Ruth turned over for maybe the twentieth time, fluffed her pillow, rearranged her blanket, and tried some deep breathing exercises. She had already tried thinking of multiplication tables and counting sheep. But she just couldn’t fall asleep. Tomorrow, she had to turn in to the diocesan office the names of those catechumens who would become […]
Are you worried that your RCIA seekers aren’t ready?
A common struggle for RCIA teams is how to handle discernment issues. How do we know for sure that a person is ready for initiation? We have written other posts that focus on discernment, and I am not going to go too deeply into the “how” in this article. However, I do want to point
What Everybody Ought to Know About Discernment
Louise, the RCIA coordinator, was leading a reflection on the third scrutiny with the elect after they had been dismissed. John, one of the elect, began to tear up. Haltingly, he spoke about how Lazarus coming out of the tomb was like when he fell in love with Linda, his wife. “My divorce,” said John,
Annulment do’s and don’ts in the RCIA
To order your copy of Discerning Disciples, click here. If you would like to learn more about the discernment process and how it works, view the recording of our online workshop during which Diana Macalintal and Nick Wagner explored basic discernment skills for every Christian. Click here for more information.
Instant Review: Discerning Disciples
Sometimes we think of “God’s will” as an inscrutable puzzle that only wizened old monks who have meditated in caves or on mountain tops for decades can discern. But that simply isn’t so. God wants us to know God’s will. St. Paul tells us, “He has made known to us the mystery of his will”
The key to understanding God’s will in RCIA discernment
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
One month after my 16th birthday—and one month after I got my driver’s license—I made a date with a girl I had a crush on. When I got home from school, I asked my dad if I could borrow his sports car for my date. He said no. We had just had an ice storm,
Five powerful discernment practices for RCIA teams
Silence is awkward. Remember the last time you met someone new? After you exchanged names, your new friend asked, “What do you do?” You replied, “I’m a catechist.” Looooong silence. Awkward. When we’re meeting with inquirers or catechumens, we try to avoid awkwardness. We don’t want to feel awkward ourselves, and we certainly don’t want
Five reasons to stop talking to catechumens
When you think about the children’s RCIA process in your parish, are you fairly satisfied with the way it works? Or, are there aspects of children’s RCIA that are weak and need improvement? Do you wish parents were more involved? Do you wish the liturgical component was stronger? Whether you are satisfied with your children’s
Six simple ways to improve your children’s RCIA process
