Richard Baawobr M.Afr.
Bible Study and Sharing Series
GOD'S WORD
for Christian Communities
Second Reading of Sundays
Year C
Paulines Publications Africa
2010 - pp 144 - 8 €
God's Word for Christian Communities
In 1996 when, upon the invitation of Fr. Wolfgang SCHONECKE, M.Afr, at that time Chairperson of AMECEA's Pastoral Department, I began writing commentaries on the Gospel of Sundays, the aim was to help the Small Christian Communities and other Groups when they meet to study and share the Word of God. The first series of the Bible Study and Sharing on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke were published in leaflet format in Nairobi in English and Kiswahili. After a year, an initial survey was done to see if they responded to the felt need. The response to the survey showed that the material responded indeed to a need among Small Christian Communities and, to our even greater surprise, to additional people who had to help others come to a better understanding of the Word of God. We are grateful to all who have used it over the years and are still using the material either for Bible Study and Sharing in Christian Communities or for personal study or prayer, or even for homilies in different occasions.
This new series on the Second Readings are seeing the light at the request of Sr. Teresa MARCAZZAN, of the Daughters of Saint Paul. The request came at the time I was considering proposing something that would take readers or users of the first series beyond the Gospels to the New Testament Letters. Two reasons motivated my proposal which met the approval of the publishers. The first is that during and after the Pauline Year decreed by Pope Benedict XVI [2008/2009], one excellent way of studying the Letters of the Great Missionary Apostle is to pay more attention to the Second Readings that are proposed throughout the Liturgical Year. A lot of the Second Reading of Sundays, not all, as you will discover, are from letters of Paul, or letters attributed to him.
The second reason for this new series is that, since the Second Readings offer us extracts from writings addressed to the earlier Christian Communities, the more we study and share about them, the more we will see how they speak to us today and how we can live by the Word of God that is addressed to us in and through them.
… In their Message at the end of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, the Synod Fathers and Delegates reiterated the importance of Small Christian Communities as already affirmed in Ecclesia in Africa (n° 93). They went on to urge that "Beyond prayer, [we] must also arm [ourselves] with sufficient knowledge of the Christian faith to be able to "give a proof of the hope that [we] bear" (1 Pet 3:15) in the market places of ideas" (N° 22). I hope that these and other commentaries will help us in this line.
I am grateful to the members of different Small Christian Communities in many parts of the world that I may never meet, but who have found and may continue to find inspiration and help in these pages. That is why this book is dedicated to the Small Christian Communities, awaiting the day when we can journey on together into the light of our one Master, Jesus Christ.
Each of the five volumes published so far follows the same style (cf. below) but it is up to each group or user to see if they want to combine the Bible Study with the Bible Sharing or to separate them.
The volumes on the Gospel of Sundays of Years A, B & C have been translated into and published in Kiswahili. They are available in most bookshops of the Paulines Publications and others in Africa and elsewhere or can be ordered directly from the publishers in Nairobi (editorial@paulinesafrica.org). Unfortunately for the French readers, there are no French translations as yet. That will come one day. If anyone is interested in proposing a translation into French or other languages, please let me know (rbaawobr@yahoo.fr). It would help others in their journey with God's Word.
1 . Adapted from the Richard BAAWOBR, God's Word for Christian Communities. Second Reading of Sundays. Year C, Nairobi, Paulines Publications, 2010, pp. 6.8.9.
A METHOD FOR BIBLE STUDY AND BIBLE SHARING
Opening song and prayer
BIBLE STUDY
1. Read from the passage of Scripture proposed as Reading for the Sunday.
A text is proposed for that particular Sunday.
2. What is the text about?
A few explanations by the facilitator follow, to help everybody understand how this text fits with the rest of the particular Scripture passage from which it is taken.
3. What does the text mean?
Two questions are proposed to help the group to enter into an intelligent understanding of the text. There may be other relevant questions that come up and can be used by the group. The questions suggested are simply meant to get the discussion started. The important thing is that all participate. It is not a time for the facilitator to give a Bible class. The facilitator must never read the "Points for the Facilitator and for personal Study" during the meeting.
POINTS FOR THE FACILITATOR AND FOR PERSONAL STUDY
These notes are meant to be just that. They must never be read out during the meeting. They can be of help to the facilitator in order to prepare the meeting. This would be very boring and kill the discussion. These points are simply meant to help the facilitator to be prepared for the meeting. Since we cannot comment on everything, a choice is made of what might elements in the text that need explanation or that would be helpful and nourishing to the Community or group. Individuals who want to prepare the meeting can also study them beforehand. It may even be good to re-read them after the meeting in order to complete them with what was shared during the Bible Study-Bible Sharing of the community. The points given on the text do not seek to cover all aspects of it. These reflections try to explain parts of the text that could be difficult to understand and underline what is important to keep in mind, as we continue with our study and prayer of the Second Reading of Sunday.
BIBLE SHARING
1. Re-read the text slowly and stop for a moment of prayerful silence.
Now that we have a deeper understanding of the text, we again listen attentively to it, in a spirit of prayer, as if God were speaking directly to us. We stop for a moment of silence to allow the Word of God to touch our hearts.
2. Share a word or phrase that has personally touched you.
Each one may say a word or short phrase that has special meaning for him or her. No remarks and no discussion accompanies what each one shares. The attitude of welcoming God through one another's private expression is very important.
3. Discuss how this word applies to our life today.
An issue is raised in the 3rd question to make us realise how our lives can be different because of what God has spoken to us as individuals and as a community, but each community has to make its own application of it and find ways to bring the text to life today.
After this Bible Study and Sharing (lasting about 45 minutes) it is possible to continue with the discussion of other practical details of the life of the Christian Community or group before finishing the meeting.
Concluding prayers and song
Richard BAAWOBR, M.afr.
Born in Ghana in 1959, Richard Baawobr is a priest member of the Society of Missionaries of Africa, popularly known as White Fathers. He has worked in different capacities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, France and Italy. Christian communities have always had a special place in his commitments.
His Bible studies in the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome and his Doctorate from the Catholic Institute of Toulouse, France, have helped him to be attentive in how to assist others in making the Word of God a Word of Life.
He is currently the Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa.Paulines Publications Africa
2010 - pp144 - circa 8 €
Contact : rbaawobr@yahoo.fr
