Inviting Us to The Party

[Figment713]

Paris Blue’s Thread about the obligation of a non-confirmed RCIA participant to participate at mass on a holy day of obligation brought the following to mind.

I too am involved in RCIA, although not so far along as Paris Blue. She gets confirmed in three weeks. I have until the Vigil Mass for Easter.

In my RCIA class are 15 students from two parishes. It has recently become apparent to those leading the classes that there are only three of us who are regularly attending mass. (We had a recent class session on what goes on at mass, and for most of my classmates it was all new material!) Now, I started doing this before even starting RCIA as a part of my “investigation” into whether becoming Catholic was really what I needed/wanted to do. I may not be able to participate in all the sacraments, but I can still be present at mass.

It just seems that everyone is waiting…either for an invitation to participate at mass or for someone (i.e. the priests) to tell them that they need to start going. Very odd to me: What are they waiting for…to become Catholic and then they’ll start attending???

Anyway, for those of you who are involved with the RCIA program, I would think it best were you to simply tell folks that it’s OK for them to attend mass even before their baptism/confirmation/etc. After all I (non-baptised person that I am) have been going for months now, and the church has yet to be struck by lightening.

 

[AquinasXVI]

Fig:

You can and should participate as often as you can. Even though you can’t receive Holy Communion YET, you can offer all of your work, play, thoughts, all that you are in the offertory and during communion say a spiritual communion while being blessed with your arms crossed.

Spiritual Communion: Lord, I wish to receive you with the adoration, humility and purity with which your holy mother received you, with the spirit and fervor of your saints.

If you need a verbal invitation then here it is: COME TO MASS AND CELEBRATE WITH US!!!

in XT.

 

[LSK]

I think that’s a great idea! A formal invitation, if you will! Come to the Lamb’s Supper, the Eucharist, and begin to participate in as much as you can…until you start that part of the RCIA process when you leave during the offertory for further instruction and then return after communion for the final blessing.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

You know what, thank you for pointing this out. I can’t remember if I was ever invited during my RCIA, but we should definitely do this.

LSK, wouldn’t it be great if the parish actually sent out formal invitations to the RCIA students!?

How cool would that be?

VC

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Our Lord Jesus Christ

His Mother Mary

His Holiness Benedict XVI
And the College of Cardinals

Holy Mother Church

And the Great Cloud of Witnesses in the Communion of Saints

Cordially invite you to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Celebrated Every Sunday at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 5:00 AM

 

[YinYangMom]

Our RCIA class meets at 9:30am…in the church.

They have a reserved pew toward the front of the church for the 9:30am mass…after the prayers and petitions they proceed to the front of the altar where the priest blesses them as they are about to receive their instruction. The choir sings a special song as they process out of the church being led by their teacher holding the bible above her head. When they leave the church, father is back at his spot at the altar and we continue the mass.

The RCIA group goes to the parish hall classrooms for their session. The mass is part of the program for our parish.

 

[Figment713]

YinYangMom:

Our RCIA class meets at 9:30am…in the church.

They have a reserved pew toward the front of the church for the 9:30am mass…after the prayers and petitions they proceed to the front of the altar where the priest blesses them as they are about to receive their instruction. The choir sings a special song as they process out of the church being led by their teacher holding the bible above her head. When they leave the church, father is back at his spot at the altar and we continue the mass.

The RCIA group goes to the parish hall classrooms for their session. The mass is part of the program for our parish.

How lovely.

This is way different than at our parish, although, to be perfectly fair, we are in the very early (inquiry) stage, so things may change after the Rite of Acceptance on 11/27/05. Particularly since our RCIA isn’t even held at our parish (we share classes with a neighboring parish, which gives access to 4 priests and a deacon to teach the classes), I don’t even think that anyone knows that the three of us from the parish who are in RCIA (and are attending the masses) are doing it.

