finished
I have just finished my last assignment for the Pastoral Function of christian Doctrine. This was the practical one. So I did a series of lenten meditations based on St. Augustine of Hippo's On the Trinity. It came out well in the end.
Here in the intro and process so you can get a feel for how I did it:
Lent has traditionally been a time of fasting, reflection and prayer in preparation for the great story of Easter and the celebration of the salvation offered to all humanity through those events. This set of 40 cards is offered to be used over Lent as a tool to help in that work of preparation. They are tools for prayer and reflection. They are not the traditional Lenten study guides.
Through these cards you are invited to pray with St. Augustine of Hippo’s great work On the Trinity, in particular Books XII to XIV.
There is a card for each day of Lent, Monday to Saturday. There is no card for Sunday as Sunday is not a fast day. It is always a feast day because it is the day we celebrate the resurrection. So it is not part of Lent. And yes, that means you can eat what you gave up for Lent on Sunday!
For the first five weeks each card contains a short introduction about St. Augustine and what he was trying to say in On the Trinity.
Each card also offers a short quote from St. Augustine’s On the Trinity. You are invited to read, reflect on and pray with this quote. The back cover of each card offers a way of doing this reading, reflecting and praying so that you might hear what God the Trinity is inviting you to this day.
It is hoped that through reading and praying with these quotes you are helped to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday by exploring a bigger and deeper picture of salvation, and to be able to live out what you have discovered. For through knowing God we are able to truly know ourselves. As we know ourselves we are invited to live in the virtues of God, in truth, goodness and love, and so live a virtuous life.
A summary of the Way of Reading St. Augustine:
Read the quote from Augustine through three times. After each time you read it pause and ask one of the questions below
A. What word or phrase jumps out at you?
B. Where does this reading touch your life?
C. What does God the Trinity inviting you to today, or want you to be / do in light of this?
(see the back of each card for more details)
How and where to use this:
These cards are offered to be used by individuals either at a designated place in their church, or at home.
They can also be used by groups who meet daily for between 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the group.
If groups are using them then time needs to be given for people to welcome each other and to become still. Then after an opening prayer, the quote would be read out loud, and after some silence participants invited to offer their reflections as described on each card.
It is important that in response to the first reading only the word without any explanation is offered. An explanation can be offered after the second and third reading. Sometimes it is found that after the second reading people still want to answer the first question - but say why. This is fine. Some times it was in listening to others reflections that things became clearer.
If people wish to pass that is also acceptable.
After the third reading participants might want to pray for the person on their right based on what it is that God the Trinity is inviting them to that day.
A way of reading St. Augustine:
Listening for Christ the Word
1) Reading: read the passage, and listen for the word or phrase that is especially meaningful.
2) Silence for two minutes to hear and silently repeat a word or a phrase that has attracted you.
3) If in a group, sharing aloud each may make a single sentence statement of the word or phrase that has attracted them. No elaboration.
How Christ the Word speaks to me
4) Second Reading of the same passage (by another person).
5) Silence for two minutes reflecting on “How does the content of this reading touch my life today?”
6) If in a group, share aloud briefly, beginning “I hear...” or “I see...”
What Christ the Word is inviting me to do
7) Third Reading of same passage (by another person).
8) Silence for two minutes reflecting on “I believe that God wants me to be or do today.”
9) If in a group sharing aloud the result of each person’s reflection. Be especially aware of what is shared by the person on your right.
10) Pray. If in a group, after sharing in turn pray for the person on your right
Important note for groups. Anyone may say “pass” at any time. If instead of sharing with the group you prefer to pray silently, simply state this aloud and conclude your silent prayer with ‘Amen’
Bibliography
St. Augustine. On the Trinity. Introduction, translation and notes by Edmund Hill, O.P. New York: New City Press, 1991.
Here in the intro and process so you can get a feel for how I did it:
Lent has traditionally been a time of fasting, reflection and prayer in preparation for the great story of Easter and the celebration of the salvation offered to all humanity through those events. This set of 40 cards is offered to be used over Lent as a tool to help in that work of preparation. They are tools for prayer and reflection. They are not the traditional Lenten study guides.
Through these cards you are invited to pray with St. Augustine of Hippo’s great work On the Trinity, in particular Books XII to XIV.
There is a card for each day of Lent, Monday to Saturday. There is no card for Sunday as Sunday is not a fast day. It is always a feast day because it is the day we celebrate the resurrection. So it is not part of Lent. And yes, that means you can eat what you gave up for Lent on Sunday!
For the first five weeks each card contains a short introduction about St. Augustine and what he was trying to say in On the Trinity.
Each card also offers a short quote from St. Augustine’s On the Trinity. You are invited to read, reflect on and pray with this quote. The back cover of each card offers a way of doing this reading, reflecting and praying so that you might hear what God the Trinity is inviting you to this day.
It is hoped that through reading and praying with these quotes you are helped to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday by exploring a bigger and deeper picture of salvation, and to be able to live out what you have discovered. For through knowing God we are able to truly know ourselves. As we know ourselves we are invited to live in the virtues of God, in truth, goodness and love, and so live a virtuous life.
A summary of the Way of Reading St. Augustine:
Read the quote from Augustine through three times. After each time you read it pause and ask one of the questions below
A. What word or phrase jumps out at you?
B. Where does this reading touch your life?
C. What does God the Trinity inviting you to today, or want you to be / do in light of this?
(see the back of each card for more details)
How and where to use this:
These cards are offered to be used by individuals either at a designated place in their church, or at home.
They can also be used by groups who meet daily for between 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the group.
If groups are using them then time needs to be given for people to welcome each other and to become still. Then after an opening prayer, the quote would be read out loud, and after some silence participants invited to offer their reflections as described on each card.
It is important that in response to the first reading only the word without any explanation is offered. An explanation can be offered after the second and third reading. Sometimes it is found that after the second reading people still want to answer the first question - but say why. This is fine. Some times it was in listening to others reflections that things became clearer.
If people wish to pass that is also acceptable.
After the third reading participants might want to pray for the person on their right based on what it is that God the Trinity is inviting them to that day.
A way of reading St. Augustine:
Listening for Christ the Word
1) Reading: read the passage, and listen for the word or phrase that is especially meaningful.
2) Silence for two minutes to hear and silently repeat a word or a phrase that has attracted you.
3) If in a group, sharing aloud each may make a single sentence statement of the word or phrase that has attracted them. No elaboration.
How Christ the Word speaks to me
4) Second Reading of the same passage (by another person).
5) Silence for two minutes reflecting on “How does the content of this reading touch my life today?”
6) If in a group, share aloud briefly, beginning “I hear...” or “I see...”
What Christ the Word is inviting me to do
7) Third Reading of same passage (by another person).
8) Silence for two minutes reflecting on “I believe that God wants me to be or do today.”
9) If in a group sharing aloud the result of each person’s reflection. Be especially aware of what is shared by the person on your right.
10) Pray. If in a group, after sharing in turn pray for the person on your right
Important note for groups. Anyone may say “pass” at any time. If instead of sharing with the group you prefer to pray silently, simply state this aloud and conclude your silent prayer with ‘Amen’
Bibliography
St. Augustine. On the Trinity. Introduction, translation and notes by Edmund Hill, O.P. New York: New City Press, 1991.
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