The R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a process whereby, we join as a community of believers, to welcome and share our Catholic faith with those who have an interest in becoming Catholic.
Sessions begin in October of each year and last until Easter.
Some of our very first meetings will take us in search of God. How do we know that God exists? Is God a personal God? Why does God allow suffering in our world? What is the difference between faith and beliefs? We will look at the Bible from a Catholic perspective, discuss the significance of angels and the importance of prayer. Next, we will meet Jesus Christ as our savior and as Lord. How do we come to know Jesus? What about death and resurrection? How do we meet Jesus in prayer?
Through Scripture, the church fathers, theologians, questioning, discussion and our own grace-filled lives, we will begin to answer these profound questions and more. Join us!
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE R.C.I.A. PLEASE CALL 330-453-8493 OR E-MAIL MRS. KINGSBURY: mrskingsbury@stpetercanton.org
| THE ROAD NOT TAKENTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost |
REFLECTIONS ON COMING TO KNOW GOD
As in any honest pursuit, we must be open to truth, not only the truth of absolute values but also the truth about ourselves, who we are, and what we want ultimately from the experience of life. This often requires great courage.
We must be willing to take time to question, observe, reflect. In our achievement-oriented society, particularly, it is hard for one to devote time to reflecting on ultimate values. However, it is the most important endeavor of all.
We must be open to our fellow people and treat them as our conscience demands, with dignity and justice. The mature person sees that in each individual there is a spark, however dim, of enduring goodness. This spark is the divine within each person, and if one is ever to find God, he or she must recognize and respect this spark in others.
Taken from: Wilhelm, A., Christ Among Us, Harper and Row Publishers: New York, 1985.
