September 8, 2013
Faith sharing among Catholics is not a new phenomenon. Jesus shared His faith with His disciples. His disciples shared their faith with one another after Christ’s death. Somewhere along the line, in recent history we stopped practicing faith sharing. It was up to our priests, sisters and religious brothers to form and shape our faith. Nowadays we are rediscovering the gifts and fruits of small faith sharing groups.
Not too long ago, Celia Sirois, Biblical scholar and instructor at St. John’s Seminary, gave a presentation on the Households of St. Paul. In Paul’s time Christians met together in homes. There were no churches built yet, nor were there seminaries to train priests. People met together, ate a meal (Eucharist), and shared their faith. The US Bishops encourage us to form communities of faith as Christian’s did in Paul’s time:
Small communities are powerful vehicles for adult faith formation, providing opportunities for learning, prayer, mutual support, and the shared experience of Christian living and service to Church and society. Ecclesial movements and associations that are part of the vibrant life of the Church make great contributions here. We welcome this phenomenon as "a sign of the 'Church's vitality.'" -From "Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States," 1999
Sharing your faith with others can be awkward at first. A great place to start faith sharing would be to sign up for one of our Why Catholic? Groups. At its core Why Catholic? seeks to form our own small “communities” of faith. We come together to share our faith not only with each other but also with others who are all at various stages of their faith. Our faith grows deeper when we can share our journey with others. So, I encourage you to start walking, talking and praying the journey of faith together. The journey will be exciting! God Bless, Holly Clark
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