RCIA crash course and nerves

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aasusiq68

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Please forgive me if this has already been asked about and I am just missing it. I am currently going through RCIA, was raised Protestant and left that 20+ years ago. I am though curious on something. I started the class about 4-5 weeks later than the rest since I had only started attending the church a month before starting RCIA myself, out of 26 lessons we are pounding through them super fast doing 2-4 a week.

Now Saturday we did a walk thru on what will happen come the Easter Vigil service. Since then, there has been this weight on my gut that has me wondering if I am really ready for confirmation. I am already baptized from the previous time in church. Now I find myself questioning if I should just let this go and get confirmed next year, or go ahead at and get confirmed this year.

My hesitations is because I feel like I just have a touch on all the various aspects and what not of the Catholic church and in all honesty, I don’t even have all the prayers in the head like everyone else seems to. Shoot until I bought a rosary Saturday, I was the only one that didn’t have one for some time prior. For me, I honestly just do not know if that is normal or if all these feelings are just those nerves since I hate being the focus in a crowd. There are only 2 of us being confirmed and the remaining 4 will be then joining us for the Eucharist.

Any ideas? I mean am I just putting too much thought into it or what?

Thanks you guys and gals.
 
First, welcome HOME! My experience in RCIA last year and again this year with my husband who is going through RCIA (I am his sponsor 🙂 ) is that there is not enough time in the few months of catechism classes to do much other than hit the high spots. We were encouraged to study not only the next week’s topic but anything else we could get our hands on and bring all questions to the class. Perhaps what you are experiencing is the ol’ devil doing everything he can to discourage you. He sure doesn’t want to give you up. Pray Pray Pray and Pray some more. I already have you in my prayers because I have been praying for all the precious ones who will be entering the Church at the Easter Vigil. May God richly bless you on this journey HOME.
 
You probably have a better knowledge of the Church than most Catholics. Stick it out and make your Communion and Conformation. The graces you will receive as a result of these wonderful sacraments will help you along on your journey. Any hesitancy on your part could be the Devil trying to keep you away.
 
aasusiq68 said:
My hesitations is because I feel like I just have a touch on all the various aspects and what not of the Catholic church and in all honesty, I don’t even have all the prayers in the head like everyone else seems to.
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Many many Catholics don’t have all of the prayers memorized. There are numerous places they are printed. You don’t ever have to memorize them.
Shoot until I bought a rosary Saturday, I was the only one that didn’t have one for some time prior.
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I have a number of rosaries. But I rarely pray the rosary. I don’t know, I just don’t have a devotion to it. There are many ways to pray.
For me, I honestly just do not know if that is normal or if all these feelings are just those nerves since I hate being the focus in a crowd. There are only 2 of us being confirmed and the remaining 4 will be then joining us for the Eucharist.
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Any ideas? I mean am I just putting too much thought into it or what?
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Thanks you guys and gals.
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I’m a little confused as to why the 4 that will be joining you for the Eucharist won’t be Confirmed. But I am sure your priest has that all worked out.

I do think you are putting too much thought it in to it. Or at least too much of the wrong kind of thought.

Being Catholic isn’t about memorizing prayers or owning a rosary.
 
None of us are every ready.

You don’t need to own a rosary or memorize prayers. Close your eyes and meet Jesus in the sacrament. Confirmation is your personal participation in Pentecost. Not even the disciples in the upper room were ready for that. It is a gift from God to his unworthy servants. Accept the gift.

Just do it.

-Tim-
 
Hi
I came pretty well straight from the Baptist church to the Catholic Church five years ago. I fully agree with an earlier comment that almost certainly you know more of the teachings of the Catholic Church than do many (most) Catholics.
For those of us who have been fundamentalists it is a HUGE step for us to ask to be received into this “spawn of Satan”, this “modern day Babylon the Great”. So, we have studied deeply in order to take that step. BUT to paraphrase Jesus,
(Luke 10) “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but ONLY ONE THING is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Mary sat at the feet of Christ. THAT is all that’s necessary.
Obviously we need to grow and keep on growing as Catholics, but we have our whole lives for this.
If you are convinced, and I am confident that you are, forget all these worries, embrace the church that Jesus vouchsafed to Peter and come on in!
All the rest can be dealt with.
It took me a long time to learn the principle prayers of the Catholic Church, even now I have to use a prayer book for the Angelus. No-one minds. Honestly I think you are fretting overmuch!
God Bless you – please keep us informed – and let us know about your reception into THE Church of Christ.
Love,
Keith
ps I have the privilege of serving my church as Parish Secretary/Treasurer, and most days I feel more like Martha than Mary (!) but I adore my church and am delighted to serve my brothers and sisters in this capacity.
 
