RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES
August through April for grades 1-12 from 7-8 PM on Wednesday. Call 422-2196 for more information.
GATHER the CHILDREN
Children grades K - 4 are invited to attend Gather each Sunday morning during the 11 o'clock Mass. Mass readings, Homily, and prayers are presented at an age appropriate level. Children are invited to gather at the piano during the opening song with the teachers. They will return during the Offertory.
SCRIPTURE STUDY
Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 beginning September. Call the religious education office for more information.
RCIA
Meets September though May for adults interested in joining or finding out more about the Catholic faith. The group meets on Tuesday evenings at 7 PM.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Offered for children ages 3-6th grade during the last full week of June. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED.
OTHER ADULT EDUCATION
Held on Tuesday AND Wednesday evenings. Please watch the bulletin for updates. For more information or to register, please call the religious education office 422-2196.
St John Adult Faith Upcoming Events as of SEP 2019
Men's Prayer Group - Sunday mornings 10-10:45
Women's book group - Sunday mornings 10-10:45
Scripture sharing group - Tuesday evenings/seasonal
Silent Walkers (gym walking) Tuesday evenings 6:30-8 (call to see if gym will be open.)
The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives. Reading these inspired words, people grow deeper in their relationship with God and come to understand their place in the community God has called them to in himself.
Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel or a history book. It should begin with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. Scripture reading should end with a prayer that this Word will bear fruit in our lives, helping us to become holier and more faithful people.
A Catholic edition will include the Church's complete list of sacred books along with introductions and notes for understanding the text. A Catholic edition will have an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page. An imprimatur indicates that the book is free of errors in Catholic doctrine.
The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books include royal history, prophecy, poetry, challenging letters to struggling new faith communities, and believers' accounts of the preaching and passion of Jesus. Knowing the genre of the book you are reading will help you understand the literary tools the author is using and the meaning the author is trying to convey.
The Bible is the story of God's relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.
Read the Bible in context. What happens before and after – even in other books – helps us to understand the true meaning of the text.
The Old Testament and the New Testament shed light on each other. While we read the Old Testament in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it has its own value as well. Together, these testaments help us to understand God's plan for human beings.
By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, Catholics join those faithful men and women who have taken God's Word to heart and put it into practice in their lives. We read the Bible within the tradition of the Church to benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.
The Bible is not addressed only to long-dead people in a faraway land. It is addressed to each of us in our own unique situations. When we read, we need to understand what the text says and how the faithful have understood its meaning in the past. In light of this understanding, we then ask: What is God saying to me?
If Scripture remains just words on a page, our work is not done. We need to meditate on the message and put it into action in our lives. Only then can the word be "living and effective."(Hebrews 4:12).