RCIA Confusion

[Pixie_Dust]

Also, we haven’t been told anything about this rite - just “show up 15 minutes before Mass starts and we’ll go over what will happen”. Now I’m probably being a bit paranoid, but that just strikes me as treating us like little children and/or wanting to hide something. If it’s not a big deal, why not cover this in class?

I am a sponsor this year, and I was told that the reason that we don’t say much about it or “practice” this Rite is so the candidates and catechumens can just experience it instead of feeling like they’re putting on a performance that they’ve rehearsed for the congregation. It’s not that they are hiding anything or think of you as children in any insulting way. With Christmas coming I think this analogy might help: you don’t show people the presents that they will receive from you before you wrap them, do you? “Here’s what you’ll be getting, now give that back so I can wrap it and put it under the tree!” kind of takes away the special feeling of seeing them open it when they don’t know what’s under the wrappings. Make sense?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am a sponsor this year, and I was told that the reason that we don’t say much about it or “practice” this Rite is so the candidates and catechumens can just experience it instead of feeling like they’re putting on a performance that they’ve rehearsed for the congregation. It’s not that they are hiding anything or think of you as children in any insulting way. With Christmas coming I think this analogy might help: you don’t show people the presents that they will receive from you before you wrap them, do you? “Here’s what you’ll be getting, now give that back so I can wrap it and put it under the tree!” kind of takes away the special feeling of seeing them open it when they don’t know what’s under the wrappings. Make sense?

That is true, but they should have a general idea of what will happen. Especially those that are nervous about it. Otherwise they won’t “experience” anything! Except a case of nerves.

 

[Pixie_Dust]

That is true, but they should have a general idea of what will happen. Especially those that are nervous about it. Otherwise they won’t “experience” anything! Except a case of nerves.

For the Internet-savvy, a Google search for Rite of Acceptance is just a click away!

Since I did RCIA “Summer Intensive” they didn’t do the Rite of Acceptance for us, we just had weekly meetings for 9 weeks and then Confirmation. They gave us photocopies of the Rite of Confirmation to look over and I can testify that reading through something on paper is nothing like the experience live and in person.

 

[LeahInancsi]

That is true, but they should have a general idea of what will happen. Especially those that are nervous about it. Otherwise they won’t “experience” anything! Except a case of nerves.

As I said earlier, when I went through the different Rites, I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I had FAITH that nothing bad would happen to me or anything that I couldn’t handle. We weren’t told of any specifics, but we had every opportunity to ask if we had any questions. As Pixie Dust said, the Internet is just a click away.

If these people can’t be proactive, then they won’t survive in the Catholic church. I’ve learned that in every aspect of this religion. Fortunately for me, that adds to the fascination of Catholicism.

 

[janw]

I am so glad to find this forum on rcia as I was up all last night in total depression thinking something was wrong with me. Our class consist of reading the catechism and This is the faith. I started (after a growing up in a Baptist church in an unchristion home) 20 years ago trying to find a church to attend, studing the Bible daily with lots of prayer all day long trying to find where I belonged. I gained a good knowledge of Gods word and then discovered EWTN and was so excited to find a church that taught what I had come to believe. Everytime I ran into something I did not understand, I prayed and God answered.(praying to the saints, Blessed Mother of God and the true presence in the Eucharist. 5 of those years was spent learning the catholic faith to decide if it was for me. Visited 3 different parishes before choosing. It is a humbling experience which is good. Why if the church is one under the Pope is there so much confustion and difference? No one genuflects and some don’t even bow receiving christ. I guess EWTN lead me to believe all would be basically the same. I do wish EWTN did a little less latin. I think some is good but most people haven’t a clue whats being said and whats being said is most wonderful. What I needed in rcia was not theology as I think most are passed this when they decide to join rcia. I need to know how the church functions,the customs especially for those in rcia as can’t seem to find this in any books. My biggest problem is getting an annullment from a very young marriage. The questions are such that I really only want to discuss in confession and a nice deacon is handling this for us. I’ m not the kind of person who wants to go to even more churches and discuss with more people my old life, but so far that the only advise I have received. I don’t understand why our priest or any I’ve meet seem not very eager to talk with us. Maybe thats me as I’m not one to approach people either as I feel I might be bothering them when I shouldn’t. I don’t understand why everything seems so hard. I guess the road is very narrow. I guess I am to blame as I don’t ask enough questions or approach the priest as I feel I shouldn’t expect them to spend so much time on my situation. Pray for me please and any advise would be great. Sorry for the length of this.

 

[Petergee]

I am a sponsor this year, and I was told that the reason that we don’t say much about it or “practice” this Rite is so the candidates and catechumens can just experience it instead of feeling like they’re putting on a performance that they’ve rehearsed for the congregation. It’s not that they are hiding anything or think of you as children in any insulting way. With Christmas coming I think this analogy might help: you don’t show people the presents that they will receive from you before you wrap them, do you? “Here’s what you’ll be getting, now give that back so I can wrap it and put it under the tree!” kind of takes away the special feeling of seeing them open it when they don’t know what’s under the wrappings. Make sense?

