Overall Takeaways

Dr. Gerry: Empathy includes listening before reacting.

Dr. Peter: Sin is whatever harms relationships.

Key Verses from Sunday Mass Readings

“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid …
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.”

“May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another.”

“When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.”

Where Catholicism Meets Psychology

• Existing family systems are often hostile and resemble the natural discourse between predator and prey. God’s vision and hope is peace and harmony. How do we get there?
• We also have this conflict between parts within ourselves, the part that cuts us down or the small part that’s afraid.
• Five steps to developing mutual empathy: anticipate the other’s feelings, be open to influence, be curious, experience vulnerability, and abandon trying to have power over the another.
• John the Baptist’s harsh warning is an expression of love for the Pharisees.
• Sin is not just about breaking the rules but about severing relationships.

Action Item

Take your list of attachments from last week and write down how they negatively affect relationships.

Pick an important relationship and practice the five steps to mutual empathy.

Write down the successes you’ve achieved.