Spiritual development offers the faithful contact with the rich Tradition of Catholic spirituality, centered in the Liturgy and Sacraments but also inclusive of traditional forms of prayer, such as the Rosary and Lectio Divina, pious practices, and sacramentals.   The goal of all efforts at spiritual development is to cultivate a more and more authentic and mature relationship with Jesus Christ, who is always encountered in and through the Church.

 

Intellectual/Personal development seeks to enrich a person’s    knowledge of the Catholic faith so as to enrich and enliven their intimacy with Jesus Christ and allow his love to penetrate all aspects of our lives. The encounter with Christ, summit of all evangelization, is never complete without growth in knowledge of who he is, knowledge which is expressed and revealed in the full body of the Church’s teachings on both faith and morality.

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It is for this reason that adult faith formation is an indispensable part of evangelization.  Those who wish to evangelize, must first commit themselves to growth and maturity in their own life of faith so that the truth they communicate remains authentic and convincing, rooted and grounded in Christ (Eph 3:17).  An integrated adult faith formation program proceeds on two major levels:  spiritual development and intellectual/personal development.

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The Bishops outline three key goals of Adult Faith Formation (OHWB #67-73):

• Inviting and enabling ongoing conversion to Jesus in holiness of life:

  • helping adults acquire an attitude of conversion to the Lord

  • leading adults to repentance of sin, reconciliation through the sacraments and deepening faith in Jesus

• Promoting and supporting active membership in the Christian community:

  • helping adults make a conscious and firm decision to live the faith through membership in the Christian community

  • inviting and supporting baptized adults in their co-responsibility for the Church’s mission and life

• Calling and preparing adults to act as disciples in mission to the world

  • inviting baptized adults to evangelization and justice in the world