By John C. Favalora - The Archdiocese of Miami
My dear friends,
The Sunday after Ash Wednesday, we celebrated the Rite of Election at St. Mary Cathedral. Many of you might not even know what that is, but it happens to be one of the highlights of my year.
The Rite of Election is part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). At this ceremony, I get to personally greet all those who will receive the sacrament of baptism during the Easter Vigil. These are known as catechumens � because they have never been baptized in any Christian faith � and we have 344 of them this year in the archdiocese.
The Rite of Election also brings to the cathedral people who are joining the Catholic Church after having been baptized in another Christian denomination. They are known as candidates, and we have 686 of them this year.
Among the candidates are also people who were baptized Catholic but never followed up with the other sacraments of initiation � confirmation and Communion. I am happy to welcome all of the elect to the cathedral each year, and to exhort them to take seriously their final period of preparation, the 40 days of the Lenten season.
This period of intense soul-searching and reflection parallels the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. It also parallels the practice of the early church, which insisted on a period of preparation and formation for all new believers. That�s because, back then, Christianity was not automatically handed down from parents to children. It was an adult choice � and a dangerous one at that � made by people who had heard the preaching of the apostles or their disciples. Infant baptism, in fact, was an adaptation made by the early church to accommodate parents who converted to Christianity along with their children.
Today, infant baptism is the norm. Sadly, in many families, it is more a cultural tradition than a serious profession of faith. It is tragic that so many people who were baptized Catholics have little or no knowledge of their faith and no more than a lukewarm connection to God.
That is why it is such a privilege for me to preside at the Rite of Election each year. Many of the �elect� � as the candidates and catechumens are known between Ash Wednesday and Easter � are visibly moved as they come up to shake my hand. For them, religion is not an imposition or a burden. It is not just a set of rules or a tradition to be followed. Their faith is in a living God who has touched them and moved them to make a serious, life-long commitment to the Catholic faith.
Easter for the elect will truly be special, not a repeat of years past, for they will have indeed been born again into a new life with God. May those of us who are cradle Catholics rejoice in their new-found faith and welcome them into our family. May we take the time to learn from them, to allow their enthusiasm to rub off on us, so that our Easter this year will be as meaningful and special as if it were our first.
John C. Favalora,
Archbishop of Miami
April 31, 2006
