Pope Leo Lent Study Group
Only a few seats left!
“Wanting to inaugurate a kingdom of justice, fraternity and solidarity, God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest” (Dilexi Te 16).
In this passage from Dilexi Te, Pope Leo lays out the central message of his document: God’s desire is to liberate everyone who is poor and oppressed by the powerful, and the Church is faithful to our identity precisely when we follow through on that desire.
Not only is this the heart of Dilexi Te, it’s the heart of Christianity. This is Good News for me in my own poverty, and it’s Good News for the world.
We need to hear this Good News over and over again; we need to hear it right now.
I would like to invite you to read and receive some of this Good News with me this Lent.
Beginning next week, I’m leading a five-week study group to read and discuss two new documents from Pope Leo XIV: In Unitate Fidea (on the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed) and Dilexi Te (on Love for the Poor).
While at first glance it looks like these documents are about different topics, I think they are intimately connected. Between these two texts, Pope Leo proclaims that love for the poor and powerless isn’t simply an extra, a nice thing to do, or simply a moral commend. No. Love for the poor and powerless reflects the kind of God we believe in, the character of the God we profess in the Creed. Because of this, when the Church—when you and I—love and identify with the poor, we are not only following a moral law, we are evangelizing and fulfilling our identity as Christians.
Is there a better thing to study and pray with through Lent?
There’s still room for you.
This group is for:
Catechists
Teachers
Priests
Parents
Anyone trying to better understand what it means to worship and live as a Christian in their community
This workshop will help you:
Better understand the Kerygma and the Church’s social teaching
Participate more in building the Kingdom of God
Apply the Church’s social teaching to your own life
Have the skills and confidence to read and understand papal documents
In this study group, you will have:
The freedom to participate as you want
The opportunity to learn and grow within a small group
A non-judgmental space that proclaims and invites, but never imposes
The chance to ask and discuss any questions that you have
Details:
This is a five-part live study group that will be held virtually on Wednesday February 25, March 4, March 11, March 18, and March 25 at 7:30-9:00pm (EST).
The first meeting will include personal introductions and a brief catechesis from me about Catholic Social Teaching. The study group will be held in a seminar format where small group-discussion will be prioritized over lecture or formal presentations.
Pricing:
This five-week study group is $250.
Making this group available to anyone who can benefit from it is important to me, but it’s also an essential part of my family’s income. I don’t want inability to pay to be obstacle for you to participate. So if you can’t pay the full $250, please pay what you can (even if it’s only $10).
And if you can’t attend this study group, but you are grateful that resources like this exist, please consider finally supporting it.
How to Pay:
1. Send a custom payment via PayPal (paul@faheycounseling.com) or Venmo (@catholicthirdspace)
2. Or use your credit card to pay $250 here:
https://buy.stripe.com/9B65kCaEy48ogpU6PRdIA03
I’m looking forward to having you in this group.