The word “discernment” gets thrown around rather loosely sometimes, and the process of discernment gets fuzzy as a result. In relation to the RCIA, we can sometimes confuse “discernment” with “testing.” A discernment interview with a catechumen becomes something like a final exam to see if he or she will “pass” and be able to […]
How to locate the heart of RCIA discernment
A key task for initiation ministers is that we discern. But discernment is not just a task for those of us who lead people to faith. It is something every Christian is called to do. At the core, what we are called to do as Christians is to discern God’s will—not just for the catechumens,
Why discernment matters in the RCIA…and everywhere else
When I was in third grade, Sr. Matilda drew an empty milk bottle on the blackboard. She said that when we were good or when we celebrated one of the sacraments, God filled our souls with grace. Then she turned the chalk sideways and filled in the milk bottle. She went on to say that
Abundant grace—a simple lesson for RCIA teams
You might not think you’re a theologian. But if you’ve ever tried to answer the questions, “Who is God?” or “Why does God matter?” then you’ve done theology. These big “meaning of life” kinds of questions often lie beneath the questions seekers and catechumens ask us, and our job as RCIA ministers is to answer
Why your RCIA process needs a theologian…and why that’s you
As evangelists and catechists, our number one job as catechumenate ministers is to bring people into intimacy and communion with Jesus Christ. That is impossible to do if we do not fully comprehend and teach that Jesus is part of a Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the truth of the
The Trinity is not a math problem
When Pope Benedict XVI announced the Year of Faith, which began on October 11, 2012, he said, “We want this Year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope” (Porta fidei, 9). Three ways to renew our faith As catechumenate ministers, how
Knowing content is not sufficient for RCIA…according to the pope
