Adult Faith Formation - It’s not just for kids!
At St. Lawrence, we believe that our faith is a journey. It is a living, growing part of our lives. Each member of our parish ought to have opportunities to develop, enrich, and sustain a rich and vibrant Catholic Faith.
Like all living things, a living faith needs nourishment. It is maintained by:
- Frequent reading of the Word of God
- Involvement in the community life and mission of the Church
personal prayer - Participation in the works of mercy and justice
service to the poor - The fulfillment of our human obligations in family and society.
Faith in Action
It’s Pentecost! The birthday of the Church! Indeed, the Church that Jesus founded upon Peter and the other Apostles, begins with the Holy Spirit breathing new life into the fearful men and women who loved and followed Jesus. The “strong driving wind” can take us all the way back to the creation of the world: “The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.” (Gen 1:2) It is evident that God is forming a “new creation.” The Apostles, trembling and hiding in fear (perhaps like Adam and Eve), gain the courage to step out in holy boldness to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ! We have the awesome privilege to receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments – especially Baptism and Confirmation. How are we exercising our courage? Are we boldly announcing our Savior, Jesus Christ, in a world darkened by sin, hatred and violence? Not all of us will preach to the multitudes, but we can announce the love of Jesus Christ by our acts of kindness, by publicly praying – perhaps at a restaurant, by telling others our stories of how Jesus pulled us out of hiding to boldly proclaim the Christian point of view on worldly injustices.
Something to Ponder
The first reading for the Vigil of Pentecost tells the Old Testament story of the tower of Babel. You remember, how some prideful people thought they could build a tower to the “top of the sky” so they could “make a name for themselves.” God responded to this prideful act by causing them all to speak different languages, thus leaving them in chaos, unable to communicate with one another. Compare this to the Pentecost event when the Apostles were able to speak many languages, and everyone could understand. Once again, God has made “order” out of “chaos.” Ponder on what this teaches. How can we find ways to communicate with others in our community who speak different languages?
WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?
Do you know someone who is interested in learning more about the Catholic Church? RCIA is a beautiful, spiritual process where adults are invited to learn about our faith. Adults have the opportunity to learn what the Church believes and teaches, reflect on scripture, and deepen their prayer life as they discern if the Catholic way of life is right for them. You might be interested in attending even if you are already Catholic. It’s a great opportunity to increase your knowledge about our Church’s history and beliefs.
FORMED
Saint Lawrence parishioners have FREE access to FORMED.org – The Catholic Faith on Demand website. You can find family movies, audios, books, and a variety of videos on topics of our faith.
There are 3 easy steps to Sign Up on FORMED:
Visit http://signup.formed.org/- just copy this address into your browser and it will take you directly to the sign-up page
Enter our parish zip code - when you're on the sign-up page, you will see a box that asks for your info - type in 46226 and it will go immediately to our church - click on the box with our church name
Enter your name and email - once you do this - you should be taken right to the FORMED page! You can scroll down to see programs, or go to the search box for particular topics.
Good luck!! - hope you find this a great resource for you and your family!