RCIA

07-24-2022Weekly ReflectionDr. Lenny Kelley, Director of Faith Formation

The RCIA process is a wonderful gift from God. How often do we get to take time and reflect on who we are, what we are made for, who is God, and what life is really all about? If you’re like me, not very often.

For most of us, the busyness of life gets in the way of discovering who we truly are and what we are truly called to be. It is challenging to ask ourselves who God calls us to be when we are trying to figure out how we will afford our rent or braces for our teenager.

RCIA gives us one and a half hours a week for nine months to discover things about ourselves, our God, and our community that we don’t often have time to think about. We are allowed to discover more about ourselves and our relationship with God. Some may view this time offered for the enrichment of ourselves as selfish. I disagree. When we discover who we are and our purpose in this world, we can become the gift to others that we are intended to be. We can serve others with the gifts God has given us.

The RCIA process is broken into four parts:

1. Inquiry
2. Catechumenate
3. Purification and Enlightenment
4. Mystagogy

These four parts allow the participants to dive deep into self-reflection to better understand their formation as human people.

The inquiry period at Corpus Christi Catholic Church is eight weeks long. During inquiry, we offer a deeper look into topics such as: “Why does Jesus matter,” “Why is the resurrection important,” and “Why do I need a savior.” Inquiry is a time when the RCIA team introduces those inquiring about our faith to the Gospel values our Catholic identity is built upon.

The catechumenate is begun with a rite celebrating the beginning of a journey towards joining the Body of Christ with the sacrament of baptism and joining the Church with the other two sacraments of initiation – Confirmation and First Eucharist. The inquirer is now considered a catechumen, someone discerning joining the Church. The entire Corpus Christi community prays with the catechumen for his or her discernment into joining the mystical Body of Christ.

The period of purification and enlightenment is when the individuals take a deeper look into their lives, letting go of things holding them back from building a pure and holy relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The catechumens are encouraged to let go of sin and change their lives to imitate the life and way of our Lord Jesus Christ. This period is immediately before the individual will receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil. Corpus Christi Catholic Church begins this period the first week of Lent.

Finally, the period of mystagogy starts immediately after the Easter Vigil. This period is a reminder to our Catholic brothers and sisters, who were officially made members of the Catholic faith and who are now members of the Body of Christ, that our faith journey is a lifelong process. The Sacraments of Initiation are just the beginning of our Catholic life. We will always have to work on our prayer life and relationship with the Lord.

Joining the Catholic Church has other benefits as well. First, the Catholic Church is the oldest institution on Earth that helped establish the morals and values we, as citizens of the West, enjoy today. The values we hold dear, including the idea of civil liberties, equality, and love of neighbor, are deeply rooted in our Judeo-Christian culture that has developed over the past two thousand years. As broken people, we are always dependent upon the salvation of Christ; we haven’t always expressed our values the way Christ would desire. We continue to try to improve ourselves and our community.

With the help of the Sacrament of Confession, we, as individuals and a community of believers, will continue to grow and perfect our relationships with God and each other. By living in community, we will enrich our lives by learning from one another and helping each other get back on our feet when we fall. Traveling alone is difficult and unnecessary. We enrich each other’s lives by sharing the unique gifts each of us have received from the Lord. When we accept the help and wisdom of those around us, we become stronger and wiser.

As Catholic Christians, we are called to live in the world. The world, however, has become a strange place condemning natural law and promoting a worldview that flips natural law inside out and upside down. If you challenge this worldview, it is possible to lose everything — your job, your home, your friends, and your own understanding of truth.

Individuals can lose hope in this new worldview. The protection and strength of a community of believers are as important here and now as they were for the Christians of the early Church and those who face persecution around the world. Our Catholic community at Corpus Christi will continue to believe in the laws God created for our benefit, while protecting the deposits of faith that our martyrs died for in order to pass them down from one generation to the next. Our strength lies in our belief in a triune God and the community of believers we worship together with on Sundays.

If you are interested in joining RCIA, please contact me at lenny.kelley@corpuschristiphx.org. I look forward to starting our journey together.

Invite Others to Meet Christ

Did you know, 72% of people who joined RCIA did it because their family invited them to the Church? If you didn’t, now you do. Please ask your family and friends to join our RCIA Inquiry process starting Mon, Aug 1 from 6:30-8:30pm. We are serving a meal and leaving plenty of time for questions. You’re invited, too!

Our RCIA inquiry lasts eight weeks. This time is perfect for your family members or friends who are seeking something more significant to get their questions answered. You can join them during these eight weeks to make them feel comfortable.

If you have any questions, please email me at lenny.kelley@corpuschristiphx.org.