One in the Spirit; One in the Lord: Teaching the Sacraments of Christian Initiation Back to search by Kate Ristow Our journey of faith begins with the Sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Like many Catholic families, we have a shared baptismal gown. In the early stages of every pregnancy, the question inevitably gets asked: Who has the gown? Whose baby was baptized last? As children are born into the huge Gallagher wing of the family—my mom’s side—their names, along with the dates of Baptism, are stitched on the gown. The gown is a living history, truly the fabric of our lives. It unites us across generations and marks us as one, both by blood and by faith. It is sacred space—a history of our rebirth through water and the Holy Spirit into new life in Christ. The Sacraments of Christian Initiation Our journey of faith begins with the Sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Through them, we are joined to Christ, become full members of the Church, and share in God’s life. We are welcomed in Baptism, strengthened through Confirmation, and nourished to live as followers of Christ in the Eucharist. For the vast majority of Catholics, the Sacraments of Christian Initiation are celebrated separately. However, there are notable exceptions. Since the Second Vatican Council, adults who wish to become Catholic have participated in a process called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). After a period of inquiry and evangelization, these adults experience a rite in which they become catechumens. During the catechumenate, they deepen their faith by study, reflection on the Scriptures, and preparing for full initiation into the Church, which takes place at the Easter Vigil. Older children, officially called “children of catechetical age,” may also be welcomed into the Church through this same process, although their formation is often conducted apart from the adults who are preparing for full initiation. In many cases, these youngsters are the children of adult catechumens. The other major exception is found in dioceses that have adopted the Restored Order of the Sacraments. In these dioceses, children who were baptized in infancy are confirmed prior to receiving First Eucharist, usually after the homily at the First Communion celebration. This places the reception of the three sacraments in their original order. Dioceses that have adopted the Restored Order make very clear that the Sacraments of Christian Initiation are the beginning of the lifelong journey of faith. Parents and children are helped to understand that being fully initiated is not akin to graduation. Parishes and schools provide the ongoing formation and catechesis necessary for children to mature in faith and support parents in their primary role in handing on the faith to their youngsters. Classroom and Family Activities The Sacraments of Christian Initiation are so central to our identity as Catholics that we should take time every year to help students grow in their understanding of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Help your students celebrate their membership in the Body of Christ by using some of the following activities. Baptism: Putting on Christ * Create a take-home “Baptismal Information” form for students to complete with their parents. Elicit the following information on the form: date and place of Baptism, names of godparents, names of those who attended the celebration, and so forth. Also include several open-ended questions for parents to answer, such as “Having our child baptized was important to us because….” or “I help my child live out his/her Baptism by….” Have students bring the completed forms to class and discuss them. Emphasize that we are called to live our Baptism by trying to follow Jesus in our daily lives. * Invite students to bring to class a non-returnable photograph taken on the day of their Baptism. Have them use the photographs to create several poster collages focusing on being reborn into Christ’s new life. Ask them to think of a title for each poster that reflects their understanding of the importance of Baptism. Place the collages in public areas of the parish to help parishioners recall the significance of Baptism in the life of a Catholic. * Using props (oil, water, a white garment, candle, and a good-sized baby doll), engage students in role-playing the Rite of Baptism. This is an especially effective activity for younger students in helping them understand the various parts of the rite and their meaning. The children will enjoy taking on the various roles of parents, priest/deacon, godparents, and so forth. * Invite students to write an email or letter to their godparents asking what they remember most about the day of their Baptism and what was most noteworthy to them about this event. Be sensitive with this assignment; some children are not in contact with their godparents for a variety of reasons. If this is the case, suggest to these students that they write to other adults who attended their Baptisms, perhaps aunts, uncles, or even older siblings. Have students report back on the responses they receive. * Ask a member of the baptismal preparation team to visit your class to talk about how young couples prepare for the Baptism of their child. Follow up on this activity by having students create generic “welcome” cards to be distributed to the parents at baptismal preparation meetings or on the day of their child’s Baptism. The cards can express the students’ joy at the child’s membership in the Catholic community and welcoming him/her to the family of God. Confirmation: Sealed in the Spirit * Help students understand that we receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit is sealed, or strengthened, in us. Review the principal elements of the Rite of Confirmation with the class: the presentation of the candidates, the renewal of