RCIA

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Joe_Kelley said:
This is a controversial subject. Some places encourage it; others oppose it vehemently. You will get mixed opinions on whether or not it is licit. Due to the controversy, I stopped encouraging it in our RCIA. On the other hand, I always prayed for a blessing if anyone requested it when I served as an EMHC. Our priests never opposed it.

It would be wise to check with the priest before going up for a blessing .
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Well stated. Agreed 100%. The parish I came into the Church with allowed it while others in our diocese did not. I checked in with the diocese about the issue and was told that the diocese had no official policy since the issue is currently under consideration by Rome. Until an official decision is made, the parishes who had been allowing it were able to continue doing so but the ones who had not were not allowed to begin.

To me, that is a fair minded and prudent approach.

I happen to like he practice as long as it is a priest or deacon giving the blessing but am a bit less thrilled to have EMHC’s doing it. My wife and I both started crying the first time we went up and received a blessing from our priest during the communion rite. It was a very powerful experience.
 
When I was inquiring into RCIA programs, and I mentioned how it was so hard for me to attend mass and not receive, the RCIA instructor at one parish suggested I go up for a blessing.

I chose not to go up for a blessing during my time of instruction.

I am one of those vehemently opposed to it. You get on the communion line to receive communion, not to receive a blessing, which you will receive at the end of mass anyway. 🤷
 
Personally, I tend to favor it. I had an eighty year old man who was married to a Catholic, both had lost a first spouse. He came up with his wife when she received and requested a blessing. I said a prayer for God to bless him each time for about three years. Then he signed up for RCIA and was baptized. I think maybe the prayers helped.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
Personally, I tend to favor it. I had an eighty year old man who was married to a Catholic, both had lost a first spouse. He came up with his wife when she received and requested a blessing. I said a prayer for God to bless him each time for about three years. Then he signed up for RCIA and was baptized. I think maybe the prayers helped.
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Prayers always help. I will continue to support the practice as long as the Bishops allow it and Rome does not come out of their deliberations against it. I am hopeful that they do not, but it remains to be seen.
 
Wow, I feel as if I’m learning so much. I didn’t know there was a little debate about the issue especially since every Sunday at the Episcopal church I went to, they would encourage non-baptized visitors to come up for a blessing. I just never did. Then when the monsignor encouraged it, I decided to go for it. I totally get the reverence of approaching the body/blood of Christ even though I am not baptized/authorized to receive it yet. I think I will continue to approach to altar for a blessing.
 
SeekNFind said:
They encouraged us in RCIA to go up to the front and get a blessing and told us that we don’t have to remain in the pew. I almost felt as if I was drawing more attention to myself when I stayed in the pew than when I got up.
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I have a question. What is the whole deal with the blessing? How do you go up to get it? Can a priest only give the blessing? Cause the way it is at my parish is there are other people besides the priest that is giving out the body and blood at mass. So do I have to go to the line where he is or what? Thanks!
 
Neyland said:
I have a question. What is the whole deal with the blessing? How do you go up to get it? Can a priest only give the blessing? Cause the way it is at my parish is there are other people besides the priest that is giving out the body and blood at mass. So do I have to go to the line where he is or what? Thanks!
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Ask your priest or a member of your RCIA team to see what the standards are in your parish. They will be able to guide you in the right direction…
 
jwinch2 said:
Ask your priest or a member of your RCIA team to see what the standards are in your parish. They will be able to guide you in the right direction…
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Okay will do I normally just sit there. lol
 
I found this today on this subject of blessing or not on another catholic website. Here is the link.

catholicdoors.com/faq/qu389.htm

Hope it helps. After reading your comments as well, I think that I will wait for the moment when I enter into full communion with the Catholic Church on Easter Vigil. Somehow I think that it will mean more. jwinch2 your description inspired me! Thank you!
 
A beautiful historical church in Alexandria, St. Mary’s. It’s part of the Archdioses of Arlington. The earthquake (if you remember) did a little damage last month, but luckily it wasn’t too bad. Our priests (4) are first rate. The church is always full when I have attended Mass…even on vigil. We could use a new organ though (old dragon)! HA 😃
 
Hmgbrd said:
A beautiful historical church in Alexandria, St. Mary’s. It’s part of the Archdioses of Arlington. The earthquake (if you remember) did a little damage last month, but luckily it wasn’t too bad. Our priests (4) are first rate. The church is always full when I have attended Mass…even on vigil. We could use a new organ though (old dragon)! HA 😃
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OK. My wife and I attended All Saints in Manassas for a time before we moved out of state last year in August.

Cheers!
 
You should have seen and been at the reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas this year. Thousands of people. Temperatures in the 100s (evidently matched the historical temps). You could park at the PWC Fairgrounds and then there were shuttle busses that took you around to all the sites. People came from all over to participate. They hold it every 50 years. This year was the 150th anniversary.
 
