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THE PERIOD AND STAGES IN THE RCIA PROCESS
There are 4 stages in the RCIA process :
When a person first begins RCIA, one is called an "inquirer" because of the initial questions and, perhaps,
misconceptions one has about the Catholic Church. We seek to answer questions and clarify points in this first stage. They reflect upon the Scriptures and tell their own stories of faith in relation to the Scriptures. After an extensive period of time, they are ready to enter the first Stage of their journey.
STAGE 1: Rite of the Catechumenate (or sometimes called Rite of Welcome). The participants now
arrive at their first step or stage on the journey as they seek to become members of the Church. Through a special rite, they ask to be accepted into the Catholic family and the Church accepts them as candidates. They are now called Catechumens.
The candidate begins a journey that takes them through a time of sharing and reflecting upon the Scriptures
and the teachings of the Church. This is a time of spiritual formation and development as well as intellectual learning.
STAGE 2: Rite of Election. When the Church is satisfied that the candidates have shown a sincere desire
to become one with the community and have undergone a long period of instruction, it calls them to a new Stage of spiritual preparation. At his time, the candidates commit themselves to such a preparation. The Rite of Election takes place at Saint John's Cathedral in Kuala Lumpur. The Bishop formally welcomes the group. After this liturgy, the Catechumens are called Elects.
During this period of spiritual preparation, the readings from the Liturgy of the Word for each Sunday become
the basis for the spiritual reflection for the candidates. During this time of Lent, the Elects do not receive formal instruction in the faith. This is a time of "entering into the desert", a time of retreat in order to concentrate on the new life soon to be celebrated at Easter. Liturgies called the Scrutinies are celebrated during three of the Sundays of Lent (3th, 4th and 5th). The Scrutinies are a time for the Elects to look more deeply at their lives in order to see how the Lord is leading them.
STAGE 3: Rite of Initiation. At this Stage, the candidates enter the community of the faithful through the
Sacraments of Initiation, which are Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. This rite is customarily celebrated during the Easter Virgil liturgy.
The time immediately after Easter is called mystagogy, a Greek word meaning 'deepening of the mysteries'. It
is a time where the newly initiated continue to dwell on this great mystery and be nourished, especially through the deepening of sacramental life, with emphasis in the Gospel, the Eucharist, and Mission. The new members are called neophytes, which means, "newly planted", so that the seed now planted within them will be deeply rooted. Throughout the weeks that follow, the newly initiated meet together to share their experiences of the sacraments and the Church. During this period, they also select their service or activity towards the Christian community or the Church.
Although this Period formally ends on Pentecost with a diocesan or parish celebration, all of us as Catholic
Christians continue to journey. |