Faith Sharing in a Small Group
Our Vision
We come together to nurture the Spirit of God alive, growing, and abundant in each of us. Every woman is welcomed with love and acceptance. Our focus is on everyday spirituality and ways that women can lead more meaningful lives.
We seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, celebrate community, share stories, support one other, and honor the feminine spirit. Refreshed by our conversations, we will re-enter our lives more fully and uncover opportunities to act and serve with love.
In this process, we grow bonds of community, open doors to service in new ways, and celebrate the richness that women contribute to building up the Reign of God.
Christ is the source of our refreshment, and we grow through sharing our stories. We stand up with Christ to serve our Church and world.
Timeline
5 mins. Opening song and prayer
35 mins. Check-In Conversation and theme review. (We’ll have read and reflected on Inspiring Women and Inside Scripture at home and may wish to say something about them at this time.)
15 mins. Read Her Story through without interruption.
20 mins. My Story: Each woman may enter the conversation.
10 mins. Living Out Our Gifts: We discuss how we are called by God to act.
5 mins. Closing Prayer and any site details or other items to be discussed
Total time: 90 minutes Refreshments follow.
Online Groups:
Most of the sessions mention a simple, tangible item that women will take home as reminders of the session. They are easily available, such as pennies or rocks. Encourage women to provide these for themselves.
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Conversation Ground Rules
We've all got stories, but we must tell only our own. To repeat someone else’s story, while not done with malice, can be very hurtful. We create a sacred space here when we gather and our stories remain confidences, protected among a trusted, holy circle. Here are other guidelines we promise to follow:
• We speak truthfully about ourselves and accept each participant where she is.
• We create a safe, sacred space where none need fear judgement.
• We are kind, as well as gentle.
• If a confidence is shared here, it is not repeated elsewhere, nor do we probe for details.
• We speak not what immediately comes to mind, but what comes to heart.
• Sharing is optional, but anyone should be able to share uninterrupted.
• We practice active listening.
• One conversation takes place at a time.
• Our words will build up and encourage.
• Respecting quiet, we pause for silence between each person’s sharing.
• We will always be free of gossip, advice giving, and negativity.
• Each of us is a beautiful woman, admired and loved by God.
• We will be vulnerable listeners and conversationalists, whether stories are painful or joyous.
• We welcome Christ to our conversations. We watch and wait expectantly for God.
When We Check In
Every session, after opening prayer, we’ll begin by allowing each woman to tell what’s going on for her at this moment, whether it be a car accident on the way here, a profound insight that struck her during prayer, or something else. Women will have an opportunity to “report on my personal weather.” We can choose to use conversation starters such as, “Who is the me that I bring to this day?” or “Where have I noticed God in my life recently?”
This is the time to comment on what affected us from the sections we read at home, Inspiring Women and Inside Scripture. What word, phrase, or image touched my heart or my life?
A variety of questions related to the theme will be suggested each session to get the conversation started. The goal is to stimulate Christ-centered conversation that leads to action, not to try to answer every question. And we must not be afraid to be quiet and to sit still.
This will also be the time for women to share briefly, if they wish, on what tangible actions they took as a result of our last gathering.
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Inspiring Women and Inside Scripture
You can enhance your experience in each session by reading these sections before gathering with your small group. You may want to jot down some of your reactions to share during the meeting. Think about the featured woman as the host of the gathering when we meet. She prays with and for us.
Inside Scripture has two sections; one is always a Gospel contemplation (described below).
As we read these sections, let's take our time. Some of us are tempted to start the reading the night before the group meets, and to quickly scan what might feel like homework.
Instead, let’s gift ourselves with the time between sessions to enjoy a conversation with God. We deserve it! Offer a moment for prayer every day. While reading, stop when God uses a word or phrase to catch our attention. God reaches out in surprising moments. We don't want to rush if God touches us in the first few words.
If possible, take no more than a single section each day, and repeat sections until we meet again. Watch for an inkling of peace or an insight of love, faith, or hope. Savor.
Afterwards, spend some time in quiet reflection. Consider journaling and making notes if there is something you want to share with the group when we meet.
Please know that we want to see you whether you complete the readings and prayer times or not. Every session, each of us has something to give, regardless of our mood, desolations, or shortcomings. We are here for each other Come as you are, not how you think you should be.
Prayers
St. Teresa of Ávila says that prayer is “nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with God whom we know loves us.” Prayer involves both listening to God and speaking. Prayer is building up a relationship, and therefore it’s as unique as we are. This puts pretty much everything we do into the realm of prayer.
A conversation with our friend God is very personal. The opening and closing prayers in this guide may be a perfect fit for us, or they may miss the mark. We ought to feel free to venture into other prayer forms that fit us as individuals and as a group.
