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Jon_S_1
Guest
People get what they put in. Your gross over generalization is inaccurate.
The problem of people “saying there Christian” but not practicing is widespread across all sects and religions.
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The problem of people “saying there Christian” but not practicing is widespread across all sects and religions.
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SjMelnychuk
Guest
My process to be welcomed into full communion of the Catholic Church was approx. 20+ year process. This also included going through the RCIA program 2 times. I almost went through the RCIA a 3rd time.
I had already been baptized. My family has historically been Catholic. On my mother’s side, Pioneers from Ireland and from a town predominantly Catholic to this day. On my dads side, Ukrainian Orthodox, and my Great Grandparents attended a Catholic Native Residential School where they converted to the Catholic faith and raised my Grandmother to be a faithful Catholic. My older sisters introduced me to the Pentecostal Church and Protestant tradition. Although, I had another Grandmother that was Anglican, My dad is Catholic and my my parents wedding was Catholic. So, the majority of my family Catholic. I was raised within the context of a Catholic culture although I wasn’t baptized or confirmed in the Catholic Church but my infant baptism was accepted by the Catholic Church.
By the time I entered into the RCIA program, I was pretty sure I was basically Catholic in heart and I processed through all the major issues I had previously and resolved all of the major issues prior to my RCIA classes. In the Protestant Tradition there is no waiting you can accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and get baptized in one day. Not that there really isn’t anything wrong with that but in contrast to the RCIA process in ancient times … for example,
Somebody mentioned that the RCIA program used to take 3 years. 3 years was the shortest time, still there were others who went through the RCIA program for 5 to 7 years. In Parishes today, some RCIA classes are once a week, others meet every other week but in ancient times you would meet one on one with a Priest every single day for 3 to 7 years before getting baptized and confirmed Catholic.
The point to the process is that the Catholic Church makes sure there is true conversion and true understanding and appreciation for the Sacraments. There is a lengthy discipleship process prior to being welcomed into full communion of the Catholic Church. As far as the level of Catechesis in the Church. Everybody knows that most people raised in the Catholic Church receive a poor Catechesis. That being said, there are some Parishes that do excellent Catechism of both children and adults. It really depends on the Parish. With my Parish, I pretty much got what I put into it. So it was a poorly done RCIA program. However, when it came to my one on one meetings with the Priest and my own study etc I appreciated the fact that I didn’t just jump in and without much thought get confirmed. By the time I was confirmed last Easter I knew this was a life long commitment and step of obedience. Looking back, the 20 + year process it took me to fully commit and submit to the Catholic Church became well worth the wait and process. In that time I wrestled with the doctrine and teaching etc and I learned a lot about Mass. Prior to my RCIA I didn’t really appreciate Mass. It was boring. It put me to sleep. It felt dry etc in comparison to a Protestant Traditional worship service. It wasn’t until my RCIA where I began to appreciate Mass. Now I understand and see what I didn’t before. Now I love Mass and sometimes attend mid-week. Would I understand and appreciate things as much as I do now had I not gone through 2 years of RCIA classes? Quite possibly not. It may seem pointless to spend the lengthy time but speaking as one who went through RCIA as well as from what others who have been there too, it can be frustrating at times, but another thing too, there was a holy expectation there.
I had already been baptized. My family has historically been Catholic. On my mother’s side, Pioneers from Ireland and from a town predominantly Catholic to this day. On my dads side, Ukrainian Orthodox, and my Great Grandparents attended a Catholic Native Residential School where they converted to the Catholic faith and raised my Grandmother to be a faithful Catholic. My older sisters introduced me to the Pentecostal Church and Protestant tradition. Although, I had another Grandmother that was Anglican, My dad is Catholic and my my parents wedding was Catholic. So, the majority of my family Catholic. I was raised within the context of a Catholic culture although I wasn’t baptized or confirmed in the Catholic Church but my infant baptism was accepted by the Catholic Church.
