LIFE IS A JOURNEY
Lord Jesus,
In your love bless us with your patience and be with us as, together,
we begin a new chapter of our journey in faith.
We ask for the support of your Holy Spirit as we talk about our faith and seek to grow in it.
May we listen and be obedient to your call to follow you in our lives.
Amen
As we go through life we discover.
As we go through life we grow.
We gradually discover who we are, what our strengths and weaknesses are.
Through contact with the world around us and relationships with others we grow in understanding and appreciation of God's creation and of one another.
Life is a journey with
Jesus Jesus calls us to follow him, so we can grow fully into our own unique creation and, one day, come to the Father in heaven. We do not walk alone. Jesus shows us the way.
The Holy Spirit helps us to keep on the right path.
Prayer, Scripture, Sacraments
How can I get to know Jesus?
We meet Jesus in one another,
In scripture ,
In prayer,
In the sacraments.
Scripture
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
In the way Jesus lived, and in the things he taught, we find our
sense of direction.
Patience, kindness, gentleness, honesty, simplicity, fellowship, generosity, desire to heal/to free others and to make them whole, speaking truth to power, empathising with those who suffer, those who are despised and cast out, fierce opposition to hypocrisy, sadness at others' hardness of heart, appeal to the Father for the forgiveness of violent and sinful men.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
Christians are distinguished by the spirit of love. We are called to serve one another out of love for God and for the other person, as someone made uniquely in His image. When I am in the presence of another I am in the presence of God; and when I am in the presence of God, I can't put myself first.
A selfless heart is very ready to love.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. " Matthew 16:24-26
The supreme act of selflessness: Jesus goes to the cross. Christians are called to follow him in living an unselfish life that looks always to the will of the Father; acts always in obedience to the call of love. When we really love someone we are ready to make sacrifices for them.
Real love will always take you to the cross.
Prayer
This is the prayer Jesus taught us:
Our Father
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
"This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to
him."
Give us this day our daily bread
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:7-8
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
Pride
But deliver us from evil.
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'
But deliver us from evil.
Freedom is what we have--Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.Galatians 5:1
SACRAMENTS
Dear Lord,
Be with us, we pray, as we think about the holy sacraments of your church.
Help us to understand how, in the sacraments, your love is always available to strengthen, support and change us as we try to walk in the light of your way of love and service.
Amen
Jesus communicates his saving love to us.
Through word, action and materials the saving love of Jesus is made present in our lives.
Sacraments channel grace into our lives.
Grace is God's free and unmerited* favour – his saving love comes to us to strengthen and support us on our journey to heaven.
We could call grace
the saving Love of God
active in our lives.
*His love is given freely. We can do nothing to deserve it.
There are Seven
Sacraments
The sacraments accompany us on different stages of our life journey.
Baptism
Confirmation
Holy Communion
Reconciliation
Marriage
Holy Orders
Anointing of The Sick
In this course we do not have time to deal in detail with
Marriage
Holy Orders
Anointing of The Sick
As you know, the sacrament of marriage joins one man and one woman in loving union so that they can care for each other, grow together in God's love and bring children up in the Catholic faith.
In Holy Orders a bishop consecrates a man as a priest to serve God's people in their pastoral care and administration of the sacraments.
The anointing of the sick is for the comfort of those who are sick and is part of the preparation of those who are dying, for their last journey, to heaven.
Sacraments of Initiation
The first three sacraments are called "sacraments of initiation".
Baptism
Confirmation
Holy Communion
These sacraments, says the catechism, "lay the foundations of every Christian life".
"The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the
Eucharist the food of eternal life. "
Baptism – Becoming Family.
Baptism is the door we walk through into the church, the gateway to life in the Spirit, our access to all the other sacraments.
We become sons and daughters of the Father and members of Christ. We are family.
Through water and the Word we are made new, children of the Kingdom of God.
Water cleanses and gives life, washes and refreshes.
The Word brings all things into being, as at the creation, when the word of God created all that is.
In baptism we are cleansed of original sin, born again and we begin our journey with Jesus to the Father.
We are born not to stay as infants, but to grow.
