“God is waiting for you with open arms like the father of the Prodigal son. You just have to turn back to him.”
Charles Johnston
WHO IS CHARLES JOHNSTON?
Charles Johnston is a father and husband in Phoenix, Arizona. His conversion journey has taken years, as he felt God pulling him toward His Church but he resisted until he couldn’t take it anymore. He gave in and fell in love with His Church. He blogs for ‘NowthatImcatholic.com’
In this episode, Charles tells us about RCIA. He explains:
-What is RCIA?
-What is the purpose of RCIA?
-Who can sign up?
-Time period
-How does it work or take place/format?
-How has RCIA shaped your life?
What Is RCIA?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), or Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum is a process in the Catholic Church for prospective converts to Catholicism who are above the age of infant baptism. Candidates get introduced to aspects of Catholic beliefs and practices.
In December 2020 instead of a retreat I had a quarantine period during Advent and so stuck during quarantine made the list of topics for this year’s podcast. I kept circling back to RCIA . And so following the prompting of the Holy Spirit I decided to add it relatively early to the podcast calendar.
I contacted Charles having known he’d already been through the process and was closely working with newer catechumens in his own parish. Soon after he wrote a post. It went viral.
In my own archdiocese various parishes have RCIA. Here’s the information they provide:
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a wonderful journey for designed for adults who, after hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed, freely desire to seek the living God and enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. The journey is one of conversion, preparation and formation which at the proper time leads towards reception of the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) that are received at the Easter Vigil.
If you are already baptized as a Catholic or received a *valid baptism from another Christian denomination (Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Anglican, Presbyterian or **Orthodox) and are seeking to prepare to make a profession of faith and full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, then you can reach out to them.
Steps to Join the Catholic Church
The Five Main Stages of the RCIA
Here are the five main stages of the RCIA: It is not as complicated as it look.
The Period of Inquiry
The PERIOD OF INQUIRY allows time:
To familiarize oneself with the Catholic Church and
To hear the good news of salvation from Jesus Christ our Savior;
It invites us to look within
This reflective period lasts as long as the person needs it to last.
The Inquirer writes a formal letter.
Some may decide that this is not the right time. Here’s one of the books Charles recommended that they use during their RCIA class.
The Period of the Catechumenate
THE PERIOD OF THE CATECHUMENATE: The firs stages of commitment:
For a person to enter this phase of RCIA, one must sincerely desire to become members of the Catholic Church.
During this phase, the catechumens now gather with the Catholic community on Sundays for the first part of the mass. We hear the Scriptures, respond, and reflect on the meaning of God’s Word for us personally and as community through the homily.
After the homily, catechumens are dismissed , and with their Catechist, to continue a process of reflection. This period, too, lasts as long as the person needs it to last. For the unbaptized, this lasts 12 months.
The Period of Purification or Illumination
THE PERIOD OF PURIFICATION corresponds to Lent:
This is a prayerful time for catechumens and candidates. They called the Elect. This period starts with the Rite of election, usually celebrated at the Cathedral Church with the Diocesan Bishop. Through this rite they are accepted as candidates for the Sacraments by the Bishop, representing the fact that this decision is not theirs alone. It takes place on the first Sunday of Lent.
Throughout Lent, they offer special prayers at the Sunday Eucharist for the catechumens and candidates. They are called scrutinies. These prayers for strengthening in grace and virtue and for purification from all past evil and from any bonds which hinder them from experiencing the love of God.
Celebrating the Sacraments of Initiation
THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION ARE CELEBRATED AT THE EASTER VIGIL:
By the waters of baptism, a person passes into the new life of grace and becomes a member of the Body of Christ.
Anointing with special holy oil called chrism seals the initiation by the power of the Holy Spirit and participation at the Table of the Lord in the eucharist marks full membership in the church.
Even though students are on Easter-break, those to be initiated and their Sponsors stay to take part in the Holy Sacraments of Initiation.
Period of Mystagogy
THE PERIOD OF MYSTAGOGY lasts from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday:
Those who just shared in the sacraments of initiation are called Neophytes. During this period of Easter joy they reflect on what they have just gone through and look to the future.
Here’s a beautiful film for everyone considering the Catholic faith. Charles recommended it from the Veil removed that amazes and awes. Because the Eucharist is simply that; Awesome!
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