Monthly Archives: November 2014

Help!

While waiting for the Ark to pick me up, I resorted to the only thing I knew would save me. I said a prayer.

Once inside the ark, saved from the flood, my prayers flowed without ceasing. I prayed for comfort…for shelter…for wisdom…and most especially…for what to do when the rains stopped and the water subsided.

PSALM 16: 5-11

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
⁶The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
¹⁰For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.

¹¹You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Thankfully, on the other side of the rainbow, my spirit revived. I did my best to focus on what I could possibly do to get baptized before the onset of the next cataclysmic flood.

It would have been easier if I had had more Catholic family and friends. What Fr. Ron and Deacon Dave didn’t seem to appreciate was the miracle of all miracles…that I had even come to meet God and encounter his Son Jesus Christ.

I racked my brain for one…just one…person who might understand my plight…a person who loved me…and loved the Catholic Church. And I thought. And thought. I knew people who loved me. And I knew people who loved the Catholic Church. I knew plenty of people who loved the Christian Church (of the NOT Catholic variety). And I knew people who used to love the Catholic Church. But I did not know one person who loved me and loved the Catholic Church together…in total…without qualifications and exceptions.

Thus, I had to reach for someone else. Of all the Catholic people I knew, the one person who might care for my situation was a man I had not seen in more than ten years. We had met in our mutual work for pro-life issues, and he had once lived in Gilbert, a neighboring city. He was easy to find on the Internet. He knew the Catholic mission of evangelization backwards and forwards.

Maybe Dwayne would be my rainbow. I sent him an e-mail. “Help!” Trying to confine myself to the pertinent details, I kept the e-mail simple.

“Hi. Dwayne. We knew each other ten years ago…in the pro-life world. Help! I am trying to enter the Catholic Church. Help! I don’t know any other Catholics, so I hope you understand why I am reaching out to you. Help! If you can, I would really appreciate being able to talk with you. Help!”

And with Dwayne’s characteristic generosity, he called me immediately.

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NEXT: Fr. Kevin – RCIA v.4

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Forecast – Winds and Rain

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Driving home from my meeting with Deacon Dave, my mind would not function.

I had ignored the signs of a coming storm on the desert. And it was here.

On the good side of RCIA v.3, Deacon Dave was able to move my investigative process forward and dispatch me in less than 30 minutes. I had my answer. “No.” By his count, baptism was eight months way…or longer…depending on the irregularities of my 40-year marriage.

Apparently, he thought to console me by telling me it could be worse. Centuries earlier, those seeking entrance into the Catholic Church were forced to kneel for hours in the snow outside closed church doors. But I thought this argument little better than trying to convince a child to eat Brussels sprouts because other children had to eat alfalfa. Does the Church really want to convert people by convincing them that it is better than being absolutely awful?

Not to mention that history can always be pushed to any era desired…like the sermon of Peter to the 3,000…converted and baptized after hearing him preach one time. But that had nothing to do with me here, today…on the bank of the Jordan…minus John the Baptist.

At home from the church, as the wind and rain kicked up outside, I turned on the computer to check my e-mail.

I had returned home with my answer from Deacon Dave. But, still two weeks after my conversation with Jason and my e-mail to Fr. Ron, I had not received any reply. No less than the Deacon’s abrupt “No,” the silence of Fr. Ron and Jason clearly was their answer. It was time to put this to rest.

——– ORIGINAL MESSAGE ——–
From: JANE JIMENEZ
Date: August 21, 2014

Dear Fr. Ron and Jason,

Thank you for meeting with me last month. I write to let you know I am releasing you from my request. I still plan to enter the RC church, but as I told Fr. Ron in July, it has never been my desire to break down the door of the church to “get in.” The span of time since our meeting indicates to me that my request is not one that fits the expectations of your parish. I appreciate your time with me and wish you both the best.
Sincerely, Jane Jimenez

—– Message ——–
To: Jane Jimenez
Date: August 21, 2014

I respect that. I did my best to be a bridge, but in the end it’s not my decision. I’m under the impression that more than one place has encouraged you to go through RCIA. If that’s the case, maybe that’s the Lord inviting you to take a step in faith. If that’s not the case, then it’s moot and I apologize for bringing it up. God bless.
~~Jason

——– ORIGINAL MESSAGE ——–
To: Jason
Date: August 21, 2014

Your parish is the second after my home parish.
~~Jane

What next?

