Harry's RCIA Progress

[Texas_Roofer]

Remember Jesus said because of your harden hearts you were granted bills of divorce. Unfortunely you have limited control of your spouse’s heart but unless one spouse chooses the hard heart the Bill of Divorce is not needed

 

[Jeff_Hale]

Good for you, Harry. This will be a good place for you to look back upon and review. It’ll be a good form of journaling too.

 

[Andruschak]

Good for you, Harry. This will be a good place for you to look back upon and review. It’ll be a good form of journaling too.

As of today (Saturday) the main thing has been to start praying for my biological father. He died in 1962, when I was age 19. I did not shed a single tear at his death, nor have I been able to shed any since then.:nope:

Last thursday my new Spiritual Direction informed me that I must somehow, someway, forgive my father. Not forgetting what he did to me, but FORGIVING. This is a spiritual wound that needs to be healed.

So one decade of my daily Rosary Intentions are now for the soul of my father, to somehow heal the wounds between us. I have no idea how long this will take, but my spiritual director has at least got me started. This will probably be a long-term project.

 

[Catherine_Grant]

Harry, rather than starting these new threads, you might just consider some overall name like ‘Andruschak RCIA Journey’. It might make it easier both for you to look back upon as well as we, your readers, to follow.

Excellent idea, and I will put it into practice

Wonderful idea, Jeff. Thank you! Harry, since you are unable to attach your previous threads, I’ve taken the liberty of doing so for you here. I’ve merged 11 threads which were directly about your RCIA journey into a single one.

With prayers that your journey be fruitful and fulfilling,

Catherine Grant
Spirituality Moderator

 

[Andruschak]

Wonderful idea, Jeff. Thank you! Harry, since you are unable to attach your previous threads, I’ve taken the liberty of doing so for you here. I’ve merged 11 threads which were directly about your RCIA journey into a single one.

With prayers that your journey be fruitful and fulfilling,

Catherine Grant
Spirituality Moderator

Thank you. I do appreciate the work that moderators have to do, and wouldn’t want to make your tasks harder.

 

[InLight247]

I went to my first RCIA meeting last night, I am also a candidate baptized Baptist, and felt like I already knew everything. I already pray the rosary and such and when I mentioned the 15 prayers of St. Bernedette last night all the leaders looked at me like I was speaking in tongues or something! They had no clue what I was talking about. I’m way ahead of anyone else in there, even one who has been raised Catholic pretty much!

I’m afriad of becoming bored.

To be honest, I don’t know anything about 15 prayers of St. Bernedette either ??? I only know 15 prayers of St. Bridget which I have been praying every day for 6 years so far.

There are so many prayers of Catholic faith. One cannot possibly know it all. If you like, you can shed some light about this St. Bernedette prayer so we may all learn.

I always think that the more I know, the more I know that I don’t know. If you really think you have known it enough, then you can take the approach of giving instead of getting. Go to the class to help others. Life is about helping each other, isn’t it?

 

[Andruschak]

With prayers that your journey be fruitful and fulfilling,

Catherine Grant
Spirituality Moderator

This morning’s RCIA Class (15 October) was a severe test of my resolution to have God put his arm around my shoulder and his hand over my mouth

At one point in the 90 minutes session, the facilitator sais all paths to god were equally valid, and the path of the Roman Catholic Church was just one of those paths.

Mind you, for the last two weeks at catechismclass.com we have been instructed on the traditional teachings that the only valid path to God is through the RC Church

I was informed that I needed a Sponser for the Rite Of Acceptance at the Mass of 5 November. Since I came in without a sponser, one will have to be assigned to me.

At the end of the class I handed out a dozen green scapulars to my classmates. Hope it helps

 

[Andruschak]

I was informed that I needed a Sponser for the Rite Of Acceptance at the Mass of 5 November. Since I came in without a sponser, one will have to be assigned to me.

Today, Monday, 16 October, I stopped by the CNEWA website to order a set of Gregorian Masses for my father.

