Lesson 3: 1 John 2:15-29

One of the notes in the Navarre Bible says that, "This passage covers one of the main themes in St. John's Letters--the fidelity of Christians being tested by heretics."

We must always be on guard against people who are trying to turn us on a different path than the Way of Jesus Christ.  The "anti-messiahs" among us aren't content in having their own ideas about God.  They often try to convince others of their same beliefs, and some can be very convincing.  Because we have been anointed, we have God's ways printed on our hearts.  It is upon us to be close to Him so that we know what those ways are. Then when we are confronted by others who choose not to pay heed to what has been put on their heart, we will know what is of God and what is not.

Here are my notes for this week's lesson:
Lesson 3: 1 John 2:15-29

Next week, October 11, we will discuss Lesson 4, which covers 1 John 3.
See you then!

Lesson 2: 1 John 2:3-14

There is a lot of repetition in this letter.
There is a lot of repetition in this letter.

Oh, how funny! Seriously though, there is, and we discussed the reasons that this is so.  This is a literary device that John did not invent and certainly one that continues to be used until now.  It serves a purpose.  So, it wasn't just that John was given an assignment to write an essay with a certain number of words, and he was padding.

If you would like to look over my notes for our meeting here is the link:
Lesson 2–1 John 2:3-14

Our next lesson, Lesson 3 will complete the rest of chapter two, 1 John 2:15-29.
See you then!

Lesson 1: 1 John 1:1-2:2

What a joy to get back to our Bible Study! Thank you for registering to be with us.

This week's verses of 1 John sounded very much like both the beginning of Genesis and the beginning of the Gospel of John.  The beginning.  The Word. Light. Darkness.

We also got to talk about that which has been nearly banished from many people's vocabulary, "sin." Yes.  We are all sinners.  If sin did not exist, does not exist, then there was absolutely no point at all to Jesus having died on the cross.  We all need saving!  Whether we believe it or not.

Our conversation was so interesting.  I'm sorry if you had to miss it.  Each week that we meet, I will (eventually) get my notes posted on our site.  Obviously, they won't reflect the twists and turns our discussion might take, but I hope that they do help a bit if you aren't able to make it.  Life happens.

Lesson 1: 1 John

Please let me know if this link doesn't work for you.  I'll do my best to help you.
See you September 27 when we will discuss Lesson 2: 2:3-14, The New Old Command! 

Fall 2018: The Letters of John 1-3

"In this is love: not that we have loved God, 

but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

                                                            1 John: 4:10-11

This fall our Solid Grounds Bible Study will be reading The Letters of John 1-3. The verse above speaks to one of the primary messages that these letters convey: Jesus is both God and Man, and accepting the truth of God's great love for us compels us to respond to that truth by loving one another.  Truth itself is another theme of these letters--a theme that begs to be heard in this Age of Relativism.

This particular session of the Solid Grounds Study is being registered as a new Lifegroup at St. Patrick's Catholic Church.  This group will meet weekly from September 13-November 15. (The complete schedule is in the column to the right and on the calendar below.) You may register at the church or online at our The Solid Grounds Lifegroup page.

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible--New Testament is our preferred source of scripture for the study. This Bible has very informative notes, maps, and extra essays that help tremendously with the study. We will also use two books by Dr. N.T. Wright: Early Christian Letters for Everyone and The Letters of John For Everyone: Study Guide. If you have participated in this study in the past, you  most likely already own the first two books mentioned and will only need The Letters of John for Everyone: Study Guide. Order the books you may need through St. Patrick Book & Gift or any online book seller. Please do not wait until the last moment to order your materials.  Availability is unpredictable--as is shipping, and it is also helpful to get started on the introductory materials in each of the books prior to our discussion on Lesson 1 on September 20. This will save you from having to do a lot of homework in the week before that first discussion!

Please prayerfully consider joining us for this study. Hope to see you on September 13!

33 Days to Merciful Love

This fall our Solid Grounds group will break from our usual Bible study and instead take up Fr. Michael Gaitley's retreat, 33 Days to Merciful Love.

If you like Fr. Gaitley's other works, you're going to love this one.  This time the focus is on St. Therese of Lisieux and what she has taught us about the great mercy that God pours out upon us. Fr. Gaitley himself has shared that among all his books, this is his personal favorite.

Registration is open from now until August 31, 2017.  The fee for this six session retreat is $35 and includes the book, the retreat companion, and a consecration certificate. Registration forms are available at the church or online at, 33 Days to Merciful Love,
where you may also view a short promotional video for more information about this retreat. Even if you've done the retreat before, it's a wonderful idea to repeat the experience to delve even deeper into the mystery of the graces of merciful love.

Sessions begin on September 7, and the group meets every other week from 9-11a.m. through November 16.

Please join us for this special experience to share an opportunity to prepare our hearts, minds, and souls for Consecration to Divine Mercy.

Jude...and We're Out!

Great job everyone!  Another session of Bible study behind us. And three letters of the New Testament!  I enjoy the reading, preparing for our meetings, and hearing what everyone brings to the table in our discussions. I hope that you do as well.

Here are my notes for the last class:

Lesson 9 Jude

I am also posting my list of Catholic book recommendations so that you can have a resource when you are trying to decide which book to read to prepare for our first meeting in September for our study of John's letters.  We will do our traditional short book reviews at that first meeting.  You have a long, a very long break to make time to read a good Catholic book by then, so don't waste any time.

Catholic Book Recommendations

Finally, I thought I would give you some incentive to read that book this summer, to sign up for another class, to continue to study the faith.  The link below will bring you to the Busted Halo site where you can listen to an interview with Bishop Robert Baron at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress back in February.  Bishop Baron is interviewed by Father Dave Dwyer, whom you may remember spoke at our Archdiocesan gathering a couple years ago.  They talk about the importance of defending out faith among the startling number of "nones" in our country--those who respond "None" when asked for a religious affiliation. Give it a listen.  I think you'll enjoy it.

Bishop Robert Baron Interview on Busted Halo

Watch the bulletin in August for registration information for our Fall/Winter session.
Have a great summer!

2 Peter Lesson 8

Thanks for putting up with a groggy group leader today!  We did finish early today, so maybe I should be sleep deprived more often.

In addition to my notes, I will also add the article that I mentioned that I had found on the EWTN site about the Last Days.  I found it interesting and thought that you might as well.

Lesson 8 Notes

Lesson 8: The Second Coming of the Lord and the Last Judgment

I had also mentioned a helpful video that I watched on the FORMED website.  It's hard to put a link to the site, since it requires sign in to access the material, but if you look under the materials on the "Video" tab, it's called "The Three Secrets to Sharing the Faith."  The host gives some great advice on how to discuss our faith without sounding all holier than thou or without things getting heated.  I recommend it.

Finally, I spoke briefly about a podcast that I enjoy that's called "Catholic Stuff You Should Know."  This link will take you to their website.  If you have an iTunes account, you can subscribe there to have new episodes load automatically.  They also have a Facebook page, if you're into that.  There's actually a Minnesota link with a couple of the priests although they do not record here.  They are also members of the Companions of Christ, which may sound familiar because of the connection with our former pastor.  Give it a try.

Believe it or not, next week concludes our study for the first part of the year.  We are finishing up with the Letter of Jude, sometimes called Judah.  After our discussion, we are going out to lunch.  It was a close vote, but lunch beat out breakfast the week after.  I'll send out an email with the details.

See you Thursday!