By the time I entered into the RCIA program, I was pretty sure I was basically Catholic in heart and I processed through all the major issues I had previously and resolved all of the major issues prior to my RCIA classes. In the Protestant Tradition there is no waiting you can accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and get baptized in one day. Not that there really isn’t anything wrong with that but in contrast to the RCIA process in ancient times … for example,
Somebody mentioned that the RCIA program used to take 3 years. 3 years was the shortest time, still there were others who went through the RCIA program for 5 to 7 years. In Parishes today, some RCIA classes are once a week, others meet every other week but in ancient times you would meet one on one with a Priest every single day for 3 to 7 years before getting baptized and confirmed Catholic.
The point to the process is that the Catholic Church makes sure there is true conversion and true understanding and appreciation for the Sacraments. There is a lengthy discipleship process prior to being welcomed into full communion of the Catholic Church. As far as the level of Catechesis in the Church. Everybody knows that most people raised in the Catholic Church receive a poor Catechesis. That being said, there are some Parishes that do excellent Catechism of both children and adults. It really depends on the Parish. With my Parish, I pretty much got what I put into it. So it was a poorly done RCIA program. However, when it came to my one on one meetings with the Priest and my own study etc I appreciated the fact that I didn’t just jump in and without much thought get confirmed. By the time I was confirmed last Easter I knew this was a life long commitment and step of obedience. Looking back, the 20 + year process it took me to fully commit and submit to the Catholic Church became well worth the wait and process. In that time I wrestled with the doctrine and teaching etc and I learned a lot about Mass. Prior to my RCIA I didn’t really appreciate Mass. It was boring. It put me to sleep. It felt dry etc in comparison to a Protestant Traditional worship service. It wasn’t until my RCIA where I began to appreciate Mass. Now I understand and see what I didn’t before. Now I love Mass and sometimes attend mid-week. Would I understand and appreciate things as much as I do now had I not gone through 2 years of RCIA classes? Quite possibly not. It may seem pointless to spend the lengthy time but speaking as one who went through RCIA as well as from what others who have been there too, it can be frustrating at times, but another thing too, there was a holy expectation there.
S
SjMelnychuk
Guest
If I may, picture a woman pregnant.
In the same way, when we’re expecting to be welcomed into the Catholic Church it is like waiting to be birthed, When you are welcomed into the Catholic Church it is like being welcomed home as an infant. There is all that preparation the Mother goes through when expecting her baby to be born. Finally, the birthing begins.
Now, with your Sponsor, that Sponsor begins to walk with you through your RCIA and sticks with you through your first year and perhaps longer as part of your discipleship in the Catholic faith. We don’t stop learning all about the Catholic Faith at Confirmation. There is much more to learn and hopefully what is communicated throughout your RCIA classes is that once you’re done with your RCIA Classes that doesn’t mean you’ve learned all you can about our beautiful Catholic faith but rather, we’ve just scratched the surface or only see like the top of an iceberg. That’s why it’s a humbling experience. But most importantly through the RCIA classes you’ve hopefully, and here’s the reason why we have the RCIA classes, it is so that we are given reason for our faith and come to a reason for conversion.
With the Catholic Faith journey we come to faith not just by believing alone or by some spiritual senses but rather have been equipped to give reason for our faith and have good intellectual reason. Our faith is not just a faith void of using our brains but rather we use our intellect as well as our emotions when deciding whether or not this is the step for us to take. So that by the time we are baptized and confirmed we do so with fuller appreciation of the Sacraments but that we also have true conversion.
If we don’t have true conversion and then walk away from the faith after baptism we run the risk of dieing in mortal sin. It would be rather irresponsible of those discipling us to leave room for that to happen. However, if there is true conversion like one commenter said, there is baptism of desire when waiting for baptism.
Baptism is first and foremost a GRACE that is one reason infants are baptised but infants are also baptised with the expectation that the child will be raised in the faith and have a good understanding of the faith by the time that child is confirmed into the Catholic Church. So there is incredible amount of responsibility for the parents. My cousin teaches Catechism and there’s unfortunately a very high percentage of parents pretty absent in raising their kids to be Catholic. It’s one thing that leads to poor Catechesis, the inactive parents when it comes to the Catechism of their own children. That might not be the case in all districts but for many cities, provinces, states etc that is the case.
