life of Jesus, are central to the catechetical message. They are themselves endowed with a ‘catechetical structure’”(para. 98).
To truly dive in to the wellspring of Sacred Scripture, we must teach, truly apprentice, those experiencing OCIA in reading longer portions of Scripture. They should feel as if the Bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church are their textbooks, and become equally comfortable picking up and prayerfully reading either.
Resources to Elevate the Role of Scripture in Your OCIA
Barbara Morgan’s Echoing the Mystery is a masterpiece work that provides a sound guide for utilizing the Catechism of the Catholic Church in your OCIA ministry. It’s a key to unlocking the catechism.
Our Catholic Biblical School Lesson Guides do the same thing for the Bible. Each Lesson Guide unlocks the catechetical keys, spiritual applications, and more, providing a guide that enables you, an OCIA leader, to call upon the Holy Spirit and start actively speaking and sharing directly from the Bible as you bring people into the fullness of the Catholic faith and beyond.
Recommendation: The Gospel of Mark in Christian Initiation
St. John Paul II called the Gospel of Mark the catechumen’s gospel (“Catechesis in Our Time,” 11), so let’s start there for an example of soaking, rather than merely sprinkling Sacred Scripture throughout Christian Initiation.
The Gospel of Mark has 16 chapters, so it’s a reasonable length for reading in full in the time leading up to the Easter Vigil or sacraments of initiation, whether than it many months or even just the season of Lent.
The Order of Christian Initiation recommends special services, “Celebrations of the Word of God,” specifically for the benefit of the catechumens, which can be held “in connection with catechetical or instructional meetings of the catechumens, so that these will occur in a context of prayer” (82, 84). A basic format for each service is: song, one or more readings of Scripture, homily, and concluding rite/blessing (OCIA, 85-89).
Let’s say you have at least 16 weeks of catechetical gatherings. Start with Mark Chapter 1. Have a baptized member of the community (likely part of the OCIA team) proclaim it. Then in the homily portion, allow someone from the OCIA team who has prepared a talk using the Lesson Guide to speak, to explain the passage, bring it to live, and offer a meaningful catechetical, liturgical, or personal prayer application.
If this sounds like a bit too much, don’t worry, the Lesson Guides are filled with accessible and concise commentary to understand the biblical text and connections to the Catechism. While the task to prepare a talk on Mark Chapter 1 might seem overwhelming if you were to send someone to read detailed books of commentary or pour over the riches of the Church’s scholarship on the Bible, the Lesson Guide services as a concise guide, oriented specifically toward presenting the Scriptures in a parish setting.
Then, direct the catechumens to read that same chapter over the course of time (i.e. a week) until the next gathering. By immersing them in this repetitive process, you’re apprenticing them into the life of prayer–demonstrating that the scriptures really are a wellspring where the Holy Spirit speaks to us in a privileged way. You’re building a habit of asking for the Holy Spirit’s aid and then diving into the Bible, as part of the normal Christian life–not something for the spiritual elites. And, you’re creating a natural “icebreaker” conversation for future gatherings–what did you hear? what did you wonder about? etc. This creates an organic experience of prayerful bible reading, lectio divina, which is not merely reading a short passage multiple times (as is common today) but is in a broader sense the Church’s way of speaking about reading fuller lengths of the Bible.
Let’s say, Celebrations of the Word of God are not something you’re doing [yet!] or have time for. We have two suggestions:
- Think about doing the Catholic Biblical School online yourself first. Nothing will enrich your faith and catechetical confidence more than direct contact with the Sacred Scriptures, guided through personal contact and engagement with a real teacher, experienced in parish ministry, just like you! >> Learn More
- Do a Lenten, guided reading of the Gospel of Mark (and/or a mystagogical reading of Acts of the Apostles during Easter). Get a taste of the Catholic Biblical School ministry through Simply Scripture, which offers a guided, day-by-day reading of the Gospel of Mark in Lent and Acts of the Apostles in Easter. Each day includes personal reflection questions and prayer prompts which could also be incorporated into OCIA Celebrations of the Word of God or simple group discussion. We’re also available to provide extra support to your ministry through virtual or live talks to supplement you!
Catholic Biblical School Ministry 