Pray for my RCIA students

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Psalm45_9

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I have a young man coming into the church this Easter, his fiance is “Catholic” and she comes to the session too inorder to learn. They went to stations of the cross on Friday and we always end with benediction. She had alot of questions about it, since it was their first time. Both of them missed the night we were talking about the Eucharist, but me thinking that because they went to a “Catholic” College, that they would at least know about the physical presence.

She didn’t understand why we did all that stuff at benediction. When I explained that we were praising and praying to God in His presence, she stated “well isn’t he present all over the place, isn’t he present in you?” I stated, “yes, but there is a difference between a spiritual presence and a physical presence.” She just couldn’t understand, I stated there is a difference between when you talk to someone on the phone and you talk to someone in their presence. She just could not get that when I said she was in His presence, that I was speaking literally. Finally frustrated she said, I have to see it to believe it. My eyes opened real wide, she said, “Oh… I guess that’s bad.” I’m thinking, “Umm… Yeah, if you don’t believe in that, then you really shouldn’t be coming here each week.” So I’m having my pastor talk about benediction and the physical presence this week on top of annointing of the sick, because they weren’t their for the eucharist class. Not only that, but I don’t think some of them get the physical presence either.
 
I will be praying for them and for you. I’m in RCIA now and the Eucharist was discussed but Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction, etc was NOT discussed so I’m afraid that some in our class will not understand either. I meant to have our team explain it at our Q & A session last week but I forgot and didn’t think about it until I got home. I’m going to ask this week that it be explained though. We have a lot of people going through ours that are in the situation of spouse/fiance(e) is Catholic but the other isn’t and I don’t want to judge what’s in someone’s heart but I’m afraid that they are only going through for that reason if you know what I mean. I’ve just gotten that from some of the questions that they’ve talked to me about in conversation and some of the comments that have been made. Anyway, maybe Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction should be discussed at your next meeting. Personally, that is a very important topic to me and I think it is one of the most important, if not the most important, thing to understand is the fact that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist and that that is why certain things and precautions are taken during certain celebrations. Just my :twocents: and a little more! 😃
 
I’m thinking, "Umm… Yeah, if you don’t believe in that, then you really shouldn’t be coming here each week
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I don’t understand your thinking, surely that is more reason for them to be coming to RCIA each week, as an RCIA catechist (as I am) the reason for you to be there is to instruct?
 
Psalm45_9 said:
Not only that, but I don’t think some of them get the physical presence either.
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Unfortunately, there are lots of Catholics out there that don’t get the full understanding of the church. My fiancé struggles sometimes answering my questions; I don’t think of her any less for not knowing. She just wasn’t taught properly. The crazy thing about the physical presence is that it’s a mystery. Mysteries are hard to understand. All you can do is pray about it. It is beyond our true understanding. I’ll be praying for your RCIA class as I pray for all of the RCIA classes. I just went through RCIA myself not more than two years ago.
 
Leslee68 said:
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I don’t understand your thinking, surely that is more reason for them to be coming to RCIA each week, as an RCIA catechist (as I am) the reason for you to be there is to instruct?
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I was speaking about Sunday Mass, the girl is a CATHOLIC!!! Her fiance is not, my reasoning, is if I’m giving her the answers and she is trying me on a Catholic dogma, then why is she insisiting on remaining Catholic? Apparently she never learned about that when she made her first communion, because then she would understand why we’re kneeling at Mass. When I told her that, then her eyes opened wide, she never understood why we do that. Just like why we genuflect to the tabernacle (most think it’s the altar.) I am just frustrated because she is making it sound like this is my personal belief and not that of the Church. The girl who I am having a current issue with has already recieved all the sacraments of initiation, her fiance is coming into the church, not her.
 
jamannor said:
Unfortunately, there are lots of Catholics out there that don’t get the full understanding of the church. My fiancé struggles sometimes answering my questions; I don’t think of her any less for not knowing. She just wasn’t taught properly. The crazy thing about the physical presence is that it’s a mystery. Mysteries are hard to understand. All you can do is pray about it. It is beyond our true understanding. I’ll be praying for your RCIA class as I pray for all of the RCIA classes. I just went through RCIA myself not more than two years ago.
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I went through RCIA myself two years ago. I explained to this young woman that there is a difference between the spritual presence of God, which we experience in personal prayer and meditation, and the physical/actual presence of God in the Eucharist. She asked what was with the whole benediction thing, I explained because we were praying in the presence of Jesus. She said she understands the symbolism of the Eucharist and that’s when I made efforts to let her know that the Eucharist is not symbolic. After 5 minutes of discourse when she finally realized that I meant what I meant, Jesus was actually there, just like he was actually in the presence of the Apostles on Easter Sunday evening, she retorted, that she doens’t believe it. All I could say was the words of St. Thomas Aquinas in Tantum Ergo, faith standing by itself suppliemnts defected senses. This is a mater of faith, I explained about bleeding hosts, hosts that actually had flesh appear on them at the point of consecration, and wine that turned into couagleted blood in the chalice. She left very angry with me, I’m sorry, this is not something we can chose to believe or not believe. Please pray on this, my pastor is going to talk more about this during the next class.
 
I would be hesitant to speak of a ‘physical’ presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He is present entirely, including his resurrected Body, without a doubt, but he is not subject to the laws of physics, and the accidents (physical properties) of bread and wine persist without their proper subjects.

