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Lectio Peter Study Guide Book 1.Indb STUDY GUIDE SAMPLE Tim Gray Nihil obstat: Derek Barr, Censor Deputatus Imprimatur: Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, S.T.L., Arch bishop of Denver, October 2014 Copyright © 2014 Augustine Institute. All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitt ed, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior permiss ion of the publisher. Some Scripture verses contained herein are from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Educators of the National Council of the Church es of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permiss ion. All rights reserved. English translation of the Catech ism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America, copy- right ©1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catech ism of the Catholic Church : Modifi cation from the Editio Typica copyright ©1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Writers: Aurora Cerulli, Ashley Crane, Kate Flannery, Kris Gray, Woodeene Koenig-Brick er, Paul McCusker Media/Print Production: Steve Flanigan, Jon Ervin, Brenda Kraft , Justin Leddick , Kevin Mallory, Ted Mast, John Sch midt Graphic Design: Justin Deister, Jane Myers, Devin Sch adt Augustine Institute 6160 South Syracuse Way, Suite 310 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Information: 303-937-4420 AugustineInstitute.org LectioCatholic.org Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-0-9904147-7-3 Table OF CONTENTS PETER: Cornerstone of Catholicism Session 1: Put Out Into the Deep: The Making of an Apostle 1 Session 2: Capernaum: Village of Coming Consolation 21 Session 3: Faith Not Fear: Walking in Trust 41 Session 4: Peter the Rock: The Primacy of Jesus 63 Session 5: Peter and the Keys: The Primacy of the Church 85 Session 6: In the Shadow of the Galilean: Peter’s Rising Leadership 107 Session 7: Discipleship at a Distance: Peter and the Passion of Christ 127 Session 8: Peter and Pentecost: The Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit 149 Session 9: Peter bar Jonah: How Peter Came to Rome 169 Session 10: “Quo Vadis?”: Peter’s Way of the Cross 187 3 LECTIO Welcome to the LECTIO Study Series. In these ten sessions of LECTIO, you will discover the profound importance, meaning, purpose, and beauty of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as seen through the eyes of the Church. LECTIO studies are designed for adult faith formation, to help unveil both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The Latin word lectio means “reading” and often refers to a careful and prayerful reading of Scripture. These studies cover a wide variety of topics, including individual books or letters of the Bible, the lives and writings of the saints, Church teaching, and topics to help serve the formation of Catholics living out the call of the New Evangelization. This Study Guide, Leader Resource Guide, and Session Videos are the three components that are used for each LECTIO session. These three work together to enable a small group to receive the truth of the Catholic faith and apply it to their everyday lives. A LECTIO S ESSION This Study Guide takes you step-by-step through each session, both the small group gathering and video teaching, as well as five days of follow-up study. The resources are carefully crafted to lead you through an opening of your heart and mind to God’s Word and the Traditions of the Catholic Church. WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN EACH L ECTIO SESSION: CONNECT 1. Opening Prayer: We have chosen Scripture from the first and second Letters of Peter as a way to “pray with Peter” throughout this study. 2. Introduction: We start with a brief overview of the topic, including the key points for the session. This helps contextualize the topic, show its relevance for daily life, and inspire you to delve into the particular aspect of the faith that is being presented. 3. Ice-Breaker Questions: You’ll review the verse and daily reflections from the previous session, and then share your thoughts on questions related to the new session. VIDEO 4. Video Teaching: The video segment teaches the topic by diving deeply into Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church. The video teachings are presented by Dr. Tim Gray of the Augustine Institute. A brief outline of each teaching is included in the Study Guide. DISCUSS 5. Memory Verse: The Psalms encourage us to treasure God’s Word in our heart through memorization saying, “I have laid up thy word in my heart…” (Psalm 119:11). You are encouraged to memorize and reflect on a Scripture verse for every session so as to nurture the faith that has been deepened through your study. 6. Closing Prayer: The Closing Prayer in your Study Guide has been chosen to reflect back to God an appropriate response to his loving action in the session. 7. For Further Reading: For supplemental study, you are encouraged to refer to the additional reading resources. 8. Quotes, Tips, and Definitions: We have included throughout the study interesting quotes and excerpts from saints, Catholic documents, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or Catholic authors to help further understand a particular topic COMMIT The Study Guide includes five daily reflections that will help you more deeply explore the main topics of each session and more firmly commit to following Christ in your daily life. These reflections include more information on Sacred Tradition and Sa- cred Scripture, as well as topics such as geography, history, and art. Some of these reflections will also include times of prayer, including the practice of Scripture meditation known as Lectio Divina. To learn more about Lectio Divina, check out Dr. Tim Gray’s book Praying Scripture for a Change, available at AscensionPress.com. 4 W ELCOME TO OUR OPENING SESSION Over the course of this study, we’ll explore the life of Peter—with quite a few surprises along the way—and how he went from being a fi sherman to becoming one of the most remarkable ch aracters in the New Testament, and all of history. But fi rst, let’s open in prayer from the First Lett er of Peter. O PENING P RAYER “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefi led and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” —1 Peter 1:3-5 God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for the new life we have in you by our baptism, and the work that you are doing in each of our lives to transform us to the image of your Son. May we persevere in a joyful longing for the glorious inheritance you have in store for us. Teach us to follow you closely through the intercess ion and example of St. Peter. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Peter, pray for us. INTRODUCTION “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” —Ephesians 4:19-22 While Jesus alone is the cornerstone of the Church , he calls each of his disciples to be the living stones by which his house is built (see 1 Peter 2:5). Among these stones, Peter, the head of the Apostles, has a key role to play. Jesus declares that it is upon the rock of Peter that he will build his Church (see Matt hew 16:18). Th us Peter takes his place alongside Jesus, the living stone that was rejected by men (1 Peter 2:4), as a model for all Christ’s disciples. Saint Peter Copyright of the image Museo Nacional del Prado / Art Resource, NY 1 Put Out Into the Deep: The Making of an Apostle Th is study on St. Peter is subtitled “Cornerstone of Catholicism,” and Peter is a vital and fundamental stone, but the more we study and understand the life of Peter, the bett er we will know the one Peter followed and profess ed, the true and absolute Cornerstone of the Church , Jesus Christ. In June 2014, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Francis exhorted his newly appointed arch bishops to follow the faithful example of St. Peter, Rome’s fi rst Bishop. “Peter shows us the way… Our true refuge is trust in God.” Th e story of St. Peter begins with an ordinary act of trust, which would entirely ch ange the ordinary course of Peter’s life. Along the shore of Galilee, Peter’s brother Andrew introduced him to a traveling rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth. By deciding to follow Jesus, an unknown fi sherman would discover his call to become a fi sher of men and become a key player in the story of salvation history. C ONNECT 1. Introduce yourself to the group, and share one or two things that most interest you about St. Peter.
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