El bautismo actual a la luz de la mistagonía de san cirilo de Jerusalén

Abstract

The Church in the early centuries was concerned with explaining the mysteries of the faith within the life of the Christian community. This explanation is known as mystagogical catechesis, which indicates the last period of the ancient catechumenate, usually during the week after Easter, when neophytes received these catecheses. They were an allegorical explanation, whose main aspects were theological, moral, and spiritual, and were based on the rite, its consequences, and its experience in community life. It is important to remember that several Fathers of the Church offered mystagogical catecheses to the neophytes, among whom we highlight St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who provided the most representative mystagogical catecheses of antiquity, inviting believers to be reborn in body and soul through water and the Spirit. Our post-sacramental or mystagogical catechesis must lead those who live it to a personal and intimate experience with Jesus Christ that brings about a complete metanoia. It must be a space that welcomes everyone fraternally, where the initiated feel members of a Universal Church, where each member of the community is valued. Along with spiritual and communal experience, it must also be linked to solid biblical and doctrinal formation, as this is the only way to help each initiate mature in their religious experience. With catechesis presented in this way, we begin a path to overcome what has been denounced in this research: the loss of the meaning of baptism, which has turned into a social issue, commerce, fashion, tradition—in short, consumerism, a "supermarket religion." This situation endangers the sacramentality of our faith life and the Christian formation we have received. Finally, this catechesis will help the faithful become aware of their responsibilities as Christians.