Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Welcome to the Pilot Edition of the Preacher’s Guide! We hope this tool proves to be a blessing
as you make disciples! This series of teachings is designed to evangelize individuals or
communities over the course of a
year – the talks are organized accordingly. However, teachings can also be pulled and used for
particular retreats or speaking engagements. Make sure to make all of the talks your own and
invite the Holy Spirit to guide you!
This is the Pilot Edition, therefore we look forward to your feedback and input as you become
the first missionaries to field test this resource! Write notes in the margins and fill in the blanks
as you put this tool
to use – make a mess of it and we’ll look for your feedback towards the end of the year. Come
Holy Spirit!
Personal Testimony
“They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11)
Be honest but don’t spend a lot of time going through your sins. Focus rather on what brought you to a
conviction that you needed Jesus.
Don’t blame others or condemn others, explain why YOU needed forgiveness.
You want them to remember God’s work, not simply your hurt.
Establish an example you can come back to in the third section.
2. Decision Point: Where your life changed
Most important part of talk
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:11
Ask these questions:
What circumstances caused you to turn to the Lord?
What did people say or do that caused you to turn to the Lord?
What was the central issue of why you said “yes” or surrendered to the Lord?
Keep in mind that most people want and need to know how to surrender themselves to Jesus. You can
be their example.
3. Present: A picture of where you are now
Strive for balance
Tell the truth - once Jesus touches you, you are not the same.
Try not to portray a before/after effect, or something that would say, “Once you know Jesus, life is
perfect/easy and we have no more problems.”
Helpful phrases:
“That day something began for me...”
“That was the first step for me.”
“I was not the same after that day. I began to...”
Give the listener some concrete differences in your life.
End with a strong conclusion - give a summation.
Offer and invite them to allow Him to change them too. “He can do the same for you.”
I don’t know each of your stories, and you may not be able to relate to the way my life was before I
knew Christ, but we’re all lost without Jesus. Have you trusted in the Lord for your salvation?
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Encourage them reflect on what God has done in their life; how
has He saved them. If nothing comes to mind, invite them to ask Jesus into their life in a new and total
way today.
Scripture: Psalm 107:12; John 8:14; 15; 27
CCC:
Quotes: “Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact
with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit.” Pope
Francis
“True evangelization is personal testimony and only begins when St. Paul’s words become my own: ‘I
live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me’ ” (Galatians. 2:20). Pope
Benedict XVI
God IS Love
Kerygma Talk - 1
God is not some distant being, far away, but is rather someone who loves us and wants to be in a
personal relationship with us. He wants to give us the best life, better than we could ever imagine,
and satisfy our every need.
Satan is our great enemy who seeks to devour and destroy all of God’s
I Peter 5:8 “Be soberminded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.”
John 3:8 “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the
beginning.”
Ultimate Separation from God: Hell
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death
the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments
of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man
can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
Him to destroy in us the life of the world of sin, and to establish His life within us.” St John Eudes
“He who does not acquire the love of God will scarcely persevere in the grace of God, for it is very
difficult to renounce sin merely through fear of chastisement.” St. Alphonsus Liguori
God Sent his Son Jesus to Take Away Our Sin and Bring Us Back to Him
Kerygma Talk - 3
In order to reconcile us to God and free us from sin, God sent His only son Jesus to die on our behalf.
Jesus’ death makes possible our fellowship with God.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Ask them to invite Jesus in a real way tonight into their lives to be
their
Lord and God. Think of how they will submit their lives to Jesus’ authority.
Scripture: Romans 10:11; Romans 6:6; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:1, 2; John 3:9
CCC: 154-155
Quotes:
The Five Point Catechism 1: Overview of All Themes
The 5 point catechism is a collection of touchstones of Catholic spirituality. As missionary disciples, we
should be living all five points. The 5 point catechism can be taught in parts, but here we will be giving
an overview of the whole catechism which can serve as an introduction to the catechism teachings.
“Praying actualizes and deepens our communion with God. Our prayer can and should arise above all
from our heart, from our needs, our hopes, our joys, our sufferings, from our shame over sin, and from
our gratitude from the good. It can and should be a wholly personal prayer.” Pope Benedict
“To pray is to talk to God, but about what? About Him, about yourself; joys, sorrows, successes, and
failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love
and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: to get acquainted.” Saint
Josemaria Escriva
“A good and perfect prayer requires that we forget self, that we be ready to sacrifice all that we are for
God.” Saint Jane Frances de Chantal
“How to pray? This is a simple matter. I would say: Pray any way you like, so long as you do pray.”
John Paul II
God’s Word (Sacred Scripture)
5 Point Catechism - 2
1. Revelation - How do we know about God?
Thirst for God: a mutual desire.
We experience a longing for God.