Well…when it rains…it pours.

¹¹In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. ¹²The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. ¹³On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark…
Genesis 7:11-13, New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

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NEXT: HELP!

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Deacon Dave – RCIA v.3

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After sending off my e-mail to Fr. Ron, a deep quiet descended. More than quiet…a settling of the air around me, a deep atmospheric calm.

It gave me time to think as I waited to hear back from Fr. Ron. Jason had pointed out to me the camaraderie of sharing RCIA with other class members. But realistically, their parish was too far from my home, and any friendships I might develop would be short-lived when I eventually returned to and settled into regular life in my home parish.

To be fair, I had never fully pursued my quest for baptism with my home parish priest. I had accepted a quick answer from the church secretary over the telephone. Maybe, in fact, they would actually consider my request. It wouldn’t hurt to ask. Deacon Dave, in charge of RCIA for the coming year at my home parish, made room for me on his schedule in short order.

A few nights later, walking to the church door for our appointment, a slight breeze carried dried pink bougainvillea flowers under my feet. Looking to the sky, I noted a dusty pink hue low on the southern horizon. Across the parking lot a miniature twister of dust played over the ground under a mesquite tree. I pulled open the door and left the breeze and dust behind me.

Deacon Dave was expecting me. Relaxed and cheerful, he guided me to his small office. I sat in a chair facing his desk and waited from him to get situated. He invited me to share the purpose of my visit, and as I began, he grabbed a yellow pad and pen.

Not knowing how involved to get into my story, I started with two minutes about my attendance at mass over the past year and half. I had even attended mass at the school where the new parish church was forming and saw Deacon serving with the priest. He smiled. Then he asked about my husband.

I gave a two-minute explanation of my husband’s family background and its impact on prejudicing him against Catholicism. He asked how long we had been married and wrote a note on the yellow page. Our conversation proceeded in this pattern for the next ten minutes. I spoke for a minute or two…Deacon asked a question…and wrote a note.

He seemed to be satisfied that he knew the key points for us to cover. Firstly, he asked me if I was certain I had never been baptized. “We absolutely cannot baptize a person twice. But we have a way of handling this. We would baptize you conditionally.” And Deacon Dave showed me exactly how that looked…and sounded. “I baptize you,” and then he lowered his head and voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “conditionally,” raising his head and finishing with an audible, “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You would be the only one to know.”

Second, he wanted to know more about my husband’s history. Was he baptized? “Yes,” I answered. “His parents baptized him as a baby. Where? In the Catholic Church. But he’s never practiced the Catholic faith. He’s not Catholic. His dad was a very adamant atheist, and they never attended church. Vic doesn’t have any interest in ever joining the Catholic Church.” During the minute to explain this, Deacon Dave extended his short list of notes on the yellow tablet.

“You will have to be married in the church…yes…the Catholic Church. Your husband is Catholic. Are you sleeping together? If you were younger…I tell young couples…you’re living in sin. I tell them they need to sleep separately until their marriage is legitimized.”

I was clearly taking the Deacon into unexpected and unfamiliar territory. Vic and I had been happily married to each other for forty years. Even a law-abiding deacon recognized the awkward insanity of telling us we needed to use separate bedrooms.

“We can handle this situation,” he explained, “in a couple of ways. You can get married in the Catholic Church.” I was already shaking my head. “You can have a very small, private renewal of your vows.”

“I can’t speak for him, but I seriously doubt that he…” I began.

“Well we do have another option where you alone…without your husband…”

“I could never do anything without telling my husband.”

“Oh, no…certainly….” And whatever that option was, it was abandoned with no further explanation.

“What about being baptized?” I asked. “I am willing to study, to read, to attend RCIA. But I want to be baptized. I don’t want to spend the next eight months without being baptized.”

“No. We can’t baptize you with your irregular marriage. You’re really living in sin.”

I pressed forward, one more time, “Is there any way for me to proceed prior to the RCIA class and next Easter?” He shook his head. My face must have registered every emotion raging inside of me. A minute passed. I could think of lots of things to say. I couldn’t think of anything worth saying.

