Sharing our faith, two by two

​In our Gospel reading today, Jesus sends out his disciples to preach repentance to all who would receive them. It is important to note, however, that Jesus sent them out “two by two.” He sent them out in pairs. One of the reasons that Jesus did this was because he knew that we need other people of faith around us to support us. Very often, when we become isolate or even have the feeling of being isolated in our faith, we can be tempted to either drift from the faith or set it aside.

Also, our faith grows when we share it with others. By sending out his disciples two by two, Jesus also gave them a partner in the journey of faith. They had someone with them who already believed in Jesus and they could talk about their faith with each other. This helps solidify our experiences of faith and creates fertile ground for the faith to grow.

So for us here in Minnesota, we need to talk about our faith with each other. If you have a good friend who also is a faith-filled person, be sure to talk about how God is working in your life. If you are married, be sure to have those conversations about faith with each other. If you have a family member whom you know to be a person of faith, call them and talk about how God is working in your life. If you have children, be sure to talk about your experiences with God to show them that it is good to talk about God working in our lives.

We need to share our faith and talk about our personal encounters with God. So the following are a few suggestions of topics to discuss as you go through this life two by two:

1. When did you first experience God’s love for you?
   
2. Talk about a time when you knew that God was merciful for you.
   
3. Discuss a time when you felt distant from God and how that made you feel.
   
4. Talk about a good encounter you had with God in one of the sacraments that you received.
   
5. Who is someone whose faith inspires you to grow in your faith?
   
6. What do you remember from the homily last weekend and how will you apply it to your week?
   
7. In what ways do you believe God is calling you to grow in your faith?

These are just a few suggestions of topics to discuss with another person of faith. Jesus is sending all of us through the world and we need someone to walk with us as we journey. Let us not miss those opportunities to receive the graces of sharing our faith with another so that we might have our faith deepened.

God bless you, 

​Fr. Gjengdahl