What does that spell?!

Give me a "R" 

Give me a "C"

Give me an "I"

Give me an "A"  

What does that spell?

R-C-I-A! 

Well Bob what does that mean? 

Right of Christian Initiation of Adults.   

Yup, it's that time of year again. You know it and I know it. Don't dodge what I am saying quite yet. 

We all know at least one person whom we could invite to join us for Mass on Sundays. Maybe the person is fallen away from the Catholic church or maybe the person is yearning for a deeper relationship with God. 

It's our obligation as Catholics to make this invitation. It's not our obligation to make anyone accept it. The door is open. We just need to hold the door and welcome anyone and everyone who wishes to enter. 

But like I said we need to make the invitation. There are so many people I am sure just hoping to be asked or who may be desiring more and just need a friend to walk with them. Are you going to deny them the gift of Catholicism or will you step out of your comfort zone and simply ask. 

And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

I'm a cradle Catholic and have grown up in a Catholic family and now live in a mostly Catholic community. Therefore, I have not experienced what it would be like making such a big step into a new faith. Emphasize on the "new". When something is "new" admit it, it can be scary.  

It is easy for me to say that because I haven't been in said person's shoes. I don't know where they're coming from or how they are feeling. 

What I do know is when you think of joining something new (a club, a team, a church) one automatically panics when thinking of  there being no way "out". 

No one wants to quit anything, well they might but they choose to quit before ever even starting.

The cool thing with RCIA, no one is holding a gun to your head. Believe it or not, one can discern out at any given time during the process and haters aren't going to hate. If they do, they can hit the box (Catholic slang term for confessional) and take it up with the big guy upstairs. 

RCIA is adults coming together to learn and to grow in the Catholic faith. I said I was born and baptized Catholic yet I am interested in continuing to grow and learn more with those thinking of joining RCIA in the Tri-parish. 

Will you invite, welcome, join and encourage with me?