Celebration of Sacred Scripture - All Are Welcome!

Sunday, April 6, 2014

12:30-4:30 pm (Noon Registration)

 Look for our brochure in your mailbox this week.

Our presenter, Dr. John Clabeaux, has been leading Bible studies online at CatholicTV.com for many

Dr. John Clabeaux

years. He is an accomplished scholar dedicated to bringing God's Word to everyday folks. He will lead us through a thorough description of how God comes to us in the Bible, a tricky topic that is indispensable for Christian faith today.

The public is welcome and invited. Bring a friend! Donation requested. Inspired by the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the Vatican II document Dei Verbum.

Advance registration required. To download a registration form click on this link: www.orehartford.org/2014/2014CSS.pdf

For more information contact Jill Costa or BJ Daly Horell in the Office of Religious Education and Evangelization (860-242-5573, ext. 2670 or catholic.biblical.school@aohct.org.

CBS 200 and 400 students (Years 2, 3 and 4) are required to attend and must submit a completed registration form!

The Power of Prayer

Dear friends,

We as Christians are committed to hold one another in prayer. We begin every Biblical School class with prayer, and part of our program of biblical education asks us to pray with God's Word in Scripture.

I take this to heart, praying for our community of faith in the Biblical School every day. I hope you also pray for one another, for your teachers, and for the OREE staff who supports us in our studies.

I've just learned that one of our students, Stephen Ward, Class of 2015, has been in Intensive Care since Monday. Please keep him, his wife Linda (also Class of 2015), and their family in prayer. Thank you, on behalf of the Ward family, for your prayers. Get well soon, Steve.

Many other Biblical School students may be in need of prayer. Remember always to pray for one another and to ask for prayers when you need.

Grace and peace, BJ

Is "Evangelizing Youth" Just for Youth Ministers and Parents?

... NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

Research shows that the involvement of youth and young adults in faith communities correlates directly with their connections to adults in faith communities.* This makes it the responsibility of every baptized Catholic to weave intergenerational webs of community relationships in their parishes.

Did you know that our youth are most likely to drift away from their faith if adults in their communities do not know them by name?

How many young people in your parish do you know by name? How many young people know your name?

I have called you by name, you are mine. (NRSV Is 43:1)

Register by January 31 to get huge discounts on the registration fee for the joint CBS and Youth Ministry program, "Evangelizing Youth." Click here for more details.

*Sticky Faith research from Fuller Seminary's Youth Institute.The first research study to point this out was in Merton Strommen's Five Cries of Youth from 1974 when he described the Cry of the Joyous - young people of vibrant faith who talked about being known by name by at least 5 adults in their church. 

Weekly Bible Study - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

26 January 2014
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  

A charismatic cast of characters takes the stage in today’s second reading. Apollos is a captivating orator who appeals to the “intellectual types" of Corinth. Peter (Cephas) brings a compelling message of salvation to prospective Jewish converts. Paul wins the hearts of multitudes of Gentile believers. First century audiences are mesmerized by the giftedness of their respective preachers. But today's reading shows that too-human rivalries and divisions explode into a kind of competition among the followers of different early Christian teachers.

In Paul’s mind this begs the question: Whose message is it anyway? That of Apollos, Paul or Peter? Isn't it all about Christ?

Paul sets the Corinthians straight when he says: “I belong to Christ” and so do you! Don't confuse the messengers with the message! It is not human eloquence that touches our minds and wins our hearts. It is the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Our own liturgical celebrations can certainly be enhanced by the beauty of the sacred environment, uplifting music and dynamic homilists. But sometimes we need to step back and ask ourselves: Whose message is it anyway?

Essentially it is not about the trappings that surround the celebration. It is about the mystery itself. It is Christ's presence with us now and for all time that saves us and uplifts our spirits.

And when we leave our Eucharistic celebration we take with us not so much echoes of the exquisite harmonies or the funny stories injected into the homily. Such echoes do help us understand and embrace the central reality of our salvation through Jesus. But what nourishes and sustains our faith is Christ present in Word and Sacrament. We take with us the realization that together we are one in Christ, we belong to Him and we have today, once again, witnessed our salvation.

The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish,Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.