 

[Jeff_Hale]

“At one point in the 90 minutes session, the facilitator said all paths to god were equally valid, and the path of the Roman Catholic Church was just one of those paths.”

That would be a very contestable point with any of the CAF apologists, I would think. I’m wondering in what context the statement was made. Are the facilitators asking you not to interrupt with questions, or not asking for questions at the end of their presentations? We always try to encourage our candidates and catechumens to ask questions about any part of our presentations. That’s what you and they should be there for, to have your questions about Catholicism answered. Why else would a candidate be there and not a Protestant church down the street? Heck, I chose Catholicism because I think it’s the best thing going, not because I thought a Protestant church or any of the other faiths were just as good.

 

[Andruschak]

“At one point in the 90 minutes session, the facilitator said all paths to god were equally valid, and the path of the Roman Catholic Church was just one of those paths.”

That would be a very contestable point with any of the CAF apologists, I would think. I’m wondering in what context the statement was made. Are the facilitators asking you not to interrupt with questions, or not asking for questions at the end of their presentations? We always try to encourage our candidates and catechumens to ask questions about any part of our presentations. That’s what you and they should be there for, to have your questions about Catholicism answered. Why else would a candidate be there and not a Protestant church down the street? Heck, I chose Catholicism because I think it’s the best thing going, not because I thought a Protestant church or any of the other faiths were just as good.

Several people in this Forum have reminded me that I am to learn humility, patience, and obedience from these RCIA classes. And there would be no point in getting kicked out for being an obnoxious know-it-all. So I kept silent. I just want to get this RCIA over and done with.

 

[jmm08]

Is this first talk really only a few minutes long? I listened and it cut him off midsentence?

Each of the talks is roughly the same length (about 24 minutes).
The first talk is slightly over 24 minutes long.

Try downloading the full file first and then play it from your hard disk. That way the talk won’t stop if your internet provider has a hiccup.

jmm08

 

[blessedstar]

At one point in the 90 minutes session, the facilitator sais all paths to god were equally valid, and the path of the Roman Catholic Church was just one of those paths.

Perhaps the class is being taught that faith is a gift. No man can believe in something that he does not truly believe in his heart and mind. If someone believes in Christ Jesus he has faith in Christ Jesus whether he is a Catholic, Protestant, Baptist etc. Who are we to say anything about their faith when we did nothing to merit our own faith? Jesus said ‘I have other sheep who are not of this flock’ when the Apostles complained to Jesus after seeing people ‘who were not one of them casting out demons in Jesus’ Name’. For those of us who know the fullness of truth we have more expected of us and for those who are not of this flock but still in Jesus have what is expected of them. It is true God calls all men to the fullness of His Truth, but not one man who professes Jesus as Lord and believes in Him, always seeking the Truth of Him and lives to the fullness of their conscience will be denied by the Lord.

Because we have been given more we should be all the more humbler. Harry, you did nothing to merit the generous gift of your faith, none of us have and we must just remain thankful to God for it and live it to the fullest always being charitable to all of our brothers and sisters.

 

[Jeff_Hale]

There must be some “happy medium” between asking so many questions that it disrupts the session, on the one hand, and not asking any questions at all, on the other hand.

“Several people in this Forum have reminded me that I am to learn humility, patience, and obedience from these RCIA classes.”

Those are worthy virtues for all of us to live by, but there is a time and place for everything, and RCIA sessions, especially at the stage you are at, Harry, even before your Rite of Acceptance/Welcoming, is the time to be finding out about Catholicism. Humility and patience and obedience are all important, and you wouldn’t want to be disrupting your sessions to the point that others are offended, but you also have the right to have your questions answered. If that can’t happen during the session, then the RCIA co-ordinator should be willing to try to answer your questions after the sessions, or during a scheduled meeting.

I know I would be very frustrated if I had questions about Catholicism and I was told to be humble and patient and obedient.

Your questions should pertain to the topic that day, on the other hand. I can understand a request to be patient if those questions are going to be more pertinent in a future session, and you should be informed of that.