Her Story
Each session, we will hear stories from ordinary women like us. All of the stories are true; in most cases, the real first name of the woman is used. We can take turns reading paragraphs aloud or silently read it through during our sessions. We can decide each session which method
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we prefer. It’s best to read the entire story through without falling into the temptation to start talking about a paragraph just read. We will listen as if our hearts had ears.
My Story
Time to go a step deeper. In this second conversation, not everyone may be ready to share, and that’s okay. Each session will have several possible questions to prompt a holy conversation. Take a moment to read through them, because we will then ask the group which ones we’d like to discuss first. We probably won’t get to them all.
We may have questions of our own, more relevant to our experiences. Typically, we will begin with the open-ended question, “What in ‘Her Story’ resonates with my life experience?” Then we ask one another, “What most challenges me? What most affirms or consoles me in what we just heard?”
Remember the sessions aren’t something to “get through.” There’s no grading at the end of the guide! We’ll go at the pace that fits us. We listen to one another, share faith, and ponder God’s inspirations. In the process, we may rediscover why women’s experiences reveal a divine call to holiness.
Dare to let the Holy Spirit control the conversation.
Discussing the connections between “Her Story” and “My Story” will naturally flow into how we’ll take concrete action based on our reflections, conversation, and what we believe Jesus is inviting us to do.
Coming together and sharing in a small Christian community fosters growth in our faith and spirituality. This leads to deeper reflection on what actions are most appropriate for me and our community at this time. We women are needed to take action today to benefit the Church and society.
Living Out Our Gifts
It’s not enough for us just to talk about things and reflect upon them. We need to consider how the Holy Spirit is prompting us to act. What can we do that no other women can do, both as individuals and collectively? Each parish and community is unique, but all have this in common: they need women to stand up and take action. Before we do so, however, we need to check out our choices with God in prayer.
Praying for each other in this small group is very important, since our actions must grow out of our prayer. How will each of us commit to praying for the women in this small group on a regular basis?
RENEW International is known for its method of faith-sharing groups designed to help people discern specific and outward-oriented actions that will impact our Church and society. By this point in our sessions we hope to have journeyed through the first two steps. We’ve (1)
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observed, that is looked at some stories of women that reveal a divine call to holiness, and (2) judged, as in considering what Jesus might do.
The third step involves taking concrete action. That’s what the “Living Out Our Gifts” portion is all about. Our actions may seem small, but together we make a difference. Let’s look at some very doable options and consider what we each want to do individually, and what we might do together. . .
Looking Ahead
We will honor each other’s time by beginning and ending promptly.
Remember to read and pray the sections Inspiring Women and Inside Scripture (includes both a scripture passage and the Gospel contemplation) before we meet. Reading the Scriptures themselves more than once between sessions is a way we can spoil ourselves. Christ is waiting to have a conversation with us in prayer about our reactions to the material. No need to read further than these two sections, but some women will want to glance over the My Story questions in advance.
Sometimes we’re tempted to skip a session because we didn’t get to the reading. Please know that we want to see you and attend anyway. . . .
How to Pray Using Gospel Contemplation
A prayer style we will be using is “prayer of imagination” or “Gospel contemplation” taught by St. Ignatius, who lived from 1491 to 1556 and founded the Society of Jesus. Another term for this prayer is “Ignatian contemplation.”
This method puts us in a story with Jesus, imagining that we are one of the characters and employing our five senses to re-create the surroundings.
Wait a minute, some people may say. Aren't I just making it all up if I’m using my imagination?
No. God can use anything—such as the Lord’s Prayer, our senses, our bodies, our imaginations, and the natural world to communicate with us.
Suppose we’re looking at a beautiful sunset. Close your eyes and think about the colors we see, and the clouds. What’s on the horizon? We’ve just imagined a sunset. Are sunsets unreal because we imagined one? No.
When we open ourselves to God and picture Jesus, God can use our imaginations to reach us. We just must allow God to take charge, trusting that God wants to be close to us even more than we want to be close to God.
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The Bible includes stories of a few women, including some who were friends and disciples of Jesus. Many more women were involved than stories recorded about them, and therefore we need to use our imaginations to be in touch with them. John 21:25 points out that there are many more stories involving Jesus than are recorded in Scripture. In fact, the whole world couldn’t contain the books if we tried to write them all. We are living a fifth Gospel.
It's okay for us to envision being physically present with Jesus, because it leads us to a conversation with the beloved of God, our Savior. And because we are called to be Jesus’ hands and feet in this world, it’s even okay to imagine that you are Jesus in stories from Scripture.
