The other day, I saw some young children playing T-Ball. We didn’t have T-Ball when I was a kid, and I didn’t really know what it was. I discovered T-ball is a simplified version of baseball, designed to introduce children as young as four to the game. I started out playing Little League, which requires […]
Why is it important that the baptized candidates participate in the liturgy?
You can reflect questions for every Sunday of the year by clicking here.Fifth Sunday in Ordinary TimeBackground: Jesus continues his ministry of proclaiming the kingdom/reign of God in Galilee. Today Luke insists that it is the liberating Word of God that draws people to Jesus, not the miracles that he works to support the truth
The way the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults talks about discerning conversion in the seekers can seem like we are being asked to be Judge Judy, sitting behind a high bench, dressed in a black robe, listening to the evidence and bringing down the gavel on any who are not worthy. Specifically, the rite
How do we avoid “judgement” when looking for conversion in the seekers?
At our 2021 year-end review meeting for TeamRCIA, we discovered a surprising fact about millennials. When we started TeamRCIA in 2007, millennials were barely a thing. That year, the oldest of them was in their mid-20s. Today, the youngest of them is in their mid-20s and the elders are just reaching their 40s. What have
Do you have millennials on your catechumenate team?
In previous posts, we looked at what the Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults says about why conversion is important and what the church means by conversion. In this post, we want to look at how, according to the rite, we can foster conversion in seekers. When we are talking about the initial conversion
I once had to call an online shoe company about a problem with my order, and I was dreading it. These days, you don’t get to talk to a human. You have to “press or say” numbers in response to robotic questions. But I had no choice. I took a deep breath and dialed the
You get what you measure: What the new translation means by “conversion”
Blessed Christmas to you from all of us here at TeamRCIA! May Jesus, the Word Become Flesh, dwell in you that all may know our good and gracious God.
On the Third Sunday of Advent, I went to a church where a friend of mine is the pastor. I arrived a few minutes late, and I was surprised the liturgy hadn’t started yet. The Mass was being celebrated in the church basement because the church itself was being renovated. And the renovation was four
Why conversion is so important in the Rite (Order) of Christian Initiation of Adults
One of the best experiences I’ve had as a godparent has been forming and training other godparents and sponsors. The stories of friendships and responsibilities lived out have been gentle and significant reminders of how serious this ministry is. It isn’t the degrees, certificates, or initials behind a name that are evidence of a sincere
Sponsors and godparents in the Christian initiation process
We all know the saying about not being able to fit square pegs into round holes. When we accompany others on the journey of faith, we are almost always in the business of getting squares to fit into rounds. In some sense, that is what we mean be conversion. People are living “square” lives and
How to fit in square pegs when our formation process is a round hole
