Walk with Me… Talk with Me… Pray with Me…

November 16, 2008

Walk with Me…
Talk with Me…
Pray with Me…

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 this century we stopped practicing faith sharing. It was up to our priests, sisters and religious brothers to form and shape our faith. Nowadays there are fewer clergy and religious men and women and it is up to us now to form our own faith communities.

Recently 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. The first time I sat in on a Generations of Faith adult session, I was very afraid someone would ask me to share my faith! I figured everyone else there knew more than me. After a while I realized it was not about how much I knew or didn’t know about my faith… the important thing was to listen… to share… to start talking.

A great place to start faith sharing would be to attend one of our Generations Faith Festivals. At its core GOF seeks to form our own “households” of faith. The older generations come together to share their faith not only with each other but also with the younger generations who are just beginning to learn their faith. Our faith grows deeper when we can share with others. So, I encourage you to start walking, talking and praying the journey of faith together. God Bless– Holly Clark