Lesson Five: Living by Faith

Thank goodness, this lesson isn't as big of a challenge as the last one was. We should be able to get through it and still have time to have a good discussion about our Catechism chapter.

While you're working on this lesson, I would suggest that you think about the title, "Living by Faith" and what that means. What kind of faith are we talking about here? Paul refers to Abraham as an example of faith, so if you aren't familiar with his story, you might want to get out your Bible and read some of Genesis.

Study Guide: Lesson Five

I'm posting this during the weekend of the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, so Advent is just around the corner. If you scroll down, you'll find an article about Advent that you might want to read. It's awfully easy to get caught up in Christmas madness, and it seems to come earlier every year, but we don't have to succumb. Remember, we live by faith.

Observing Advent 2010

In the last few years, it seems to have become the obligation of many Christians to whine about the lack of Christ in Christmas—“Merry Christmas” replaced with “Happy Holidays”, etc. While there may be something to their complaints, the obvious relish some take in this perceived victimhood is hardly a positive substitute.

In the Catholic Church there appears to be a trend towards a better response. There is a call for Catholics to turn their observances of this season away from a secular schedule and back to the liturgical calendar. If you really love Christmas, this is great because we get to celebrate Christmas from December 25 to January 9, which is the length of this liturgical season in our Church. When everyone else has the post-Christmas blues, we’re just getting the party started! Prior to the Christmas season, however, is the often-neglected season of Advent. This year Advent begins on November 28.

In Christmas to Candlemas in a Catholic Home, Helen McLoughlin wrote:

It is to our [Holy Mother Church] that Christian families must look for help to reestablish Christmas as a season of festivities marking Christ's birth. Either we live the liturgical year with its varying seasons of joy and sorrow, work and rest, or we follow the pattern of the world. Nor is it an easy task to break with the world and the powerful influence of advertising. Their season of Christmas begins around Thanksgiving Day when stores display wares for holiday gift-giving. It lasts until December 24.

Families, who would not dream of eating their Thanksgiving turkey a week in advance or of having their 4th of July picnic in June, give no thought to the fact that, when they awake on December 25, there is not a shred of Christmas left. Every present has been opened. Every carol has been sung. The tree has dried out. Christmas is apt to be a dull day given to over-eating. There was no fast in Advent, so it follows that there can be no feast.

How should this affect our celebrations? Let’s face it, it’s a pretty unrealistic expectation for most of us to wait until Christmas Eve to begin to deck the halls, but maybe we could put it off just a bit. Instead of trimming the tree before Advent even begins, we could take that time to create an Advent wreath to use during the coming weeks in prayerful anticipation, and when we do begin our Christmas preparations, maybe there are a few traditions that we could save until the big day gets closer.

In the essay, Advent: Four Ways to Pray the Wait, Beth Davis observed:

This is the 21st century! We can drive 70 miles per hour. DSL lets us surf the Net without a wait. FedEx can deliver in 24 hours. The Concorde can fly us to Paris in less time than we can drive to Aunt Jean’s for holiday dinner. [Well, it used to.] The grocery sells the ingredients to create a gourmet meal in less than 20 minutes. Why wait?

Why not just jump right to Christmas? Because waiting is a good teacher.

So, instead of complaining about how someone else is changing Christmas, let’s first look to our own observances of the season. This is a good year to begin to make the Advent season a priority in your Catholic household and to save some Christmas for Christmas.

(This essay was given out a few years ago, but I thought I'd bring it back one more time. It's a good reminder.)

Lesson Four: Contending for the Truth

Word to the wise: This is a complex lesson! Be sure that you allow enough time to cover the material adequately.

As you read these passages, consider the irony of the situation. Paul, a Jewish zealot who once condemned Christians, finds himself in the position of admonishing the leaders of the Christian faith for practicing Mosaic Law.

True to form, Paul logically and methodically defended the truth of the gospel--even when it meant taking on Peter, the man whom Jesus personally selected to lead his Church on earth.

Study Guide for Lesson Four

In addition to Lesson Four, I have also assigned Chapter 2 in the US Catechism for Adults. This may be an optimistic agenda. We'll do our best. Come prepared to discuss both, and we'll see how it goes.

See you on November 11.

Lesson Three: Confirmation of the Truth

Paul is convinced that he is teaching the true gospel. And Paul is convinced it is the true gospel because he was given this gospel by Christ himself. Even so, because he has encountered some conflict over his teachings, he decides to consult with the pillars of the Church in Jerusalem to settle the matter.

This lesson can teach each of us something about how we are to handle conflict regarding our faith. When are we called to speak up or to keep silent? And when we do speak up, how are we to do so? What are our responsibilities? How do we know when we are acting out of God's will or our own? Better to think about these things ahead of time, before you get caught up in the heat of the moment, than to respond out of reflex and regret the outcome.

Study Guide Lesson Three

In addition to Lesson Three, we will also be discussing Chapter One of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.

See you on October 28!

Lesson Two: The Source of Truth

I did say that you shouldn't get used to my posting our study guide early, didn't I?

Here's my defense:
1. We went to Duluth for a few days.
2. It's been really nice outside.
3. The Twin's have been playing post-season baseball games. (Although that's not working out too well.)
4 And it's been really nice outside.

Enough excuses! I finally have the study guide finished.

Study Guide: Lesson Two

If you still have difficulty printing this guide, could you please let me know? I think that the key to success is to send the file to your printer by using the print command on the Google page instead of the one from your browser. Just follow the steps that I sent earlier in an email to the group.

Don't forget, we're also going to cover the Preface and Introduction in the US Catholic Catechism for Adults.
See you on Thursday!

Lesson One: Historical Background and The True Gospel

Look at that! The first week and I get the lesson done a day earlier than I said I would. Don't get used to that.

This first lesson gives us the opportunity to cover a lot of material. We will talk about Paul, his personal story and his writings, the Galatians, the reason Paul wrote the letter, and we'll even give an overview of some of the main themes of the letter.

If possible, please print out a copy of the study guide and use it as you complete your lesson. We will also use the guide in our group discussion, so bring it along to our meeting. Let me know if you have any problems accessing this document.

Lesson One Study Guide

In religious art and icons, St. Paul is usually depicted holding a book. In part, this it may indicate that he was a well educated man, but it primarily speaks to the fact that this guy gave us a good share of the New Testament!

Depending on who you talk to, Paul is credited with authoring between thirteen to fourteen letters of sacred scripture. (There's some argument over the authorship of the Letter to the Hebrews.)

Either way, we have Paul--and the Holy Spirit, of course--to thank for some of the most beautiful and eloquent passages of theology that have ever existed.

St. Paul, pray for us.

Kick-off and Life of Christ Discussion

Thanks for everyone who made it to this year's first Bible study meeting! I'm so glad to see a mix of old (as in familiar) and new faces. I think we're going to have another great year.

We spent some time talking about the year ahead, and then took the rest or the morning to talk about our summer book, Archbishop Fulton Sheen's Life of Christ. There was a definite consensus that this is one powerful book, so if you haven't had a chance to read it yet, be sure to get it on your list.

During our discussion, we used a study guide that I had prepared for that purpose. If you would like that guide, you are welcome to print a copy. I will also provide a link to the file of this same guide that I used to make my personal notes.

Life of Christ Study Guide

Life of Christ Study Guide w/Notes

Our next meeting will be on Sept. 30. Hopefully, I will have the study guide for that lesson available for you at this site before mid-week. Check back.