A Whole New Lent
One of Pope St. John Paul II’s most famous adages was “act follows being.”
What he meant was something deeply countercultural and deeply True: what we do, the actions we take throughout our lives - whether significant or small - comes from what we are. In other words, our acts do not make us who we are; they instead reflect who we are. Most fundamentally, our acts witness what we believe about ourselves. And this depends on how fully we are living into our created selves as the imago dei - the image and likeness of God, who is, as St. Thomas Aquinas explained “the sheer act of to be itself.”
For God, to be and to act are fully integrated. For God, there is no distinction between noun and verb. They are one.
For human beings, who live in time, who have experienced sin, who - if we’re trying to be holy - live in a state of constant repair, the being and doing thing feels a lot more complicated. But what if, for us, the relationship between being and acting, between what we are and what we do - indeed, even between what we are and who we are, could be simpler? Perhaps it won’t necessarily be easier to achieve, but perhaps it could be more easily understood? Could conversion feel just a little easier then?
Could our relationship with ourselves and with God be deeper, kinder, more peaceful?
Of course, our beloved JPII’s adage is an ancient one. It’s a concept that precedes modern thought and, as a result, it requires some nimbleness with philosophy, language, early theology, and an ancient world-view. And this can be intimidating. It may even feel impossible.
As we progress in the liturgical year toward the high holy season of Lent, we have an opportunity to accompany each other in an educational experience that has the “renewal of your mind” at its heart, but which also promises to edify and fortify your humanity and your spirit (Romans 12:1). Jessica and I invite you to come along with us as we explore the ancient understanding of your being and acting - truly a ‘wisdom written on your heart,’ as St. Paul instructs us in his Letter to the Romans.
To renew our minds toward this understanding and, ultimately, toward the deep safety and joy of a relationship with God, we will use resources from the three pillars of the Church’s authority - Scripture, Magisterial Teaching, and Tradition - as guides. Jessica and I will guide your reading and understanding of these texts toward confident and faithful interpretation that has direct application to your own life.
We’ll focus on three main texts:
Sacred Scripture: Psalm 91 and Romans 12
A medieval play about the Soul’s encounter with Christ called Wisdom (don’t worry - Dr. Katie Jo will walk us through it!)
Several small portions of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
We’ll engage the questions:
Why Lent? Why Fasting? Why does this matter to me?
What is a soul? What is my relationship to the being of God?
What does it mean for God’s law to be ‘written on my heart?’
What does penance look like interiorly? Am I doing it right?
What if I’m terrified of the sacrament of reconciliation?
Am I a good person? Am I a good enough Catholic?
and so many more….
We’ll do it all together:
If you join the Immersive Experience, you’ll join a small cohort of Catholics with diverse backgrounds and different faith experiences. We’ll meet on Zoom every Wednesday during lent (except Ash Wednesday) to study, pray, and talk together.
Jessica and Katie Jo will be with you every step of the way. You can reach out to us anytime, no matter which version of the seminar you are taking.
If you join our BONUS experience, you’ll come with us for an in-person day retreat at Mount Angel Abbey! The retreat includes Mass, Lunch, instruction, prayer, and a sacred music concert by the Mount Angel Chamber Choir!
Wondering what all of this might be like?
CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO A SAMPLE LESSON FROM OUR 2024 ADVENT SEMINAR
“I feel like my faith has grown a notch deeper, which was one of my original reasons for joining this seminar. The lovely reflections, the praying together, the talks that gave meaning to scripture, the personalities of all the participants and their stories added even another dimension to my advent journey.”
