RCIA and Easter Vigil

[mystagogia]

mystagogia

You said you were being deployed to an Un-Christian place? So then you are Military?

My husband was able to continue RCIA on the Ship during a five month deployment – he just asked the Catholic Chaplain to continue teaching the faith on board the ship, and our parish priest and the Chaplain stayed in touch via email in regards to my husband’s Christian Education.

Something to consider asking about. Most bases offer RCIA as well.

If you do have to go through another year, then you do, but you’ll come into full communion when the time is right. God doesn’t make mistakes.

I understand your frustration with the whole “I desire this faith, bring me in and then teach me.” It just doesn’t work that way – there is too much at stake. I see PuzzleAnnie is on this thread so she probably already explained it. Anyway: I like the fact the church works this way, this discernment process and decision to bring people into communion on a person by person basis. They just want to make sure you understand the Faith in it’s simplest terms, like the importance and life long commitment to the Sacraments. The basic rules, and that you are able to commit period. If a priest brings you into communion with any concern you may leave the church shortly thereafter he is committing a sin: by allowing you to sin. That’s why the classes continue after RCIA, the year of the Neophytes. To keep teaching the faith and more of it’s fullness, it’s Sacred Tradition.

So hang tight, and if you are military start asking some chaplains for help!

Yeah I went down to the chapel, but found out that the Catholic’s hours here are absurd and always in conflict with mine. But this is a temporary training mission and I’ll be home briefly in a week where my deacon is waiting to go over the situation with me.

I’m not worried about the process for myself; I do have determination and patience. My points were really meant to convey what I’ve seen as areas of concern for the RCIA process writ large. It has been sad to see the class dwindle down to only 3 people and so forth. It was amazing to be told to go away and come back another season once I screwed up the nerve to come in there and say, “I want to become Catholic.”

I’d like to see more people signing up and sticking with it, as I’m sure we all would. I can’t think of how to bring that about except to emphasize that the RCIA process needs active attention and good stewardship from the faithful or else it’s prone to problems, headaches, and needless dramas that obscure and cloud the real point.

 

[adowcday]

I am in RCIA now and was wondering what happens at Easter Vigil. Gob Bless

The Easter Vigil is the one mass in the church year when I can count on seeing the very conservative business manager for our parish stand up on a pew so that he can see adults being baptized. If he saw anyone do that at any other church service, there’d probably be hell to pay. Somehow, it seems ok at the Easter Vigil.

 

[jmcrae]

RCIA is a great idea, but with big, big issues if you ask me. You don’t grow a church or any enterprise) by putting up such huge entry barriers, that’s just a cold, hard fact.

I don’t think RCIA is intended as a marketing thing. We don’t want to “grow the Church” at any cost; rather, we want to recruit fit and able soldiers of the Lord (which is what you will be when you receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.)

Catholics are not consumers of the Catholic religion; they are warriors in a spiritual battle of good versus evil. So, we don’t employ marketing techniques; we employ more of an apprenticeship model of spiritual training.

Welcome to the process. I hope everything works out for you.

 

[adowcday]

The Easter Vigil is the one mass in the church year when I can count on seeing the very conservative business manager for our parish stand up on a pew so that he can see adults being baptized. If he saw anyone do that at any other church service, there’d probably be hell to pay. Somehow, it seems ok at the Easter Vigil.

A lengthy preparation for reception into the Church made a lot of sense when being a Christian meant enduring discrimination, slander, even death. The Church wanted to be sure that you were well prepared and capable of withstanding such opposition. To be honest, being a Roman Catholic Christian today exposes you to similar opposition. Ask Catholics in Iraq, China, and many other places in the world. It’s a serious step and a time of preparation makes perfect sense to me.

 

[mmorgan07]

I will be entering the church at the Easter Vigil. Fellow parish members have been discussing me wearing a burlap sack, what is that all about?

 

[Joannm]

I will be entering the church at the Easter Vigil. Fellow parish members have been discussing me wearing a burlap sack, what is that all about?

I have never seen anyone in RCIA wearing a sack. It is not in the Rite. Perhaps it is something you parish does, but it sounds strange to me.

 

[Alan55]

I have never seen anyone in RCIA wearing a sack. It is not in the Rite. Perhaps it is something you parish does, but it sounds strange to me.

I agree that it is unusual. The biblical reference is to “sackcloth” (often in conjunction with ashes) which was uncomfortable to wear and a sign of penance.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I will be entering the church at the Easter Vigil. Fellow parish members have been discussing me wearing a burlap sack, what is that all about?

That sounds abet extreme. There are references in the bible about wearing burlap and rolling in ashes to symbolize a self offering of humility. However that is not what baptism is about. We do (as many others) have the to-be-baptized wear a black cloak until baptism and then a white cloak. Which symbolizes the blind stage ending and the enlighten stage of Christian knowledge beginning (scrutinies 1 & 2) . Suggest the burlap is for sin and ask for a black to white cloak, scarf, or other item be used.

 

[onegreenclover]

the most wonderful thing ever!

unbaptized get baptism, communion and confirmation in one. Like the “express lane” almost. haha.

If you are baptized then you get everything but baptism because you only get one baptism for the forgiveness of sins unless it was done in a way that it’s not in accordance with the church.

I had such a wonderful time this year and it’s so worth the wait!

You do have the option to not do it as well but this depends on where you are in your faith life and how you feel.

 

[puzzleannie]

just checking back
how did your expectations bear out in the actual experience?
was it not awesome!

 

[anthony102336]

I am in RCIA now and was wondering what happens at Easter Vigil. Gob Bless