The Gospel Message in the Precatechumenate

Posted on July 31st, 2008

RCIA 38 says we are “to give the candidates a suitable explanation of the Gospel.” Likewise, RCIA 42 says that before someone passes from the first period of Precatechumenate into the Catechumenate, “the fundamentals of Christian teaching” should have “taken root in the candidates.”

The Gospel and the fundamentals of Christian teaching includes the following:

♦ Trinity and Creation – God is Trinity and creates out of his divine love
♦ Divine Revelation – God speaks to us so we may know his will
♦ Man and Woman – We are made in the image of God (Lat. Imago Dei)
♦ Sin – We have separated ourselves from God through our own free will
♦ From Adam to Jesus – God has been working to save us through the covenants
♦ Jesus Christ – In the final and definitive covenant, God became man!
♦ Paschal Mystery – Jesus saves us through his Suffering, Death, Resurrection and Ascension
♦ Pentecost – Sitting on his heavenly throne, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit; the Church is born
♦ Life in Christ – Jesus frees us from our sin and brings us true joy in holiness
♦ The 4 Last Things – We will die and be judged; heaven and hell are the only two final destinations

The above bullet points serve as an outline of what is known by different names: The Story, The Narratio, or Salvation History. The General Directory for Catechesis says, “In Patristic catechesis, the narration (narratio) of the wonderful deeds of God and the awaiting (expectatio) of Christ’s return always accompanied the exposition of the mysteries of faith” (#107). [Click here to read the rest of this entry… » ]

Tags: The Gospel
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