I really enjoyed mass today! I also went up again for a blessing today. Same deacon. This time he smiled and blessed me right away. 👍
 
Hmgbrd said:
You should have seen and been at the reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas this year. Thousands of people. Temperatures in the 100s (evidently matched the historical temps). You could park at the PWC Fairgrounds and then there were shuttle busses that took you around to all the sites. People came from all over to participate. They hold it every 50 years. This year was the 150th anniversary.
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Nice. My wife and I went out there a few times when family was in town or to walk our dog. Its a great area and they do a good job running it.
 
Thought I’d give a brief update on my RCIA experience. Today was my fourth week. Mostly the class today concerned Catholic interpretation of the Bible. It was interesting to me in that it answered several questions for me about a few minor differences between the Catholic and Protestant perspectives but everything made perfect sense to me and I did not find myself in any disagreement.

As a Protestant I was no stranger to Bible reading and study so thus far I haven’t been exposed to anything really earth shattering during the classes. Perhaps a new perspective on things I was already aware of. I am still finding the group participation and interaction with the class leaders the most beneficial part. I am really looking forward to when we really begin to focus more on the specifics of the Catholic faith. Candidly I find I get much more from attending Mass than the actual RCIA classes so far but still do enjoy the classes and consider the process important.

As an interesting side note, I have to miss class and Mass at my home parish on November 13 because I will be traveling to Toronto, Ontario with a friend the week that includes that Sunday. Without even thinking about it I found myself searching out a local Catholic church where I could attend Mass while in Toronto and found that the historic St. Michael’s Cathedral is only a short distance from my hotel. Guess I am really taking this conversion experience seriously. 🙂
 
Balian said:
Thought I’d give a brief update on my RCIA experience. Today was my fourth week. Mostly the class today concerned Catholic interpretation of the Bible. It was interesting to me in that it answered several questions for me about a few minor differences between the Catholic and Protestant perspectives but everything made perfect sense to me and I did not find myself in any disagreement.

As a Protestant I was no stranger to Bible reading and study so thus far I haven’t been exposed to anything really earth shattering during the classes. Perhaps a new perspective on things I was already aware of. I am still finding the group participation and interaction with the class leaders the most beneficial part. I am really looking forward to when we really begin to focus more on the specifics of the Catholic faith. Candidly I find I get much more from attending Mass than the actual RCIA classes so far but still do enjoy the classes and consider the process important.

As an interesting side note, I have to miss class and Mass at my home parish on November 13 because I will be traveling to Toronto, Ontario with a friend the week that includes that Sunday. Without even thinking about it I found myself searching out a local Catholic church where I could attend Mass while in Toronto and found that the historic St. Michael’s Cathedral is only a short distance from my hotel. Guess I am really taking this conversion experience seriously. 🙂
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Good for you. If you have done your homework prior to starting, RCIA definitely will not contain anything earth shattering for your regarding Catholic doctrine. For you, the process will be one of discernment and conversion as compared to someone else who may not have looked into the teachings of the Church in the past or have the background that you have regarding sacred scripture. You will probably find the discussions on the Catholic perspective regarding the reformation and protestant theology interesting though. 😃

Seriously though, discernment is a perfectly valid and appropriate path to take through the RCIA process and is just as important as learning the tenants of the faith. In fact, coming into it with the knowledge you have already will likely allow you to focus on deciding whether or not you truly believe what you are hearing rather than just trying to take it all in for the first time.

Good luck with everything and safe travels…
 
I just returned from RCIA and I thought that I would talk a little about my thoughts and impressions considering that this is an RCIA thread about our journey forward in the Catholic Faith. Our RCIA Class is taught so far by two of our Priests.
They have started from the beginning of the Catechism and are basically working though it. Not just literally mind you, but also elaborating on what it means on another level. BTW I was impressed tonight with Father’s deep personal love and faith in what he was teaching, also using one of Jesus’ parables to provide an example of what he was covering. This Summer in preparation for RCIA, I completed reading the CCC, learned the prayers from a book with a general outline of the CC, completed several books by Scott Hahn and Christopher West , have set up my own discipline of prayer everyday to use what I am learning and am trying to proceed further on my own. I have already noticed that the more I learn and discover, the more there is to learn and discover! It is daunting and challenging. In the 2 hours per week that we spend on the CCC there is no way that we can go into any depth or lengthy discussion about what we are learning just because of the sheer amount that our dear Priests have to cover. My worry is that it will get so deep that in a few months I will look like a “deer in the headlights”!
On another subject, I am intrigued with St. Paul and would like to read more about him. Does anyone know of a great book on St. Paul and his teachings? Is anyone else experiencing something similar in their Classes? Thoughts?
 
jwinch2 said:
Well stated. Agreed 100%. The parish I came into the Church with allowed it while others in our diocese did not. I checked in with the diocese about the issue and was told that the diocese had no official policy since the issue is currently under consideration by Rome. Until an official decision is made, the parishes who had been allowing it were able to continue doing so but the ones who had not were not allowed to begin.

To me, that is a fair minded and prudent approach.

I happen to like he practice as long as it is a priest or deacon giving the blessing but am a bit less thrilled to have EMHC’s doing it. My wife and I both started crying the first time we went up and received a blessing from our priest during the communion rite. It was a very powerful experience.
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The EMHC is never supposed to bless.
 
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