Get Confirmed this year. When I went through RCIA two years ago I had lots of nerves. I was afraid something would happen to me and I wouldn’t make it to the Easter Vigil. Most of us in RCIA did have nerves. It went pretty well.

I was surprised about how little I knew and how I was going to learn something new every week or so. But some cradle Catholics know even less. I find it helpful to attend Daily Mass and to pray the Rosary but those are not required.

Also if you have Evangelical friends or family be prepared for possible attacks on Catholicism. You need to secure your borders so to speak. Learn what the Church actually teaches and about Church history.
 
Thank you everyone!

Perhaps you all are correct in that I am over thinking and that I have just too many nerves going on right now. I have a friend who has been trying to help support me, though she is a super busy lady. My family though, they are not too keen on me changing over to being Catholic.

In the end, I probably will just keep on praying that it’s the right thing and will let you know how it all goes.

Thanks,
Susan
 
aasusiq68 said:
Now I find myself questioning if I should just let this go and get confirmed next year, or go ahead at and get confirmed this year.
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Confirmation is a Sacrament and you do well to take it seriously. Complete the class of course - but make sure you can trustfully answer Yes to the questions you will be asked during the rite. If you can… great, if you can’t then take another year.

here is an example: evansville-diocese.org/worship/Rite%20of%20Confirmation.RM%20Revisions.pdf

Do you renounce Satan and all his works and all his empty show?

Do you believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered death and was buried,
rose again from the dead
and is seated at the right hand of the Father?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who came upon the apostles at Pentecost
and today is given to you sacramentally in Confirmation?

Do you believe in the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting?
 
If you feel you are not truly ready; you should discuss your feelings with the RCIA Director & the Priest.
 
Thank you everyone for your responses. I will be passing on the confirmation for this year and do it next year. I felt there was too many signs pointing me to that decision. Since I have not attended the church much longer than the RCIA class itself, and I know how big of a wall I built when I told the God I knew back 23 years ago to go to hell, I have been letting that wall come down but I still feel it there. So, due to those reasons I feel it would be an injustice if I was to go through with being confirmed in this years Easter Vigil. I do plan however to go and be confirmed next year. It will give me the time I need to heal those wounds and get the knowledge that I need for this to feel totally right without any form of reservation.

Thank you everyone,
Susan
 
I really admire you for your honesty and willingness to wait. You might ask your priest if at some point between this Easter Vigil and the next you decide you are ready for this step, may you be received and confirmed at that time. Many have done just that, perhaps on a date that is special to you. One of my RCIA classmates was awaiting the outcome of her request for a decree of nullity that evidently wasn’t going to happen before the Easter Vigil. Our RCIA director told her she wouldn’t have to wait until the next EV to be baptized and confirmed. She could have all that done at the Mass of her choice.
 
Hoo(name removed by moderator)mie said:
I really admire you for your honesty and willingness to wait.
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Me too. 👍

From the OP:
My hesitations is because I feel like I just have a touch on all the various aspects and what not of the Catholic church and in all honesty, I don’t even have all the prayers in the head like everyone else seems to.
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Joining the Church is not something to be taken lightly. You really need to have an understanding about what the Church teaches before taking that big step. (Don’t worry about memorizing all the prayers. After attending Mass regularly for a period of time, someday you’ll realized that they are stuck in your head.) My advice is to take another year of RCIA, study the CCC, and spend some time on this website. You’ll learn a lot - both good and bad. Some of the threads on here are real eye-openers.
 
aasusiq68 said:
Thank you everyone for your responses. I will be passing on the confirmation for this year and do it next year. I felt there was too many signs pointing me to that decision. Since I have not attended the church much longer than the RCIA class itself, and I know how big of a wall I built when I told the God I knew back 23 years ago to go to hell, I have been letting that wall come down but I still feel it there. So, due to those reasons I feel it would be an injustice if I was to go through with being confirmed in this years Easter Vigil. I do plan however to go and be confirmed next year. It will give me the time I need to heal those wounds and get the knowledge that I need for this to feel totally right without any form of reservation.

