April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
STUDYING FAITH
'Year of spirituality' at Altamont parish
'Year of spirituality' at Altamont parish
Parishioners are learning how to hone their spirituality, studying the faiths of different saints during gatherings of the parish's intergenerational LIGHT (Living in God's Holiness Together) faith formation program.
Last September, St. Lucy/St. Bernadette began a focus on the theme, "Exploring our Spirituality through Prayer and Action," that continues through the end of the school year in June.
Spirituality in and of itself isn't something that most Catholics think about, said Sister Mary Lou Liptak, RSM, parish life director.
"It's a way to approach prayer," she explained. "It's a method. It's a vehicle. We use vehicles to get from one place to another. Our spirituality gets us in touch with our faith life and our prayer."
The program introduces different saints and how they defined their own spirituality. Meeting once a month, parishioners are learning about Saint Augustine, St. Benedict, Saint Francis and many others.
Studying the spirituality of saints allows Catholics to learn how people of great holiness related to the Gospel, talked to God, prayed and related to their own faith.
The parish has been choosing an annual theme for its LIGHT program for almost a decade. This "year of spirituality" follows years that focused on mercy and prayer.
For Eileen Borden, who attends the sessions with her 14-year-old daughter, studying spirituality has helped her strengthen her relationship to God.
Faith isn't "just a Saturday or Sunday thing," she told The Evangelist. "It doesn't go on a shelf. We take Jesus along for the ride and make Him a priority. It can be an abstract concept."
"I think people think that only priests and nuns have spirituality," added Sister Mary Lou. "We wanted to give [parishioners] an opportunity to look at saints' spirituality, so that they can develop their own."
Catholics can create their own unique path to God, said Leah Kedick, St. Lucy/St. Bernadette's pastoral associate for faith formation and youth ministry. She noted that the LIGHT program's intergenerational nature allows participants to learn from one another.
"It's really strengthening my understanding of what it means to have a relationship with God," Mrs. Borden said. "It makes me a better wife, a better mom, a better supervisor at work."
Studying spirituality, she said, also makes her more aware of how her actions are tied to her faith.
Previous "year of spirituality" sessions explored Pope Francis' "Laudato Si'" document on caring for creation and a topic described as "spirituality in action" that introduced Family Promise of the Capital Region, an organization through which churches house and help homeless families. Another session looked at parishioners' relationship to the Trinity, helping each participant see which person of the Trinity moves him or her the most.
The next LIGHT session for the year of spirituality, scheduled for Feb. 5 after 9:30 a.m. Mass, will focus on Benedictine spirituality and "living a balanced and integrated life." The Rule of St. Benedict, originally written for monks centuries ago, speaks of listening well, being humble, living simply and participating in stewardship, among other aspects.[[In-content Ad]]
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