I am just trying to find out why go through an entire year of initiation to be considered a Christian/member of the Church.
RCIA = Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults; We are fortunate in these times it takes from 8 moths to 9 months, just like a baby growing in the womb of his/her mother until the infant reaches maturity to be born again. In times past it took up to five years to recieve your sacraments of initiation. In the early centuries, many christians delayed their baptism until they were close to death or at ones death bed for example the Roman emperor Constantine.
** For once you recieve the sacrament of Baptism Jesus has washed all past, present sins including original sin from your soul with his blood. This grace is given generally at infant baptism, where this Grace of mercy and forgiveness is freely given not earned. RCIA, are for those who have come to the age of reason and understanding. They cannot make a Christian profession of faith before God, until they have been instructed in the teachings of Jesus Christ, otherwise heaven can hold them in contempt. This falls along the lines “Do not take the Lords name in vain” meaning do not take an oath in the Lords name falsely.**
**Baptism is all one needs to enter into the kingdom of God, when one becomes a child of the living God. Upon entering into the new covenant by dieing to self in the baptismal waters, and raised a new creation in Jesus Christ. The new Christian when he/she reaches the age of reason, now begins to get off the milk, and begin to taste the meat of Christianity, this is by way of understanding and coming to maturity in the sacrament of Holy Communion, this is the second Sacrament of initiation. Holy Communion is where only the family of the high priest which is Jesus in heaven are able to share a meal and have communion with our heavenly Father, in the sacrament of Holy Communioin where the chlidren of God are given the hidden manna from heaven to eat and drink in this communion and rest (Sabbath) with God in the holy of holies where heaven and earth meet in the Sacred Mass. The third Sacrament of initiation, is called the sacrament of Confirmation. This is where the Child of God has now matured in the teachings of God himself, and begins his journey or vocation as a Christian who gives and lives a life of testimony and witness of Jesus Christ. A Confirmed Christian now is ready to lay down his life for his faith for God. That is why the Roman Catholic church has countless many saints and martyrs in heaven who participate in holy communion with the body of Jesus Christ on earth, which is the Catholic church. **
it’s just hard to picture someone approaching Jesus to be accepted and being told you have to go through so many steps to get there. Jesus accepted them as they were right away, didn’t he?
Yes Jesus accepted ones faith and were healed. Some gave no witness of faith, and were not given a sign. But this is different from when Jesus was teaching his disciples to become his apostles. Nothing has changed, Jesus continues to disciple us through the sacraments he himself instituted and commanded his apostles to do the same to all the world, until he comes. Jesus taught his disciples for 3 years, and continued to teach them after his resurrection, because Jesus promised his church he would never leave her, and will not leave her orphans. This is an unbroken promise from Jesus himself in the Roman Catholic church and her bishops and popes, who are the successors of the apostles themselves.
I hope I don’t open up any arguments, I’m just innocently asking to broaden my understanding. Any help would be appreciated on why it’s a process to salvation.
Your question is most appreciated and welcomed here
I believe in understanding the process of Christian initiation. Ones should have an understanding of what the Church is in Scripture. The church is the body of Jesus Christ. The church is not a man made institution. The Church both human and divine just like our lord Jesus is fully human and fully God (incarnated). One can become a child of God both as an infant or right now in baptism either at present or near death, all are immediately accepted in the kingdom of God, and all sins forgiven. So salvation is not a process, salvation is freely given. Jesus taught his church how to administrate his salvation, because he is the head of the body his church on earth and Jesus is always present to his body on earth, the Roman Catholic church. This is not to say that Jesus does not reveal himself in other ways, I am just saying that Jesus commanded his church to administer his sacraments to his church so that Jesus can be present to us always in these sacraments of Initiation. Their are other sacraments that Jesus avails himself to and reveals himself, like the sacred Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, in the ministery of reconciliation,(confession) and Anointing of the sick
**If its God will that the baptised Christian is to give witness of his christian faith by continuing to live in the world. One has to live and take on the identity of Christian, by coming to the faith handed down to us by Jesus and his apostles, which having communion with God and entering into the eternal Sabbath rest in the Eucharist. Then become confirmed in his faith to be abel to share it with others, as did the original disciples of Jesus.
Peace be with you**
This describes me as well. When I first felt I was being called to investigate Catholicism, my dad helped out and answered my endless stream of questions. By the time I actually joined RCIA I had been attending mass regularly for about a year. During that time I had been studying with my dad, and the two of us (he was my sponsor) really did kind of help teach the class. Our teacher, God bless her heart, sometimes had trouble remembering things or simplifying a concept for someone who had never heard of it before.