A rite of initiation is something primordial. Among the earliest archeological finds, there always seems to be an indication of these rites. An example of this is to be recognized as an adult, in ancient times, you needed to have the approval of elders, you needed training, you needed to pass a test, you needed to make sacrifices, you needed to be able to commit. This was never something easy, this was not for everyone; not everyone was initiated.
It is to be noted, obviously, that there would be no rite of initiation if there was not a community into which the person was initiated. The tribe, clan, religion, and church exist first. This is why it is important to realize that the first sacrament is a community called Church. Remembering that a sacrament, in our faith tradition, is something external that points to a greater, more profound reality. The Church is a sacrament that points to what it means to live the life of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is so, to such a degree, that the Church becomes the credible presence of Christ in the world.
It is into this Church that persons are initiated through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The sacraments are never something that one is entitled to. They are a response to a call by God and Church to become part of that presence of Christ in the world. That is, to become disciples and follow in the footsteps and to the same degree, of Christ – even to suffering death on a cross for the sake of the world. And, as new members are initiated into the Church, the Church itself is renewed.
Lent, itself is a ritual of initiation. Women and men, the catechumen, join the entire Church in entering the desert. There, much takes place. In learning to pray and in praying, the ancient stories of the God of freedom become one’s own. It becomes possible to say, “I too was rescued from the slavery of Egypt”. Wave after wave of the ancient texts become blessings of constant forgiveness and renewal from a God who will ever be faithful to his promise to love until forever becomes a now.
Next weekend will begin the final stage of Lent with the commemoration of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In this final stage, a sifting will take place. We are confronted with the yells and screams of “messiah”, soon to become “crucify him”. It will be by God’s grace that among the many who will begin this final week, there will be some who will be “crucified with the Lord to be able to rise with him”. This final week will ask of us more prayer, more letting go of our old self, more of that sacrifice that leads to commitment; “Peter do you love me?”.
How interesting it is that Good Friday will also signal the rite of initiation that is called the Coachella Fest.
What is that initiation all about?
Father Francisco Gómez, S.T.