Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 79 No. 3, 2009.
Original scientific paper
The Dynamics of Initiation in the Liturgy of Baptism: from the Dynamics of the Mysteries to Ritual Structure
Ante Crnčević
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Christian initiation experienced in the early Church as the start of the walk in faith which culminated in the unique Liturgical initiation, inoculated in the Liturgical Easter vigil lost the uniqueness of its Liturgical celebration during its development in history and with that the uniqueness of the meaning of three sacraments of initiation. Pastoral care of the sacraments of initiation gave each its own celebration and distinct pastoral objectives observed not in the light of the unique path of initiation and embodiment of Christ and the Church but in the light of some wider pastoral programme of the Church. As such reference to the three sacraments of initiation lost its »sacramentality of the actual initiation«. Directing thought towards the discovery of the »sacramentality of the unity of the three sacraments«, the author points to the internal dynamics of the Liturgy of baptism. Historically since its emergence, the ritual dynamics is a copy and expression of the »dynamics of the Mysteries«. The act of dousing into the water and the act of post-baptismal anointing in the beginning had a unique baptismal significance in the indivisible mystery of being inoculated into Christ's life. The uniqueness of the internal dynamics of initiation is portrayed by the author in the example of the rituality of the three sacraments, particularly Baptism and Confirmation and then in the Liturgical-Architectural structure of the space to celebrate initiation and of the valuing of the »dimension of time« which shows that initiation is entering into the »Lord's time«. Special focus is given to the significance of noticing katabatic dynamism which needs to be the starting principle throughout historical and cultural tides of ritual expression of the new structure of rituality and shaping the pastoral care of the sacrament itself. The Liturgical image of sacramental dynamics on the Liturgical space is shown in the example of the baptisterial complex of early Christian Thessalonica (5th C). Special focus is given to the new approach to the space for Baptism and the novelty is shown in the need to shape a separate place to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation in the baptismal space. In the end, the author proposes the need to return the sacrament of Confirmation to its original sacramental order, which leads to the necessity to re-found and redirect encompassing pastoral endeavours concerning Christian initiation.
Keywords
Christian initiation; Baptism; Confirmation; dousing, baptismal anointment; mystery; mysterial dynamics; liturgical space; baptismal font; space to celebrate Confirmation; Liturgical time
Hrčak ID:
40986
URI
Publication date:
2.10.2009.
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