I wanna be catholic :(

  • Thread starter Thread starter reff
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

reff

Guest
My RCIA doesn’t start til August and I won’t be baptized until next year’s easter vigil. But I don’t wanna wait that long, can’t I take private lessons and become baptized sooner. I go to Mass every weekend and I say my rosary every night. Can I even call myself a Catholic even though I’m not baptized, when I go I feel like I’m not fitting in cuz I’m not technically Catholic, and I want to be Catholic so bad 😦
 
reff said:
My RCIA doesn’t start til August and I won’t be baptized until next year’s easter vigil. But I don’t wanna wait that long, can’t I take private lessons and become baptized sooner. I go to Mass every weekend and I say my rosary every night. Can I even call myself a Catholic even though I’m not baptized, when I go I feel like I’m not fitting in cuz I’m not technically Catholic, and I want to be Catholic so bad 😦
Click to expand...
Check with your local parish and if no one can help you there, check with your diocese.

But remember - long term it may be better that you wait rather than rush.
 
reff said:
My RCIA doesn’t start til August and I won’t be baptized until next year’s easter vigil. But I don’t wanna wait that long, can’t I take private lessons and become baptized sooner. I go to Mass every weekend and I say my rosary every night. Can I even call myself a Catholic even though I’m not baptized, when I go I feel like I’m not fitting in cuz I’m not technically Catholic, and I want to be Catholic so bad 😦
Click to expand...
Reff,

I completely understand how you feel. When I was in RCIA, I could have taught it - easily. Nevertheless, I came out very glad I went through it. The length of the process gives room and time for spiritual growth that you would never imagine possible until you’ve been through it. I can also tell you that I learned a lot of very important things in RCIA that most new converts would never have ever thought to read about. You gain a lot of experiential knowledge - that is, you just gain experience that is so valuable… you come to know what certain things are like.

Pray to God that His Will be done. If He desires you to become Catholic sooner, He’ll work it out. It really depends on the folks at your particular parish and how open they are to the idea of letting you go through it in a quicker fashion. So pray to God for a week or two, asking Him that His Will about it be done. Also spend time in silence listening to what He has to say in return - hopefully in front of the tabernacle! 🙂

At the end of that time, if you still feel like you ought to do it early, try talking to the pastor or the RCIA director. If they don’t want to do it this way, offer it up as a sacrifice for someone you love who needs spiritual help. It really is a powerful incentive when your sacrifice is for someone you love.

As long as you’re open to what God has planned, you will be fine. 🙂

Peace and God bless
 
Technically you can take private lessons, you can even have lessons with the priest if you want and he accepts. But usually priests only do this for people entering the church from denominations that are similar to the Catholic faith with only minor differences (i.e. Anglican, Episcopal, etc.) That is not always the best way to go through RCIA. Talk things over with your priest. He may feel it is better for you to go through the normal process. He may know of another parish nearby that is having an earlier RCIA class. Not all parishes only have new members enter the church at Easter.
 
reff – your heart is in the right place. In a very true way, you ARE already a member of the Catholic Church because you are expressing the baptism of desire. So you are a member of the Church, albeit in a limited way. Now make sure that you find a solidly orthodox RCIA program (not all of them are) and continue in the journey!

From paragraph 1259 of the catechism:

1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm#1259

Some background info on the baptism of desire:

The baptism of desire (baptismus flaminis) is a perfect contrition of heart, and every act of perfect charity or pure love of God which contains, at least implicitly, a desire (votum) of baptism. The Latin word flamen is used because Flamen is a name for the Holy Ghost, Whose special office it is to move the heart to love God and to conceive penitence for sin. The “baptism of the Holy Ghost” is a term employed in the third century by the anonymous author of the book “De Rebaptismate”. The efficacy of this baptism of desire to supply the place of the baptism of water, as to its principal effect, is proved from the words of Christ. After He had declared the necessity of baptism (John 3), He promised justifying grace for acts of charity or perfect contrition (John 14): “He that loveth Me, shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.” And again: “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him.” Since these texts declare that justifying grace is bestowed on account of acts of perfect charity or contrition, it is evident that these acts supply the place of baptism as to its principal effect, the remission of sins. This doctrine is set forth clearly by the Council of Trent. In the fourteenth session (cap. iv) the council teaches that contrition is sometimes perfected by charity, and reconciles man to God, before the Sacrament of Penance is received. In the fourth chapter of the sixth session, in speaking of the necessity of baptism, it says that men can not obtain original justice “except by the washing of regeneration or its desire” (voto). The same doctrine is taught by Pope Innocent III (cap. Debitum, iv, De Bapt.), and the contrary propositions are condemned by Popes Pius V and Gregory XII, in proscribing the 31st and 33rd propositions of Baius.

newadvent.org/cathen/02258b.htm
 
Marauder said:
Technically you can take private lessons, you can even have lessons with the priest if you want and he accepts.
Click to expand...
This is true for the baptized, but not for the unbaptized. RCIA is a formal process instituted by the Church for the catechumenate. In danger of death, of course, one may be baptized immediately.
 
1ke said:
This is true for the baptized, but not for the unbaptized. RCIA is a formal process instituted by the Church for the catechumenate. In danger of death, of course, one may be baptized immediately.
Click to expand...
The priest can do the training if he wants, odds of the priest doing the entire process himself from start to finish are slim but it can happen. Like I said usually they only do it in cases where the person is coming in from a denomination that is similar to the Catholic church, but if the priest really wants to teach the RCIA class to one person or a few people they can.
 
