The purpose of this blog

Thanks to the amazing work of Nick Wagner and Diana Macalintal from www.teamrcia.com at a recent conference for the Diocese of Reno over Mystagogy, I have been inspired to look at my life and faith in a more Mystagological way.  In doing so, I hope to put my personal reflections here so that other might be inspired and indeed start to deepen their own faith though example.



My struggles and triumphs in unpacking the mysteries of this world that God has created for us will hopefully chronicle my journey towards my ultimate goal:  complete communion with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit along with, as it has been so eloquently put, "those who have gone before us marked with the sign of our faith."  As difficult as it might be, I plan to talk not only about those mysteries that I believe I fully understand and that are easy to use to shape my life, but also about those mysteries that I struggle with to grasp, to understand, or to implement in my life in order to grow closer to Christ.  It is my intention to have a reflection on each Sunday's readings as well as other events both in my religious practice and in my life at large.  Like all plans, I know I will stumble here and there, but I hope that having this blog public will lend additional accountability and encourage me to keep up with this lofty goal.

A word on the Mystagological process for those who are unfamiliar with Mystagogy:

The early Church had a process in which a teacher guided seekers through stages of inquiry and purification, culminating in a final phase called "mystagogy" — MIST-a-go-gee — "the revelation of the mysteries."

As a team member for an active RCIA team, most people who even heard of the term of Mystagogy currently see it as a period after the Easter Vigil through Pentecost Sunday during which Neophytes who have just come into the fullness of their sacraments being to unpack the great mysteries of their baptism  first Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.  For some, this means a couple more weekly classes, possibly a talk by a priest, and that's about it.  There is a new movement in the formation of new members of our Church, and to the entire Church Community at large, to broaden this from a small period of time limited to class room time into a deeper reflection and then commitment to action on those mysteries of our faith and life as a whole.

The process is actually quite elegant and simple.  You begin with an event.  You then reflect on the event paying attention to elements which push themselves to the front of your thoughts.  Then, you take those elements and explore their meaning through church teaching and doctrine.  For those among us who are responsible for formation of faith and catechists this is almost second nature, but for those who are on this journey to deepen their faith it will involve reading the writings of our saints and those who currently teach the faith, scripture, or possibly speaking with your local priest, deacon or catechists in your parish...or you you do not have access to any of these resources seeking out someone online to help you break open what you have experienced.  Next, we look at how this connects our lives with our faith and how it relates to other things in my life that I might be experiencing or struggling with.  Finally, and possibility most importantly  we reflect on what this calls me to do to grow closer to Christ.

As I offer my reflections to you, I extend an invitation for you to comment and share your reflections with me.  In this sort of exchange we can take a singular experience and use it to grown and deepen multiple faiths.

And finally, I ask for your prayers, and for you to let me know where I can pray for you.  Lord knows we all can use any help we can on our path towards the Kingdom.

May the Lord bless you, and keep you until we have the chance to meet again.