Every year in the days following Ash Wednesday those who are preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, (catechumens) along with those who are already baptized who are preparing to profess full Communion with the Catholic Church (candidates) take a formal step in what is called the Rite of Election.
In the Archdiocese of Seattle, due to the large numbers of people who enter the Catholic Church each year, we hold nine different celebrations; in the cathedral and a few other churches. This year, I had one celebration in the cathedral, one at St. Cecilia on Bainbridge Island and my last one last night at St. Mary in Anacortes. The two auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese celebrate the other six.
The Church understands election first as God’s choice, not a human achievement. As the Rite itself teaches, it is God who elects, calling each person into a relationship of love; the catechumen’s role is to freely accept that call.
After each of the catechumens’ names are called, they come forward with their sponsors so the bishop may personally greet and welcome them. They then proceed to sign the book as a public and personal expression of their “Yes” to God’s call.
The Rite explicitly names this moment as the enrolment of names, after which the bishop declares the catechumens to be members of the Elect, and they begin their final stage of preparation to be received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. During this year’s Rite, we read the scripture passages of the call of young Samuel and the passage from John’s Gospel where John the Baptist points to Jesus as the Lamb of God and some of the first apostles follow Jesus. The scriptures are full of accounts of many who are “called by name” and written in a book belonging to the Lord (cf. Is 43:1; Rev 3:5). Each of our faith-journeys follow a similar path.
During the Rite, we also acknowledge the call of those already baptized in other Christian traditions and affirm their desire to profess full Communion with the Catholic Church.
In addition to the church, in the person of the bishop and the gathered assembly, recognizing and affirming the call of these men and women, we also assure them of our prayers, support and encouragement during these days of Lent. Please join us as we hold them in prayer, and personally encourage them when you see them at your Church any given Sunday!
Over the past few years we have seen increases each year in the number of people entering the Catholic Church. This year we are joyfully preparing to receive approximately 1073 catechumens and 522 candidates for full Communion.
God’s grace is actively at work! And people are responding. Thanks be to God!
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