The Rev. Michael Patella, OSB, will present a retreat titled, Encountering the Gospels in The Saint John’s Bible at Saint Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, on Sunday, October 11, 2020. The images in the Gospel books of The Saint John’s Bible invite us to meet Christ and follow him in discipleship. With prayer and reflection, and by using the Bible’s calligraphy and illuminations, this retreat will guide participants to view new ways of understanding Christ’s call.
Fr. Michael Patella is a monk of St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, MN. He holds a license in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and a doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the École biblique et archéologique française in Jerusalem. Fr. Michael is a professor of New Testament at Saint John’s University and teaches in its School of Theology and Seminary, where he also serves as the seminary rector and director of the Holy Land Studies program. Fr. Michael has written in the area of Luke-Acts, Paul, Mark, and angelology. His work, Word and Image: the Hermeneutics of The Saint John’s Bible (Liturgical Press), addresses the theology, art, and interpretation of The Saint John’s Bible. Father Michael has numerous publications, and is currently writing on the Gospel of Luke for the New Jerome Biblical Commentary. He has also supplied many reflections for Give Us This Day, a daily prayer book published by the Liturgical Press. Father Michael is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature. He chaired the Committee on Illumination and Text, a group of artists, theologians and biblical scholars, which guided the planning and production of The Saint John’s Bible, together with Donald Jackson, its artistic director.
The retreat begins with Mass and blessing of The Saint John’s Bible display at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.