1st Session- Who am I? & What is the meaning & purpose in life?

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Presented by Martin Jalleh -24th July 2011

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The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

is the process through which interested adults and

older children are gradually introduced to the

Roman Catholic faith and way of life.

It is a process through which an individual

inquires and explores Christianity as a way of life

in the Catholic Church.

Product…ProcessMastery…MysteryInstants…ConstantsRitual…RelationshipReaching…Becoming

Convenience…Commitment

Product…ProcessMastery…MysteryInstants…ConstantsRitual…RelationshipReaching…Becoming

Convenience…Commitment

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious

Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and

revelation, so that you may

know Him better."Ephesians 1:17

Jesus says – “You shall love

the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,

with all your mind and with all your strength,

this is the first commandment.”Mt. 22: 37-38

•Adam: Where Adam: Where are you? are you?

• LOST (a) LOST (a) Sheep (b) Coin Sheep (b) Coin (c) Son(c) Son

Not because of who I am,But because of what

you've done.Not because of what

I've done,But because of

who you are.

How we define ourselves

•What I do•What I have•What people

think of me

• The only way we can really see ourselves

is when we see ourselves reflected back to us from the eyes of someone

who truly loves us.

•But the only one who can reflect back to us the

fullness of our beauty is God,

for we are made in the very image of God.

•This is what we experience when we come to experience God.

How we are defined by God

• Child

• Beloved

• Made in God’s image and likeness

How we are defined by God• Child

• Beloved• Made in God’s image and likeness

• St Augustine of Hippo“The glory of God is the person fully alive.”

There is no deep knowing of God

Apart from knowing of selfAnd no deep knowing

of self,Apart from knowing of God.

John Calvin

All my existence, my peace, my happiness

depends on this – to discover myself in

discovering God.If I find him I find myselfAnd if I find my true self

I find him.Thomas Merton.

"This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!“ Matt 3:17

"This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!“ Matt 3:17

“The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved

from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace...

We must dare to opt consciously for our chosenness and not allow

our emotions, feelings, or passions to seduce us into self-

rejection.”

Henri J. M. Nouwen

“But what I would like to say is that the spiritual life is a life in which you gradually

learn to listen to a voice that says something else, that says, "You are the

beloved and on you my favour rests...

“I want you to hear that voice. It is not a very loud voice

because it is an intimate voice.

It comes from a very deep place.

It is soft and gentle. I want you to gradually

hear that voice.

“We both have to hear that voice and to claim for ourselves

that that voice speaks the truth, our truth.

It tells us who we are. That is where the spiritual life

starts - by claiming the voice that calls us the beloved.” - Henri N.

Cash

Car

Credit

Card

Career Certificate Condom Cyber Savy Chat Room

Club

Coffee BeanCarat ring

Condo

Cool Clothes

Cell-phone

Chic

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We have bigger houses,

and smaller families;more conveniences,

but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense;more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems;more medicine, but less wellness.

We have multiplied

our possessions,but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom

and hate too often.

We have learned how to make a

living, but not how to

live;we have added

years to life,not life to years.

We have been all the way

to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street

to meet the new neighbour.

We have conquered outer space,

but not inner space;we have cleaned up

the air,but polluted the soul;

we have split the atom,

but not our prejudice.

We have higher incomes,

but lower morals;we have become long on quantity,

but short on quality.

These are the times of tall men

and short character;steep profits and

shallow relationships.

These are the times of more leisure,but less fun;more kinds of food but less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes,

but more divorce;of fancier houses but broken homes.

-- Dr Bob Moorehead

"You who have been freed

from the nightmare of

Communist dictatorship,

do not let yourselves be deceived by the false

and dangerous dreams

of consumerism. They also destroy the

future." -- Address in Romania,

May 9, 1999

“…societies where secularism and materialism

have weakened many people's ability to respond to

the Spirit and to discern God's loving call.”

Address to Leaders of CCR, 14 March, 1992

Pope Benedict, World Youth Day,Australia, 2008

“In so many of our societies, side by side withmaterial prosperity,a spiritual desert is spreading –

Pope Benedict, World Youth Day,Australia, 2008

an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair."

"Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.“

"Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.“

Ecclesiastes 1:2

“God, you have made us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless till they find

their rest in you.”St Augustine

"This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!“ Matt 3:17

"This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!“ Matt 3:17

“For in him we live

and move and have

our being.”Acts 17:28

ST PAUL’S JOURNEYMEANING & PURPOSE“...may (you) be able to

comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the

love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled

up to all the fullness of God.”Eph. 2:18-19

Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you: pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we shall see you face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.