Faith Alive Program

To see a sample of the book, click here.

Once again, each of the six sessions begins with a passage from Sacred Scripture and then illustrates the theme with a real-life story.  There are brief excerpts from the Catechism, reflections of Benedict XVI, etc.  The sessions then move to “Questions for Discussion” that connect the themes to everyday life, and conclude with prayer.

For the first time, the new resource is not a stapled booklet, but rather a quality 5 ½” x 8 ½” paperback.  As previously announced, due to the tremendous demand for the Faith Alive resources (more than three thousand five hundred of the first two booklets in circulation), the diocesan offices can no longer distribute the books free of charge.  But because we were able to find a reasonable printer, the cost per copy will be kept very modest.  Program participants are asked to bear this minimal expense.

It was a rewarding experience choosing from St. Paul’s letters certain passages that fit well the purpose of Faith Alive, which is to foster a modest commitment of loving service as the fruit of shared faith and prayer.  And I am particularly enthused about the real-life stories that follow the Scripture passages.  Probably few have heard of Blessed Bartolo Longo, who in 19^th century Italy turned from being a priest of the occult to being a fervent promoter of the Rosary.  Other stories include that of Blessed Damien de Veuster, the Belgian priest who went to live and die ministering to lepers on the island of Molokai, Hawaii; Matt Talbot, an Irishman who became an alcoholic at the age of twelve but broke the chains of the addiction to live a saintly life; and Immaculée Ilibagiza, the Rwandan genocide survivor who wrote the inspirational best-seller Left to Tell, a story of faith and the power of forgiveness.

Bishop Listecki continues to be an ardent supporter of the Faith Alive program.  As he puts it, “We want to foster praying, catechized, loving communities that put their faith in action in an intentional and consistent way.  This coincides with an aspiration that saw a large degree of fulfillment in the early Church, as witnessed by the words of the surrounding pagans: ‘See how they love one another!’”

For anyone not well familiar with Faith Alive, the program involves joining a small group of 5-12 people who typically meet once a month in each other’s homes or on parish grounds.  The meetings usually run about 90 minutes and involve reflection and prayer centered on one of the sessions in the book.  Each participant also makes a modest commitment to service (one to two hours each month) that can be carried out individually or as a group.  This component reflects the conviction that we are fully disciples of Jesus only if our spiritual lives blossom in love of neighbor.  Service can take many forms (suggestions are provided), but it should come from the heart.  For those already devoting considerable time to service, it is enough to consciously “dedicate” some portion of that service to the group’s communal effort and spirit.