Thank you everyone,
Susan
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I am doing the same thing, and I’m so glad to see someone else who has made this decision. When I told my RCIA instructor that this is what I want to do (after much prayer), he said that it is good that I am following the Holy Spirit’s guidance and that I would know when I am ready. This made me feel so much better, and I have used this Lent season to just pray, reflect and try to listen rather than frantically try to determine if this is the right thing to do. When I stand at the front of the church for this sacrament, I want to have no reservations, and I’m just not there, yet (lingering doubts which come from being a life-long Lutheran). But, you’re right when you say the walls are coming down…the walls which, just a short time ago, I would have said were too big to overcome. Just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. God bless!
 
Since you are already baptized technically you do not have to wait until the next Easter Vigil to be brought into the church. We have several Protestants who were not ready for this Easter and we are brining them in on Pentecost. A baptized Christian can be brought into the Church and receive Eucharist and Confirmation any time during the year.

Next year, in fact, we are going to limit the Vigil only for the unbaptized and bring in other Christians when it is determined they are ready. For example we had a baptized Lutheran who had gone through years of catechesis in her church and then started going to Mass and studying Catholicism for years. We brought her in in only a few weeks as she was ready. WIth baptized Christians it should be a case by case decision and a mutual decision.
 
here_i_stand said:
But, you’re right when you say the walls are coming down…the walls which, just a short time ago, I would have said were too big to overcome. Just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. God bless!
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Thank you so much for letting me know that I am not alone. I live in a very small mining town and so it is very easy to make this decision feeling like I am the only one. I also like that you let me know that I am not on my own in regards to that wall. I know 2 months ago I thought that wall would never be able to be chipped away at. Thankful that it has been coming down bit at a time.
 
without said:
Confirmation is a Sacrament and you do well to take it seriously. Complete the class of course - but make sure you can trustfully answer Yes to the questions you will be asked during the rite. If you can… great, if you can’t then take another year.

here is an example: evansville-diocese.org/worship/Rite%20of%20Confirmation.RM%20Revisions.pdf

Do you renounce Satan and all his works and all his empty show?

Do you believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered death and was buried,
rose again from the dead
and is seated at the right hand of the Father?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who came upon the apostles at Pentecost
and today is given to you sacramentally in Confirmation?

Do you believe in the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting?
Click to expand...
Thank you for putting this up here! It was one of the things that kept going through my mind and I kept trying to answer. When I reached some that had questions or reservations, and my gut was screaming, I knew God was just telling me that the timing is not right for doing confirmation.

Susan
 
Joannm said:
Since you are already baptized technically you do not have to wait until the next Easter Vigil to be brought into the church. We have several Protestants who were not ready for this Easter and we are brining them in on Pentecost. A baptized Christian can be brought into the Church and receive Eucharist and Confirmation any time during the year.

Next year, in fact, we are going to limit the Vigil only for the unbaptized and bring in other Christians when it is determined they are ready. For example we had a baptized Lutheran who had gone through years of catechesis in her church and then started going to Mass and studying Catholicism for years. We brought her in in only a few weeks as she was ready. WIth baptized Christians it should be a case by case decision and a mutual decision.
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That I did not know because the Priest had made a comment that they only are allowed to do confirmation one time a year because of something to do with something that I now cannot recall. If the time of me being ready comes up before the Easter Vigil next year, I may ask the Priest at that time. Thank you.
 
aasusiq68 said:
That I did not know because the Priest had made a comment that they only are allowed to do confirmation one time a year because of something to do with something that I now cannot recall. If the time of me being ready comes up before the Easter Vigil next year, I may ask the Priest at that time. Thank you.
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A priest must confirm a baptized adult Christian when they come into the Church by making a Profession of Faith. They have that faculty (permission from the bishop). When confirming Catholics a priest has to have special faculty to do that and have to ask permission. In many dioceses a priest has an automatic faculty on the feast of Pentecost.
 
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