By Alex Fogleman
One of the most fascinating accounts of catechesis in the early church comes from the journal—or itinerarium—of a Spanish ascetic, Egeria, who described the Lenten catechesis she observed during her pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem in the mid-380s. She’s writing for fellow ascetics back home, which is why she addresses them as “lady sisters.” It is possible that the bishop she describes was St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who left behind a series of catechetical addresses on Scripture, the Creed, and the Sacraments.
Her journal contains a vivid description of the various stages, rites, and relationships of Lenten catechesis. It describes how catechumens were examined and tested. It also gives a very interesting picture of the “curriculum” the bishop used, showing how he taught the Creed like Scripture—first literally and then spiritually. According to Egeria, he taught the catechumens for three hours a day over seven weeks!
An excellent new translation and edition of this text came out in 2018 by Anne McGowan and Paul Bradshaw—two major scholars of early Christian liturgy. For this Lent, I thought I’d reproduce their translation of Egeria’s description of Lent.
Quadragesima simply means “Forty” and it refers to the forty days of Lent. The competentes is the Latin name for those enrolled for baptism—literally “co-petitioners.” The Martyrium and the Anastasis refer to specific locations within the Jerusalem church (which you can learn more about here).
Whether you find yourself a catechist or catechumen, or simply seeking to live out your baptismal vows faithfully, I hope this passage will be edifying to you. A blessed and holy Lent to you!
45. And I ought also to write how those who will be baptized at Pascha are instructed. For those who give in their names give them in on the day before Quadragesima, and a presbyter writes down the names of all, that is, before those eight weeks for which I have said Quadragesima is kept here. When the presbyter has written down the names of all, afterward on the next day of Quadragesima, that is, when the eight weeks begin, a chair is placed for the bishop in the middle of the major church, that is, at the Martyrium, the presbyters sit in chairs on each side and all the clergy stand.
And then the competentes are brought forward one by one; if they are males, they come with their “fathers,” but if females, with their “mothers.” And then the bishop asks the neighbors of each one who has entered, saying, “Is this person of a good life, obedient to their parents, not a drunkard or a liar?” And he makes inquiry about particular vices that are more serious in people. And if they prove to be without blame in all these matters in which he has made inquiry of the witnesses present, he himself writes down their names with his own hand. But if they are accused in any matter, he orders them to go outside, saying, “Let them amend themselves, and when they have amended themselves, then let them come to the bath.” He speaks thus when making inquiry both of the men and of the women. If someone is a stranger, unless they have testimonies from those who know them, they do not so easily come to baptism.
46. I must write this, lady sisters, lest you think that it is done without explanation. For the custom here is such that those who come to baptism during those forty days in which there is fasting are first exorcized by the clergy early, as soon as the morning dismissal from the Anastasis has been done. And a chair is immediately placed for the bishop at the Martyrium, in the major church, and all who are to be baptized, both male and female, sit in a circle around the bishop; the “fathers” and “mothers” stand there also, and also all those of the people who wish to listen—but [only] the faithful—come in and sit. A catechumen does not enter there then when the bishop teaches them the law, that is, thus: beginning from Genesis he goes through all the Scriptures during those forty days, first explaining them literally and then interpreting them spiritually. They are also taught both about the resurrection and similarly everything about the faith during those days; this is called catechesis.
And when five weeks have been completed in which they are taught, then they receive the Creed; he explains to them the meaning of the Creed in a similar way to the meaning of all the Scriptures, each article first literally and then spiritually; so also he explains the Creed. And so it is that in these places all the faithful follow the Scriptures when they are read in church, because they are all taught during those forty days, that is, from the first hour to the third hour, because catechesis is done for three hours.
God knows, lady sisters, that the voices of the faithful who come in to listen to the catechesis are louder at those things that are said or explained by the bishop than at those things that are explained in this way when he sits and preaches in church. The dismissal from the catechesis having been done at the third hour, the bishop is immediately led from there with hymns to the Anastasis and the dismissal takes place at the third hour; and so they are taught for three hours a day for seven weeks, for in the eighth week of Quadragesima, that is, what is called Great Week, there is no time for them to be taught so that those things that [are] above may be carried out.
When seven weeks have passed, there remains that one paschal week that they call here Great Week; then the bishop comes in the morning into the major church at the Martyrium. A chair is placed for the bishop at the back in the apse behind the altar, and there they come one by one, males with their “fathers” and females with their “mothers,” and repeat the Creed to the bishop.
After the Creed has been repeated to the bishop, he addresses them all and says: “For these seven weeks you have been taught all the law of the Scriptures and you have also heard about the faith; you have also heard about the resurrection of the flesh and also the whole meaning of the Creed, as far as you can hear while still catechumens: but those things that are of a higher mystery, that is, of baptism itself, you cannot hear, being still catechumens. And lest you should think that anything is done without explanation, when you have been baptized in the name of God, you will hear during the eight paschal days in the Anastasis when the dismissal from the church has been done: because you are still catechumens, the more secret mysteries of God cannot be told to you.”
47. When the days of Pascha have come, during those eight days, that is, from Pascha to the octave, when the dismissal from the church has been done and they go with hymns to the Anastasis, soon prayer is made, the faithful are blessed, and the bishop stands leaning on the inner enclosure that is in the cave of the Anastasis, and explains everything that is done in baptism.
For at that time no catechumen comes into the Anastasis; only the neophytes and the faithful who wish to listen to the mysteries enter the Anastasis. The doors are closed lest a catechumen heads there. While the bishop discusses and relates each item, the voices of those praising are such that their voices are heard far outside the church. For indeed he interprets all the mysteries in such a way that no one cannot be moved at those things that they hear so explained.