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Beverly Plosa-Bowser
Colorado Springs, CO
Little Rock Scripture Study has found a great place to blossom at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado pastored by Father August “Gus” Stewart. St. Gabriel’s is a relatively new parish at the northern end of town. When I moved to the area my first inquiry was whether or not the church had a Bible study program or had ever used Little Rock Scripture Study. Many years ago I spent five years in a Sacramento LRSS which cemented my childhood Catholic upbringing into a solid adult faith. Then I moved several times, married my husband Cameron after sponsoring him in RCIA and was always searching for another opportunity to join a similar small-group Catholic Bible study.
Fr. Gus invited me to a parish council meeting where I presented the Informational Video. The positive consensus left just one question unanswered: who would be the parish coordinator? So after a silent plea to the Holy Spirit, I volunteered. Having only participated in the past, the leadership required of a coordinator was a new step for me. I read through the entire Coordinator’s Manual and saw that if I just followed this well-designed plan it should be fairly easy to develop a small group of 8 – 12 people who would study the Scriptures with me and my husband. But I never thought it would grow into the numbers of enthusiastic participants we have in just a few months. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, not my doing!
With the advice of Fr. Gus, I first advertised in the church bulletin and spoke at each Mass to solicit volunteer facilitators. Then training sessions were held following the guidelines in the Coordinator’s Manual. Some of the volunteers were very unsure of their ability to handle the role, but the Leadership Training program (and prayers) boosted their confidence. Seventeen new facilitators were blessed by Fr. Gus at Mass! The facilitators designed a parish interest survey to see what times of the week would be most conducive for folks to join a group. This was followed by registration after all Masses for three consecutive Sundays.
Seventy-five people joined small groups studying Acts of the Apostles which coincided with the start of Lent in 2006. Fr. Gus agreed with the LRSS recommendation to start with Acts since it is so foundational to our Catholicism. Then we chose The Gospel of Mark because that is what we are currently reading in Ordinary Time. It is great to strengthen the experience of Mass with a deeper understanding of what we hear each Sunday. Currently the parish is studying the Book of Exodus and with the next season of Advent, will embark on the study of Isaiah.
Choosing which books to study is a coordinated decision from participants’ feedback, the program Coordinator and Deacon Ed DeMattee who is the newly appointed Catholic Education Committee Chair at St. Gabriel’s. Through Deacon Ed’s efforts the parish has incorporated LRSS into its adult education goals. Since many LRSS studies are is designed to be 8 – 10 weeks long this dovetails into the parish calendar very nicely allowing for four study sessions per year with a break each quarter to re-register the next session. Participants can enter the study groups at any time and each quarter the parish bulletin announces the next book of Scripture that will be studied. Announcements after Mass also help call attention to opportunities to register.
The parish has a vibrant Hispanic community and one of the LRSS groups, facilitated by Tina Olivas, has benefited from using the Spanish language materials. This group studies in their own language while remaining parallel to the whole community. Tina’s group is a wonderful example of how a small faith-community expands into a deeper experience once bonds of friendship have been built on a foundation of faith. This group not only studies Scripture, but on other evenings goes to dinner and has begun to plan family events together. After completing the Gospel of Mark each participant promised to get one new member for the next study!
The growing St. Gabriel’s community has only begun to benefit from the faith investment of studying Scripture. Many of the participants are folks who attend church but haven’t yet found a way to volunteer some of their time. I see that LRSS awakens an adult perspective on the faith given to us in our childhood and in my experience this leads to a stronger commitment to participate in the larger faith community.
Additionally, the RCIA program under the leadership of Linda Dooley has found the perfect way to continue the faith journey begun in RCIA by offering the LRSS program as a follow-up to their first formative year. Many future lectors, ushers, ministers of the Eucharist, teachers, sacristans, altar-servers, deacons and hopefully even priests will flow from the work of the Holy Spirit through Little Rock Scripture Study at St. Gabriel the Archangel in Colorado.
Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.
Chapter 14-17 of John’s Gospel is part of what is called the last discourse. Steeped in the beautiful language of a tender farewell it is spoken by Jesus who is aware that a departure from the ones he has mentored is about to take place. It is his last conversation with his beloved disciples.
In the part of the discourse that we are reflecting on (Chapter 17) there is no dialogue. This prayer of Jesus addressed to the Father is known as his high priestly prayer. Looking toward the heavens he prays for his disciples and for all who will come to know God through their words.
We do not know where this great priestly prayer took place. Perhaps it was while praying in the Temple, or around a table after a meal, in one of his disciple’s houses, or even out on a hillside. Wherever it may have been I would like to suggest that you were present in the mind and heart of Jesus at that moment. In the timelessness of eternity place yourself in the company of Jesus and his disciples. Listen to this exquisite prayer.
Jesus asks to be given glory that he may give back the glory to the One who sent him and that he may bestow eternal life on his disciples. The glory he speaks of is a glory that he shared with God from all eternity. This glory he also shared with his disciples. In his prayer Jesus has a sense of completeness about his work on earth. There is a changing of the guard mood. Having completed his mission on earth he is bequeathing it to his disciples. His tone is one of loving concern for their welfare. The glory he wants to give them will help them understand more fully who they are. It is a glory that is related to the eternal life he wants us all to share. There is a parenthesis in the text, probably put there by editors, that gives us a clue to the meaning of eternal life. Eternal life is knowing Jesus.
