S12 E11: Lent Book Study Part 4: Holy Orders and Marriage
About This Episode
In this episode, we continue with part four of our Lenten book study Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts. We begin by discussing how Holy Orders heals the wound of confusion. Through the priesthood, God is giving us His Heart and confirms our identity as His beloved adopted children. We share ways different priests have impacted our lives both positively and negatively and chat about the importance of praying for priests. Next, we discuss how Marriage heals the wound of fear. This Sacrament is a beautiful window into the mystery of Trinitarian love. We touch on how Marriage can heal those in the single state as well as those in a difficult or broken marriage. Remember, God is the only One who can give us the perfect love we crave. We need to draw our strength from Him as we journey towards healing and transformation.
Hey friends! We know that Be Transformed is packed with incredible things, so we encourage you to not feel the need to rush. We want this to be a place where you can rest and be with the Holy Spirit. If you find yourself stuck on a chapter, we invite you to take the time you need and join us again when ready. May God bless you and bring you healing through His Sacraments!
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Show Notes
One Thing We Love This Week
Sister Miriam’s one thing - Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships by Sarah and Andy Swafford
Heather’s one thing - Daily Mass
Michelle’s one thing - Blessed is She Burn Retreat
Michelle’s other one thing - College roommates and friends
Michelle’s other other one thing - Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett’s podcast and book Daughter by Design
Click here to check out Dr. Bob’s podcast Restore the Glory!
Discussion questions:
In what ways has God brought restoration in your relationship with Him as Father?
How is God inviting you to draw nearer to the fathers in your life?
In what ways are you withholding yourself from Christ (and your spouse)?
What fears do you bring into your relationships?
How can you open yourself to the beauty of the marriages around you?
Journal Questions:
What is my story of fatherhood with my biological father? With my spiritual fathers? With our Heavenly Father?
How am I presently choosing self-reliance as the result of a father wound?
How have I experienced woundedness from my parents’ marriage? From my own marriage?
How have I experienced healing from my parents' marriage, other marriages, or my own marriage?
Quote to Ponder
“According to St. John Paul II, our rebellion against God’s fatherly authority has permeated all of history since the fall: “This is truly the key to interpreting reality. . . . Original sin, then, attempts to abolish fatherhood, destroying its rays . . . placing in doubt the truth about God, who is love.””
“You may ask, as I have, what can heal us collectively and individually from this primordial wound of confusion and disorder? Since the wound is rooted in distorted perceptions of the Father’s authority and our rebellion against his authority, the antidote must be the opposite: restoring our understanding of his authority and humbly submitting to that authority in our lives.”
“What about the rest of us? How well do we submit ourselves to the Father and to the authority he has established through Jesus? If we are honest, we all fall short in this area.”
“During a season of intense healing and conversion, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that my confusion came from my lack of trust in authority, and ultimately, this pointed back to my lack of trust in the Father himself. He further showed me through the mirror of scripture that I have covered this wound with an attitude of insolence with regard to authority. At first, I resisted this revelation, not even understanding the meaning of the word “insolence.” Once I learned that it meant arrogance or haughtiness, I certainly didn’t want to see myself in that way.”
““Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry” (CCC, 1536)”
“Do you see how the sacrament of Holy Orders is God’s healing remedy to correct the unholy disorder that came into the world with original sin? Through this sacrament, the Father, who is the author of all things, reestablishes his authority through those who bear his image, so “that the people of God abide in the truth that liberates” (CCC, 890). This authority is not just for certain groups in the Church but for the entire Body of Christ. And it is not just for the Church; it is intended by God for the healing of the entire world (see CCC, 775). Where original sin attempted to abolish God’s fatherhood on earth through Adam’s rebellion, this gift of God’s fatherly authority in Christ (Holy Orders) seeks to restore it for everyone.”
“The ministerial priesthood serves the common priesthood of all believers ( CCC, 1547)”
“St. Gregory of Nazianzus in this address to his brother priests: “We must begin by purifying ourselves before purifying others; we must be instructed to be able to instruct, become light to illuminate, draw close to God to bring him close to others, be sanctified to sanctify. . . . I know whose ministers we are, where we find ourselves and to where we strive. I know God’s greatness and man’s weakness, but also his potential. [Who then is the priest? He is] the defender of truth, who stands with angels, gives glory to archangels, causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high, shares Christ’s priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in God’s image, recreates it for the world on high, and even greater, is divinized and divinizes.””
“The family is the center and the heart of the civilization of love and the first school of love.”
“I remain deeply grateful for God’s intervention during that most difficult year of my life (and our life together). In saving our marriage, he also preserved each one of us from the devastation of continuing the cycle of broken hearts and broken relationships. During that year, the Holy Spirit began to show me that, like Adam and Eve after the fall, I was projecting my fear onto Margie and blaming her for the ways I was not fulfilled. He also revealed the gaping wounds of fear and mistrust that were buried beneath my judgements and fearful vows.”
Scripture for Lectio Divina
“What God has joined together, no human being must separate.”
Books & Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Intimate Allies by Dan Allender
Be Devoted by Dr. Bob Schuchts
Announcements:
Join us this Lent as read Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts for our Lenten Book study. Through the guide of this book, we will discuss how the Sacraments can heal and transform your relationship with Jesus Christ.
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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