S12 E08: Lenten Study Part 1 - Be Transformed with Special Guest and Author Dr. Bob Schuchts

 

About This Episode

In this episode, we begin our six-part Lenten series on the book Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts. We welcome Dr. Bob, as our special guest, to introduce his book and set the stage for what you can expect in the following five weeks. He shares an overview of how the seven Sacraments heal our wounds, he breaks down the three-fold transformation process, and explains why the disposition of our heart is pivotal to being transformed by the Sacraments. Friends, we are excited to continue this journey of being transformed with you next week! See you then!

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Show Notes

One Thing We Love This Week

Click here to check out Dr. Bob’s podcast Restore the Glory!

 

Discussion questions:    

  1. How have you been approaching the Sacraments?

  2. Have you had an experience where Christ encountered you deeply in the Sacraments? Please share.

  3. Where in my life do I observe how each of the Sacraments impact my identity and my relationships?

  4. What fears, concerns, or intrigue do you have about this upcoming season of Lent and diving into the Sacraments?

 

Journal Questions:

  1. What am I seeking from Christ in the Sacraments this Lent?

  2. How do I currently engage in the Sacramental life of the Church?

  3. Where in my life do I need more humility?

  4. How can I create more space for communion with others in my life, my home, my church, and my community?

 

Quote to Ponder

Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son’s Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life, whatever is subjected to his power.
— CCC# 1127
The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live the life of the risen Christ.
— CCC, 1099
The sacraments are God’s chosen remedy for healing our deadly wounds and infusing our souls with Christ’s resurrection life.
— Be Transformed, pg xv
In the words of St. John Paul II: “The Holy Spirit [working through the sacraments] . . . purifies from everything that disfigures man . . . , he heals even the deepest wounds of human existence.”
— Be Transformed, pg xv
But when inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, our personal mission becomes a dynamic participation in Jesus’ work of restoring all things to the Father.
— CCC 850
Fr. Jacques Philippe expresses this common human condition of ours with great insight: “It is worth reflecting on the problem of pride. We are all born with a deep wound, experienced as a lack of being. We seek to compensate by constructing a self, different from our real self. This artificial self requires large amounts of energy to maintain it; being fragile, it needs protecting. Woe to anyone who contradicts it, threatens it, questions it, or inhibits its expansion. When the Gospel says we must ‘die to ourselves,’ it means this artificial ego, this constructed self, must die, so that the real self, given us by God, can emerge.”
— Be Transformed, pg 2
 

Scripture for Lectio Divina

All of us, gazing with unveiled faces on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.
— 2 Corinthians 3:18
 

Announcements: 

We are excited to announce our Lenten Book study!! This year, we will be reading Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts. Through the guide of this book, we will discuss how the Sacraments can heal and transform your relationship with Jesus Christ. Supplies are limited so we recommend you order your copy of the book as soon as possible. Ave Maria Press is in the process of ordering more and by purchasing early, you can help them estimate how many are needed. 

Ave Maria Press has graciously provided us a discount code if you order the book through their website. Use the code TRANSFORM at checkout to receive 25% off not only Be Transformed, but your entire order (through 3.31.23 with some exclusions)! 

You can also order the book through Amazon using our affiliate link. We do receive a small commission if you use our Amazon link. Anything we receive is used to help support our ministry. Click here for Amazon in the US

 

This episode is sponsored by

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