Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Lenten Mission
April 4th, 5th, 6th 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Presenter: Matthew Leonard
(Executive Director of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio)
Why the Cross? The Mystery of Sin, Sacrifice and Salvation Have you ever wondered why it is that Jesus died on the Cross? Why did God become man to suffer, die, and rise again? We’ll examine how it is that the sacrifice of Christ actually saves us, and investigate the meaning of all those seemingly strange animal sacrifices we read about in the Old Testament. What’s Love Got To Do With It?
It’s a timeless question with an eternal answer that might surprise you. What we often mistake for love in this world is nothing but a cheap facsimile that never satisfies. We’ll look at the true nature of love as self-gift and discover how Christ’s passion has given new meaning to our suffering and death and transformed them into the path of joy, fulfillment, and eternal life. Pray Like a Saint: The Catholic Approach to Union With God
Every one of us is called to “be perfect” and to “pray without ceasing.” Prayer is the path to God and we’ve been doing it all our lives. But are we really praying? Are we really progressing toward holiness, perfection, and a deep relationship with God? In this talk we’ll define and discuss the three traditional stages of prayer as taught by spiritual greats like St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Francis de Sales. We won’t just talk theory, but lay out the practical steps to achieve union with God through deep prayer even in the midst of this busy, distracting world. Because if you’re not praying, you’re not living.