My secret strategy for involving parents in the children’s RCIA process is fourfold. I promise that if you follow these four steps, you will improve the level of parent involvement in children’s RCIA. 1. Talk to parents in person. The very first step is to sit down, face to face, and talk with at least […]
Four strategies guaranteed to get parents involved in their children’s RCIA process
In a previous post, I said that reevangelization might be easier for us than evangelization because when we are evangelizing, we have to spend more time and energy talking about why we believe in Jesus as opposed to what we believe about Jesus. We have to say more about how Jesus answers our deepest longings
If Jesus is the answer, what is the question?
In a previous post, I laid out a challenge for well-established RCIA teams to look at what it is they are spending most of their time and energy on. I suggested that if they are not already doing so, they should shift their efforts to be primarily focused on evangelization and conversion. Good news: a
Evangelization vs. reevangelization in an RCIA process
I have a challenge for you and your team—especially if you have been together for a while and have mastered the basics. (If you are a new or reconstituting team, you can find some help with the basics here.) My challenge is for your and your team to take a next step in your efforts
A challenge for established RCIA teams
From childhood till now you taught me to praise your wonders. Psalm 71:17 “Yes, but, do we have to go to all three?” my own children asked at dinner last night as we discussed the family schedule for the week. The unequivocal answer is, “Yes.” It is right and good for children to celebrate the
The Triduum and Children in the RCIA
Msgr. Andrew Varga, pastor of St. Luke Parish in Westport, Connecticut, sent in this terrific homilette on Spy Wednesday. So… Here we are… Six weeks ago to the day we stood here with smudges of ash on our foreheads. We were well-meaning and eager to make a promise to ourselves and to all the church
A homily for the third Sunday of Lent Today, through our ancestors in faith, Moses and the Unnamed Woman of Samaria, the Church’s liturgy calls us to reflect on water—living water. But all week everything in me has resisted—a lot! NO, NOT NOW! The images in my mind are of too much water. Too much
How dare we reflect on living water today?
I’m not sure why, but some places do stuff to the scrutinies that makes them less “scrutinish.” The primary symbol—the main event—in this rite is the exorcism. You can find the exorcism at paragraphs 154, 168, and 175. There are three things that we need to do well to make the exorcisms as liturgically meaningful
3 do’s and 6 don’ts for powerful scrutinies
I think all of us at some point in our lives have someone—maybe our parents, a teacher, a certain group—someone we wanted so much to just love us as we were. We want someone who knows everything about us, all the good stuff and all the bad stuff, and who still wants us anyway. But
“Enough”—A Scrutiny Homily for the Woman at the Well
We asked you to tell us about the joys and vexations of initiation ministry. About 25 people answered the questionnaire, and here is a summary of what they said. (Share your thoughts in the comments box below.) Joys Most of those who responded included something about seeing adults search deeper in their faith or watching
The joys and vexations of RCIA ministry
