Veiling during scrutinies for RCIA elect?

[aspirant]

Happy lenten journey everyone…well done to the elect. Not far to go now everyone…:grouphug:

:extrahappy:

 

[Bussi]

The sign in American Sign Language for the Sacrament of Confirmation still is a slap. I remember being slapped by our Bishop, as an Anglican in the early '60s.

I too remember the “slap.” I was 12 years old i(n the '40s) and my uncles had ben telling me that the bishop was going to really give m a good one. However, the bishop very gently laid his open hand gently on my cheek and said to me, “good boy.”

It was exactly opposite to what my uncles had told me. However I had been taught and I did know that I had become a soldier of Christ.

It seems like today that some confirmands view it only as a rite of passage and that they don’t need to learn any more about the faith. There wasn’t any CCD or anything like it. Any instruction of any sort came from the homilies at Mass and how many early teenagers pay attention or are even able to during the homilies.

This is definitely not a rant but observations I have made during the years and I have been saddened by them.

God bless…

Bussi

 

[GwenL]

Firstly Wow!!! I just attended mass this morning, our first scrutiny being “the elect” with another girl in our parish doing the same.

Great for you, congratulations!

I’m excited for you and very jealous , by the way. We are not doing a single one of the rites. No rite of acceptance, no rite of election, no scrutinies. Bummer. So, we never really became catachumens or even elect.

Hopefully they will not forget the rites come Easter Vigil!

 

[JaredR]

Great for you, congratulations!

I’m excited for you and very jealous , by the way. We are not doing a single one of the rites. No rite of acceptance, no rite of election, no scrutinies. Bummer. So, we never really became catachumens or even elect.

Hopefully they will not forget the rites come Easter Vigil!

The rites aren’t mandatory? I didn’t know.

We are doing the first scrutiny tomorrow.

 

[GwenL]

When I asked our parish priest about the rites (indirectly, in a roundabout non-confrontational way), he told me “we don’t bother with those.” Pretty sad commentary.

My sponsor asked a friend who works on the diocese staff, and she said that the rites are interpreted by the diocese as optional, the decision of the parish preist. (We missed the rite of election due to weather, the bishop actually did conduct that one without us.)

I know that another parish in the diocese does the rites (their RCIA schedule is on their website) and I’m going to Mass there today just to vicariously take part.

 

[Marie5890]

First of all…CONGRATS to all the Elect and the Candidates/Confirmandi this Lenten season…It is a very exciting time for you…I was in your shoes three years ago…

Second…to those who live in parishes and dioceses that are not making it as special as it could be (not doing the rites etc)…I can understand your disappointment…Its an exciting for all of you with big changes and you have been on a journey…

There is a lesson you can take away from all of this that will help you in your on going journeys…

Sometimes our parishes and even our priests lower the bar of what it means to be Catholic; they dont take full advantage of what She gives us to help us on our journey…

BUT that doesnt mean YOU cant still make it meaningful personally (I like the one poster who mentioned how she was going to go to another parish that was going to do the scruntines…GOOD FOR YOU !! )

We must always keep our eyes on Christ, even if those around us dont…I think about all those during the communist reign of the Soviet Union (or even Ireland of the past) and how they were denied so much, but they kept strong in secret…

There are so many of the faith who went before us who were denied so much, yet kept their eyes on Christ, kept strong in the faith, even when the culture they lived in was not conducive to such devotion…

Keep your relationship and discipleship to Christ strong, even if society tries to weaken it or is indifferent to feeding it…

God Bless.

 

[GwenL]

Marie, you are spot on and thanks for your post.

I pray alot (I mean really A LOT) to learn how to focus and center my life on Christ. And I think that this lukewarm priest and lukewarm parish are forcing me to do exactly that, and are therefore an answer to my prayers.

I’ve been doing a great deal of reading on my own, have a great sponsor, went on a retreat with Opus Dei and am going to recollections with them. Sometimes you have to go find the truth–it doesn’t necessarily come delivered in an easy package with a pretty bow. And Christians throughout history and elsewhere in the world have had a much tougher time than I have.

That said, Easter will be my last Mass at this particular parish!

 

[puzzleannie]

Why is it so horrible to ask for suggestions?

~Liza

and I used the word horrible where? I simply commenting, since you did ask for a suggestion, that if you are convicted this is the right thing to do, that you do it. Why would you ask the opinions of others on a matter of your personal piety in a matter that does not contradict church teaching?

 

[5Loaves]

…There is a lesson you can take away from all of this that will help you in your on going journeys…

Sometimes our parishes and even our priests lower the bar of what it means to be Catholic; they dont take full advantage of what She gives us to help us on our journey…

BUT that doesnt mean YOU cant still make it meaningful personally (I like the one poster who mentioned how she was going to go to another parish that was going to do the scruntines…GOOD FOR YOU !! )…

Thank you for all you said.
I won’t touch the “lowered bar”; I definitely experience it in some Latin Churches.

I’d add that in my Eastern Catholic parish we are so tiny and all travel a distance to the church that there are weekday festal liturgies we are not able to celebrate. For those which are such an important part of our liturgical calendar in the East which we are not able to celebrate in my parish I go to the comparable Orthodox parish. Often these are vespers or festal vigil which do not include Holy Eucharist. If they are Divine Liturgy then I just don’t present myself for Holy Eucharist. Not a small number of us Easterners do this. I cannot imagine my life without the richness of celebrating more of these feasts which is only possible by going to the Orthodox Church on these occasions.

In this situation in my EC parish our priests aren’t lowering the bar. So, there can also be practical reasons why a parish simply cannot have as many liturgies as would be optimal. Finding another, in your case, GwenL, Latin Church, parish to go to in order to receive the many blessings of celebrating more fully all the Church has to offer is as you say Marie5890 a choice we can choose to make on our path. one that is richly rewarding. to ourselves personally and also to the Church as a whole. I’m totally with you-- Great that you, GwenL, have taken this into your own hands and seen a way to make this journey even fuller for yourself.

For all the priests, deacons, laity whose mindset is “we don’t bother with those” let us pray they might one day discover the richness of the banquet these Rites, and other neglected aspects of liturgy, offer. (Blessing foods Holy Sat. for your Easter meal is one of those “extras”, I think it’s necessary , I push for in my Latin parish. Usually quite a number of families turn up.)

 

[lizaanne]

…I think the bright one is going to grab waaaay too much attention for this occasion. What to do? I’m also afraid of it constantly sliding off because it’s silk. Could I buy something more secure for this Sunday, like a head band that has an attached small scarf or some kind of hat ? Tips? Better yet, pictures? Has anyone veiled during the scrutinies while being in RCIA (“the elect”)?

Why would you ask the opinions of others on a matter of your personal piety in a matter that does not contradict church teaching?

And once again annie you get in a bunch when these veiling discussions happen. She did not ask IF she should cover, she is asking for SUGGESTIONS on how she should do it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and saying…

puzzleannie:

I am totally unable to understand why you would have a problem. If you are convinced you should wear a veil, hat or other headcovering in church wear it. What is to discuss?

…is not helpful.

It really was a simple question - why make someone feel bad for asking for help with a situation they are not familiar with?

~Liza