Catechumens who are affiliated with the U.S. military underwent the Rite of Election on Feb. 22, signifying their intent to receive baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion at this year’s Easter Vigil Mass.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio celebrated Mass and gave the homily for the 23 catechumens at the main chapel of the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center in Washington, D.C., according to a Feb. 23 press release from the Archdiocese for the Military Services.
While there are other service members entering the Church at Easter Vigil, according to the release, those at the Feb. 22 Rite of Election hail from U.S. military installations around Washington, D.C.
Second Lieutenant Silas Krajniak, a Marine, is among them.
“Growing up, my mother was spiritual, Dad was a self-proclaimed atheist as well as myself, and over time somehow the Word of God found its way to my ears,” he noted.
Midshipman Fourth Class Travis Garnett, USNA, grew up Baptist. Becoming Catholic “just seems the right decision for me,” he remarked.
In the homily, Archbishop Broglio encouraged those entering the Church to reflect on how they will live out their faith in the years to come.
He told the catechumens: “Never forget that baptism is the beginning of eternal life and the rest of the journey is a pilgrimage to its fullness in the presence of Almighty God.”
He reflected on the Gospel reading, Matthew 4:1-11, in which Jesus rejects the temptations of Satan while fasting in the desert. Archbishop Broglio said that the three temptations could be summarized by this question: What sort of Son is Jesus?
“As you are numbered among the elect: that question prepares you to answer a specific one for the next six weeks: What sort of Christian will you be once the excitement and longing of these weeks of preparation fade?” he said. “Jesus helps you out with the ultimate response to the temptations of Satan: the will of God and the effective and correct use of His Word, the Sacred Scriptures.”