Dear Parishioners,

Last week, Kim DiBiase spoke at all the masses promoting our upcoming Bible Study on the Letter to the Romans. I think this is an excellent book to study and the key to understanding Christian theology.

As Catholics we consider the Gospels to be the most important of all the scriptures because they are most directly about Our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, you need the whole context of scripture to get the most out of the Gospels. St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans provides the best possible summary of all of scripture, salvation history and how Christ fits into the whole story of the world.

One reason that this book is particularly clear is that St. Paul was writing to a group he had no previous contact with. He had to explain his theology as clearly as possible in writing as a means of introduction. In all his other letters, he is dealing with people he knows and has personal relationships with. So, while they also have invaluable spiritual depth, he is often dealing with particular issues. In Romans, he is dealing with all of theology all at once. He is not just drawing a line but a whole picture. If you ever wondered how and why Christ saves us, this is the book for you.

It is also good for Catholics to study Romans because often it can be seen as a Protestant book. When Martin Luther started the Reformation, he often quoted from Romans and Galatians to support his claim that we are saved by faith alone. However, this doctrine misunderstands Paul’s point in the letter and Catholics should realize this to adequately defend the faith and not fall into false doctrines. (I have addressed Sola Fide elsewhere and I am not going to get into it here.)

We have had several of these Great Adventure Bible Studies before and everyone who has attended them has gotten a lot out of them. Studying the Bible is a life-fulfilling and lifechanging pursuit and we are all improved by doing so. Everyone who has attended these studies has gotten something out of it. So, I highly recommend this upcoming study! It begins September 18th and you can find the details on the bulletin board.

God Bless!

Fr. Carter