CBB Review – Praying the Gospels: Jesus Launches His Ministry

Bible studies and Father Mitch Pacwa go together like a hand a glove. Father Mitch has released a number of studies including Mercy: A Bible Study for Catholics, Mary-Virgin, Mother, and Queen: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics and Winning the Battle Against Sin: Hope-Filled Lessons from the Bible. He adds to this list of solid Bible study resources with his latest, Praying the Gospels with Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ: Jesus Launches His Ministry.

As the title suggests this book focuses on the early years of Jesus’ ministry. Divided into eight chapters, trust me when I tell you that you are going to learn a lot. The chapters are: The Baptism of Jesus, Temptations in the Wilderness, Between Baptism and Capernaum, The Wedding Feast of Cana, Jesus Inaugurates His Public Ministry, The First Exorcism and Manifestation of Jesus’ Authority, The Transistion from Capernaum to the Galilean Mission, and Put Out Into the Deep. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are the focus of chapter. Each chapter in turn is divided into anywhere from three to eight meditations each.

Father Mitch has intentionally taken bite-sized portions of scripture as the focus for each meditation. Following the verse(s) are a few paragraphs leading the reader to contemplate what they just read. This allows the reader to gain a much deeper understanding of each particular passage. Modeled after the Ignatian way of scripture study, Father Mitch submerses the reader in the events so a more intimate relationship with Jesus can be achieved. From the introduction:

“Jesus lived in a Middle Eastern Society of two thousand years ago. The custom and language may be strange to modern people, so it is useful to try to understand these ancient ways of life and thought. However, the other goal is to see that through these cultural differences shines the humanity common to us all. The specific words and customs may differ from the modern world’s ideas and expressions, but we can discover connections with the deeper truths of humanity once we better understand the context. This may help us relate our own experiences to those of the people in these stories and then discover important elements about our own relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Closing out each meditation are a number of questions that will spark the private conversation with Jesus that this book intends. Prayer is much more than reciting written prayers. A key ingredient of a healthy prayer life is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The end goal is to have a one on one personal encounter with Jesus and the style of meditation Father Mitch has provided in this book makes this a real possibility.

In the foreward to the book, Bishop Kevin Vann mentions a section from Chapter 1, Meditation 2 that I feel is worth repeating in this review:

“Ask Jesus for the grace to humbly integrate all that we have been and all that we are into all he wants us to be in the future. Speak as a friend to a Friend who is able to include each of us, with our real background and actual personality, into his mission to invite all people into the kingdom of God.”

This study is well suited for individual meditation. Let Father Mitch Pacwa guide you through the early years of the ministry of Jesus Christ. He does so in a personal encounter with Jesus, utilizing Gospel passages and the time honored tradition of his spiritual master St. Ignatius. Benefits abound when you open these pages and submerse yourself in a new journey that will give you a deeper insight into these Scripture passages and the early ministry of Christ. Dive into this study and come away with a deeper understanding of Jesus’ ministry, then anxiously await, as I am, the second volume in this series which will be meditations of Jesus’ time in Galilee.
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