It may seem strange to talk about mystagogy in Lent. But mystagogy is something all the faithful are called to do all the time. The United States bishops said that “mystagogy represents the Christian’s lifelong education and formation in the faith. By analogy it signifies the continuous character of catechesis in the life of the Christian” (“National Directory for Catechesis,” 35).
In mystagogy we reflect on an encounter with Christ, name its meaning within the tradition of our faith, and then live out that meaning in our daily lives.
We need not be ashamed to reveal our sin, nor should we wallow self-centeredly in our weakness. Instead let us respond joyfully to God’s love by turning our lives toward Christ in whom our sin is transformed into redeeming grace. Share on XOn this First Sunday of Lent, in the confrontation between the serpent and our first parents, we recall that six weeks later we will sing in the Exsultet: “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!”
Even in this penitential season, sin is not our primary focus. We dwell not upon our weakness but on the power of the Father’s love to free us by the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, we need not be ashamed to reveal our sin, nor should we wallow self-centeredly in our weakness. Instead let us respond joyfully to God’s love by turning our lives toward Christ in whom our sin is transformed into redeeming grace.
This post was first published in “GIA Quarterly: A Liturgical Music Journal.”
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