Our lives are a continuous journey of discovery and it is important not to close the door to change or transformation.
Christian life is ultimately about change and responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit in the signs of the time, just as Jesus did in first-century Palestine. Following Jesus Christ requires a discerning mind and heart that seek the way of God and pursue action and change that promote God’s vision for a world shaped by the power of love.
In St Pope John Paul II’s pastoral letter, At the Beginning of the New Millennium, he points out there are challenges faced with being faithful to God’s plan and responding to the world’s deepest yearnings. How can the Church be home and school of communion? Being part of the Church encourages us to step away from a focus on “me” to “we” and to become part of a sharing community. As we are all parts of the one body of Christ, Christians are called to share their gifts in communio so they may have a lasting impact on the world.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is suited to those seeking God and open to the transforming power of God’s love. The process is gradual as seekers experience the cycles of the liturgical year and develop an understanding of how the rhythm of the seasons is an invitation to experience God’s grace. Developing relationships, sharing stories about the ups and downs of life and reflecting on them in light of the mystery of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection is central to the growth of faith in community. There is not a one size fits all in becoming Catholic. The Holy Spirit works in different ways with different people in different times and places.
If you are seeking, searching, pondering, interested or already a member of the Catholic Church, you are invited to join us for the Rite of Election on Sunday 1 March, at 2.30pm in the Sacred Heart Cathedral, 841 Hunter Street, Newcastle West. At the Rite of Election those who have been seeking God via the RCIA process and who have discerned a readiness for baptism at Easter are presented to Bishop Bill by their parish. Their names are inscribed in the Book of the Elect. This marks the beginning of their final preparation for baptism.
As Christians we are called to look after and care for the world and everything in it. We are never finished. The Holy Spirit calls us to a transformation of mind and heart that turns us away from all that is not of God, and towards Christ’s radical way of life.