Why+RCIA?


 * Why the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults? ** ** Can't I Just Join Right Now? **

Would you marry a complete stranger?[[image:art1...jpg width="320" height="214" align="right"]]
The reason why you don't immediately become a member of the Catholic Church is the same reason why you don't run to Vegas to marry someone after having one "glorious" first date! In the end, it simply does not fair well for anyone involved. You see, love must be educated (i.e. getting to know the other person, building a relationship, etc.) and education (especially love) is a process.

All that being said, one must make a fundamental distinction between the love of persons and the love of objects. I just purchased an item the other night at a store and I am now taking it back because I realize I don't really need it. That's okay because the object was made exclusively for my use and I no longer find it useful. Try doing that with a person sometime! I've always heard the disturbing phrase, "Hey, you gotta test-drive the car before you can decide whether you like it, right?" Yeah, the phrase sounds "cool" until you're the one being "driven." When persons are involved, processes MUST be put in place to respect and protect the value of the persons in the situation (i.e. friendships, courtships, co-workers, families, etc.).

Becoming Christian (Catholic in this context) is analogous to getting married which we all know demands a lengthy process due to the gravity of the commitment. When a a guy and girl begin to date, there is a heavy focus on getting to know each other. As the dating progresses, it lends itself to deeper commitments (i.e. exclusivity) and as those commitments grow they eventually turn toward engagement and finally marriage.

RCIA has a similar structure as the Church believes that to be Christian means to open one's own heart toward a spousal/marital relationship with God. After all, why do you think God constantly refers to us as His bride and He the bridegroom (c.f. Is. 49.18; Is. 62.5; Jer. 2.2; Eph. 5; Rev. 21.9-10)? Continuing with the analogy, the first couple months of RCIA is like the "dating" phase. You come once a week for a date with God with the intention of getting to know Him better with little commitment (this is the "Inquiry" phase). If those months fair well and there is still interest, then you move to a more "exclusive" relationship which simply takes the relationship more seriously with intentionality behind it (this is the "Catechumenate" phase). Finally, you reach the stage of engagement. Like a good boyfriend (hang with me on this one girls), you ask your girlfriend's father for his blessing to marry her which corresponds to the Rite of Election where you receive the blessing of the Archbishop to become Catholic. The day finally comes where the two become one flesh which is the day you are received into the Holy Catholic Church and thus become mysteriously wedded to Christ Himself which is consummated by receiving Holy Communion.

You are not signing up to join Boy Scouts or 4H (as great as these two groups are)! You are making a lifetime commitment with a person who is your Creator and Redeemer. For this reason, we take this process seriously. More than anything, we want you to come to know Jesus Christ so that you may fall in love with Him and commit yourself to Him for the rest of your life. Yes, there will be falls and setback along the way, but to be a Christian is not about perfection but rather about being the forgiven sinner!