 

[blessedstar]

It’s early days Harry, the RCIA sessions only began a month ago and have some way to go yet. I am sure all of your questions will be answered by the end of the RCIA course.

It is best not to interrupt the flow of the class with lots of people asking many different questions, some classes offer questions at the end of each session.

Write down your questions if there is no suitable opening to discuss them in class and as they are answered cross them off and if by the end of the sessions you have questions left unanswered approach your instructor or Priest and ask them to go over them with you.

 

[Andruschak]

Because we have been given more we should be all the more humbler. Harry, you did nothing to merit the generous gift of your faith, none of us have and we must just remain thankful to God for it and live it to the fullest always being charitable to all of our brothers and sisters.

I’ve no trouble with that, actually. The RCIA Moderator made it clear that she was talking about salvation…getting to heaven. To her, all christian churches are valid paths to salvation and heaven

Now it just so happens that, for the last 3 weeks, our daily RCIA classes at catechismclass.com have opened with quotations from the current Official Catechism, back up by biblical passages, that no one gets to Heaven except through Jesus and the one and only Church he established, the Roman Catholic Church

My basic attitude in RCIA class is summed up in an old AA prayer; “God, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.” This seemed to be one of those times when it was best for me to stay silent. If I was wrong, I apologize.

 

[blessedstar]

I’ve no trouble with that, actually. The RCIA Moderator made it clear that she was talking about salvation…getting to heaven. To her, all christian churches are valid paths to salvation and heaven

Now it just so happens that, for the last 3 weeks, our daily RCIA classes at catechismclass.com have opened with quotations from the current Official Catechism, back up by biblical passages, that no one gets to Heaven except through Jesus and the one and only Church he established, the Roman Catholic Church

My basic attitude in RCIA class is summed up in an old AA prayer; “God, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.” This seemed to be one of those times when it was best for me to stay silent. If I was wrong, I apologize.

Harry, there’s nothing wrong with you, you’re beautiful to see and so is your faith.

You know it’s the mystical theology of the Church and it’s a great mystery and truth of the Church that by her betrothal to Christ Jesus and being His Mystical Body all Christians fall under her ‘wing’, by that it is the graces in the Church that spreads it’s umberella wide over the whole Christian community even though those Christian communities may not be in union with the Catholic Church that such communities and other non-denominational believers in Christ Jesus and those who believe in the One God, such as Muslims may attain salvation.

I cannot say that I or anyone I know understands how this mystery works, but it does and through the Catholic Church Christ sanctifies all those who believe in God, in Himself.

 

[Andruschak]

I cannot say that I or anyone I know understands how this mystery works, but it does and through the Catholic Church Christ sanctifies all those who believe in God, in Himself.

And that is why I ordered those Gregorian Masses for my biological father, who was Baptized and Confirmed in the Ukranian Orthodox Church, and died in the Lutheran Church.

 

[Jeff_Hale]

We have what we call an “Ask It Basket”, for any questions the candidates/catechumens might have about church doctrine or sacramentals or anything on their minds about Catholicism. They write their questions down with provided paper and pencil, and the Core team reviews the questions and come up with answers for the following session. One of us will read the question in the following session and give our joint response. We set aside a few minutes before the catechesis begins to go over these questions and answers every week.

These are helpful for those candidates who would rather not ask their question in front of everyone else. We ask that the person write their name on the slip of paper so we can be sure they hear the answer in case they miss a session, but we will not say out loud the person’s name.

 

[Andruschak]

They write their questions down with provided paper and pencil, and the Core team reviews the questions and come up with answers for the following session. .

Core team? First I’ve heard of such a thing, and certainly not a part of my Church’s RCIA program

 

[jmcrae]

We have what we call an “Ask It Basket”, for any questions the candidates/catechumens might have about church doctrine or sacramentals or anything on their minds about Catholicism.

I’ve got something like that set up for our Inquirers, as well. So far, no one has ever actually used it, though - I had thought that we would let the questions be anonymous, with the understanding that the answers would be given at the next Inquiry meeting.

If they don’t make it to the meeting, they can always e-mail me to ask what we discussed in the meeting.