Anyway, our classes are on Tuesday evenings, at the neighboring parish. I kind of feel like a “stealth RCIA candidate” when I’m in the home parish and attending mass. (This is really OK with me, as I am REALLY uncomfortable with the thought of drawing attention to myself. In fact, I really dread the Easter Vigil when I’ll be baptized, confirmed, etc. with everyone looking on… )

 

[puzzleannie]

if you are participating in RCIA yes, you can and should be attending Mass, however you do not have an obligation under pain of mortal sin until you are baptized, receive communion and Confirmation. A baptized Catholic who has made first communion is obligated to assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation.

An unbaptized person in RCIA should be attending Mass up to the point that the catechumens are dismissed after the gospel. For them, the time for more thorough catechesis in the Mass and what goes on at Mass properly is the mystagogy period after Easter, which is why it is so critical for them to continue attended after their reception into the Church.

A baptized person preparing for First Communion and Confirmation should definitely be attending Mass, the entire Mass, as is proper to the baptized. The Mass is the heart of all catechesis for them, and without it they are missing the lion’s share of their education in the faith.

This is also true, by the way, of children and youth preparing for first communion and Confirmation. They must be attending Mass or they are neither properly prepared nor properly disposed to receive the sacraments.

 

[RCIA_STL_girl]

Hello everyone. I was excited to find this discussion group. I am going through RCIA right now and loving it.

Our class of five meets on Wednesday nights and not on Sundays as well until Lent, although all of us I am pretty sure attend Sunday mass.

I have been attending Catholic Mass on and off for almost six years and I was not raised with any religious background with my family growing up. I more recently within in the past six months have learned more than I have to this point. I even sometimes go during the week before I go to work, when I feel like the Holy Spirit is calling me to do so.

My advice is the more you try to put Christ as the center of your life, the more you will enjoy it. Continue to go to mass regularly, read and discuss the scripture and pray pray pray. You will find it so rewarding.

Look forward to continuing to talk about similar topics with you all!

 

[AmISearching]

puzzleannie:

if you are participating in RCIA yes, you can and should be attending Mass, however you do not have an obligation under pain of mortal sin until you are baptized, receive communion and Confirmation. A baptized Catholic who has made first communion is obligated to assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation.

An unbaptized person in RCIA should be attending Mass up to the point that the catechumens are dismissed after the gospel. For them, the time for more thorough catechesis in the Mass and what goes on at Mass properly is the mystagogy period after Easter, which is why it is so critical for them to continue attended after their reception into the Church.

A baptized person preparing for First Communion and Confirmation should definitely be attending Mass, the entire Mass, as is proper to the baptized. The Mass is the heart of all catechesis for them, and without it they are missing the lion’s share of their education in the faith.

This is also true, by the way, of children and youth preparing for first communion and Confirmation. They must be attending Mass or they are neither properly prepared nor properly disposed to receive the sacraments.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU…

about the moral obligation bit - I have had someone tell me that if I have accepted all the Catholic beliefs that I have the moral obligation to go to mass as of this moment… which has been the problem of my trying to tell my parents without it being a big bomb one day all of a sudden. I originally wanted to investigate Catholicism and decide it on my own before telling them, but now it makes it harder to tell them because I’m kind of having to back track and start over with “I’ve just been reading some stuff about the Catholic Church.” For that matter, part of me is still contemplating waiting til I move out in 2 months time in order to cause less conflict in our house - after all the next 2 months are going to fly by between finishing up grad school, graduating, Christmas, and packing up to move…

I agree that I SHOULD go in order to learn and to further confirm that this is where I am supposed to be - but I am glad to have at least one person tell me that I am not under a moral obligation to do so (I realize its still the opinion of one person, but then it was only the opinion of one person who told me I had the moral obligation to go and therefore would be in mortal sin for not attending yet.)

 

[LSK]

Verbum Caro:

You know what, thank you for pointing this out. I can’t remember if I was ever invited during my RCIA, but we should definitely do this.

LSK, wouldn’t it be great if the parish actually sent out formal invitations to the RCIA students!?

How cool would that be?

VC

You know what - I do like that idea…I’m going to run it by my DRE…and thanks because I know the minute I make the suggestion it will be me that gets to do it…

But I do like the idea - it’s the idea of saying, “WELCOME HOME”