baptismal promises, the laying on of hands, and the anointing with chrism. Emphasize the relationship between Baptism and Confirmation by having students prayerfully renew their baptismal promises and then sprinkling them with blessed water. Your catechetical leader can provide you with a copy of the renewal promises. As an alternative, visit the church for the renewal ritual and have students sign themselves with water from the baptismal font. * As a long-range project, focus on the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit over the course of the year. Ordinarily you will find these listed in the back of your textbook. Each week, choose one of the gifts or fruits and help students define it. Then invite each class member to name one specific way he or she can cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s presence in living this grace of the Holy Spirit during the coming week. Clue parents in on this year-long project. Send home a weekly note identifying the fruit or gift you are working on that week, explain what it means, and invite parents to reflect on how, by word and example, this gift or fruit is at work in their family life. * Discuss with older students why service activities are part of the Confirmation preparation process in many parishes. Help them appreciate that, through the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, we are called to carry on Christ’s work in the world. Discuss how serving others helps us continue Christ’s mission. Have students identify the different types of service activities they would like to participate in as Confirmation candidates and how these activities will help prepare them to live their faith as mature Catholics. * Distribute several different issues of the parish bulletin to the students and have them work in small groups to identify the many programs your parish provides to serve others. After each group reports back on what it learned, have students name ministries they would like to learn more about. If possible, arrange for guest speakers to visit your class to discuss the work of their respective groups. Make this a more effective activity by arranging for a panel of representatives from various ministries to speak to the class at the same session. Ask the speakers to discuss how being a confirmed Catholic helps them to want to serve others. Eucharist: Nourished at the Table * Help students understand that of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, only Eucharist can be received more than once. Ask students to brainstorm a list of reasons why the Church encourages frequent reception of the Eucharist. Emphasize the fact that through the Eucharist, Jesus helps us grow in living our faith. Point out that this doesn’t happen by magic. We must be open to and aware of Jesus’ presence within us; we must cooperate with him so that the Lord can gradually transform us into more loving and active members of Christ’s Body, the Church. * Explore with the class the many different names we use to describe the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood. Use “What Is This Sacrament Called?” from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos. 1328-1332) to help older students appreciate what we celebrate in the Eucharist. * Remind students that the word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” Work with the class to compose a thanksgiving prayer for parish children preparing for First Communion. Encourage students to keep the language simple so that younger children will understand the wording and the message of the prayer. Provide construction paper for them to use to make prayer cards for each First Communicant. Arrange to present the cards to the younger students during a class session and to pray the thanksgiving prayer with them. Supporting Parish Catechumens * From a member of the RCIA team, obtain a list of the names of the adults and children preparing for initiation into the Church. Provide white shelf paper for the students to use to create a banner listing the names of the catechumens and the candidates (individuals who have been baptized into another Christian denomination). Decorate the banner with drawings symbolizing the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, Jesus, and the Church. Invite each student to sign the banner with an encouraging message. * If there are children preparing for initiation, consider having your class “sponsor” one or more of them informally. Talk with the parish RCIA director about the different ways your students can both support and learn from the young catechumens’ experiences. * Ask students to think about what draws people to decide to commit their lives to Christ by becoming Catholic. Help them appreciate that the example of the catechumens and the candidates is meant to remind us of the importance of living our faith and that we, in turn, are called to be examples to those preparing to be initiated at the Easter Vigil. Have students work in small groups to create a list of five ways they can be models of faith for others. Scripture and the Sacraments of Christian Initiation Use the following Scripture stories and passages as you study the sacraments with your class. Baptism The story of Nicodemus: John 3:1-8 Saul’s Baptism: Acts 9:10-18 Freedom from sin: Romans 6:3-4 Confirmation The coming of the Spirit: Acts 2:1-12 Freedom for service: Galatians 5:16-25 The Father’s plan of salvation: Ephesians 1:3-19 Eucharist Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 Kate Ristow, Contributing Editor to CATECHIST, is National Catechetical Consultant for RCL Benziger. She has been involved in children’s religious education for over 25 years as a Catholic-school teacher and parish catechist. Source: CATECHIST Magazine, January 2009 Copyright 2010, Peter Li, Inc. All rights reserved. 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