St. Clare Bible Study Clarifies Mass Readings

Living and Leading in God's Word

Marie Connors, Class of 2012, helps a group at St. Clare, East Haven, to engage the Sunday readings more thoughtfully. This kind of Lectionary-based catechesis is modeled after the process of initiating adults into the church through the Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and is an excellent way to shed light on the central texts of our Sacred Scriptures.

"Generally, we review the three readings we will hear on the upcoming Sunday," explains Connors. "I use many resources, some of which I read throughout my four years at the Catholic Biblical School... I try to present the information in an interesting and understandable fashion. Most weeks, I also bring in the Bible atlas to show the different cities/regions that are mentioned in the scriptures."

"Broom Tree" in Bloom

Connors also notes that there are often “unknowns” presented in the readings. She provides handouts to explain these unfamiliar elements. "As an example," she writes, "an Old Testament reading described a prophet sitting under a 'broom tree.' I looked this up on the internet, and printed a description and photo of the broom tree."

That kind of attention to detail helps stir the religious imagination in ways that allow us to "go back wholly in spirit" to the biblical world, as Pope Pius XII urged us way back in 1943:

What is the literal sense of a passage is not always as obvious in the speeches and writings of the ancient authors of the East, as it is in the works of our own time. For what they wished to express is not to be determined by the rules of grammar and philology alone, nor solely by the context; the interpreter must, as it were, go back wholly in spirit to those remote centuries of the East and with the aid of history, archaeology, ethnology, and other sciences, accurately determine what modes of writing, so to speak, the authors of that ancient period would be likely to use, and in fact did use. (Divino Afflante Spiritu, No. 35).

photo credit: Retama Amarilla via photopin (license)

First-Year CBS Classes Planned in Four Locations

The Archdiocese of Hartford is now taking applications for enrollment in the Catholic Biblical School in four locations:

St. Aloysius Parish Center, Plantsville: Tuesdays, 10:00 - Noon

Begins September 13, 2016

Caritas Christi Center, Hamden: Tuesday evenings

Begins September 13, 2016

St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield: Thursday evenings

Begins September 15, 2016

Waterbury Area: Monday or Wednesday evenings, TBA

Begins September 12 or 14, 2016.

Click here for more information about how we operate, our application processes, tuition and financial aid: http://www.orehartford.org/joomla2/index.php/catholic-menu.

In addition, new students are required to complete a summer reading assignment and an Opening Scripture Day, scheduled for Saturday, September 10, 2016  8:50 am-3:00 pm at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield.

Honest Conversations with Muslim Neighbors

Islamophobia -- fear, prejudice and hatred directed at Islam and Muslims -- is all
too evident in the US. Ignorance, misunderstanding and bigotry threaten religious freedom and interreligious coexistence for all of us. By getting to know, understand, and appreciate each other, as persons and as members of our various religious traditions, we can overcome this danger.

Thursday evening, April 28, you can be part of an informative, enriching "Honest Conversation."  A panel of Muslims from the Hartford area will share their beliefs, reflect on their experiences, and respond to your questions. You will also have a chance to engage the panelists -- and each other -- in interfaith dialogue on a personal, one-on-one level.

• Date / Time: Thursday, April 28, 7:00pm
• Location: The auditorium at the old Cathedral School, behind the Chancery building on Farmington Ave., Hartford. Parking will be available at the Archdiocesan Employee parking lot on Farmington Ave. or behind the Cathedral on Asylum Ave.

RSVP:  interfaith@ccfiu.org  /  (860) 556-9556

Sponsored by the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding, the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, and Hartford Seminary by special invitation of the Cathedral of St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Mercy Blooms in the Bible Where You Least Expect It

Recently I got a note from a student in her second year of the Biblical School. It shows how our faith blossoms within us and beyond us, showing God's mercy in unexpected places, when we study and pray with the God's Word:

"I teach grades 5 & 6 religious education at our parish. Yesterday, we discussed Cain and Abel.

"What a difference the Catholic Biblical School has made for me. I had always thought of this story pretty much as a story of fratricide, of things going from bad to worse. Humankind goes from paradise to hell in a hand basket - in four easy chapters. But the class I taught yesterday was so different! Because of my studies, I instead emphasized the themes of sacrifice and mercy.

"Yes, Cain is murderous, deceitful, cowardly, no remorse, not even an admission of guilt. But instead of punishing Cain, God protects him. God even marks Cain so that everyone knows that this is the man whom God is protecting!  Weird.  Truly God’s ways are not our ways.  

"I thank you all. My teaching this year will be quite different from past years."

Bible Studies Rock in Poquonock!

Living and Leading in God's Word

Alums of the Hartford Catholic Biblical School have been leading Bible studies at St. Joseph in Poquonock for 16 years straight! Diane Caron and Peggy Nolan began leading Bible studies at St. Joseph in 1999, when Diane--a member of the Biblical School's "Pioneer" Class--graduated from CBS and Peggy was in her final CBS year. More recently, Bill and Pat Minford, Class of 2009, also took a turn facilitating the group for a few years while Diane's mother was terminally ill.

"We are now extending invitations to the members of our recently linked parish, St. Gabriel," Peggy explains. The hope is that the two parishes will build stronger ties through Bible study.

Click Here for LRSS Info

Diane and Peggy recommend Little Rock Scripture Study for parish Bible study. So far they have worked with LRSS through most of the New Testament and the OT Books of Exodus & Genesis. "In September we are planning on studying the Gospel of Matthew to connect with the readings for Year A. The Little Rock series produces an excellent DVD to go with each lesson, and Fr. Vargo graciously purchases it for our class each year," says Peggy.

What's going on in Bible study in your parish? We love hearing how the gospel is spreading in every neighborhood of the Archdiocese!

April 30: From Creation to the Cross

From the self-inflicted wounds of Adam and Eve to the redemptive wounds of Christ, Scripture opens to us an inner world of human questions and enduring truths. Together we will explore the lasting impact of sin, the agonizing search for answers, the challenge of authentic surrender, and at the heart of it all, the abiding love of God. Join us for an informative, thought-provoking and personally meaningful day of study and reflection. All are welcome.

April 15 is the deadline to let us know you're attending.

CBS Classes Cancelled

The snow and sub-freezing temperatures make it impractical to hold class this evening. Therefore all CBS classes will be canceled tonight, April 4, 2016. 

Students should prepare for next week's class both the homework that is due this week and the homework that is due next week.