Reading John’s Gospel
A small group is interested in a monthly session in the Carmelite Library meeting face to face to read together and discuss John’s gospel exploring St John’s Christ Mystery as a way of helping them in their own spiritual journey.
The group will meet monthly on the third Tuesday of the month from 1.30 to 3.00pm. Although this was hoped to be in person in the Carmelite Library gathering will be via zoom until notified.
Some background
Why John? We are interested in reading John’s gospel because it differs from the others in that it has a Prologue that proclaims the great mystery of creation. John’s gospel according to Brendan Byrne wants to move people from “mere existence to a conscious sense of sharing the divine eternal life – and the joy that goes with it.” (p 2 Life Abounding) Richard Rohr says that John is “concerned with the reader making a personal act of faith in Jesus and, through that, entering into divine life as sons and daughters of the Father.” (p 50 The great themes of scripture)
How will we approach it? We will approach this as a reading group of some 8-10 people who are prepared to undertake the necessary reading before each session. We will not be led by an ‘expert’ and like all reading groups will have a ‘light touch’ chair which could change from meeting to meeting.
Individuals may wish to undertake their own research to share with the group. The library has a series of commentaries and other books on John’s gospel.
Because the aim is to further our own spiritual journey we will not read the gospel as a document to be critiqued or as an academic exercise. Rather the focus will be on what it means to us in our own lives today. Commentaries will be helpful to get beneath the symbolic language and the images that were important at the time.
