On this First Sunday of Advent, a number of sponsored adults will, here as elsewhere, be 'presented' to the parish, with a view to being received into the Church next Easter. This is part of the Journey in Faith" or RCIA process.

RCIA has been around for some years but is still imperfectly understood. Even the title causes confusion. being jumbled up with RAC, CIA, ICI, or - date one say it - IRA. It means "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults": how adults come to be baptised and belong to the Christian Church.

In older days, unbaptised adults and 'converts' would come along to Father and be given instruction. At the end of the allotted time, if all went well, they were baptised or received (and you may remember that in past times converts were 'conditionally' baptised, just in case). There were many wonderful conversion stories. But perhaps it was all a bit private. "Privatisation" is a fashionable word now. but it doesn't fit the Church very well. Essentially the Church is a communion.

So it was decided to revert to a much earlier model in which aspiring Christians shared their budding faith with practising ones. The 'newcomers' were gradually assimilated into the community, and, if all went well, the community learnt from the experience of accepting newcomers and being responsible for their welfare. The key tool in all this is the Bible, for Scripture can speak to everyone, be it the first or the millionth time it has been heard.

So nowadays those who are interested are initially invited to 'nibble' to develop the taste-buds of faith. If they then wish, and are encouraged to proceed, they will be ‘presented’ (as happens today). If unbaptised, they will, during Lent, be 'elected' - a funny word; let's call it 'be helped to a final choice' - and be baptised at the Easter Vigil.

You may be familiar with our candidates; many have come to Mass for some time, and some are married to Catholics. One important point is that this year all our 'little flock' are already baptised, so they already subscribe to Scripture and the Creed. That makes a big difference to the process. But they are still assimilating us, and we them. We pray for them, and ask them to pray for us.