Adventures in the Great Mystery is not simply a series of fiction novels, but was designed and created in the hopes that each individual reader would use the books for study and reflection, and that groups would come together to discuss the characters and the issues they struggle with.
Each book comes with discussion questions for four group meetings and, interspersed among the chapters, you’ll find personal reflection questions and footnotes rich with text from Scripture, the Catechism, and other Church documents. You’ll also find stories of characters from all ages, races, and backgrounds struggling with a variety of relevant situations, from vocational decisions to friendships, surviving a stressful day, trusting God, interacting with non-Christians, and personal struggles such as maintaining healthy relationships and building an intimate prayer life. The characters in this series are relatable. They are human, just like us, seeking to deepen their relationships with God and others, just like we are.
Allow Adventures in the Great Mystery to be used during your personal prayer time, or at your next small group study or book club. We have extra discussion questions and a whole curriculum for learning Theology of the Body. For more information on how this series could fit your individual or small group needs, please contact the team. Below is an example of the type of questions you’ll find in the series.
Reflection and Discussion Questions for Book I, Chapter 30:
“He’s going to be sacrificing for me always…That’s what real love is about. That’s what I was praying I would find here at the College of St. Francis. It’s romantic in a different way. It’s the cake that goes under the frosting.”
[She] responded, “I guess you’re right. But I’d sure like to taste some romantic frosting myself sometime.”
“No…don’t just go looking for romance. That was my mistake…it was exceedingly romantic, sweetest frosting I ever tasted, but there was no cake at all. And, well, if all you eat is frosting, you just get sick.”
- What are concrete examples from the story that show sacrificial love? Of these examples, can you do any of them? Consider not just sacrificial love in romance, but also sacrificing for family, friends, your church, and your community. Choose a few to put into practice this week.
- How does the discussion in Chapter 30 strike you? Does it help you to understand what is happening to relationships in your life – either yours or others’? How would you articulate your understanding of healthy relationships to someone else without using religious terminology?
- Can you or your discussion group help to create a culture conducive to healthy relationships? How?
- What are some “cake” characteristics you look for in others? What are some of these characteristics you see in yourself? Likewise, what romantic “frosting” do you look for? Meditate on or explain to the group the balance you can find between the two in yourself and in people in your life.
Adventures in the Great Mystery 