We here at the Centre for Faith Enrichment are really looking forward to two upcoming Sunday afternoon seminars entitled Who Are You Jesus? Where Are You Jesus? They will be held at the Newman Siena Centre in Doubleview on Sundays 31st July and 7th August, from 2pm-4.30pm. What a glorious way to spend a Sunday afternoon! (Click here for more info about the seminars and to register (warning: the link will no longer work after 31st July!))
Rev. Dr Tom Ryan, SM
The seminars will be presented by well-known theologian Rev. Dr Tom Ryan, who is a Marist priest and resides in Sydney. Fr Tom is an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy of the Australian Catholic University and an Adjunct Associate Professor of the School of Philosophy and Theology of the University of Notre Dame Australia. Apart from chapters in books, he has had numerous articles published in national and international theological journals. Fr Tom presented two online seminars on the dark night of the soul for the CFE last year. We are excited to have him here in person this year!
Rather than an abstract, intellectual look at the person of Jesus, the seminars will focus on who Jesus is for us personally and where and how we encounter him in our lives. Fr Tom describes the content of the seminars in this tantalising way: “In the first seminar, the ‘who’ builds on Thomas Aquinas’ phrase ‘Jesus is our wisest and dearest friend.’ In the ‘where’ section, we use stories of real people whose lives and actions reveal something of the goodness and beauty of the Risen Jesus present in our world. ‘Who are you Jesus?’ in the second seminar draws on the merciful and compassionate saviour found in Luke’s Gospel and in people’s lives. For the ‘where’ aspect, we spend time considering what we can learn from Pope Francis and the Year of Mercy. Scripture texts will be suggested for people as a follow up in prayer after the seminars.”
If you can’t wait until 31st July to start exploring these questions about Jesus, you may enjoy this clip in which the Jesuit Fr James Martin and some young friends ask themselves, “Who is Jesus to me?”
