PLAN FOR LENT: Order faith sharing resource now

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Nov. 29, 2007

With the season of Advent starting on Dec. 2, it's a little hard to think about Lent. This year the Lenten season is early, so planning for Lenten activities has already begun.

Ash Wednesday is Feb. 6 and Vera Ludwig, coordinator of family programs for the Diocese of Sioux City, explained that the 2008 Lenten season is starting at the earliest possible date in the liturgical year.

The Office of Adult and Family Ministries for the diocese is once again offering Lenten faith sharing resource and with the early start of Lent, they wanted to get the word out.

"It's back by popular demand," said Ludwig. "Last year we had an increase in the number of resources that we provided." Parishioners from about 30 parishes throughout the diocese requested more than 700 copies of the resource.

Chosen and Called

This year's resource is based on the Sunday readings from Lent. Titled Chosen and Called, the main theme of the resource is that through baptism all are chosen and called to follow God.

"It is a six-week resource that includes a commentary, reflection questions and a closing prayer," noted Ludwig.

Chosen and Called was written by Cary Brown, director of faith formation at St. Mary's Church in Storm Lake. This is the third such resource she has done for the diocesan office.

With this year's resource, Brown focused on the sacrament of baptism and unpacks it according to the Sunday readings.

"When I sat with all of the readings from Cycle A for Lent, so many things about baptism popped out at me," she explained. "The readings are also used for RCIA for the people who are going to be baptized or welcomed within the church."

Relationship with God

Lent is traditionally a time to work on your relationship with God, she noted.

"For those people who like to do faith sharing, I really wanted to give them a vehicle to help them do that. Sometimes it means more when we can talk with other people and hear their take on what is being discussed," said Brown.

With that in mind, she believes it would have most impact if they use the resource in groups or at least with one other person if possible.

Last year, she pointed out that five different groups in her own parish utilized the resource.

"I have gotten a lot of positive feedback," said Brown. "It's down-to-earth, very personable and personal and it's not real heady."

This reflection may be used by groups that are already meeting in parishes such as Catholic Daughters or Knights, or it can provide an occasion for a group of friends to gather in prayer during the season of Lent.

One activities director from a nursing home informed Ludwig that after residents saw the announcement about the faith sharing resource in The Globe last year they requested info and had 15 participate.

"Even families may want to use this during Lent," added Ludwig.

Depending on the number of people participating in the group, their level of conversation and how the facilitators guide the conversation she estimated that each session would run from one to two hours.

A facilitator's guide will be available.

"It's important for us to gather as a community - whether it's two or three or more - to continue to grow in our faith experience and faith journey," said Ludwig. "We gain greater insights from others because someone might be affected by one thing and it strikes someone else differently."

Through this resource, she said it provides an avenue of drawing adults and teens toward a deeper relationship with God.

Brown said she hoped people "gained a deeper appreciation of their own baptism. I think so many of us who are cradle Catholics lose sight of our own baptism and the great gift that it is. It's not just for that day - but it is the beginning of growing our whole lifetime into a deeper relationship with God."

As a side note, Ludwig pointed out that the adult retreat that is slated for Jan. 20 is based on the same theme. More information on that retreat will be forthcoming.

Good evaluations

Ludwig noted that in evaluations of the faith sharing resource from last year parishioners commented that they had a deeper understanding of what prayer was in their daily lives and found it thought-provoking. Participants also mentioned that they would like such a resource again.

"One of the comments we hear often about Cary's writing style is that it is down-to-earth and it's easy to understand," she said.

Chosen and Called is available at no charge to parishioners. It is being funded in part by the Centennial Campaign monies. For more information or to order copies of the resource, contact Sandi Whitehill at sandiw@scdiocese.org or (712) 233-7530. If ordering resources please send: contact person's name, address, phone number, parish name, e-mail address and the number of copies requested. The order deadline is Jan. 11.