ANNOUNCING:

Good morning, my friends!

It was such a joy to be with so many of you on FB and IG last night. If you missed it, head on over to our Facebook page and watch the video regarding our exciting new announcement!

When I travel around and speak, there is one question that I have been consistently asked for the past ten years. “What do you have for the men?” I’ve always answered that while I know something about the heart of a woman, I’m hesitant to say the same about men. But I’ve also heard of many men using our Bible studies and finding them really helpful (just ignoring the pink and green) and even of our Bible studies being used at a seminary in Africa. 

So I have written a Bible study lesson for men and women and young adults and teens, based on the Mass readings for next Sunday. I think that there is nothing more important right now than starting our day with prayer and Bible reading and doing that before reading the news feed. The way our Bible studies work is they are divided up into 5 days — giving you just enough material per day to hit reset on your mind and to refocus you on God. Day 1 we’ll cover the first reading, Day 2 will be the responsorial psalm, Day 3 will be the second reading, and Days 4 and 5 will be the gospel. The study is called Defining Moments.

I don’t see this as a replacement for what you all are doing in your small groups across the country — many using Zoom and Google hangout in order to keep up with your WWP community. This is something supplemental, and I think a wonderful thing to do as a family. This is what you do PRIOR to Mass. 

That way when you are watching Mass online, you’ll be engaging in a whole new way — in a deeper way — because of the way you’ve prepared your heart throughout the week. You can’t receive the Word of God in the Eucharist right now, but you can receive Him in Scripture.

Many of us  have heard a new term recently — at least it was a new word for me — MAKING A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. 

Making a spiritual communion is what you do when you really wish you could receive the Eucharist, but you can’t. It’s a heartfelt prayer you pray in order to connect with God and let Him know that you are longing for Him. 

That’s what it is, but how do we do it? 

That’s what we’re doing with this Bible study. We’re preparing to make a spiritual communion.

For Americans who have had unlimited access to the Eucharist, this is totally foreign. Most of us haven't had anyone teaching us how to do this. What I have seen is people sharing the prayer of spiritual communion, which is lovely, but I long for more than recitation, however heartfelt. 

So this is the challenge — 

Now more than ever I think we need to be ready for Mass, ready for worship, ready to receive the Word that God is offering us through the liturgy. We all have to up our game and prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries in this new way. And that's what this Bible study is going to do. 

Join me LIVE on Facebook and Instagram this Saturday, March 28, at 2 PM EST to unpack what you've learned during the Bible study this week.

Please share this with anyone you feel would benefit from a deeper dive into Scripture!

Praying for you on the journey,
Lisa Brenninkmeyer