Our next talk takes place on Wednesday 4th February at St Teresa's Church in Beaconsfield (HP9 2PL). The topic is Trauma and Healing - Learning from the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18) and the speaker is Fr Jerome Ituah OCD.
Powerful biblical figures are often remembered primarily for their moments of strength and triumph, a perspective that can unintentionally distance their experiences from our own struggles. This talk revisits the prophet Elijah through a different lens, focusing on 1 Kings 19:1–18, where Elijah appears not as a triumphant hero but as a weary, fearful, and deeply distressed individual. In the aftermath of a great victory, Elijah faces threats, exhaustion, isolation, and despair - experiences that closely mirror what is now recognised as trauma.
Drawing on this passage, the talk clarifies the meaning of trauma and explores how Elijah’s response reflects its realities, including emotional collapse, withdrawal, and loss of purpose. It also examines God’s response to Elijah - marked by presence, patience, restoration, and recommissioning - as a model of healing. Elijah’s journey shows that vulnerability does not negate faith and that healing remains possible even amid profound distress. Through Elijah’s story, we are offered hope that trauma is neither the end of the story nor beyond healing and renewal.
Fr Oseagwina Jerome Ituah is a Discalced Carmelite priest of the Anglo-Irish Province. He is the Sub-Prior of St Joseph’s Carmelite Priory, Gerrards Cross, England and Promoter of Vocations and Young Adult Ministry for the Discalced Carmelites in the UK. He holds a Licentiate in Sacred Scriptures from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome and is currently doing a Doctorate in Biblical Theology at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS TALK LIVE. [link not yet available]
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Our January talk was The One New Man and the Second Coming (Ephesians 2:13-16 and Romans 11:1 & 15) and the speaker was Deacon Brin Dunsire. Click here to watch a recording.
You can register for programme notifications and updates by clicking here. You can watch recordings of all previous Emmaus Talks by clicking here. Please SUBSCRIBE to this channel, which will move us towards a no-commercials channel with enough subscribers.
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Forthcoming talks in this series:
Wednesday 4th March
Spiritual Warfare - The Battle You Can’t See But Must Fight (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Speaker: Dr Maria Heath
April
No Talk - Holy Week
Wednesday 6th May
Gratitude and Contentment - The Secret of a Thankful Heart (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Speaker: Mgr Seán Healy
Wednesday 3rd June
Scripture Based Prayer: Praying as Jesus Taught Us (Matthew 6:9)
Speaker: Deacon Peter Collins
Wednesday 1st July
Calling and Purpose - Discovering God’s Purpose for You! (Jeremiah 29:11)
Speaker: Canon John Udris
A full list of all talks scheduled for 2026 can be found here.
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A series of monthly talks on the Holy Scriptures, looking at their relevance to us in our lives today. An initiative by the South Bucks Pastoral Area under the guidance of Fr Jerome Ituah OCD.
The aim of our sessions is to broaden our knowledge of and to discern the message the Scriptures hold for each of us and their relevance in our daily lives today. Each talk will “stand alone” and will be given by an invited guest speaker. We hope the sessions will offer guidance on reading the Scriptures and a prayerful and reflective time together.
There is no charge for the talks, but donations towards costs will be gratefully accepted. You can make a contribution by cash (donation basket in the church porch), cheque made payable to "Saint Teresa’s Beaconsfield" with "Emmaus Donation" on the reverse, or by bank transfer per details below.
Bank: NatWest
Sort Code: 60-06-11
Account No: 59758481
Account Name: RCDN Beaconsfield Catholic Church
Payment Ref: ParishName Emmaus (for example St Joseph's Emmaus, St Augustine's Emmaus, St Peter's Emmaus, etc)
If any parish prefers to pay by cheque and send through the post, then please address it to:
St Teresa's Parish Office
40 Warwick Rd
Beaconsfield
Buckinghamshire HP9 2PL
Image by Aritha from Pixabay