RCIA is bringing the "Good News" alive in the modern world ...
The letters "RCIA" stand for the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults", the document flowing from Vatican II which
guides the process by which adults are initiated into our Roman Catholic community. The RCIA describes a process in which
men and women are guided and cared for as they awaken in faith and are gradually introduced to the Catholic way of life. 
The RCIA process is a series of carefully planned stages, marked by liturgical rites in the presence of the
whole community, in which new Catholics embark on and join us in a continuing and deepening
conversion into faith and discipleship. The RCIA takes the distinctive history and spiritual needs of each
person into account, differentiating between the baptized and the unbaptized, the catechized and the
uncatechized. The needs of mature, practicing Christians from other faith traditions are considered on an
individual basis.
The RCIA draws its model from the "catechumenate" of the ancient Church. Becoming Christian in the
early days of the Church involved a sharp break with the surrounding culture. New Christians entered
into the joy of new life and a life-sharing community of faith, but also entered into a way of living which demanded deep
commitment and entailed great risks. In the modern world, our faith also demands deep commitment -- our beliefs and the
beliefs of our society are often in tension. The Church revived the catechumenate -- embodied in the RCIA -- because new
believers in the modern world need careful preparation and caring support as they enter into the mysteries of Christ and the
commitment of Christian living.
Conversion: a Journey of Mind, Heart and Spirit
Awakening to Christ and seeking out the Church through the RCIA comes about in a variety of ways. The first step for some 
is a sense that "something is missing" -- a sense, perhaps provoked by some crisis, that there
is more to life than what they now have or a better way to live than how they now live. For
many others, the journey begins because of a relationship with a Catholic -- a close friend or
a potential spouse. Still others are drawn by seeing the example of a Catholic life well lived,
or by exposure to a Catholic writer like St. Augustine, Thomas Merton or Dorothy Day.
Whatever the reason for the awakening and decision to seek, the RCIA process is the first
step on a lifelong journey of intellectual, emotional and spiritual conversion.
In her book Turning: Reflections on the Experience of Conversion, Emilie Griffin reflected
that "conversion" is the process of "turning over one's life and energies to God." While
we know that the concept of "turning" is apt -- the root image of conversion is the
proverbial "one hundred eighty degree change" -- we also know from our own lives and experience that conversion is an
ongoing, lifelong process of personal spiritual growth as well as a social process in which we strengthen and draw strength
from others. The RCIA recognizes both the ongoing quality and the communal nature of conversion, providing an intellectual
and spiritual framework and a faith community in which an individual's conversion experience can be understood and
supported. Caring for people in the midst of this life-changing experience is the goal of the RCIA ministry.
Preparation: Awakening, Growth and Formation
The full RCIA process consists of four periods of awakening, growth and formation marked by celebration of three major
rites involving the whole St. Thomas community.
Inquiry
During the first period of the journey, the inquiry period, seekers 
ask hard questions about Christianity and receive truthful,
life-sharing answers from Catholic Christians. The informal discussions during the inquiry period help the
seekers link their personal life stories to the Good News as witnessed and lived by the Roman Catholic
community.
As each inquirer desires to continue the conversion journey within our faith community, he or she is
invited to experience the first major rite of the RCIA process, the Rite of Acceptance. Several times
each year at Sunday Mass, inquirers enter the second period of the journey, the catechumenate, by being
marked with the sign of the cross on the ears, eyes, lips, heart, shoulders, hands and feet -- a symbol of
both the joys and the costs of Christian discipleship.
Into the Catacombs
The word catechumenate means "time of serious study" and inquirers who become catechumens -- those who have not been
baptized -- or candidates -- baptized Christians who have not been confirmed as Roman Catholics -- join us at Sunday Mass
during the Liturgy of the Word, after which they move to the parish house to continue reflecting on the Scriptures. The length
of the catechumenate varies according to individual need. The norm is a year or more.
Our catechumens and candidates do not travel alone during this period. Sponsors are chosen from the parish community to
act as spiritual companions, providing personal support, sharing experience of Christian life and helping make the catechumens
and candidates feel "at home" with Catholic religious practice.
The catechumenate period ends when a catechumen or candidate is ready to begin the third period of the journey, the
period of purification 
and enlightenment, which coincides with Lent each year. On the first Sunday of Lent, catechumens
travel to Holy Name Cathedral to celebrate the second major rite of the RCIA process, the Rite of Election,
while candidates receive the Call to Continuing Conversion.
Purification and Enlightenment
The period of purification and enlightenment is a time of final preparation for initiation. The period is one
of prayer, fasting and reflection for both catechumens, now known as the Elect, and candidates. During this
period, the Elect experience scrutinies and exorcisms, special rites which seal their break with evil in
preparation for baptism.
Easter Fire!
The candidates and the Elect are initiated through the third and consummating rite of the RCIA process, the
Sacraments of Initiation, at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. On that night, when light drives out darkness,
joyful sounds fill the silence, and we proclaim and renew our resurrection hope, the Elect culminate their long
journey to initiation in the waters of Baptism -- then, with the candidates, the newly baptized are sealed with
the oil of Confirmation and share the bread and wine of the Eucharist as full members of the Roman Catholic
community.
