Gulf Pine Catholic

12 Gulf Pine Catholic • March 23, 2018 Enhancement of faith journey focus of Lenten program at Saint Thomas Aquinas, St. John the Evangelist BY DAVID TISDALE HATTIESBURG -- The idea of taking one’s faith beyond mere belief shaped a recent Lenten mission program held at both St. John the Evangelist Church in Gulfport and St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Hattiesburg March 1-3. Facilitated by biblical scholar Jeff Cavins and his wife, Emily, the program presented at St. John and St. Thomas was titled “Walking Towards Eternity,” and offered attendees the opportunity to consider “how big God is in their lives” and what issues they can work on to enhance and strengthen their journey with our creator, with the Cavins serving as guides and facilitators. Jeff Cavins said God invites those who come to the programs to join in the journey to the here- after with Him, but “we have to be open to him, his invitation and message.” “God is the initiator, he is the one who reach- es out and reveals himself to us,” he said. “Our response should be one of faith -- not just ‘believism,’ but in word and deed. If we really want to be with God forever, in eternity, then the journey has to begin now.” The Cavins’ program at St. Thomas and St. John honed in on “vices and virtues” as a spring- board for going deeper into “isolating” the things that we as Catholics want to work on, including such issues as forgiveness, love, faithfulness, overcoming anger, among others, Emily Cavins said. “We can focus on one of these areas, and with the help of God, turn it over to him,” she said. By doing this, Jeff Cavins, said, we can “build up virtue in our lives, so that we can com- bat the struggles in our hearts, in a positive way, to make the walk (with God) real.” To effectively follow this plan, the Cavins say one must do more than profess belief in God and his teach- ings, or in the teachings of the Catholic Church. One must take the second step after establishment of belief, and that is to make “a personal entrustment of yourself to God.” “Faith is made up of both of these,” Jeff Cavins said. “’Believism’ by itself -- it doesn’t do anything.” One of the biggest challenges for the Cavins in advancing their ministry is to “convince people of the significance of a 2,000 year-old event” (Jesus Christ coming to the world) in the face of a “144 character” social media culture, and who Jeff Cavins’ describes as “pop (culture) format- ters,” the celebrities and talking heads of today’s society who offer simple solutions to complex problems facing humanity, and dismissive of God’s word -- what he describes as dependable, comprehensive answers to these complex prob- lems -- in favor of more secular ideas of “a new day.” Father Mark Ropel, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas, said, “This is a good time during Lent, near the midway point, to have a mission like this one offered by Jeff and Emily, to help us maintain or refocus on our spiritual goals.” Jeff Cavins, co-author of the popular Catholic study guide titled The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation , conducts seminars along with Emily across the country at churches, confer- ences and corporations. He is the creator of The Great Adventure Bible Study Series , author of My Life on the Rock , Walking With God and co- editor of the Amazing Grace book series. He is director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, Minn., and also founding host of “Life on the Rock” on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) and “Morning Air” on Relevant Radio . Emily Cavins is an archaeologist and writer who has participated in several digs in the Holy Land. She is the author of My Heart Is a Violin: The Autobiography of Renowned Violinist/ Composer and Holocaust Survivor Shony Alex Braun , and co-editor of Amazing Grace for Mothers . She developed the “Great Adventure Kids” bible study materials that examine the plan of salvation history, based on Jeff Cavins’ The Great Adventure Bible Study Series . Learn more about the Cavins’ work at http://jeff- cavins.com/. Biblical scholar Jeff Cavins is pictured during a March 1 presentation at St. John the Evangelist Church in Gulfport. Cavins and his wife, Emily, gave presentations at St. John and St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Hattiesburg. Photo/Juliana Skelton Pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Diocese of Biloxi by visiting www.invisiblemonastery.com