Only to find that God is already reaching out to us.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Go to confession this week, receive communion and thank God for
His invitation to become one with Him.
Scripture:
CCC: 1066 ff.
Quotes: “I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to
warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after
battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his
blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds,
heal the wounds... And you have to start from the ground up.” Pope Francis
Community
5 Point Catechism - 4
Psalm 133:1 “How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!”
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Pray Jesus’ prayer, asking God to reveal to you where your will
and His differ. Strive this week to live in His will. Recommit to daily prayer and Bible reading.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes: “Holiness is a disposition of the heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God,
aware of our weakness, and confident - in the most audacious way - in His Fatherly goodness.” St.
Therese of the Infant Jesus
“We must have a real living determination to reach holiness. I will be a saint means I will despoil myself
of all that is not God; I will strip my heart of all created things; I will live in poverty and detachment; I will
renounce my will, my inclinations, my whims and fancies, and make myself a willing slave to the will of
God.” Blessed Mother Teresa
Transformation Talk 2: The Cross & Hardships
Objective: To help all of us understand the role of suffering in the Christian Life. To equip the disciples
to take up their crosses and follow Jesus.
Review/ recap – Review last week and ask for testimonies
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Each time your suffer this week try and offer it to Jesus for others.
Scripture: Isaiah 52:3- 53:12.
CCC: 154-155
Quotes: “Faith in sharing in the suffering of Christ brings with it the interior certainty that the suffering
person ‘completes what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions’; the certainty that in the spiritual dimension of
the work of redemption he is serving, like Christ, the salvation of his brothers and sisters. Therefore he
is carrying out an irreplaceable service.” Salvifici Doloris, On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering,
27
“If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that He has great plans for you and certainly wants to
make you a saint.” St. Ignatius Loyola
Transformation Talk 3: Renewing Our Minds in Christ & Discerning God’s Will
Objective- This talk will focus on helping your audience begin to live a life of discernment. It will cover
three basic steps in the discernment process, namely, the recognition of God’s will through 1) Forming
a clear conscience 2) Dying to self and 3) the Peace of Christ.
Review/recap - Review last two talks and solicit testimonies
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Ask God this week what He wants of your life. If possible go to
confession, read the Bible every day at least 15 minute and receive communion.
Scripture: John 1:8; 4:1, Philippians 1: 9-10, Hebrews 5:14.
CCC: 800, 2690, 2847.
Quotes:
Transformation Talk 4: Community Life
Objective: This talk furthers the transformation series asking the audience members to consider their
lives in the Christian community. The talk is very practical and should challenge the listener to change
his/her behavior. The talk is based upon a reading of Romans 12:3-13.
Review/ recap: Review other transformation talks and ask for testimonies.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Choose at least one of the points mentioned and practice it this
week.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes: See above.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Seek out an enemy or some you with whom you have a grievance,
and be reconciled. Ask their forgiveness of tell them you forgive them.
Scripture: Luke 12:58-59.
CCC:
Quotes: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” Martin Luther King Jr.
“Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have. Friends have bound me to earth,
enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.” St. Nikolai
Velimirovich
“No one heals himself by wounding another.” Saint Ambrose
The Great Commission: We are Called to Evangelize!
Objective: This talk is the first of two which are designed to impress upon the listener the importance of
sharing their faith. It is of paramount importance that we use these talks to get the audience sharing
their testimonies.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Invite your audience to consider sharing this message with some
one this week.
Scripture: Romans 10:13-18.
CCC:
Quotes: “We cannot keep to ourselves the words of eternal life given to us in our encounter with Jesus
Christ: they are meant for everyone, for every man and woman...It is our responsibility to pass on what,
by God’s grace, we ourselves have received.” Pope Benedict XVI
“No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all
peoples.” St John Paul II
B. Glory Story
1. What was the problem?
What were you in need of?
What obstacles were you facing?
2. How did Jesus change the situation?
What were the events of this encounter with the Living God?
3. What fruits came form this encounter?
How have things changed because of Him?
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Challenge your listeners to develop a Personal Testimony or Glory
Story to be ready to share with another person.
Scripture: Mark 5:19; Revelation12:11.
CCC: 861; 905.
Quotes: “Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact
with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit.” Pope
Francis
Pentecost: New Life in the Spirit
Objective: Let your audience know that a new life is available to them in recieiving the Holy Spirit and
the New Life He offers.
1. God the Father wants all men to have new life. He sent His Son Jesus into the world so that
we could be given the source of new life, the Holy Spirit.
God is renewing His Church today by a fresh outpouring of His Spirit.
He wants all men to have new life within.
Jesus came to bring us new life.
John 10:10 “I came so that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
If we accept Jesus as Lord; if we accept his lordship, we can experience new freedom and new life.