Marauder said:
The priest can do the training if he wants, odds of the priest doing the entire process himself from start to finish are slim but it can happen. Like I said usually they only do it in cases where the person is coming in from a denomination that is similar to the Catholic church, but if the priest really wants to teach the RCIA class to one person or a few people they can.
Click to expand...
But the OP isn’t coming “from a denomination that is similar to the Catholic Church.” He is unbaptized. The normal time for an adult to be baptized is at the Easter Vigil. Besides, the Easter Vigil is such a glorious Mass that you wouldn’t want to miss it or the experience of being baptized at the Vigil.
 
Just to chime in as a recent convert, my parish priest DID meet with me privately for quite a while and he baptized me in September, then I was confirmed this April 24th. 😃 I do think that it is very important to have a lengthy time in RCIA or whatever means that you are learning because there is much to learn and there is much to think about. I know I’m lucky that I am in a fairly small parish and that our priest was willing to do this, I know it is not a norm. The Bishop did know about everything too! 🙂
 
Unfortunatly you can’t be baptised earlier(unless you become terminally ill or soemthing, God forbid). I went through the same thing…and, as a poster above, I could have probably taught the RCIA class. I really got very little if anything from the classes themselves, but having to wait really helped me get my priorities in line and stuff. Stay strong = ) and pray- the agonizing wait gives you a chance to learn patience.

Once you do the rite of acceptence you are considered ‘Catholic’. This is usually done at the beginning of RCIA ‘season’ whenever that is- they will mark you with the sign of the cross on your hands, ears, etc. After that, you can have a Catholic funeral. And you SHOULD be going to Mass every sunday = )) I know it gets annoying to leave halfway through(ick ick ick) but you will learn to respect it, and hopefully it will give you a respect for the Eucharist that most people at your parish do not have(sadly, it is safe to assume this at even seemingly orthodox, traditional parishes).

Hang in there 👍
 
We have several priests in my diocese who will train converts privately. It’s a good option for some people depending on the situation.

It’s definitely something to take time with though in any case. Your desire for the Eucharist especially will grow – and it will last a lifetime.
 
reff said:
My RCIA doesn’t start til August and I won’t be baptized until next year’s easter vigil. But I don’t wanna wait that long, can’t I take private lessons and become baptized sooner. I go to Mass every weekend and I say my rosary every night. Can I even call myself a Catholic even though I’m not baptized, when I go I feel like I’m not fitting in cuz I’m not technically Catholic, and I want to be Catholic so bad 😦
Click to expand...
I think you are one of us in the best sense of the word. You are a Catholic who is still in training…lucky you. There are so many of us who could use some remedial instruction as you will learn. Don’t cheat yourself out of all that you can learn about the oldest institution in the western world…the true Church. Welcome home and G-d bless you richly!!👍
 
Hi! I was received into the Church this Easter and I just finished RCIA and I’d like to offer you some advice.

If I were you, I would continue going to Mass & praying the rosary, you can also get involved with activities at your parish. At my church, we have breakfast after Sunday Mass, on Wednesdays we have what’s called a “Community Night” where we have a dinner buffet and a talk by either our deacon or priest, every Tuesday & Thursday we have a Bible Study, and Fridays we have another dinner and talk. Getting involved at your parish will introduce you to other members, and you would be surprised how many of them have gone through RCIA.

But, don’t rush through this. To me, going through RCIA was one of the best things that I have ever done. I developed friendships within the group that I will cherish forever. The Rite of Acceptance is truly beautiful, then you have the Rite of Sending and the Rite of Election (where you go to the Bishop), followed by the Scrutinies which brought me to tears each week! And there are no words to describe Easter Vigil!

At our last RCIA meeting, the director told us something that none of us had even thought about. She said that we were in that particular group for one reason, God wanted us to find him and his church but to also find each other.

So whatever you do, don’t rob yourself of that. I know you’re longing for baptism and to receive the Eucharist and Holy Spirit, trust me, I know. But, come next Easter Vigil, you will not only receive Baptism, Confirmation, and Communion, you will have received true friendships and experiences that will last a lifetime.

😃
 
Being Catholic means you are part of the Church. The Church is made up of the whole congregation. New members, old members, young members, ancient members. Some were blessed to have been born into the church, some were called like you (and me).

I struggled on the path also. I went to every RCIA class held. My priest should be up for sainthood for all the stuff we put him through in discussion (all in good humor). I was bored and almost dropped out becuase I just wanted it to be over with, but I hung in there.

On the night of Easter Vigil, I was so proud. I had stuck it out. I also had a couple come up to me and tell me they really appreciated me asking all my questions because they were too shy to ask and I kept them interested. I donated alot of Catholic books to the RCIA program.

So my advise is stick it out, don’t short cut it, learn all you can and ask as many questions as you can. As a matter of fact, I typed up a bunch of questions then stuffed the “question box” with them, I think they still use those questions today. Maybe you can help another member of your class to be a better Catholic.
 
reff said:
My RCIA doesn’t start til August and I won’t be baptized until next year’s easter vigil. But I don’t wanna wait that long, can’t I take private lessons and become baptized sooner. I go to Mass every weekend and I say my rosary every night. Can I even call myself a Catholic even though I’m not baptized, when I go I feel like I’m not fitting in cuz I’m not technically Catholic, and I want to be Catholic so bad 😦
Click to expand...
We can haz partee? :bounce:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top