Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By our baptism, we are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Speaking with others about Our Lord and the faith or evangelization is easier said than done. Catholics often get tripped up when they hear non-Catholics share their understanding of “salvation”- that is, how you can have an intimate communion with God here on earth and inherit eternal life with Our Lord in heaven.

The reality is that for 2,000 years the Catholic Church has taught a simple “path to salvation.” This sharing of the Gospel is known by the Greek word kerygma, meaning “preaching” or “proclamation”. By knowing your faith, you can effectively share the Gospel with others.

Duc in altum is Latin for “Put out into the deep.” The phrase comes from Jesus’ instruction to Peter in Luke’s Gospel. After the disciples had fished all night without success, Jesus told Peter to move into deeper water and lower the nets. Peter obeyed, and the catch was abundant. Clearly, Jesus’ instruction is much more than simply going farther out on a lake. In the Gospel scene, Peter acts in trust in Jesus’ word, despite his earlier failure. St. John Paul II used these words as a call for the Church to move forward with confidence; remembering the past with gratitude, living the present with enthusiasm, and facing the future with hope. Duc in altum is really more of an invitation to venture more deeply into Christian faith and mission - to trust Christ, bear witness to the Gospel, and not let difficulty or uncertainty prevent the work of evangelization.

To equip you with this invitation from Our Lord to share the Good News, St. Bernadette Catholic Parish is providing her parishioners the opportunity to explore the richness of the Catholic faith. To that end, we are “putting out into the deep” and starting “The Institute for Catholic Thought and Life - A Journey Through the Faith of the Catholic Church.” Warning: participants will be filled with zeal for bringing others closer to Christ and to fall deeper in love with Our Lord and His Holy Catholic Church. As you continue to learn more about your faith, your witness will become even more effective.

The presenters are excited to share our beautiful Catholic faith. The presentations will cover topics including: The Creed, What the Church Says about Communism and Socialism, Sacred Scripture, What the Church Says about Artificial Intelligence and Bioethics, Who is Jesus?, Mary and the Saints, The Last Things, What Every Catholic Needs to Know About the Theological Virtues, just to name a few. Classes will be on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. To register or for more information, call the office at 480-905-0221, scan the QR code on the next page of the bulletin, or see the “Events” tab on our website (saintbernadette.com).

I invite you to “put out into the deep,” heed Our Lord’s call to all the baptized, and go forth and make disciples. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Church continues the work of God’s saving plan which Christ began two millennia ago. By loving others as God loves us and sharing the Good News of God’s saving plan, we build up the Kingdom of God as we welcome others into his family, the Church. This happens in our own families, among friends, and in the various encounters of our lives.

God Bless.

BACK TO LIST