Adult formation is all about faith sharing. In the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great he tells a story about St. Scholastica and her brother St. Benedict of Nursia. Scholastica came from her convent one day to visit her brother. They spent the day together talking at length about the spiritual life. When the hour became late Scholastica asked her brother to stay with her that they might talk all night. He was horrified and said, “What are you saying, I simply cannot stay outside my cell.” At this Scholastica folded her hands and bowed her head to her hands and began to pray. At this a severe thunderstorm erupted and the downpour was so intense that Benedict could not cross it to return to his monastery. Benedict said to her, “Sister what have you done?” She replied, “I asked you and you would not listen, so I asked my God and he did listen.”

Since he could not return safely to his monastery he reluctantly stayed the whole night conversing with his sister about the spiritual life. Three days later Scholastica died. It is obvious that Scholastica treasured her time with her holy brother and it is likely that they gained much from each other in their spiritual lives.

It is not only saints who need to share their experiences of the spiritual life; all adults can grow by sharing their faith and encountering the faith stories of others. In fact, it is the most effective way to feed your faith.

In the following pages are listed a number of opportunities for adults to feed their faith through study and sharing their experience of God in their lives.

When Jesus came to visit Martha and Mary, Martha was too busy serving to give Jesus her attention; Mary abandoned the busyness to give Jesus her undivided attention. When Martha complained to Jesus about Mary not helping with the busyness he replied, “She has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Why not take a few minutes from your busy life and look over the various offerings to find one that fits your life and schedule and make some space in your life to feed your adult faith.

Mike Crain  

Mike Crain  
Director  
Child, Adult and Family Ministry

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