Adult Faith Enrichment – Page 7 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Revisiting The Joy of the Gospel: Introduction

Revisiting <i>The Joy of the Gospel:</i> Introduction

Last week, we opened our study with the Introduction… Here are some questions for your prayer and consideration to support your study of the Introduction:

1. Have you ever experienced a powerful sensation of joy in the midst of what would otherwise be a challenging time?
2. What does a renewed personal encounter with Christ look like this Lenten season?
3. What are some examples in scripture of people who have experienced an overwhelming joy whose source is the Lord?

This week, we will be diving into “Chapter One: The Church’s Missionary Transformation”. To enrich your study we are offering a Lenten Podcast featuring our beloved late Priest in Residence, Father John Connelly…

Poetry Reading with Fr. Tom Fitzpatrick, SJ – Sunday, March 3 at 2:00pm at St. John

Please join us in the lower Chapel at St. John for a Lenten afternoon poetry reading and discussion led by Rev. Tom Fitzpatrick, SJ, from Weston’s Campion Center.

Father Tom has been a Jesuit for 64 years and a priest for 51. His writing reveals a lifelong spiritual journey with God. He uses humor and images of nature, with simple and direct language, to make God real for us.

Fr. Tom founded the Jesuit Center in Amman, Jordan, and remained as director for 14 years. He also served as director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem for 10 years, and taught for more than 10 years at Fairfield University.

“Love (III)” from “Lenten Poetry and Prayer” with Sr. Mary Sweeney

On the first Friday in Lent, this poem by George Herbert – and its theme of God’s love and forgiveness – was a focus of discussion and prayer.

Love (III)

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked anything.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he

A Lenten Message from Fr. Jim

My dear friends in Christ,

Leper. That is all we know of him. Deemed ritually impure, he was banished from society. He had lost everything: his family, his community… even his name. Leper. This classification became his identity. That is, until he encountered Jesus. Perhaps Jesus could help him. He was desperate. It was worth a shot. He knelt down before him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Jesus’ response is astonishing, beginning with the compassion which motivated his actions. Our translation “moved with pity” doesn’t begin to capture the power of the Greek verb σπλαγχνίζομαι (splanchnizomai). Jesus was moved from the depths of his being…

Friday Mornings in Lent: “Poetry and Prayer” with Sr. Mary Sweeney, S.C.

Begins Friday, February 16

All are invited to gather after the 9:00am Mass on Friday mornings in Lent in the St. Paul Rectory for a peaceful hour of reflection and prayer over sacred poetry with Sister Mary Sweeney, S.C.

No registration necessary!

Lenten Study: “Revisiting ‘The Joy of the Gospel'”

Tuesdays in Lent beginning February 20
6:30pm – 8:00pm St. Paul Parish Hall

Ten years after Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel”, is an important reminder for every disciple to live in joyful, missionary witness…

Through this six session study we will revisit this consistent theme and discuss what it means for our faith and Church today as we enhance our understanding of what it means to be a Synodal Church.

Registration is required…

Lenten Scripture Study: “The Book of Revelation”

Four Wednesdays in Lent: February 21 & 28 and March 13 & 20
Morning Group: 9:30am in St. Paul Parish Hall
Evening Group: 7:00pm on Zoom

Inarguably the most eccentric book of the Bible, “The Book of Revelation” stands in a unique place in the Canon. Its apocalyptic imagery and symbolism can both confound and intrigue the reader. It is also the only book of the Bible which promises a blessing over anyone who reads aloud and hears the words of the prophecy. Join a group this Lent to dive into John’s riveting eschatology!

Registration is required…

Tuesday, February 6 at 6:30pm: “Evening for Women” Potluck Prayer and Supper at St. John

Tuesday, February 6 at 6:30pm: “Evening for Women” <i>Potluck Prayer and Supper</i> at St. John

All women of the collaborative are invited to an hour of “Potluck Prayer”. “Potluck Prayer” is a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration with an invitation for all gathered to share music, poems, readings, art, and anything else that may be preparing our hearts for our Lenten journey or inspiring our prayer life.

After our Holy Hour in the Lower Chapel we will gather in Powers Hall for a potluck dinner and fellowship.

Bring a dish or beverage to share and invite a friend or neighbor to come along!

To help us plan for the evening, please RSVP…

From The Pilot: Father Hehir addresses ethics of war

Father Bryan Hehir, secretary of health and social services for the Archdiocese of Boston, has been teaching about religion, ethics, and foreign policy for 40 years. He is fond of giving his students a challenging moral dilemma. He asks them to imagine themselves as a military leader during a conflict. An enemy tank factory has been discovered — but it is located next to a kindergarten, a school, and a hospital.

“We’ll do our best,” a commanding officer explains, “but we can’t guarantee that none of them would be killed.”

Would you approve an attack? Must civilian casualties be kept to zero at all costs? Or should the enemy target be neutralized by any means necessary? How many deaths is an appropriate price to pay for victory? Father Hehir attempted to answer these difficult questions from a Catholic perspective during “Two Wars: One Moral Framework,” a talk about the morality of the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Holy Land. Father Hehir delivered the talk to a packed house at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Wellesley on Jan. 25. . .

Sister Colleen Gibson, SSJ featured on “Catholic Women Preach” for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend, Catholic Women Preach is featuring Sister Colleen Gibson, the Collaborative’s Coordinator of Pastoral Care, as she preaches on the readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In her reflection, Sr. Colleen invites us to delve deeper into our Gospel call while sharing about her own vocation as a vowed woman religious. Focused on how we are all called to embrace who we are and who God calls us to be, Sr. Colleen invites us to open our hearts to God’s abundant love, so that we might respond in kind.

Check out Sister Colleen’s preaching by visiting this link…