The Rite of Election
At the heart of our Christian life is the understanding that each of us is called by God. We hear, proclaimed in Scripture, the words of Christ who said “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” Not only does Christ choose, he calls us and knows us by name. These are the truths of our faith enacted ritually at the Rite of Election.
This year, the Rite of Election will be celebrated on February 18, 2024 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope Parish, Blackwood.
The Rite of Election marks a significant step for our catechumens – those who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. Election in our contemporary culture often signifies a contest, or our choosing something or somebody. The Rite of Election is not about the catechumens choosing the Catholic Church; rather, as in the great scriptural tradition of election, it is about God’s choice of the person. For Christians this is the call to embrace the mission of Jesus, the mission of God’s Kingdom.
The introduction to the Rite states that it is called “election” because the acceptance made by the Church is founded on the election of God in whose name the Church acts. After the catechumens have completed their formation in their parishes, the Rite of Election is celebrated by the Bishop who chooses them, elects them, in the name of the Lord and of the local Church to which they belong.
Prior to the Rite of Election, the catechumens inscribe their names in the Book of the Elect at a ceremony in their respective parishes. The parish then sends the catechumens to the Bishop for the Rite of Election.
The call, the election, of the Church embodies in human voice the call of God to which the catechumens have already responded. They are then asked to express their response publicly in the presence of the Church: “Do you wish to enter fully into the life of the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist?”
Led forward by their parish OCIA Coordinator, who carries the Book of the Elect, they are greeted personally by the Bishop. He then declares that the catechumens are to be called “the Elect” until they receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.