Taking the classes to learn about the Catholic faith?

God bless you and welcome home!

I love seeing new converts coming into the Church because I'm a convert too! I just celebrated the two year anniversary of my confirmation, which is Pentecost of 2005 when I was 30 years old. Best decision of my life!

The RCIA program should give you the Faith as you've never known it before (that's how it was for me). I learned the bible, the history of the bible, the history of the Church, the sacraments, the Mass, the Beatitudes... I could go on but the point is that I had finally found the answers I'd been looking for. The Church is home, and most days I only feel good when I think of Her and I answer questions on Yahoo Q&A like yours :D.

My conversion happened when I learned of the Holy Eucharist. My instructor taught us John chapter 6, and 1 Corinthians chapter 11. When I found out that Jesus is truly, physically present with us in His Holy Church, I cried and laughed and cried some more. It was as if years of sorrow and joy had poured out of me all at once. I'll never forget that night.

The Eucharist taught me that the Church is alive, that everything the apostles taught, the bible, the authority of the Church, all of it was a living, breathing glory and not just a dead letter of 2,000 year old beliefs that didn't hold any water. The Eucharist became my everything, my center. If someone told me I could no longer receive it, I don't know what I'd do.

Well, anyway, thanks for listening. I just love seeing new Catholics coming into the Faith and sharing my story. As far as the Mass, you don't have to memorize anything. Just learn to follow along in the misselette and you'll be fine. Obviously you'll probably end up memorizing a lot over time since it's the same prayers Sunday after Sunday. It'll come, just concentrate on learning the Faith, and learning how to pray. This is your time with God now. Learn Him and love Him. From here, it'll just get better.

God bless, and welcome home.

>>the only part I am worried at all about is memorizing the things you repeat, i know some is in the book I look at that goes along with what they are reading, but do you still have to actually memorize alot?<<

I came into the Church through a parish that didn't use the actual RCIA program (instead, we had "Inquiry class"), so I don't know how much memorization is involved with RCIA. The closest I came to having to memorize something was being able to repeat "I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God" and remembering the confirmation name I had picked.

I've done those.

My experience of it will probably be different from yours. The first part of the process is fairly uneventful. There is a brief bible study involving the readings from the Sunday liturgy. And then there is a talk on a topic, followed by questions.

Some of the topics deal with difficult issues, and your group will probably ask a lot of questions.

Around December, right after the Rite of Welcome, things start to become a little more emotional. Our group began to bond as friends at this point, and the emotional aspect of our faith journey became part of our discussions and fellowship.

The Rite of the Elect, Lent, and then Holy Week and the vigil are very emotional. By the time of the vigil when the Confirmation happens, it is usually.... well mine was incredible. That day I was just exploding with the Holy Spirit, that's all I can say.

Expect to be very emotional and moved at the Easter vigil, if that is when you are being confirmed and you decide to go through with it. Everyone always finds it powerful. It is an incredible experience.

you are going through RCIA? I have never done the classes because i have been catholic my whole life but I have known several people who have and I have also taught CCD to grade school students so it basically just a few classes that teach you about the religion and differences between catholicism and other religions its intersting so you learn alot it also helps to defend you choice if people are ever questioning you as to why you are catholic. It differs a little depending on the father in your specific church

Congtratulations!!!

Hon, in case you probably did no longer decide directly to be embarrassed, you mustn't have introduced your faith on your instructor in a verbal replace being held in front of the full classification. What did you assume to take place? this may be a Catholic college, so as which ability that's a private college... they are entitled to settle on their gown code. they are allowed to prohibit jewelery/religious symbols of any non-Catholic faith. So truly there is no longer something in this occasion to "get up" for... this is not discrimination; this is the deal whilst your mothers and fathers signed you directly to a Catholic college.

I will in the fall, my parents wouldnt let me get confirmed as a child so Im doing it now.

7 letters, three syllables...

HERESY.

(and a couple of good things, sheesh)