CONFIRMATION
By the sacrament of Confirmation, [we] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence [we]are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed. Catholic catechism #1285
It is the special strength of the Holy Spirit that we receive in confirmation which helps us to live our Christian lives as fully and honestly as we can and to spread the gospel by example.
CONFIRMATION NAMES AND SPONSORS
CONFIRMATION
A practical note: You need to have a sponsor for your confirmation. They should be a confirmed and practising Catholic. At your confirmation they will stand behind you and place their right hand on your right shoulder, as the bishop confirms you.
You need to choose a confirmation name. The name of a saint who inspires you might be a good idea, or perhaps the Christian name of someone you know and love who is an inspiration to you.
CONFIRMATION - "Be sealed with the Holy Spirit".
At your Confirmation, the bishop will anoint you with the Oil of Chrism on your forehead, saying the words,
"Be sealed with the gift of the Holy
Spirit."
You say, "Amen," in agreement with him.
Confirmation –Alive in The
Holy Spirit
At confirmation we receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
1. Wisdom
2. Understanding
3. Counsel (Right Judgement)
4. Fortitude (Courage)
5. Knowledge
6. Piety (reverence)
7. Awe of God
CONFIRMATION - Wisdom
We see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. It informs matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image of God. We see God as our Father and other people with dignity. Lastly, its about being able to see God in everyone and everything everywhere.
CONFIRMATION - Understanding
In understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live.
The gift of understanding perfects a person's use of thinking to search out the truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known – for instance, we clearly understand that it is wrong to kill.
CONFRIMATION - Counsel
Sometimes called, right judgement, with the gift of counsel we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right.
A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.
CONFIRMATION - Fortitude
With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ.
A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.
The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil. It is spiritual staying-power.
CONFIRMATION - Knowledge
This is different from counsel and wisdom. In a limited way, knowledge allows us to see our lives the way that God sees them.
Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can come to know God's purpose for our lives and seek to become the people he intends us to be and live in a way that is in keeping with who we are called to be.
CONFIRMATION– Piety (reverence)
With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the church.
A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift through which the Holy Spirit's inspires us to worship God as our Father and to behave faithfully to him.
CONFIRMATION – Awe (Fear of
the Lord)
This is like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a fear of punishment. It is awareness that God is all-powerful.
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it reminds us that we are the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator.
With the gift of awe of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Thomas Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God.
Be with us, Lord, as together we think of your love which heals and strengthens us in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.
Help us to open our hearts to you, ready to let your light shine on any darkness within us, helping us to prepare for reconciliation with you.
May we learn to rejoice in your incredible love for us, which we celebrate together in the Holy Eucharist. Give us a real desire for to live life in the power and joy of your Holy Spirit, so we may praise you in all we do.
Amen
HOLY COMMUNION
Eucharist is thanksgiving – thanksgiving for Jesus who suffered, died and rose again for us.
We celebrate together His love for us and our love for one another.
When we come to Mass (the Eucharist)
we hear the word of God in scripture,
hear the message of the gospel preached,
and we receive Jesus, Our Lord, in Holy
Communion.
We believe that when the priest consecrates the bread and wine it becomes the Living Presence of Christ, his body and blood.
The Eucharist is a love feast to help us to live lives of Christian love.
We receive Jesus as the Living Bread; the food that keeps us for eternal life – food for our journey towards heaven.
RECONCILIATION
Grown-ups face choices and sometimes we make the wrong ones.
We don't always get it right and sometimes we get it wrong enough for it to be called "sin".
Sin, essentially, is settling for being less than we could be:
Selfish, when we could have been generous;
Cruel, when we could have been kind;
Greedy, when we could have shared;
Angry, when we could have forgiven.
Reconciliation
In this sacrament we confess our sin and receive God's forgiveness and healing love through absolution. Our Father wants to forgive us through the healing love of Jesus.
The priest is there to represent Jesus, listening to us and conveying to us the Healing Love of Jesus.
After absolution, once again,
nothing stands between us and God.
COMMITTED TO CHRISTConfirmation equips us for living a life committed to Christ and the service of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit, living in us, strengthens and inspires us as we try to live the life of a true follower of Jesus – a life that is characterized by dedication to love, mercy, truth, justice and peace.
