Arise

Have you ever wondered how you might develop a closer relationship with Christ? Perhaps you have an interest in exploring your faith with others who share values similar to your own? If these questions appeal to you, you will be glad to hear about an engaging program called ARISE: Together in Christ.

ARISE is a parish-centered process of spiritual renewal starting this Fall throughout the Archdiocese of Boston. ARISE participants will meet in small groups once a week over a six week period to experience the Word of God through scripture reflection, prayer, and faith exploration.

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”

(Matthew 18:20)

The sharing of faith and experiences that occurs in small groups helps us make real connections between our faith and our daily lives. Also, programs like ARISE have been shown to nurture fellowship and friendship throughout a parish. A study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University found that a significant majority of participants in similar programs reported improvement in the following areas:

Knowledge of myself

Knowledge of my faith

My spiritual growth

My awareness of God’s presence

My practice of my faith in daily life

Feeling part of my parish

Seeing parish as a “community of small communities”

“Come and see”

(John 1:39)

Jesus invited two of the first disciples to “Come and see.” ARISE is an invitation to all of us to encounter Christ, to share our faith, and to make new friendships and strengthen old ones.

Over the next several months, members of the ARISE Parish Team are looking forward to discussing the program individually with anyone who is interested in learning more, so please feel free to contact us. Please join us in praying for the success of this important program.

“Let the Word of God dwell in you richly; teach and admonish each other with all wisdom;

sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God with thanks in your hearts.”

(Col 3:16)