St. Michael Parish: New Beginnings
November 25th, 2014, 7:30-9:00
Session 4
Welcome to our fourth session of New Beginnings. Tonight’s lesson will be broken
up into three sections with an additional Advent lesson from Deacon Joe:
a. A discussion on Jesus: A Pilgrimage… Chapter 2: Yes
b. The upcoming Gospels: Mark 13:33–37 and Mark 1:1–8. Breakout groups.
c. The last three of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church
Welcome to Advent: Opening prayer and an overview of
Advent and the new Liturgical year. Presented by Deacon Joe
Section 1: Jesus: A Pilgrimage, by James Martin
http://catholicmom.com/?s=Jesus+A+Pilgrimage
Chapter 2: Yes, pages 26-50.
We are told in the scriptures that we do not choose God; God chooses us. Fr. Martin asks
why we feel feelings of longing, gratitude or wonder and he concludes, “This is God
beginning a conversation.” He is reaching out to us, He is inviting us.
How do we feel? Grateful, fearful? “Thinking about the Creator of the Universe entering into
the ‘particularity’ of our lives can be terrifying.” Father Martin describes that feeling when
he receives a sudden answer to a problem or an insight knowing these things did not
originate within him.
To Ponder, Reflect, and Discuss:
1. If you had a chance to stand where Jesus stood and gaze at the same scenery He saw,
how would you feel?
2. How do you know when God is asking you to do something? Do you feel afraid?
Excited? Unworthy? All of the above?
3. Is there a “yes” in your life that has transformed you?
Section 2: The Word
The Weekly Readings: Past and Future
Gospel Reading for November 30th: Mark 13:33–37
Be Watchful! Jesus warns his disciples to watch and be prepared. They will not know the
exact hour of the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. So they must remain alert for the coming of
the fullness of the kingdom.
Gospel Reading for December 7th: Mark 1:1–8
Make Straight the Way
The beginning of Mark’s Gospel applies the prophecy of Isaiah to John the Baptist, the
herald who prepared the way of the Lord. The people flocked to John. They hungered for
his message.
Section 3: The Sacraments
There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance,
Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders. Tonight’s lesson will focus on…
Anointing of the Sick
Through the sacrament of anointing, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by
illness, providing them with the strongest means of support. Jesus showed great concern
for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the sick and commanded his followers to do the
same. The celebration of this sacrament is an opportunity for the deepening of the faith of
the community who are able to witness the faith and devotion of those being anointed.
Marriage
The Church has a rich tradition in its teaching on sacramental marriage and covenantal
union. The Old Testament authors write of God making a covenant with the chosen people
and promising them that they will never be forsaken. The New Testament authors write of
Jesus as the new covenant and compare the relationship of Jesus with the Church to the
relationship of a husband and wife. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a
woman establish between themselves a partnership for the whole of life, is by its nature
ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.
Holy Orders
Is the sacrament by which bishops, priests and deacons are ordained and receive the power
and grace to perform their sacred duties. The sacred rite by which orders are conferred is
called ordination. The apostles were ordained by Jesus at the Last Supper so that others
could share in his priesthood.
Christian Burial
The Church asks spiritual assistance for the departed, honors their bodies, and at the same
time brings solace of hope to the living. The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope
and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing
to the Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in
them God's mercy and judgment and meet the human need to turn always to God in times
of crisis.
We will meet again on the 9th of December.
Homework: For the next two years we will be using Jesus: A Pilgrimage, by James Martin
as a supplemental resource. For our next meeting on the 9th of December please read
Chapter 3: Bethlehem, pages 51-69.
A look ahead…
When’s the last time I did really stop and listen to Jesus’ words? How have I taken this
story—so familiar, like a well-worn pair of jeans—for granted? What makes it new, gets my
attention, makes me consider it as the remarkable thing it is?
For humility is the gateway to faith. Without it, we rely simply on our own efforts, without
recognizing our dependence on God. Without it, we rely simply on our own reason, without
opening ourselves up to the possibility of the miraculous. Without it, we cannot fully enter into
the world that God has in store for us.
He doesn’t meet us empty-handed. Like the gentleman he is, he comes with flowers: grace
and blessings galore, though sometimes they’re a bit different than the bouquet we had
picked out for ourselves.
I look at the life I have, and I smile. Just like the baby in the manger, the unlikely King with a
manger for a bed, my life is far different than what I had planned. And, in being different,
it’s far better.
To Ponder, Reflect, and Discuss:
1. When has God met you where you are? Take a few moments and journal about that
experience and reflect on how it’s impacting you now.
2. How have you grown in humility? What’s one thing you can do in the coming weeks
to reach out and accept God’s help to grow in humility?
3. What’s an obstacle blocking your growth in holiness? Take it to baby Jesus. Ask him
to help you to be humble and accept help for that obstacle.