Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults - St. John Vianney Catholic Church

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) A faith journey, an ongoing process, constantly turning to the Lord, continuing through adult life. RCIA Contact Information RCIA Information
40 Days to Live - Second Sunday of Lent Lent is a reminder of the ongoing journey of repentance and re-birth for our entire community. For the Elect and Candidates in our RCIA process this is called the period of purification and enlightenment. For all of us the Lenten season is a time for spiritual recollection consisting in interior reflection intended to purify the minds and hearts of all as together we search our consciences and do penance. It is also a time to enlighten our minds and hearts with a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior, the One who has conquered sin and death through his life of compassion, his suffering and crucifixion, and his resurrection. To be baptized into Christ’s resurrection is to pass through death to a new life in the waters of baptism. All of us who are baptized have been united to Christ, dying with him and given life again with him, and with him we rise again. At Easter we will renew that experience, renewing our baptismal vows. So now we prepare to die to our old ways and rise with Christ. One author asks, “If your physician announced that you had but forty days to prepare for your death, what might you do during that time?” Would you take a look at the life you have lived? Would you mend some relationships? Would you seek forgiveness and reconciliation? Would you be sure to spend time differently and with different people? What would you do? Today at the 11:00 Mass we celebrate the Penitential Rites with those who are already baptized, preparing for full communion with the Church. Their journey is most like ours. For the following three Sundays at 11:00 Mass, we observe special rites, called Scrutinies, designed specifically to help prepare for baptism and the rest of the sacraments of initiation. All of these are opportunities for all of us to search ourselves. Together we seriously examine ourselves, uncovering all that is weak and bringing out all that is upright, strong and good, praying together in the spirit of true repentance. The RCIA elect and candidates spend time with questions like these: What is a weakness of the human condition today? Jesus is God’s beloved Son; in what does our world, our society, need to listen to him? What are my own personal weaknesses? Where do I need to listen to Jesus? What gets in the way? In Lent, as we pray with and for the elect and candidates, we might all reflect on these questions. Pray for insight to uncover what is weak and ask God’s healing to strengthen what is upright, strong and good.
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