Introduction: Who is Jesus?

Welcome to our online discussion of Jesus: A Pilgrimage by Father James Martin.

The author begins with the question:  Who is Jesus?

He writes:  ‘Fully human and fully divine’ means that Jesus of Nazareth wasn’t just a great guy, an inspiring teacher, and a holy man.  Moreover, the charismatic carpenter wasn’t merely a clever storyteller, a compassionate healer, or a courageous prophet (page 3.).

Who then is Jesus?  Who is He for us?

Our English word, scandal, comes from a New Testament word, skandalon, meaning “stumbling block.”

Which of Our Lord’s two natures—human and divine—trip us up?

How did you react as the author described Jesus’ sharp rebuke of the woman in Mark’s Gospel who asked him to heal her daughter?  Does our understanding of His human nature allow for Him to have moments of annoyance and anger?

Do you have friends or family members who believe that Jesus was nothing more than a first century celebrity, but who stop short of seeing Him as the divine Son of God? 

To what extent have we domesticated Jesus--made Him over in our own image, so that we can avoid His claim on our lives?

We hope you buy the book and follow along each week as we journey through Jesus:  a Pilgrimage.  We hope you will participate by leaving your reactions and comments below. And join us next Sunday, October 4, when we continue our journey by reading Chapter 1, “Pilgrims.”


Questions to Ponder:

1.  If Jesus asked you, "Who do you say that I am?" how would you respond?

2.  If you, like Thomas Jefferson, were to remove those passages from the Gospels that make you uncomfortable, which ones would you choose?  What might those passages reveal about your understanding of Jesus?

3.  Which approach to Jesus Christ appeals to you:  the 'Jesus of History' or the 'Christ of Faith'? Or both?



Steven Olson

Dear Readers,

Here are some ways to participate in our online discussion.

1. Simply get the book and read along.  To enhance your reading, reflections on each chapter together with discussion questions are posted on this blog every Sunday morning.  If you fall behind, all chapters/reflections are archived on the main page.  
2. Actively participate! Read along and then discuss the chapter by leaving comments below.  We encourage this.  
3. If you enjoy the book and our reflections/discussion, please evangelize by telling others about the book and our site. Thanks for stopping by!

You Are Invited to a Pilgrimage...

Perhaps you are a person who has wanted to visit the Holy Land and walk the places where Jesus walked but, to date, you have not been able to travel there.

Perhaps you are a person who wants to learn more about Jesus but you tell yourself that you are  too busy to attend a class or Bible study.

What if you could do both of these things without leaving your home?

Beginning Sunday, September 27, you will have an opportunity to learn more about Jesus and do so through the eyes of Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, who has written a new book called Jesus:  a Pilgrimage.

Beginning Sunday, September 27 you are invited to read this book--one chapter a week--and participate in our virtual pilgrimage as an online community of readers reads, meditates upon and discusses this book.  All you have to do is purchase the book and read along.  Each Sunday, beginning September 27, one of our team of contributors will present a spiritual reflection on that week’s  chapter and then offer readers some discussion questions to ponder.

Once you read the chapter we encourage you to actively contribute to the discussion by leaving comments or questions in the comment section below.

Have a look at the Trailer....

We hope you will buy the book and return here (srlcatechesis.blogspot.com) as we pilgrimage together beginning September 27.


Steven Olson,
Director of Religious Education
St. Rose of Lima Church
Freehold, NJ

Ten Things You Need To Know About Jesus

As we count down to the start of our Virtual Pilgrimage on September 27, let's hear a bit more from our author, Father Jim Martin, as he lists the.....


   Ten Things You Need to Know About Jesus

Beginning Sunday, September 27, and every Sunday thereafter until next March 20, a team of contributors will offer a reflection on each chapter of this book, and present us with some discussion questions to help guide our reading.  We hope you purchase the book and visit us each week to read the reflection and ponder the questions the book raises.  More importantly, we hope you will take the time to leave your comments below, so that all our our fellow pilgrims will be edified by your reactions to the book. Consider returning here (srlcatechesis.blogspot.com) on September 27 as we begin our journey.

Steven Olson
Director of Religious Education
St. Rose of Lima Church
Freehold, NJ