Throughout his public life, Jesus was a teacher. For
the most part, he taught adults in synagogues, in the Temple, on
festive occasions, and often in his daily gatherings with people. His
goal was to convey the genuine message of God: to let it be known and to
guide many people to accept it. At the Jewish feast of Booths, "the
feast was half over by the time Jesus went into the temple area and
began to teach. The Jews were filled with amazement and said, 'How did
this man get his education when he had no teacher?' This was Jesus'
answer: 'My doctrine is not my own; it comes from him who sent me. Any
man who chooses to do his will, will know about this doctrine—namely,
whether it comes from God or is simply spoken on my own' " (Jn 7:14–17).
Lifelong
learning describes the reality that learning is not confined to the
classroom or the early years of a person's development. Rather, all
human beings learn each day. The journey of faith, from birth to natural
death, is a daily encounter with God. Adult faith formation and the new
evangelization are efforts to ensure that Catholics continue to grow in
faith all throughout the life span.
Parishes and schools have and sponsor a variety of adult faith formation activities to ensure that all members of the community grow in faith.