Discipleship Series offers exciting way to live goals of Lent
By Brent Mattson
The B.C. Catholic

VANCOUVER--Every year, as Lent approaches, many Catholics ponder how to best observe this time of penitence and prayer, and they wish that someone would just write a manual.

Christopher Ruff has done just that with "The Discipleship Series," a group-based faith-sharing program.

Ruff, a ministries director for the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin, created the series because he felt that service was missing from faith-sharing programs. He visited the Archdiocese of Vancouver last September to present the series.

There are currently three books in the series: As I have Loved You, The Greatest of These is Love, and Who is My Neighbor?

Each book is divided into six sessions, which include a reading from sacred Scripture, passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal documents, a story of a saint, and discussion questions.

Kyle Neilson, a consultant for the archdiocese's Office of Religious Education, said that with Ash Wednesday approaching, it is the perfect time of year to get into "The Discipleship Series."

"It's a simple way to live the goals of Lent," Neilson said. "It can be used anytime, but it's particularly suited for Lent because the themes are drawing closer to Christ, turning away from sin, trying to grow in virtue, and trying to serve your neighbour, which are very much a part of what we try to do in Lent."

He said the series contains common elements from other faith studies - reflection and study, prayer, and fellowship - in a concise presentation.

"What 'The Discipleship Series' offers is a very user-friendly simple format in which you can discover some very beautiful things about the faith in a small group context."

Neilson said an important aspect of the series is how it makes Church theology more accessible, from its stories of saints to its digestible excerpts from The Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The catechism, he said, "is an incredible treasure that I would say most adult Catholics haven't really gotten into, because it's new and it's also a little bit daunting, because it's quite big. But we have bite-sized chunks in this resource."

This is also true with the papal writings, Neilson said, which are mostly drawn from Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

"Many of us don't have the time or know where to start to read, and some things are also quite dense, particularly by Pope John Paul II," he said. "Ruff has given us a page worth, so it's a nice way to slowly get into something the Holy Fathers have written."

What makes the series unique and also perfect for Lent, Neilson said, is its component on service.

"The idea there is that faith without works is dead, so the program invites the participants to do something as a tangible fruit of their participation in it and in their growing closer to Christ," he said.

Ruff refers to it as a modest commitment to service, and the discipleship books offer suggestions for service.

The service component is not supposed to be overwhelming or life altering, Neilson said. "You can also do it individually or do it with members of the group, or with your spouse or friend. The sky's the limit."

"You could aim to increase your efforts at evangelization as a form of service," he said. "In fact, that's the greatest kind of service: sharing the Gospel."

In a letter to priests throughout the archdiocese, Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, encouraged them to provide six-week Lenten sessions to their parishioners.

"The series aims to inspire and to deepen communion with God and neighbour," he wrote. "Rather than an academic study, it is a shared, prayerful reflection directed to fostering a way of life."