Mystagogia
Initiation begins the fourth period of the RCIA journey, the mystagogia, which means "leading into the mysteries". The newly
initiated meet weekly between Easter and Pentecost to explore and confirm the Easter experience. From Pentecost until the
following Easter, mystagogia continues with intermittent meetings. Mystagogia is the final stage of the RCIA process, but it is in
turn the beginning of a pilgrimage of lifelong, continuous conversion in full communion with the Roman Catholic community of
Christians.
How long does it take?
"The Rite of Christian Initiation is not a program.
It is the church's way of ministering sensitively to those who seek membership. For that
reason some people will need more time than others to prepare for the lifetime commitment
that comes with membership in the Catholic Church. The usual length of preparation is from
one to two years. For those already baptized and who seek full communion in the Catholic
church, the time may also vary.
It seems reasonable that catechumens or candidates experience the yearly calendar of
Catholic practice at least one time around in order to make an informed decision.
The process of spiritual renewal and catechesis should not be hasty, especially for
those not accustomed to the fasts and feasts and Sundays and seasons the way Catholics
observe them.
One of the best time for the sacraments of initiation or the Rite of reception into full
communion is the Easter Vigil. Lent prepare catechumens, candidates and the whole
community for baptism,, confirmation and eucharist. The celebration of the Easter Vigil
dramatically points to the wellspring of the church's life:
"The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ."
LITANY OF HUMILITY
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O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
That in the opinion of the world,
others may increase, and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should.
- Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val
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The season of Lent is upon us once again, and most
Catholics will assume their traditional Lenten posture. That means pizza, or better yet,
seafood on Friday, and no potato chips, or chewing gum, or alcohol, or whatever, from the
day ashes are given until the vigil of Easter dawns, when we will gorge ourselves again as
we greet the risen Lord. We have all had this kind of Lent–the kind in which we just
go through the motions, and hope that something happens, or at least it ends soon–and
it’s no surprise that it bears so little fruit in our lives, especially since it has
such weak roots.
There is, however, a greater mystery to the season
of Lent than we might like to admit, probably because if we acknowledge its power and take
it seriously, it would demand quite a bit of our attention. Deep within its celebrations
and structures, Lent is designed for one purpose alone: to lead us to recognize the
presence of God in that which is right before our eyes. Everything that we do during Lent
is to make us aware of the Lord, and less focused on ourselves. In its perfection, Lent is
a season for reflection upon and delight in the goodness of our God.
In this holy season, we commemorate the forty days
of fasting and prayer that Jesus experienced in the desert before he began his public
ministry. Those days of temptations and self-denial reveal to us the resolve and the
conviction of the Lord who leads us through the desert of our own adversity. Even though
tempted to betray his mission and his heavenly Father’s plan by succumbing to the
devil’s requests, Christ was always aware of his Father’s sustaining presence.
And it was precisely this awareness that consoled and strengthened him throughout his
trials.
As we approach Lent, we must try to see that we are
asked to bear incredible burdens and temptations in our lives, yet often without any real
awareness of the presence of God. What we try to do in Lent is change our behavior and our
vision, so that we can recognize the presence of the Lord. This isn’t by any means
easy to accomplish. Most of us find it hard enough to accomplish our Lenten promises
without attaching this spiritual dimension to their completion. But it is in understanding
and giving meaning to our sacrifices that they become for us a source of strength and an
exercise of devotion. Here are some examples of what I mean by recognizing the Lord in
Lenten observance.
- If you give something up, as most people do, your
sacrifice should help you recognize the blessings that we take for granted most of the
time. This is especially true of those things we enjoy on a daily basis. When we willingly
deprive ourselves of them, we are reminded that the blessings that we are so accustomed to
enjoying do not come from our own hands, but from the Lord whose generosity is the source
of all kindness.
- If you fast during Lent, let your self-denial help
you recognize your need for God, and the daily bread that he in his goodness provides.
Remember that the hunger you feel should lead you to thankfulness, not bitterness.
- If you dedicate yourself to a regimen of prayer for
Lent or a commitment to daily Mass, try to understand that as you turn to God more
frequently and regularly to offer him praise, your vision of the world changes. You begin
to recognize how his presence works in your life and how his strength is your consolation
in trial. You may also begin to see his presence and his hand in places that you never
imagined.
- If you are involved in acts of charity and works of
mercy, try to recognize the face of Christ in those whom you serve, and love him in them
as you would love him in person. Charity covers a multitude of sins, and it is still the
most effective way to start to understand the Lord who is love.
- Finally, if you come back to the Church through
sacramental reconciliation, here above all, recognize the powerful yet tender mercy that
is perhaps God’s richest blessing to his people, and the sweetest balm for the soul.
All will be forgiven to those who look for his compassion, all will be forgotten for those
we return and recognize his love.
Lent isn’t about senseless sacrifices;
it’s about meaningful ones. It’s not a season for offering endless prayers,
it’s a time for offering honest ones. It’s a season to come back to the Lord who
calls us to return to him, and to avail ourselves of that great bounty which God has
spread before us. Whether it be through fasting, prayer, almsgiving, penance, self-denial
or whatever – give up what you will, but try to see the Lord in the sacrifices you
make. However you get from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday is up to you. But above all,
make this Lent a time when you learn to recognize Jesus Christ and the thanksgiving that
we owe him for everything that we tend to think of as our own.
