This semester’s series of Bible studies for local grad students will begin Monday at 6:00pm, when we’ll depart from the Newman Center for Holy Trinity parish in McKees Rocks to hear Dr. Stephen Miletic present on, “The Bible and Culture: Biblical Spirituality.”  Dr. Miletic is presently a professor of Sacred Scripture and Catechetics at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and has instructed both students and teachers in this field for over 25 years. According to the précis: “Spirituality is a personal encounter with God. How can you have a subjective experience of an objective reality? What is Biblical Spirituality? This lecture examines the Interior, Religious, and Spiritual Life and how this life interacts with the culture.” Ordinarily, the weekly grad Bible study begins at 7:45pm, on Monday nights. Please email Fr. Joshua, or Courtney Long for more information, or to be added to the email list for updates.

Love of the Beautiful: An Introduction to the Writings and Spirituality of the Philokalia

The Philokalia (”love of the beautiful”, a love for everything of God, beauty’s source) is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Christian contemplative, ascetic and hesychast tradition. They describe the conditions most effective for learning what their authors call the art of arts and the science of sciences, a learning which is not a matter of information or agility of mind but of a radical change of will and heart leading man towards the highest possibilities open to him, shaping and nourishing the unseen part of his being, and helping him to spiritual fulfillment and union with God.

Every Thursday night at 7:30pm, beginning September 2nd, we will be considering the fundamental elements of this beautiful spiritual tradition by reading A Beginner’s Introduction to the Philokalia by Anthony Coniaris. This book focuses on twenty basic themes from the Philokalia, explaining them as simply as possible – such as watchfulness, thoughts, spiritual discipline, the heart, the intellect, inner stillness, the passions, deification, discernment, and of course, the Jesus Prayer.

For more information, contact Fr. David at frdavid@pittsburghoratory.org

WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE

First Friday Vigil

September 3rd,  7:00 PM

Join us for the September 3rd First Friday Vigil at the Oratory. Confessions begin at 7:00 PM and the Vigil itself at 8:00pm. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for three hours, ending at 11 PM. You are free to come and go as you please, but use the front door (an attendant will be at the front desk). The theme for this month’s vigil is “Temple of God – Dwelling of the Holy Spirit”.

“I have come to set the world on fire and how I wish it were already blazing” (Luke 12:49). Our Lord desires to draw us close to His Sacred Heart and set us on fire for love of Him and the Kingdom. With Mary, whose Immaculate Heart loved our Lord so completely and tenderly, we seek to prepare a place for him within our hearts so that we might receive Him in purity and humility. Like St. Philip Neri, we pray that Our Lord will send his Holy Spirit upon us so that our hearts might burn for love of Him and those He has called us to serve.

The 8 PM hour is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the 9 PM hour to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the 10 PM hour to St. Philip Neri, whose heart burned for love of God and neighbor. Each will feature a litany, a brief sermon, congregational and silent prayer, and Gregorian chants led by the Oratory Schola Cantorum.  We hope you can join us for at least part of the night and take refuge in the real presence of Christ.

“In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. Be assiduous in the prayer of adoration and teach it to the faithful. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering.”

–Pope Benedict XVI

The goal of the course will be to introduce students to a scholarly consideration of the Christian Faith.  The course will discuss the historical developments and impact of the Faith, while discovering by reason and revelation how we come to know the true power and will of God.  Attention will also be given to the Christian understanding of the human person, his nature and destiny.

This course is offered through Duquesne University so the proper cross-registration paperwork will need to be filled out; talk to your academic adviser if you’re interested. The primary text for this course will be the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of the Second Vatican Council.   Contact Fr. Mike (412)681-3181 or Prof. Damon McGraw (412)681-4375, with any questions.  Pamphlets on the class are available at the Newman Center or below as a downloadable PDF and contain further information about it.

Origins of Cath Faith, brochure

Women’s Bible Studies

Mondays
6:00pm, Newman Center; Kristin Gottron – krg24@pitt.edu
8:00pm, Caribou Coffee on Forbes; Stacey Beasock – slb79@pitt.edu

Tuesdays
5:00pm, Einstein’s in Posvar; Ruth Kalscheur – rkalscheur@focusonline.org
8:00pm, Kiva Han on Craig; Ashton Mallon – amallon@focusonline.org

Wednesdays
6:00pm, Newman Center; Lyn Conner – cmc101@pitt.edu
6:00pm, Chatham Carnegie Sun Rm; A. Mallon -  amallon@focusonline.org

Thursdays
7:30pm, Posvar; Julie Berna – jmb155@pitt.edu
8:00pm, CMU Black Chairs; Ruth Kalscheur – rkalscheur@focusonline.org

Men’s Bible Studies

Mondays
6:00pm, Posvar; Rick Hill – rjh49@pitt.edu
8:45pm, Cath. of Learning; P.J. Gruber – gruberpj@gmail.com

Wednesdays
6:00pm, Cath. of Learning; Connor McNabb – jmc130@pitt.edu

Thursdays
3:00pm, Cath. of Learning; Jack Berard – jberard@focusonline.org
5:00pm, Posvar; Vince Sartori – vsartori117@gmail.com