He is substantially present through transubstantiation. This is a metaphysical term to describe that the bread and wine cease to exist at the consecration and there becomes present the Person of Christ.

It is common today to use the word ‘physical’ to mean simply ‘real’, but this is not a good habit since things do not have to be physical to be real. For instance, God is a spirit, but he is real. Christ is present really in the Eucharist, but he present substantially. This more accurately describes the mode of presence. Substantial presence is the “highest way of being present” since it means that the Eucharist is Christ himself, properly and literally speaking.

Christ is present in you and me, but I am not Christ and you are not Christ except metaphorically speaking. The Eucharist is Christ and only Christ.
 
Psalm45_9 said:
I went through RCIA myself two years ago. I explained to this young woman that there is a difference between the spritual presence of God, which we experience in personal prayer and meditation, and the physical/actual presence of God in the Eucharist. She asked what was with the whole benediction thing, I explained because we were praying in the presence of Jesus. She said she understands the symbolism of the Eucharist and that’s when I made efforts to let her know that the Eucharist is not symbolic. After 5 minutes of discourse when she finally realized that I meant what I meant, Jesus was actually there, just like he was actually in the presence of the Apostles on Easter Sunday evening, she retorted, that she doens’t believe it…
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I hear where you are coming from about being upset at how people who claim to be Catholic don’t get the entire message. I can only imagine very frustrating. Be very careful though not to lose your cool with them. You don’t want to push either one of them away from the church. Like you said it is a very very important thing that the priest comes in and explains things. A third party will help defuse the situation. I’ll pray. By the way if you read the Ask an apologist’s board you can see this very issue is brought up with the physical presence in Christ. It’s being debated by very good Catholics, and like I said up above mysteries are very hard to understand but thank God for them.
 
jamannor said:
Be very careful though not to lose your cool with them. You don’t want to push either one of them away from the church.
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Yes, that is why I didn’t blurt out what I was thinking: “you shouldn’t be coming to Mass every Sunday then.” I was not about to sugest to her a main stream Protestant denomination such as Episcopalians or Lutherans. (Even though they all don’t agree on the Eucharist either.) I told my priest what happened and asked him to talk about why we have benediction. She and her fiance missed the class on the Eucharist, however because she already recieved the sacraments of initiation and both went to a “Catholic” college, I just assumed that they already knew the basics about the eucharist. Mainly, that Jesus is actually present there, obviously they didn’t read the chapter either. Looks like I’m going to have to make a study sheet for them. We have two weeks until the Easter Vigil, I don’t want him to go up and recieve for the first time if he doesn’t understand what he’s doing.

I don’t get why she got so pissed, I told her we are worshiping Jesus and praising Him in his actual presence. She finally said she’d have to see it to believe it. All I could say is that faith standing by itself supplements defected senses, from Tantum Ergo. Her fiance’s sponsor is his grandfather, I am hoping the he had a talk with them on the way home, I’m sure he was taught about the physical presence when he was a kid.
 
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I was speaking about Sunday Mass, the girl is a CATHOLIC!!!!!!! Her fiance is not, my reasoning, is if I'm giving her the answers and she is trying me on a Catholic dogma, then why is she insisiting on remaining Catholic? Apparently she never learned about that when she made her first communion, because then she would understand why we're kneeling at Mass. When I told her that, then her eyes opened wide, she never understood why we do that. Just like why we genuflect to the tabernacle (most think it's the altar.) I am just frustrated because she is making it sound like this is my personal belief and not that of the Church. The girl who I am having a current issue with has already recieved all the sacraments of initiation, her fiance is coming into the church, not her.
But it is not her fault if she has never been taught. We should be grateful that she is still coming to Mass (so many people who have not been properly taught do not come to Mass) and by coming to RCIA with her fiance she has the opportunity to learn, but the teaching must come in a loving and accepting way - I know from the experience of my own children that things are really “dumbed down” when they are being taught prior to their First Communion. You have a great opportunity here to help her, but thinking “Why are you even bothering to come to Mass” will come over in your attitude to her and she will likely dismiss the very valuable things you have to say because she will think you do not like her.
 
Well she didn’t show up to Thursday’s course, nor did she show up Sunday. But her fiance did and he told my pastor that he’s working on this issue with her. I asked my pastor if there’s anything I can do. He responded no, I’m being scrupulous.
 
Psalm45_9 said:
I was speaking about Sunday Mass, the girl is a CATHOLIC!!! Her fiance is not, my reasoning, is if I’m giving her the answers and she is trying me on a Catholic dogma, then why is she insisiting on remaining Catholic? Apparently she never learned about that when she made her first communion, because then she would understand why we’re kneeling at Mass. When I told her that, then her eyes opened wide, she never understood why we do that. Just like why we genuflect to the tabernacle (most think it’s the altar.) I am just frustrated because she is making it sound like this is my personal belief and not that of the Church. The girl who I am having a current issue with has already recieved all the sacraments of initiation, her fiance is coming into the church, not her.
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Is she a Blonde:rolleyes: Ha Ha don’t all blonde’s now e-mail as i was only joking not meant to offend…I will pray for her . I’m taking on line classes …the info is great and I attend mass I hope that I will be ready when they start rica classes in sept I can hardly get enough info.I just had a revelation. I use to attend mass with a friend as a teen never commited,and all of a sudden I finally saw the light .God was speaking to me and I think that If you open your heart and pray about all God will show you the way . I know that you are not suppose to wish your life away but I wish my rica classes were starting tomorrow…God bless:extrahappy:
 
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