I’m going to be hosting a roundtable discussion on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the NCCL convention next week. We will be discussing the six principles of the RCIA. I believe these principles are guideposts not only for the initiation process, but for all of parish life.

Initiation is a gradual process

The principles can be found in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the RCIA. The first principle is that the initiation process is gradual. This is a challenge for many RCIA programs that have developed a well-oiled machine. Many parishes are currently winding down their programs and won’t start up again until the fall. Most of the RCIA schedules I find online block out “precatechumenate” in September and begin the formal catechumenate phase in October. The catechumenate ends on the First Sunday of Lent, when the period of purification and enlightenment begins.

The difficulty with this schedule is that it does not allow for the gradual movement of the Spirit. The inquirers are required to conform to the parish schedule instead of the initiation leaders taking the time to discern the movement of the Spirit within the hearts of each individual.

We can extend this need for gradual attentiveness to the rest of parish life. Certainly any sacramental process should be gradual. Preparation for first Communion and confirmation could be much more gradual in most places.  Sunday liturgy would also benefit from more attention to the movement of the Spirit.

A simple way to become more gradual

Perhaps one of the easiest places to add a sense of gradualness to parish life is in our committee meetings. I’m sure your start your meetings with prayer, but is the prayer integral to the agenda of your meeting? If the group forgot to pray, would you miss it?

An ideal initiation process, that is implementing the principle of gradualness, is using the Sunday readings as a focus for catechesis and discernment of the movement of the Spirit. You can do the same thing in your parish meetings. Change the primary purpose. For example, instead of meeting to discuss the budget, meet to discern the Spirit’s will for you as stewards of the parish resources. Or, instead of meeting to plan the next youth event, meet to discern the Spirit’s movement among the teens of the parish. Begin your meetings with a solid (and gradual!) reflection on the Sunday readings and let your faith sharing inform and shape the agenda.

For a free guide on how to do effective breaking open the word, click here.

Share your ideas

What do you think? How is your parish currently attending to the gradual movement of the Spirit? What are some other ways to implement the principle of gradualness?