20 – 30 mins | Page 10
After he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
5 mins | Page 10
6 – 10 mins
10 – 15 mins | Page 11
Privately consider the following questions:
What do you notice as you walk around your Church? Pay close attention to all of your senses.
Consider what people might think as they walk/drive by your Church.
Contrast your experience walking around the outside of the Church with walking inside the Church. What do you notice? Pay close attention to your senses.
Consider what a “first timer” (Catholic, Christian, or other) would experience when they enter into the space.
When did you come to the realization that God was a personal and wanted a personal relationship with you?
How did this realization change your life?
15 – 20 mins | Page 12
Pair up with someone, go for a walk or find a private place to talk, and discuss the following questions:
What stood out to you from the video or from your personal verification time?
Where are you seeing God at work in your life? What are you thankful for?
Where are you struggling right now? What do you need prayer for?
Pray out loud for your partner. You can pray a prayer you know or pray from your heart.
20 – 30 mins | Page 12
What was surprising (or not surprising) about the street interviews? What types of responses do you think you would get if you wandered around your church neighborhoods asking people the question, “Do you believe a personal relationship with God is possible?”
Share about a time you were a first time visitor at a Church. What was the experience like? How do you think people feel when they arrive on your campus for the first time (Catholic or not)?
What is the fundamental question?
How can we help “outsiders” feel as though they belong?
What’s the biggest sign that someone is in the Openness threshold of discipleship?
5 – 10 mins | Page 13
Are there any conclusions you have come to regarding ministry in your setting?
Is there anything you feel called to put into practice, either in your personal life or as a parish staff/team?
If so, what and how will you implement it? Who will hold you accountable?
2 mins | Page 13
Mary, Mother of the Church and our Mother, present our prayer of thanksgiving to your Son. Beg from Him the graces we need to be faithful disciples who follow Him with enthusiasm and joy. May our witness to the love of God bear fruit in our archdiocese, parishes, homes and hearts. Teach us to be God’s joyful witnesses, to radiate Christ in all we do, so that all people might know, love and follow your Son through this life and into the next. Amen.
Learn more about the threshold of Openness by reading page 15 in the PED Info Packet. Take notes or mark any questions you have and bring these to the next session.
If your Parish is interested in reserving the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrimage statue, contact Denise Austing dausting@catholicaoc.org
