“Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” (St. Jerome)
God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. The Sunday Scripture Reflection Group provides useful background to better understand the Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.
The Bible is the inspired word of God, his gift to and through the Church to his children to aid us in holy living and in growing in knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our prayer for you is, that through prayerful meditation on his word, you may grow in love for the One who first loved you enough to send his Son, the Word Incarnate, that we may have life, and have it abundantly.
As we are reading, we try to apply the passage on three primary levels:
- What the words and events in the passage might have meant to those who were present or to the original hearers (it helps sometimes to imagine yourself as one of the characters in the scene).
- What the inspired writer was trying to convey to his readers by relating this particular passage, and what the Church is trying to teach us by presenting this reading or readings for our spiritual edification. Call this to mind especially if it is a particular feast day or other observance.
- What the Holy Spirit is trying to teach you as a Catholic Christian reading this scripture today as it applies to your life in Christ.
After we have finished, we take a few moments to meditate on what we have read. We turn our mind and spirit toward the Lord in thanksgiving, repentance, awe, joy or whatever response the Holy Spirit has placed in our hearts from our time listening to the word of God. We close with a brief prayer to the Holy Spirit that he assists us in living according to the inspired word we have just read.
The Sunday Scripture Reflection group, led by Deacon Frank Barone, meets on Tuesdays, from 9:45 – 10:45 AM in the conference room at St. Therese. This gathering is for anyone, both women and men, who wish to come together with others from St. Therese Parish, familiarize themselves with the readings for the following Sunday and share a reflection.
For more information about the Sunday Scripture Reflection Ministry or if you have any questions, please contact Deacon Frank Barone (Coordinator) at (239) 567-2315. We look forward to hearing from you!