How can we experience eternal life through knowing Jesus? This is an important question. I encourage you to put it in the backpack of your soul and take it for a long, leisurely walk: Eternal life is this—to know God and the one sent by God, Jesus. The word know is one of deep intimacy. In biblical language this was the word used to describe the intimate love relationship between husband and wife. Keeping this in mind, then, reflect on your knowing God as union with God. This union is the eternal life that can begin here on earth. This is what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples.
Jesus’ observation about eternal life and knowing God is a valuable teaching for us. It is a reminder that although we are disciples of Jesus we ultimately belong to the One who created us. It is the spirit of Jesus who sanctifies us and shares with us divine life. Each of us is called to a deep union with God. That union is the beginning of eternal life.
As Jesus prays for his disciples his desire for unity becomes obvious. He longs for us to be one—united under the name of God. His request that we be protected with the name of God suggests there is power in the name. God’s name is a protective shield for us. We are to be anointed and guarded with the Divine Name.
Jesus is aware that his disciples will experience persecution. Thus in the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer he asks that they be delivered from the evil one and be consecrated in truth. As we struggle daily to keep spiritual values alive we would do well to turn our eyes toward heaven each morning, asking that we be consecrated in truth—surrounded and protected by God’s word which is truth. The word consecrate is rich in meaning signifying that our lives be wholly surrendered—given over to good, to God.
The prayer ends with the promise of a perpetual indwelling presence. Jesus will continue to reveal God’s name to us. Divine love will keep flowing from the Father to Jesus and from Jesus to us. It is heartening to know that the kind of union we will enjoy in heaven can begin here in the midst of our daily struggle to live the Christian life. When I am discouraged I remember Jesus’ prayer in John 17. This remembrance takes the edge off my discouragement. I, too, am a disciple of Jesus. I feel honored when I read this beautiful chapter from the Gospel of John.
Your next word to romance is Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 1:1-29
Cackie Upchurch
Have you ever relocated an office, or redecorated a room in your home, or even tried a new way to cook a favorite dish? We do these things sometimes out of necessity, but often out of a desire for a better environment or more satisfying experience. Well, we’re updating too, and we hope it will lead to all good things for your groups involved in Bible study.
The majority of our Study Sets include the appropriate volume of the Collegeville Bible Commentary. These volumes are now being completely updated by some of the most respected Catholic scholars to include the best of recent scholarship in that familiar accessible style that we have come to appreciate. The New Testament volumes are now available from Liturgical Press, and the Old Testament volumes will follow soon. Likewise we are taking advantage of this moment to update our study guides, answer guides and wrap-up lectures, those components that are developed in the Diocese of Little Rock.
If you’ve spotted some of the New Testament volumes of the commentary that are now available you have also noticed the fabulous art on their covers, gleaned from the pages of The Saint John’s Bible, the first hand-written, illuminated Bible to be commissioned in over five centuries. That same art appears on the new editions of our printed and audio-visual materials. But it’s not just a new look for the covers of our materials: You will notice a fresh approach to the Scriptures with completely revised questions, commentary, and lectures.
We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to return to what might seem familiar. We believe you’ll find new lessons and applications for your life and the life of your faith community. It’s a great time to open your groups to new members as well.
The following “new editions” of LRSS studies are now available, with more on the way in the new year (check our website):
| If you have made use of one of our new editions in your parish or small group, please write us a note and let us know about your experience. What did you notice that was fresh for you? How would you describe the difference you noticed between this study and the previous time you used materials to study the same book? We’d love to hear from you.
Contact: lrss@dolr.org or |
Cackie Upchurch
Sometimes (too often, in fact) I find myself in the midst of two or three things at once and I say with a sense of success that “I’m multi-tasking.” As valuable as that skill can be, multi-tasking is not all it’s cracked up to be. It may even be dangerous to our spiritual health, tempting us to value doing over being, and planning over true presence.
During the Christmas season and winter months, we are reminded not to fill every moment with many activities but to attend to each moment with great care. Let’s stop checking off post-holiday chores long enough to ponder with Mary the meaning of Jesus’ birth. Let’s pause between seasonal parties long enough to imagine with the Magi where God is leading us.
Each moment holds the potential to encounter God. Sometimes that happens in the midst of being busy, but not without some training in paying attention to the moment.
Consider joining us for our annual Bible Institute which will be held in Little Rock on the weekend of June 15-17, 2007. Our presenter will be Lawrence Boadt, CSP who will address the topic, “The Master Plan of the Bible” and will deal with the importance of the Pentateuch in reading and understanding the Bible.
Informational and Enrichment Workshops offer clear information, hands-on experience, and practical tips for establishing and growing Bible study using LRSS materials and methods. For very little expense a diocese can arrange to host a workshop that will benefit parishes throughout the diocese. For more information, contact: Susan McCarthy, R.D.C., P.O. Box 7565, Little Rock, AR 72217; (501) 664-6102 or (501) 366-5691; or by e-mail at smccarthy@dolr.org.
February 10, 2007
Informational Workshop
Monterey, CA
February 16-18, 2007
East Coast Conference for Religious Education
Washington, DC
March 2-4, 2007
Los Angeles Religious Education Conference
Anaheim, CA
April 24-25, 2007
National Conference for Catechetical Leaders
Columbus, Ohio
We try to make it easy for you to have an adequate number of study sets available for all the participants. Be sure to order more than you need because you can return all unused printed material up to two months from the invoice date.
At times you may find there are too many questions to answer in the one hour time frame for discussion. You may want to identify in advance the questions that will encourage good discussion and sharing among all group members. Or, at the start of each meeting ask the group members to identify their most rewarding questions in their preparation. Start your discussion with these questions.
Copyright © 2007 Little Rock Scripture Study. All rights reserved.