RCIA question QUESTION from Andre' H. on August 21, 2002 Hello Brother Ignatius,
After years and years of being a secular member of society, I believe God whispered to me and called me to the Catholic church last year. I am currently taking the opportunity to participate in RCIA classes, which I enjoy every much. Since I've never been baptised, I'm classified as a cathechuman. My question is, even though I'm not yet able to participate in the sacraments, is there something that I can do NOW to get right with God because I want to make certain that there's nothing that could be standing in the way of me receiving God's infinite love and the graces He bestows onto man, to which I am ignorant. I know that after I am a full member of the Catholic community there are somethings I can do, such as the Perfect Act of Contrition and the Sacrament of Confession.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, Brother Ignatius and God Bless.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on August 30, 2002 Dear Andre':
Welcome to the Church.
Live the good Catholic life (minus the Sacraments). Say the Rosary, the Divine Office, develop devotion to saints, and when you sin ask God for forgiveness by saying an You can say a Perfect Act of Contrition. You do not have to be baptized and confirmed to do all that.
The Perfect Act of Contrition will cover you until you take your first Confession.
By the way, as a Catechuman, should you die before you are baptized, the Church teaches that you are baptized by a Baptism of Desire because you intended to be baptized had you lived. Thus you are considered a member of the Church when you meet your maker.
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