We will benefit greatly from reading the Scripture passages upon which the Gospel contemplation for each session is based. We live full lives, and we might be tempted to rush. Let’s try to gift ourselves with this prayer time, asking God to lead us.
To begin, sit comfortably, quiet yourself, close your eyes, and be aware of your breathing. Take a few slower breaths. We are always in the presence of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead. You may wish to repeat “Come, Holy Spirit” several times before turning to the Gospel contemplation.
Slowly read the reflection, pausing to meditate whenever you feel prompted to enter the scene. You need not read the whole contemplation if you find yourself moved by God after just a few words. Stay where God is revealed.
On the other hand, if you read the entire section and have difficulty relating, simply ask God to be with you right where you are. Don’t evaluate yourself; there is no wrong way to pray. Sometimes good friends just sit quietly with each other.
Be as creative as you like as you place yourself in the scene.
When the time you’ve set aside for the contemplation is complete, thank God for this prayer and consider jotting some of your thoughts in a journal. Here are a couple of prompts: How did I use my five senses? What would I like to say to God? Where was God particularly present?
Journaling is a good way to help our memories when we meet. But we don’t always have to talk about each experience. We are free to hold our prayers in the silence of our hearts. Of course, God gives gifts to each of us for the purpose of building up the community, and some of our insights are best shared. Be open to possibilities. We are in this together.
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Session One Women of Hospitality
Preparation before Gathering
Please read and reflect on “Inspiring Women” and “Inside Scripture” before gathering in your small group. Jot down some of your thoughts that you may want to bring to the group.
Inspiring Women
Radical Hospitality: St. Teresa of Calcutta
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody: I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty, than the person who has nothing to eat.”
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, born August 26, 1910 in Macedonia, joined the sisters of Loreto at age 18. She taught in India for 17 years before the "call within a call" in 1946 that led her to care for Christ in the sick and poor, founding the Missionaries of Charity. Her loving hospitality in the streets of Calcutta earned her a Nobel Peace Prize. "Good works are links that form a chain of love," Mother Teresa said. "It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."
She encouraged loving as an action and serving as if the other person is Jesus. "Do not wait for leaders,” she said. “Do it alone, person to person."
Mother Teresa taught, and exemplified with her own life, that hospitality demonstrates love. "I want you to be concerned about your next-door neighbor,” she said. “Do you know your nextdoor neighbor?"
And this: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Mother Teresa died in 1997. She was canonized in 2016.
Inside Scripture
Part One: Read 1 Peter 4: 8-11
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. It demonstrates an intense love that ought to be the source of our welcome.
Part Two: Read Luke 23:55-56 and Mark 16: 1-6
Gospel Contemplation: Women take spices to the tomb
(Gospel Contemplation, which we will use in each session, is a prayer style taught by St. Ignatius, who lived from 1491 to 1556 and founded the Society of Jesus. Another term for this prayer is
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“Ignatian contemplation.” This method puts us in a story with Jesus, imagining that we are one of the characters and employing our five senses to re-create the surroundings.)
Hospitality comes in many forms, including honoring the dead. We are walking toward the tomb of Jesus, carrying sacred spices that are heavy, like our hearts. We hold them as we long to hold our Lord Jesus.
We are the women who traveled from Galilee to cook and launder for Jesus and his friends. We watched the crucifixion with horror and followed his shrouded body to the tomb. We sprinkled wildflowers on Jesus’ form while Joseph of Arimathea hurriedly used expensive myrrh and aloe. The fragrance was unforgettable. Imagine our grief as we scurried back to honor the sabbath!
We could do nothing until that long day was complete. Now, as we walk this rough path to the grave, I hear birds sing. I smell something sweet. What will I see when I arrive at the tomb? Take some time if you haven’t done so already to place yourself in the scene and imagine your own role in it.
• Did something significant surface for you in reading the “Inspiring Women” and “Inside Scripture” sections?
ONLINE SESSION BEGINS:
Introductions (three minutes, first session and when someone new joins the group)
Leader: Let’s welcome each other very briefly by going around the circle, sharing how long you have lived in the area plus one fun fact about you.
Opening Prayer
Leader: Welcome to this small group designed for women, by women, where our personal stories matter. Every session begins with prayers that will include words, movement, music, imagery, or sitting in silence as ways to center ourselves so we can better listen to God and to each other. For now, let’s begin…
Make the sign of the cross.
I seek you, loving God, and your sheltering presence, like a child leaning on her mother's hefty bosom.
I come to you to be welcomed into your compassionate and healing love. Crawling into your comfortable lap, I find your arms wrapped lovingly around me.
As I look around, I see that I am not alone.
