What should I know before RCIA?

[chloebelle]

Hello! As many know from my other posts, I am planning to enroll in RCIA next year. I am incredibly excited and the more I read and learn and go to mass, the more I feel like this is where I have belonged all along. For other converts, what is something you wish you’d known before becoming Catholic? For those who aren’t converts, is there anything you think Someone like myself should know or any advice you can give me? Thank you!

 

[tawny]

Welcome home. If you haven’t done so already; get yourself a Bible & Catechism. Also you may want to get some Bishop Barren books on Catholicism. Try attending Masses to become familiar with the form of the Mass. God bless you on your RCIA journey.

 

[pianistclare]

Welcome home. If you haven’t done so already; get yourself a Bible & Catechism. Also you may want to get some Bishop Barren books on Catholicism. Try attending Masses to become familiar with the form of the Mass. God bless you on your RCIA journey.

This. And try not to think you have to learn everything in one day.
Welcome home.

 

[chloebelle]

Thank you both! I do have a Catholic edition bible and a copy of the catechism, but I’ve been looking for more reading material. Which of Bishop Barron’s books would you reccomend, tawny?

 

[Casilda]

Make sure the parish keeps you posted on ‘rcia’ events. I was told to wait until Sept only to find out the rcia group had been having meetings all summer. When I signed up there had already been five ‘informal’ meetings and everyone had their books.

It’s never too early to get to know your priest and you can discuss with him any and all of your questions. Good luck, and welcome home.

 

[joeybaggz]

Hello! As many know from my other posts, I am planning to enroll in RCIA next year. I am incredibly excited and the more I read and learn and go to mass, the more I feel like this is where I have belonged all along. For other converts, what is something you wish you’d known before becoming Catholic? For those who aren’t converts, is there anything you think Someone like myself should know or any advice you can give me? Thank you!

Welcome home. And prayers for the success of your 'journey"

I “taught” RCIA classes in my parish for several years. One thing we “leaders” hoped was that you would ASK QUESTIONS! There are no dumb questions, and so many of the participants would say after an evening session that they were so glad that so and so asked that question, because “I was wondering that myself”
Enjoy the road home.

Shalom

 

[Reuben_J]

My wife met this person who later decided to convert to Catholicism. She is new to the Catholic Church but nevertheless has enrolled with the RCIA and wanted my wife to be her sponsor (Godmother) for the Baptism. Does she has to go with her to RCIA classes?

 

[tawny]

Thank you both! I do have a Catholic edition bible and a copy of the catechism, but I’ve been looking for more reading material. Which of Bishop Barron’s books would you reccomend, tawny?

The best one is; “Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith”

 

[LiamQ]

I’m a convert, and so I hope it’s OK if I give my opinion.

This is what I wish I would have known:

Don’t focus all of your attention on the intellectual stuff. Apologetics and a bit of theology and philosophy are absolutely wonderful. But living a life of practical devotion to God is the domain of spirituality, and it’s the whole point of all of this, and it’s so important to expose yourself to it on a regular basis. Learning how to fight and defend a particular theological idea means very little when you can’t stop judging the person in your own heart that you’re speaking to.

I would also encourage you to read ONE PAGE of the Catechism a day, and also maybe four chapters of the Bible. By reading a little you actually end up reading a whole lot, and if you read too much it won’t sink in and you’ll remember very little. And if something you read jumps out at you, don’t be afraid to rest there for a bit. Chew on it. (This advice is lovingly plagiarized from a hero of mine.)

And lastly, since I’m plagiarizing from heroes, I’ll do a bit of paraphrasing.

“I’m going to get into my pet heresy for a moment. The second the Church tells me to stop saying this, I will. But until then: it’s my never humble opinion that we pray too much. I mean that. We need to spend more time just looking. You know what I mean? There’s too much rattling off of prayers, which is wonderful, but its not the same as being in a state of prayer.”

Go and see Him in the tabernacle or during adoration. And just look.

I’ll even give you one of my favorite prayers, that a beloved priest once gave me: “Jesus, I love you; possess me.”

 

[Casilda]

I’m a convert, and so I hope it’s OK if I give my opinion.

This is what I wish I would have known…

Yours was the best response. I hope you are teaching rcia.

 

[Magdalen2013]

My wife met this person who later decided to convert to Catholicism. She is new to the Catholic Church but nevertheless has enrolled with the RCIA and wanted my wife to be her sponsor (Godmother) for the Baptism. Does she has to go with her to RCIA classes?

Yes, sponsors are asked to attend classes with the person they are sponsoring. She will also need to go to Mass with her.

 

[chuck001]

LiamQ hit the nail on the head. I am a fairly recent convert to the Catholic Church (completed RCIA last Easter) and there wasn’t too much I felt I needed to do, per se, to prepare. I attended early morning Mass every morning during RCIA, although I went through a phases where I didn’t. I abstained from receiving communion but I really began to look forward to going. It was then that I began to understand what the Church was about and all of the technical stuff (prayer structure, genuflections, etc) would come later.

Enjoy the ride

 

[PJM]

Hello! As many know from my other posts, I am planning to enroll in RCIA next year. I am incredibly excited and the more I read and learn and go to mass, the more I feel like this is where I have belonged all along. For other converts, what is something you wish you’d known before becoming Catholic? For those who aren’t converts, is there anything you think Someone like myself should know or any advice you can give me? Thank you!

Here then is the MINIMUM; knowing full well that Jesus Himself expects a great deal more than that

Rev. 3:16
“But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.”

1. KNOW that the bible in its entirety teaches exactly what God desired and the Ordained:

You can DL this FREE site to look these up

www.drbo.org/

Believe in One True God [Triune]

Lev. 26:12 “I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people”

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”

That even GOD can and does have only One set of Faith beliefs [anything more is impossible even for God]

Please READ the following paying close attention to the singular tense words the Inspired Authors [2 Tim 3:16-17] choose to use [this is critical to right understanding because each of these passages are:

**Direct from God to His Apostles and exclusively to THEM

**Mt 10: 1-8

Mt 6:15-19

John 17: 17-20

Mt 28:19-20

This is the VERY short prove of Catholicisms teachings**

Then make an effort to learn what the Nicene Creed professes & teaches

The Catechism of the Council of Trent: New Edition

Investigate the Seven Sacraments, each of which is Instituted by Christ

Then learn about the history of the Bible [a Catholic Book BTW] and the RCC both of which can GOOGELED

Ad This will give you a HUGE head start on your Catholic Faith formation\

KEEP attending Mass but do not participate in Catholic Holy Communion YET

God Bless you,

Patrick [PJM] here on CAF

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