SHARING THE PROCESS
As previously described, the beginning of the RCIA process is the open ended period called the time of Inquiry. During this time seekers are encouraged to share their stories, their spiritual backgrounds, if any, and their questions. While this period does not focus on catechesis, it is a time when the current Scriptures are read and the opportunity to discuss their personal impact is encouraged.
The stories we hear about in the Scriptures are our stories , stories we all share – seeker and Catholic faithful alike. It is always good to be reminded of these stories, whenever we hear them. We may even learn something new, something we hadn’t heard before, something that further confirms our belief that we are “One holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” In a quote from “The Catholic Church, History and Traditions,” Richard Reichert calls these stories a “Patchwork Quilt, A Common Thread,” The common thread to which he refers is faith in and friendship with Jesus throughout the ages. In each age, this faith and friendship with Jesus is displayed in different ways. In each period of history, communities face different challenges and problems. But always, there is the “common thread.”
It is over two thousand years since Jesus gathered a small community of Jews around Him, but the faith and friendship of those disciples is the same faith and friendship we experience today, handed down and kept alive from generation to generation, for all time.
Submitted by Marguerite Mullins
Blessed Sacrament Church 