He leaned forward and laughed. “I’ve dealt with grown men who wanted to punch me out.” And he laughed again.

I opened my mouth to speak. And I thought better of it. Another minute passed as I contemplated how to conclude our time together. He waited for me, exuding that clear confidence that he could face anything I threw at him…yelling, screaming, complaining…and even punching.

I couldn’t remove myself from his office fast enough. “I have no desire to denigrate your process. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.”

We walked to the lobby door, and for the sake of ending civilly, I shook his hand and said thank you.

Outside, I let my emotions have their way. My stomach was in knots…as if Deacon Dave had punched me. Hot tears formed, and I walked slowly to the car.

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NEXT: FORECAST – WINDS AND RAIN

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RCIA v.2

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August 31, 2012

RCIA v. 1 – 2012 – The first RCIA class was more than a year back in my rear view window, and as of Easter, 2013, its class members were all now full members of the Catholic Church.

March 31, 2013 – Easter

April 30, 2013 – My husband and I agreed that we were both ready for my entrance into the Catholic Church.

May 31, 2013 – Melissa had directed me to Fr. Ron who would be open to a modified RCIA path for me into the Catholic Church.

June 30, 2013 – I met with Fr. Ron and Jason to discuss the possibility of entering the church before Easter – with the emphasis on my getting baptized.

******************

Tick-tock – time was passing…something which is most particularly noticeable after one passes the age of 60. One month gone after meeting with Fr. Ron, and I was still waiting to receive the promised book for Jason’s RCIA class.

Anxious to get going with life, I contacted Jason for the title. On Amazon I ordered Peter Kreeft’s Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Church Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

It arrived…$20…and another book about Catholicism on my shelves. Three books on the catechism of the church…and I was still waiting for RCIA to begin.

——– ORIGINAL MESSAGE ——–
Subject: Kreeft Book Arrived
From: JANE JIMENEZ
Date: Mon, July 21, 2014

Hi, Jason,
Peter Kreeft’s book arrived Saturday. My husband Vic and I leave Friday for a week with our son and family in Maryland…returning August 1. Do you have an RCIA plan for the book that I can start with?
~~ Thanks! Jane Jimenez

——– Message ——–
To: Jane Jimenez
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2014

Good to hear from you. I’m almost done with the curriculum. As soon as I finish, I’ll let you know the sequence we’re following. Have you given any more thought to doing it with the group? Community is the best context.
~~ Jason

——– Message ——–
Subject: Kreeft Book Arrived
From: JANE JIMENEZ
Date: Tue, July 22, 2014

Jason,

What is your time frame for the RCIA group? Time frame for my entering the church?
~~ Jane

——– Message ——–

To: Jane Jimenez
Subject: Kreeft Book Arrived
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2014

Some, when ready, enter on Easter, but like Fr. Ron said, we can’t have a blanket time frame because it’s all about someone’s personal readiness. I hope that makes sense. At any rate, you’ll discover and experience more from the group than you will from just me, so I hope you’ll consider attending. Takes place on Tuesday evenings, beginning Sept 16.
~~Jason

——– Message ——–

To: Jason
RE: Kreeft Book Arrived
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2014

Thanks, Jason. We leave tomorrow 6 a.m. for a week and return August 1. I will check back with you the first week of August.
~~Jane

******************

Thankfully, regular life intervened and gave some amount of respite from my anxieties about RCIA.

Our trip to Maryland for a visit with kids and grand kids was a wonderful time away from the daily details of life. By the time we returned, I anticipated that Jason would have his lessons plans completed, and he could give me some reading assignments. I was more than ready.

At home and settled in from our trip, I gave Jason a call.

“Hi, Jason, this is Jane. I’m back from our trip and wondered if you had a plan for me to get started.”

“Our RCIA class is starting next month. It’s not that far away. Why don’t you sign up and attend the class?”

“If I did that, what would be the schedule for me to be baptized and enter the church?”

“Well, we have classes until Easter, and everyone enters at Easter Vigil Mass. It’s a wonderful experience, and you really bond and develop good relationships with other people going through the RCIA program with you.”

