First Timer
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Excellent advice.
“You will do fine.” is a fine response.
I have assisted with OCIA RCIA in my parish for 15 years. One interesting thing that occurred was those people that were being baptized at the Easter vigil were disappointed that they couldn’t go to confession after hearing the experience of the candidates. We would just tell them you’ll have your chance soon enough.
Gave similar advice to my students when confession was offered this past week by a visiting Capuchin priest.
They waited in the chapel with the exposed Blessed Sacrament on the altar – a perfect opportunity to clear the mind and gird up their spiritual loins. Most said it was the best one they’d had in their young lives.
“I have my first confession tomorrow…. We just had our RCIA class on confession yesterday.”
This seems like scheduling designed to cause unnecessary anxiety. The convert’s first confession is just one day after the class that covers the sacrament. No wonder the poor man was worried. Just one day to prepare for such a pivotal moment in one’s life.
His comment has also allowed me to suddenly understand why I am not enthusiastic about the concept of RCIA. There is nothing more personal than a true acceptance of Our Lord. It seems to me that the lost sheep are worthy of a shepherd’s individual attention instead of being grouped into a herd. If herded they must be, it would seem wiser to allow the newly called sheep to move at different speeds, not at the pace of a syllabus.
One comes because he has suddenly had the grace, another has the support of family or friends. Another may guardedly approach what he once thought was an enemy. Another bears the scars of false religion or false followers of ours. They are not one size fits all. I think we do our converts a disservice when we make it into a group project. Most of us have endured twelve years of being grouped together for education, on topics vital and insipid. Framing conversion into this accustomed mold may be convenient and efficient by the standards of the world, but that may be precisely why we ought to be doing convert support in a different way.
TBO, as a convert (almost 30 years ago) and as a leader in RCIA classes, I heartily agree with you. I was fortunate to have a priest catechize me when I was a 65 year old physicist, ready to argue about miracles. His response when I expressed doubts about transubstantiation was “you already believe in one major miracle, Christ’s resurrection; what’s your problem in believing others?”
bob kurland-
I am a convert too, in around the same year.
Thankfully, a well read and faithful priest took the time to guide me into the Church that I had spent the previous decade deriding.
Good advice. I’d add that, while it’s not merely a conversation, there is a back-and-forth element to it and the priest will help a first-timer (or a thousandth-timer) through it.
TBO:
The priest in the Sacrament of Penance acts “in persona Christi”. It is Jesus himself who speaks through the priest in an intimate, personal relationship in the Sacrament. It is why the Seal of Confession cannot be broken. The priest is a third party to overhear the relationship. Uncorroborated eavesdropping is inadmissible in a Court of law.
Cherish your time with the Lord.