Jesus wants to forgive all our sins and remove every barrier between us and the Father.
After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to bring us new life
(Acts 1:1-5).
2. Pentecost: when the Holy Spirit comes
READ Acts 2.
The Holy Spirit gives a person an experience of God:
One comes to know God as his Father who loves him and cares for him.
He experiences God’s love and presence in a new way.
He experiences God speaking in his heart, teaching him, guiding him.
He comes to know Jesus as his Lord.
The lordship of Jesus begins to be the basic principle for his way of life.
He can pray in a new way:
His prayer becomes more centered on God, less on himself.
His prayer is more often prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
Many discover that they can pray in tongues; the gift of tongues is a means of spiritual growth.
Prayer the Holy Spirit inspires within us to praise God.
Prayer the Spirit inspires within us when we cannot pray adequately.
The Bible, the liturgy and the sacraments come to life.
The fruit of the Spirit develops within him (love, joy, peace, etc. Galatians 5).
He can receive the special gifts of the Spirit to serve God (prophecy, healing, discernment of spirits,
inspirations to speak I Corinthians 1-2).
3. Full life in the Spirit begins when we are baptized in the Spirit.
When we are baptized in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes to us in such a way that we can experience
his presence and see it change us.
For many of us, baptism in the Holy Spirit is not our first reception of the Holy Spirit, but the release of
his power that already is within us.
Different people see different changes happen to them as a result of being baptized in the Spirit:
Those who have not been Christians will be given a full working of the Spirit, those who have already
experienced something of the Spirit’s presence in their lives can receive all that is lacking. Everyone
can experience a new presence and working of the Spirit.
Those of us who have been Christians will see that our years of Christian living have provided us with
many resources that will be brought to life by the new presence of the Spirit in us.
Everyone, even beginners in the Christian life, can be baptized in the Spirit.
4. Baptism in the Spirit is only the beginning of a new life
With the help of committed Christians as our brothers and sisters, we can grow to spiritual maturity.
We can develop a daily communion and friendship with Christ.
We can experience a new peace and joy, see ourselves being healed, becoming loving people.
We can develop better relationships.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message):
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes:
Gospel Poverty: Living in God’s Providence
Objective – Teach the Gospel message about poverty
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Spend some time this week with a poor friend, family member or
neighbor. Serve one in your community who has less or is in need. Do it knowing you are doing for
Jesus out of love for Him.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes: “To encounter the living God it is necessary to tenderly kiss Jesus’ wounds in our hungry, poor,
sick and incarcerated brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis
Living a Life of Great Sacrifice
Objective - The talk discusses the the relationship between love and sacrifice. It discusses the way to
suffer in the Christian life.
1. The meaning of Sacrifice
“Sacrifice” – The act of giving up, destroying, or permitting injury to, or foregoing something valued for
the sake of something having a more pressing claim.
Great sacrifices, even in movies, art, music, or athletics produce a profound and almost inexplicable
emotional and spiritual response.
We admire those who make great sacrifices.
We honor those who make great sacrifices.
We reward those who make great sacrifices.
We seek to be like those who make great sacrifices.
Why are we so amazed when we witness a great sacrifice for a noble cause, or a personal
relationship?
Answer – Sacrifice is the clearest and greatest evidence of the extent of one’s love and devotion toward
a person, a cause, or a thing.
READ John 15:13
2. How and what we are willing to sacrifice points to Who or what we worship
Sacrifice is like an arrow that points toward who or what we worship (ascribe worth, importance, value
to that thing).
3. Abraham: A man who would sacrifice anything to show his love of God
READ Genesis 22
Ask the audience about the following key elements to the story:
What did God ask of Abraham?
How did Abraham respind?
What was the result and what does it tell us about our Lord?
Summary: God periodically tests the singularity of our devotion through sacrifices.
4. The Teaching of Jesus
READ Luke 14:25-27
Ask the audience about the following key elements to the story:
What was the call of Jesus?
What was the cost of following Him, of being His disciple?
Summary: Jesus demands absolute supremacy in our hearts as a condition for being His disciple.
5. The Teaching of the Apostle Paul
Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
6. What motivates Christians to make great sacrifices?
The sacrifice God requires is “my life” 24/7 surrendered to Him to do His will.
A Christian understands God’s unconditional mercy.
1 Timothy 1:15-16 “This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in
me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would
come to believe in him for everlasting life.”
A deep sense of brokenness over their own sin.
A profound gratitude for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
A realization that Our Love of God attracts His Mercy.
Luke 7:47 “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been
forgiven little loves little.”
An absolute conviction that the rewards for their sacrifice far outweigh the cost.
Mark 10:28-31 “No one who has left home, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or
fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age…and in the
age to come eternal life.”