“I guess I’m a bit confused, Jason. Fr. Ron had mentioned an option that would allow me to be baptized prior to Easter. I understood that there was an option for me that would permit me to do that and to enter the Church sooner than Easter…which is eight months from now.”

“Why don’t you want to be a part of RCIA?”

“I’m happy to learn, to study and to take classes. But I want to be baptized.”

“You know the Church allows you to wait until Easter. As a catechumen, if something were to happen to you before Easter, you would be treated as if you had been baptized. You don’t have to be baptized before Easter.”

“Maybe not…but I want to be baptized. I don’t want to wait. Fr. Ron said that was possible. It seems like you are saying that it’s not. Are you saying that the only option for me is to go through the regular RCIA program?”

“Well…ah…I…uh…I’m confused myself. I don’t really know what I am supposed to do. And I don’t have the authority to make a decision like that. I don’t really see what the problem is and why you don’t want to take the RCIA program. As a catechumen, the church lets you wait and get baptized at Easter.”

“Well…ah…I understand your situation Jason. Maybe the best way to understand this is to let Fr. Ron clarify it for us. Thanks, Jason.”

By now…I felt like I was the last person in line at a party where we were playing the telephone game. I had begun with Fr. Ron 45 days ago. If I could trust my memory, I had been told that he would consider an optional form of RCIA for me that would permit me to be baptized and even enter the church prior to Easter, hopefully before Christmas. Two months had passed since that meeting, and I felt like I was back in the batter’s box warming up.

******************

——– ORIGINAL MESSAGE ——–
From: JANE JIMENEZ
Date: Wed, August 06, 2014 8:27 pm

Good evening Father Ron and Jason,

I am somewhat confused at this point. Is it possible to speak by phone with Father Ron? I find back-and-forth dialogue easier in one brief phone conversation than in using e-mail?

I am available at Father’s convenience on my cell phone. If you prefer to set a date/time for the call, just let me know what works. I am also more than happy to come in. I just want to conserve your time in your busy schedule.

Thank you,
Jane Jimenez

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NEXT: DEACON DAVE, RCIA v.3

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FATHER RON – RCIA v.2

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I had set every clock in the house to remind me of my appointment with Father Ron. Arriving fifteen minutes early, waiting in the church office, I wondered about the very real possibility of being Catholic before Christmas.

In short order, Fr. Ron appeared at the hall entrance and led me back into a comfortable meeting room with windows looking out to a garden atrium. Settled into chairs, and following his lead, I gave a five minute synopsis of my coming to faith and then coming to the door of the Catholic Church by following the lead of other Catholics on EWTN and attending mass this past year in my own parish. “I called my parish, and I asked if there was any other way to enter the church before next Easter. They said that their RCIA program was the only option.”

“My husband has finally come to peace with my decision to become Catholic. He won’t join me, and I don’t expect that he ever will. Now, looking ahead, I am willing to learn, to grow, to study. It’s not that I want to skip RCIA. But I can’t wait twelve months to be baptized.”

At the mention of baptism, Fr. Ron’s attention focused more intently on me. “RCIA is not a one-size-fits-all program. There are other options available. We can personalize the program for people. Tell me about your baptism.” So I did.

“RCIA is not for everyone,” he reassured me. “We can take time to talk and set out a reading plan. Then we can get together to discuss your reading and understanding.” At that moment, a young man came into the room. Fr. Ron looked up. “Let me introduce you to Jason. He is the director of our RCIA program, and I invited him to be a part of this.”

We all did the hi-hello-good-to-meet-you civilities…and returned to the conversation Fr. Ron and I were having…that is, sort of returned to it. Jason was full of youthful enthusiasm and shared his plans for the coming RCIA program. He told me he would make certain I got a free copy of the book they were using for RCIA. Fr. Ron finished the meeting, “You can start working with Jason and then keep in touch with me.”

Following Fr. Ron through the hallways and back out to the lobby, I stepped outside of the office into the parking lot…instantly blinded by the afternoon sun. I had the unsettled feeling that something significant had transpired but that I had no idea what that significant something might be.

Instead of a program of study, another appointment with Fr. Ron and a target date for getting baptized…I had…well?

Putting the keys in the ignition, I calculated that the book from Jason should arrive by Friday.

____________________________________
*All names have been changed.

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NEXT: RCIA v.2

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