Life is a journey. Where are you headed? Beginning on Sunday, Oct. 6, St. Mary Basilica Parish will be offering an opportunity for anyone who is interested to take part in an experience that invites you to answer this question for yourself by hearing the good news and personally encountering Jesus Christ.

Discovering Christ is a seven-week experience where anyone and everyone, from the baptized in the pews to the unbaptized, is invited to enter into or renew a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, experience the love of God the Father, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as God’s children.

Our hope is that those without a personal relationship with Christ will develop one; those whose relationship is tepid will have it strengthened, and those who already have a deep relationship will catch fire with a desire to share it.

Discovering Christ consists of seven weekly sessions and a retreat day. The weekly sessions include four components: a meal, prayer time, a video teaching and small group discussion. The meal is a time to welcome guests with hospitality, foster relationships and grow in friendship with one another.

The prayer time consists of singing together a couple of songs that offer the time to the Lord and help everyone become comfortable praying together. The video sessions proclaim, with beauty and simplicity, the core Gospel message and invite participants to make a personal response to Jesus Christ, and the small groups are a place for people to freely share what they think and feel about the topic discussed in the teaching. 

Session topics include:

*What is the meaning of life?

*What does Jesus want us to know?

*Why do we need a Savior?

*Why is the Resurrection important?

*Who is the Holy Spirit?

And more.

Meetings will be held on Sunday evenings from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. in the O’Connor Family Life Center at 613 Main Street. 

They will begin on Oct. 6 and continue until the final session on Nov. 24, with an optional retreat day on Nov. 9. There is no cost for this program, and babysitting will be provided. For more information or to register, please call the church office at 601-445-5616. You can also visit the St. Mary Basilica Facebook page and register through Eventbrite under Events on the page. We are requesting that interested people register ahead of time so that we will have enough food and enough materials for everyone.

Pat Tuminello is the outreach and evangelization coordinator for the Discovering Christ series.