Hello,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying what has been a beautiful week! Today I would like to take a moment to write about something that is near and dear to my heart, Faith Formation and Education. This third pillar of Christian Stewardship is what will be addressed in this upcoming week’s bulletin.
“The fundamental objective of the formation of the lay faithful is an ever-clearer discovery of one’s vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it so as to fulfill one’s mission.” (Christifideles Laici #58) We’re not vessels to be filled with information, but clay to be formed in the hand of God (Isaiah 64:8). In a recent conversation about tradition and its impact on formation, what intrigued me most was this quote, “the product of our study is us.” We’re generally conditioned to think in terms of immediate outcome or exchange, i.e. I “learn” this material and I receive a grade, but rather the process of formation is how we live a life. It’s how we conform ourselves to the vision of what God has in store or to the tradition handed to us. Catholicism, or the belief in God and its call to our continual conversion, is not an accent to our life, but the central, grounding principle. “In this dialogue between God who offers his gifts and the person who is called to exercise responsibility, there comes the possibility, indeed the necessity, of a total and ongoing formation of the lay faithful, defined as “a continual process in the individual of maturation in faith and a likening to Christ, according to the will of the Father, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” (Christifideles Laici #57)
It is not a question of knowing what God wants from us, but also the commitment to doing it. Here, during the month of May, I think of Mary’s instruction at the wedding feast at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you.” Our mission has always been to “proclaim the message of the Risen Lord,” and in so doing, “provide for the spiritual growth and development of our community.” According to John Paul II in Christifideles Laici, or Christ’s Faithful People, “the Parish has the essential task of a more personal and immediate formation of the lay faithful.” If you believe that you might have a gift for communicating, instructing, or teaching, we pray that you share that gift. It can be daunting, but if we are to actively engage in the mission of the Church and the future of St. Matthias, ongoing formation is crucial.
This week’s bulletin will include information about this third pillar of Christian Stewardship, Faith Formation and Education. Please think about how you might share your gifts to prepare our community to build the Kingdom of God.
Thank you for your time and your continued support of the St. Matthias family.
Mary, Seat of Wisdom
Holy Spirit, Refining Fire
St. Matthias, Student and Disciple of Christ
Pray for us.
Joe