Good point. I’ve just come from Mass where we had a Rite of Acceptance. The new catechumen was so moved by the experience that she shed a few tears of joy during the Rite.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am so glad to find this forum on rcia as I was up all last night in total depression thinking something was wrong with me. Our class consist of reading the catechism and This is the faith. I started (after a growing up in a Baptist church in an unchristion home) 20 years ago trying to find a church to attend, studing the Bible daily with lots of prayer all day long trying to find where I belonged. I gained a good knowledge of Gods word and then discovered EWTN and was so excited to find a church that taught what I had come to believe. Everytime I ran into something I did not understand, I prayed and God answered.(praying to the saints, Blessed Mother of God and the true presence in the Eucharist. 5 of those years was spent learning the catholic faith to decide if it was for me. Visited 3 different parishes before choosing. It is a humbling experience which is good. Why if the church is one under the Pope is there so much confustion and difference? No one genuflects and some don’t even bow receiving christ. I guess EWTN lead me to believe all would be basically the same. I do wish EWTN did a little less latin. I think some is good but most people haven’t a clue whats being said and whats being said is most wonderful. What I needed in rcia was not theology as I think most are passed this when they decide to join rcia. I need to know how the church functions,the customs especially for those in rcia as can’t seem to find this in any books. My biggest problem is getting an annullment from a very young marriage. The questions are such that I really only want to discuss in confession and a nice deacon is handling this for us. I’ m not the kind of person who wants to go to even more churches and discuss with more people my old life, but so far that the only advise I have received. I don’t understand why our priest or any I’ve meet seem not very eager to talk with us. Maybe thats me as I’m not one to approach people either as I feel I might be bothering them when I shouldn’t. I don’t understand why everything seems so hard. I guess the road is very narrow. I guess I am to blame as I don’t ask enough questions or approach the priest as I feel I shouldn’t expect them to spend so much time on my situation. Pray for me please and any advise would be great. Sorry for the length of this.

Most people do not do any type of in depth study. Which why the Inquiry phase of 6 to 12 weeks BEFORE beginning RCIA is so important.

 

[janw]

You, I’m sure know more than I about this, but I can assure you in the south, protestants would hardly ever go to the catholic church and sign up for rcia unless they first had a good knowledge of what catholics believe. Scott Hahn and other famous folks became catholic after alot of study of the Bible and history. I just feel who ever is teaching should find out where the students are in their knowledge before beginning the class. I have learned somethings but the things you can’'t find in books are whats giving me trouble. I should have already talked more with our teacher about this and I found out from this forum I should have made a confession since I have been baptized or at least that what I’ve read. I will make an appointment with the priest asap. I guess I expected to be approached about these things and worried about it all to much. I will make more effort and if they think I’m alot of trouble so be it. I want to know what I need to know to be a good catholic! Thanks for your reply.

 

[KarenElissa]

You, I’m sure know more than I about this, but I can assure you in the south, protestants would hardly ever go to the catholic church and sign up for rcia unless they first had a good knowledge of what catholics believe.

I would say that a lot of this is going to be where you are from. Living down here in the southwest, a number of people in my class were people who were baptized Catholic, but that was it, no formation, no other Sacraments, nothing else. There were plenty of people who had pretty much no church experience at all, and a former Muslim and former Jew. I think there was only one other person who was coming from a protestant background and was in any way active in it. I can imagine that in the south which is a lot more culturally protestant, the make up of a class would be vastly different.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

You, I’m sure know more than I about this, but I can assure you in the south, protestants would hardly ever go to the catholic church and sign up for rcia unless they first had a good knowledge of what catholics believe.

But of course the Catholic Church is not only in the South. And it’s not only Protestants who enter the Church, but people who have been raised in no faith at all. As you said, it’s helpful to know the level of knowledge of the various people, but there’s only so much you can do to accommodate that. Even someone who knows a lot in one area may not know much in another and you don’t want to lose people in your discussions.

I have learned somethings but the things you can’'t find in books are whats giving me trouble. I should have already talked more with our teacher about this and I found out from this forum I should have made a confession since I have been baptized or at least that what I’ve read.

I don’t know where you are in the RCIA process, but the sacrament of Reconciliation should come shortly before you’re received into the Church when you’ll receive your First Communion and Confirmation.

 

[janw]

Thanks for your reply and I think you may be right about confession as I have received different views on the forum but the info in my Dummies book seem to agree with you. Please pray for all the folks in rcia everywhere as I really believe alot of the problems are just warfare from the evil ones trying to keep people discouraged and out of the church. But, Praise God I know someone more powerful!:bowdown2:

 

[YADA]

Many good posts …

just some thoughts on “Rehearsing the Rites”

People like to know what is going to happen and practice te ceremony … for the most part we do this is *…

We have discussed this over the years … is it really a good practice to have them rehearse the Rite? Does the walk through detract from the actual experience?

We have for some RItes, rehearsed the sponsors seperate from the catechumens and candidates…leaving the candidates and catechumens to have a periods of discernment with the RCIA team going over questions that the Rite encompasses …

In the early church non-baptized [ie non-christians] persons were not allowed to witness the Liturgy of the Eucharist … what a surprise and experience it must have been for the new christians to hear and participate to witess, their first Eucharistic prayer … seeing the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus …

The Rites are meant to be experienced… it is onething to know what is going to be siad and that the priest is going to make the sign of the cross on your forehead … and another to hear the words fresh - for the first time, and feel the cross being pressed upon your flesh …

A balance job, the human desire to know and be in control with the experience of faith and the realities that come with experiencing our Rites [working of the Holy Spirit]…

I pray for all those who enter into the church, each year … I feel sad that so many here believe that their experiences are bereft of the spirit … RCIA should be a positive experience, whether you decide to enter the church or not…

Our goal each year is to faithfully share the christian message as it has been handed to the Church … we share the faith that has been entrusted to us … the tenets of belief and the scriptures that form our community of faith. We walk a journey with them … our goal is never ‘X’ amount of new catholics … If the experience is enlightening and positive and our people can make an informed decision [from their hearts and heads] then we are successful … And experiencing the Rites is a part of the journey …

As I said it is hard to balance the need to know what will happen and still allow for the moment to be realized as if it was totally new …*