You welcome many to your lap today. Help me to imitate the hospitality I find in you. Your mothering care is with me every day at every moment.
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May we all exercise our unique gifts as women to create more hospitable communities in our Church, neighborhoods, cities, and circles of influence.
Amen.
Opening Song
Check-In Conversation and Today’s Theme
Today’s theme is hospitality, which means more than a brief hello at Mass before rushing to the parking lot. Hospitality includes friendly and warm welcomes for everyone, even strangers, through listening, valuing different points of view, and making time for each other.
Connections we form in small groups will lead to more open and inclusive atmospheres in our parishes and beyond, because, as we enjoy a safe space here, we naturally will feel more comfortable offering hospitality to others.
Our Church does not always offer women hospitality. Many of us are wounded by being excluded from ministries such as proclaiming the Gospel, preaching from the pulpit, and serving in the diaconate. In recent years, women have begun to share about unfairness or mistreatment in the workplace, sexual assault or harassment, and other forms of abuse or discrimination . These, too, are violations of hospitality and trust.
For example, women in management positions especially women of color are familiar with sitting at tables where no one looks like us. Men have dominated leadership roles in the work world for centuries and don’t recognize the impact their privileged status has on women who join their ranks. It’s easy to overlook the newcomer in a group, or to assume without offering a word of greeting—that everyone feels at ease.
When any institution falls short, women can extend empathy, especially when we have suffered similarly ourselves. We help one another achieve reconciliation by sharing the wounds and stories. Situations that contributed to these injuries may not have changed, but we have.
Within the Church, we can improve the treatment of women by generously offering women hospitality ourselves. Such hospitality includes filling roles that the Church desperately needs, such as leaders of welcoming committees, home-visit programs, and other means of increasing hospitality in our parishes.
Here are some conversation starters:
• Who is the “me” that I bring to this day?
• Where have I noticed God in my life recently?
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• Did something significant surface for me in reading the “Inspiring Women” and “Inside Scripture” sections?
• What do I hope for by participating in this small group?
Her Story
Hospitality is sometimes merely overlooked, not withheld with malice. We don’t mean to leave people out, and we forget that a small thing can be the tipping point. For Wendy and her husband, two little incidents soured them on the parish they hoped to join.
When the couple moved across the country, they decided to try to meet people by going to a parish event. Wendy and her husband sat at a table by themselves, hoping someone would join them. As people gathered, it was clear that many were old friends who didn’t notice the shy newcomers. It’s natural to gravitate toward those we recognize when we enter a room full of people and need to choose a seat.
A couple came over and smiled. Wendy’s heart beat a little faster. “Do you mind if we take a couple of chairs?” No, Wendy replied, disappointed. The couple took the chairs and crowded in at another table. Another pair approached. “Can we take a few chairs?” they asked. What could Wendy and her husband say? Rather than speak up, they smiled and nodded as more chairs disappeared. Soon Wendy and her husband were the only people at the table, and all the other chairs were gone.
Having moved from a very hospitable community, the couple expected that others would proactively take steps to welcome them. But at Mass, no one greeted them, and immediately after Mass, people fled without a word.
Not long after, Wendy and her husband stopped regularly attending church.
My Story
• How do I react to the news that Wendy and her husband stopped attending church shortly after these experiences?
• Has anything like Wendy’s experience ever happened to me? What about the opposite experience?
• How do I notice newcomers and extend welcome to them?
• How did Christ demonstrate hospitality?
• What gifts of hospitality do I possess?
Living Out Our Gifts:
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Hospitality is an expression of our Christian faith. How does this inspire us to act? Here are some examples:
• I can take what I heard in today’s conversations and discern further, through prayer, what actions, specific to my community, God calls me to take.
• I can do a self-examination to determine if I have a talent for hospitality and if I’m exercising that gift, or not. I will be open to change.
• We can each talk with others outside this small group about what women in our Church can do right now that no one else can d.
• When we attend Mass or other events at our parish, we can try to notice people who seem isolated or ignored and reach out to them with a simple gesture of hospitality.
• We can each write in our journals as we continue to contemplate today’s session and how it will infuse our work, ministries, and relationships.
• I can learn about hospitality ministries in my parish or about programs that make the wider community more hospitable. I can consider what role I might play in these activities.
Closing Prayer
(Based on Psalm 40)
Leader: I waited, waited for the Lord …
Group: Here I am.
Leader: Lord I come to do your will…
Group: Though I am afflicted and poor, the Lord keeps me in mind.
Leader: Here I am, Lord.
Group: I come to do you will.
Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Group: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Looking Ahead
To prepare for the next meeting, read “Inspiring Women” and “Inside Scripture” in Session 2. If you wish, jot down some of your reactions.
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