RCIA Enables Growth Of The Family Of Christ
Pope Francis exemplifies in his own life what he says the Church must be “a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium 114). This is the goal of the RCIA, which is not a program or a hoop to jump through to get to the real thing.
Formation in the RCIA leads new members to become part of God’s family where they live the Gospel with us. Baptism is not the “goal” of the RCIA, rather life among God’s people – just as a wedding ceremony is not the goal of marriage, but forming a new family in Christ.
Are our parishes places where mercy is freely given, or are they places where people feel judged and condemned by those who expect God’s mercy but sometimes are unwillingly to extend it to others? Pope Francis says that gossip is a form of terrorism destroying another person’s good name. How often do we gossip about others in our parishes instead of encouraging others through our acceptance and words of affirmation? In previous articles, I wrote about the many activities and simple acts of welcoming others when we gather as Church.
I remember being at a parish for about three months when an usher who had been in the parish for more than 30 years came up to me and asked, “Who is that person over there?” Trying to be as polite as possible and funny at the same time, I said “I’ve been here only three months and you’ve been here 30 years … and you still don’t know that person?” Some parishes tend to be more transient as people relocate for jobs; many parishioners attend the same Mass, which may prevent them from knowing other parishioners. Why are many Catholics so reluctant to introduce themselves to others?
At parishes where I have served as pastor, we give the announcements before Mass because there tends to be a “rapture” following communion so not everyone hears the announcements. We then welcome our guests; we stand and greet one another before we celebrate the Eucharist. Some people have threatened to leave the parishes over the years. But can you imagine being at a wedding reception or Thanksgiving Dinner and sitting across from complete strangers without first introducing yourselves? This is just common etiquette.
New members, their sponsors and spouses in the RCIA often mention how important it would be for the entire parish to experience the RCIA. Again there are many ways of getting other parishioners involved in the RCIA – invite people involved in various parish ministries to share with our new members about their ministry; invite our Parish Pastoral Council and Commission Members to speak about the purpose of these bodies; have parishioners bring refreshments for the sessions instead of relying on the RCIA Team, and then invite them to stay for the faith sharing session; ask parishioners to serve as “parish sponsors” to help new members become acquainted with other parishioners (look for gregarious parishioners!). In its deepest essence, the RCIA is giving us a new (but ancient) pattern of being Church; and a great portion of it is dedicated to “welcoming.” Our parishes need to become more creative and imaginative in how to welcome others in our midst. When was the last time you saw a stranger come into church for Mass and greeted him or her? When we fail to do that, we fail to be Christ to that person.