Trust the process, learn all you can, and I also recommend that you seek out Spiritual Direction. You may find it helpful to talk to a Priest to help you process through some of your questions. Don’t be afraid to set up an appointment to speak with a Priest. They are there especially for this kind of stuff
In the same way, when we’re expecting to be welcomed into the Catholic Church it is like waiting to be birthed, When you are welcomed into the Catholic Church it is like being welcomed home as an infant. There is all that preparation the Mother goes through when expecting her baby to be born. Finally, the birthing begins.
Now, with your Sponsor, that Sponsor begins to walk with you through your RCIA and sticks with you through your first year and perhaps longer as part of your discipleship in the Catholic faith. We don’t stop learning all about the Catholic Faith at Confirmation. There is much more to learn and hopefully what is communicated throughout your RCIA classes is that once you’re done with your RCIA Classes that doesn’t mean you’ve learned all you can about our beautiful Catholic faith but rather, we’ve just scratched the surface or only see like the top of an iceberg. That’s why it’s a humbling experience. But most importantly through the RCIA classes you’ve hopefully, and here’s the reason why we have the RCIA classes, it is so that we are given reason for our faith and come to a reason for conversion.
With the Catholic Faith journey we come to faith not just by believing alone or by some spiritual senses but rather have been equipped to give reason for our faith and have good intellectual reason. Our faith is not just a faith void of using our brains but rather we use our intellect as well as our emotions when deciding whether or not this is the step for us to take. So that by the time we are baptized and confirmed we do so with fuller appreciation of the Sacraments but that we also have true conversion.
If we don’t have true conversion and then walk away from the faith after baptism we run the risk of dieing in mortal sin. It would be rather irresponsible of those discipling us to leave room for that to happen. However, if there is true conversion like one commenter said, there is baptism of desire when waiting for baptism.
Baptism is first and foremost a GRACE that is one reason infants are baptised but infants are also baptised with the expectation that the child will be raised in the faith and have a good understanding of the faith by the time that child is confirmed into the Catholic Church. So there is incredible amount of responsibility for the parents. My cousin teaches Catechism and there’s unfortunately a very high percentage of parents pretty absent in raising their kids to be Catholic. It’s one thing that leads to poor Catechesis, the inactive parents when it comes to the Catechism of their own children. That might not be the case in all districts but for many cities, provinces, states etc that is the case.
Trust the process, learn all you can, and I also recommend that you seek out Spiritual Direction. You may find it helpful to talk to a Priest to help you process through some of your questions. Don’t be afraid to set up an appointment to speak with a Priest. They are there especially for this kind of stuff
T
Techno2000
Guest
Graces Derived from Assisting at Mass
The Mass is Calvary continued.
Every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of Our Lord’s life, sufferings and death.
Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.
At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your greatest consolement.
Every Mass will go with you to judgement and plead for pardon.
At Mass you can diminish more or less temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervor.
Assisting devoutly at Holy Mass you render to the humanity of Our Lord the greates homage.
He supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.
He forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.
You afford the souls in Purgatory the greates possible relief.
One Mass heard during life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.
You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which otherwise might have befallen you. You shorten your Purgatory.
Every Mass wins you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.
You receive the Priest’s blessing which Our Lord ratifies in Heaven.
You kneel amidst a multitude of Holy Angels, who are present at the adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.
You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.
In eternity, we shall fully realize that it was certainly worthwhile to have assisted at Holy Mass daily. brizek.com/prayer/pieta.htm#gmass
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eightydeuce82
Guest
Let me tackle this…Its very simple. The answer is the Eucharist!
As an infant you are brought into Christ through baptism. As you grow you are instructed about the Eucharist and what it is. You go through plenty of formation to understand. then you are confirmed later.
For an adult coming into the faith you will not be baptized until you understand and believe…precisely because you will also be receiving baptism, Eucharist, and Conformation all at once. If you do not believe then you will be committing a grave sin and that is not the position the church wants to put you in.
children go through the natural formation process while adults must be instructed in a short timeframe, come to understand and believe BEFORE they are accepted.
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