Cenacle Formation Manual I

The cenacle, or small ­faith-­sharing community, is as old as the Church itself. Our Jewish tradition itself is more centered on a home environment than on large liturgical gatherings. The earliest followers of Christ met in the Temple to give thanks and worship to God liturgically, but met in homes to break bread (the Eucharist), absorb the teachings of the Apostles, to pray, and to nurture the communal life (cf. Acts 2). In countries where the Church is persecuted, the cenacle is still the basic unit of our corporate faith: to meet in small groups in homes, sharing our faith and supporting one another in the journey of ­faith.