Course details for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
2023-2024 session
Here is an outline of topics covered during our RCIA journey. Keep in mind that this is our planned schedule – if our discussions lead us to explore other interesting facets of the faith, we will definitely explore other topics of your interest.
Who was Jesus? (3 sessions)
Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of the Christian faith. He was born into humble circumstances, but his fame grew as he began to teach. He made many bold claims, like being the “Son of God”. Was he who he claimed to be, or a liar? What made him special among the other prophets who came before him?
We will explore some of Jesus’ claims about himself.
In the Sacred Scripture, Jesus is referred to as a King. What kind of a king was Jesus? He had no worldly riches, no government position of power, no military power. What did people expect from him? We will explore the history of the people of Israel to answer this question.
We will summary the history of our salvation as well. These events will be recounted during Easter Vigil, where our journey will culminate and Candidates will be received into the church.
Reference video: Episode 1 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “Amazed and Afraid: The Revelation of God Become Man”
The heart of Jesus' teachings (2 sessions)
Jesus’ summed up the heart of His teachings at the beginning of his ministry with one of his most powerful teachings, called “The Beatitudes” – The guide to happiness – for all. Even a guide to peace on earth.
The key here lies in not what we can achieve, or how much we can acquire, but in our attitude towards these things, and contentment with what we have.
There is emphasis on the path of non-violence. We’ve heard his famous teaching “Love your enemies”. What exactly does this mean for Christians – we will examine real life examples.
Although these are some of Jesus’ most profound teachings, they are the most difficult to live out in practice.
Reference video: Episode 2 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “Happy Are We: The Teachings of Jesus”
Who is God? How do we know God exists? (1 session)
What evidence we have of God’s existance? Philosophers provide some good arguments for this including cause and effect (Contingency): Everything has a cause and and effect. We will exhaust the possibility of finding the root causes and finally pinpoint something that exists in itself. A being that is in its nature “to be”.
Characteristics of God will also be examined – throughout Sacred Scripture, God has been described as Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipotent (all powerful), Omnipresent (is everywhere).
Reference video: Episode 3 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “That Which Nothing Greater Can Be Thought: The Ineffable Mystery of God”
What does it look like to live out your faith? (1 session)
We examine the lives of a few women who hold a special place in the history of our church. A Saint is someone who led an exceptionally holy life, whose life is marked by virtuous action, and whose life led to lasting fruits of conversion in the lives or others, and in many cases, miracles in the lives of others.
The Church recognizes many of these Holy men and women throughout history so that we can study and draw inspiration from their stories and model our lives after theirs.
Reference video: Episode 8 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “A Vast Company Of Witnesses: The Communion Of Saints”
Saint Mary - Mother of God (1 or 2 sessions)
Saint Mary, the mother of Jesus (or more accurately designated as Mother of God by the Catholic Church) hold a special place in the heart of the Church. The role of Mary in the life of Catholic Christians is examined. Some common questions people have include: Why do we call her the “Mother of God”? What is the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception?
Reference video: Episode 4 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “”Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast: Mary, The Mother of God”
The foundation of the Church - Saints Peter and Paul (1 session)
We will examine the lives of the two men who are considered the pillars of the church, and their profound experience in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Perhaps the most profound quality of these two men is not their virtue, but their imperfection, their flaws. We can identify with them, and this shows that as imperfect as we are, we are also called to lead the church.
Reference video: Episode 5 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “The Indispensable Men: Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventure”
The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church (1 session)
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Reference video: Episode 9 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “The Indispensable Men: Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventure”
Word Made Flesh, True Bread Of Heaven: The Mystery of The Liturgy and The Eucharist (2 sessions)
The Liturgy is the main form of Catholic worship. We will watch Episode 7 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “Word Made Flesh, True Bread Of Heaven: The Mystery of The Liturgy and The Eucharist”
The Last Things - Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory (1 session)
The topic of what happens to us after our death both fascinates and frightens many of us.
The existance of God promises that death is not the end for us. One of the most well known portrayals of life after death is found in the literary work The Divine Comedy, written by Italian poet Dante (Durante degli Alighieri)
We will look at what the Scripture says about this as well as philosophers in Episode 10 of Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “World Without End: The Last Things”
The Apostles Creed. (1 session)
The Creed is a statement of what Christians believe, a concise summary of the most important points of Christianity. It is thought to be originally written by one of the early leaders of the church.
We will examine the 12 “articles” of the faith. Most of these articles will be familiar at this stage, as they reflect what has already been covered in the previous sessions.
Prayer and Meditation. (2 sessions)
The practice of our faith requires us to constantly re-align our attitudes with the heart of God. We begin to connect to the Divine longing for us and our longing for God.
We will watch Episode 9 in Bishop Barron’s “Catholicism” series: “The Life of His Love: Prayer and the Life of the Spirit” to gain some insight into how some of the prominent Saints recognized their longing for the Divine made this connection with the Divine love for them.
The most common set prayers will be examined:
– The Lord’s Prayer
– The Rosary
The Seven Sacraments
What are Sacraments? Adults being received into the church will receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation, otherwise know as the Sacraments of Initiation.
The other four Sacraments of the church (there are seven in total) are:
– Reconciliation
– Matrinomy
– Holy Orders
– Annointing of the Sick
The Lenten Season
Parables of God's Forgiveness
Several important Parables and accounts of Jesus’ ministry tell powerful stories of God’s forgivenss of us:
– Jesus meets the Samaritan Woman at the well
– The Prodigal Son
– Parable of the Lost Sheep
The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead reflects Jesus’ humanity and profound compassion.
Preparation for the Sacraments of Initation
Final preparation before you make your decision to become a member of the Catholic Church.