Adult lay spirituality

A few weeks ago, I was invited by a priest-friend (Fr. Phil Estrella, OMI) to his new program. He is passionately advocating a new way of focussing on the lay people as the ‘future’ for the Christian churches, particularly, the Roman Catholic Church. I have asked him why this program and why it is different from the many lay formation programs that are surfacing like mushrooms in the church. Fr. Phil begins explaining that the Adult Lay Spirituality Program (ALSP) is a product of his years of reflection and teaching theology and formation work both here and abroad. He cites the fact that the lay people constitute 99.95% of Christendom and the ‘ordained’ ministers hardly form one percent! Yes, the ordained ministers constitute a fraction of one percent: 0.05%! No doubt, the lay must reclaim their rightful role in the Church and the clergy must support the laity to assume their rightful role in the church... hence this program. The ALSP is but an attempt to seriously face the challenge of ‘midwifing’ the rightful role of the lay in the church.   Since the early 1960, there are concrete signs of the times that the Church and the leadership need to heed... •    For one there is a tangible resurgence of passion for Scripture post Vatican II and the laity is hungering for the word of God that the church is not addressing. •    Then there is a clear and manifest danger of ‘revivalism’ of the reactions to Reformation (began by Council of Trent) hence the continued emphasis on the sacraments and rituals. •    With the new awakening in the church prompted by Vatican II, the Laity desires to get involved in the ministry and reclaim their rightful roles in the church. •    The crisis in the ordained ministry impact the church as candidates for the priesthood is in the decrease and practically nil in the Western Church. •    Definitely, the Holy Spirit opens wider services and more for diverse ministries for the Church. •    Then there is a new call–the Year of Faith from Oct. 11, 2012 to Nov. 24, 2013. This calls for a New Evangelization–appreciating the gift of faith and discovering their faith as a pearl of great price, a treasure! This is a a call to deepen their relationship with God. No doubt, it offers the real SOLID ground for our faith–the real rock that gives security. And the only solid foundation is our experience of God, that is, when God becomes a personal experience. •    Religious experience is a privilege of all believers, not of mystics alone. The only requirement is attentiveness and MAKING God personal–not only having an idea of God. •    There is also the call to strengthen the lay’s commitment to sharing faith with others. •    Many of our lay people today can be categorized into 3 types. They are the following:  under-catechized; inactive; and alienated. The Adult Lay Spirituality Program begins with an introduction of the whole Lay spirituality. It speaks of the ‘Thorns of the Human Heart’ which grapple with the burden of the past, the sufferings of this present time (Rom 8:18), and the anxiety about the future. The second day is an invitation to embrace, with a mature/adult faith, life and all its challenges. It goes to the journey of discovering what it means to be ADULT. From there it proceeds to the understanding of spirituality. Day 3 confronts the first question of Yahweh in Genesis: ‘Where are you?’ This session opens the journey through the midlife transitions. The discovery of the stages of faith is very interesting as they serve as landmarks also of the Christian journey and the seasons of our lives. Today, there is a growing phenomenon that many young and adult lay people either leave the church or become ‘fundamentalists’. Those who leave the church either find that their faith could no longer cope with the complexities of life, that is, the faith that they learned is no longer relevant or they were hurt by the church in various ways. They simply ‘fall away’ or no longer believe. On the other hand, there is the phenomenon of ‘fundamentalism’ flourishing. They go for simple answers to complex religious questions. But fundamentalism does not lead to spirituality. Fundamentalists only become as ‘born against’...! What we need today is a mature faith, a mature spirituality, and the starting point is Adult Lay Spirituality Program! I am inviting friends to a weekend ALSP experience scheduled on March 16-18, 2012 at the OMC (Oblate Missionary Center, Mapayapa Village, QC. Contact person is Ms. Emy Wee at (632) 932-0182 or 932-0201.