On the Mystery of Christmas

What's Your Next Step? Think about Jesus, the Word Incarnate. 

Becoming a Catholic is about responding to God with your whole life in union with others who are responding with their whole lives. Two millenia ago, God took on the full life of a human man; in doing this, God invites us to take on the life of the Triune God. We are about Jesus Christ: He is the center of everything that we do, say, and believe. We are his people, we accept that he is trustworthy and we believe that his is the way to true and lasting happiness.

• Take a minute to remember how you learned about Jesus. What stories and lessons shaped your understanding of him? How did you envision your relationship to him? Was he a god far removed from earthly stuff? A stern teacher? A big brother? A compassionate listener? Something else?

Catholics believe that whatever it is that you’re seeking, you will find in this good news ofJesus Christ. Every kind of question we can ask about the significance of what we say or do has its answer in this gospel. And perhaps you’ll experience it more fully through coming into union with his people, the Church, who are his body.

• Take another minute and try to put the "good news" of Christmas in your own words. What hope have you found in the gospel? What is Jesus promising to bring you in your own life that matters so much to you? Peace? Clarity? Eternal life? Something else?

The RCIA process is about determining whether the Catholic Church offers you a place to respond to Jesus Christ. It’s about learning about Jesus, and learning about his people, and learning about yourself, and figuring out how we all work together. 

• Where have you encountered Christ in the RCIA so far? What are the most Christ-centered beliefs, practices, rituals, or people you've encountered in the Catholic Church so far? Take a final minute to turn these recollections into a prayer of gratitude and desire to God.