7. God measures our love/devotion not by the size of our gifts, but by the size of our love in
sacrifice
Luke 21:3 “This poor widow has put in more than all the others.”
8. Some steps in a life of great sacrfifice
Have you surrendered your whole life to Christ as a living and holy sacrifice?
Are you growing in loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?
Evidences might include the following:
Your heart – revealed by your prayer life.
Your mind – renewing your mind with God’s Word.
Your soul – renewed in the Sacraments and Community life.
Your strength – serving in ministry to others.
Conclusion – Sacrifice is merely “love with clothes on.”
“Where there is great love there will always be great sacrifices.” Anonymous
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Offer God little sacrifices this week on behalf of those you love or
those you struggle to love. Offer all your little sacrifices in union with the Holiest Sacrifice of the Mass.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes: “For their work, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their
daily labor, their mental and physical relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life
if patiently borne-all of these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (cf. 1
Peter 2:5). During the celebration of the Eucharist these sacrifices are most lovingly offered to the
Father along with the Lord’s body. Thus as worshipers whose every deed is holy, the lay faithful
consecrate the world itself to God” John Paul II
Prayer Talk 1: The Battle of Prayer
Objective: This talk starts the prayer series. We will have 5 talks on prayer. The most important thing is
to get people praying. This talk focuses on obstacles to a life of prayer.
The saints throughout the ages both before and after Our Lord, and even Our Lord Himself, through
their examples and their words teach us that prayer is a battle.
1. Prayer is a battle
Against the devil.
READ Ephesians 6:10-17.
Against yourself.
The heart itself is but a small vessel, yet dragons are there, and there also are lions; there are
poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. There also are rough and uneven roads; there are
precipices. But there too is God; the angels, the life, and the kingdom; the light and the apostles, the
heavenly cities and the treasures of grace-all things are there...for the Kingdom of God is within you.”
St. Macarius
2. Our prayer life is a reflection of the heart; so our Life in the Spirit grows out of the our life of
prayer
CCC 2725: We pray as we live, because we live as we pray.
The human heart is the arena where we fight for the prize of God’s very life within us.
3. Obstacles to prayer
Erroneous notions of prayer.
Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other
things they have to do: they “don’t have the time.”
God calls us to do everything for His glory.
Col 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.”
Some focus on their past failures or consider God as angry or slow to hear them.
John 3:20 “For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows
everything.”
James 1:5 “[One] should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given
it.”
We need to pray with confidence and humility.
James 4:6 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
James 1:6 “But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.”
See also Jesus’ parable The Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14).
4. Difficulties in prayer
Distraction. Distractions reveal to us what we are attached to. Keeping this in mind, it may help to pray
into the distraction. Ex: If you are distracted about an upcoming meeting you can use the distraction to
pray for the people in the meeting, for other people who are having meeting today, or even to simply
confess your distraction to God “Jesus I am very distracted right now because of …, please help me to
love You enough to let this go.”
All that is necessary is to turn back to God and beg for His mercy. Don’t try to fight the distraction.
Dryness.
CCC 2731 When the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings,
even spiritual ones.
Antidote = faith. CCC 2731 calls dryness the moment of sheer faith clinging faithfully to Jesus in His
agony and in His tomb.
Dryness (unless brought on by failure) is an opportunity to grow in faith.
Lack of persistence.
Parable of The Importunate Friend (READ Luke 11:5-13).
Lack of faith.
“All difficulties in prayer have just one cause: praying as though God were not there.” Teresa of Avila
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Gain an indulgence for you or your loved one as Pope Benedict
XVI encouraged in Verbum Domini 87.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes: “When we take up the sacred Scriptures in faith and read them with the Church, we walk once
more with God in the Garden.” Saint Ambrose
Pope Benedict writes in VD 87: “The practice of indulgences implies the doctrine of the infinite merits of
Christ – which the Church, as the minister of the redemption, dispenses and applies, but it also implies
that of the communion of saints, and it teaches us that “to whatever degree we are united in Christ, we
are united to one another, and the supernatural life of each one can be useful for the others” From this
standpoint, the reading of the word of God sustains us on our journey of penance and conversion,
enables us to deepen our sense of belonging to the Church, and helps us to grow in familiarity with
God.”
Prayer Talk 3: Praise and Thanksgiving
Objective - To define and explain the importance of praise and thanksgiving.
Review/ recap - Review other themes and testimonies.
READ Philippians 4: 4-9
1. What is praise?
God is God.
God for His own sake.
Because HE IS.
Praise is a testimony that we are children of God
Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
Praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them toward him who is its source and goal: the
“one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist.” CCC 2639
Praise is disinterested, wholly devoted to God.
Praise is detached from what He has done and is focused rather on who HE IS.
2. Praise in the Judeo-Christian Tradition
The Psalms is a book of Christian Praise.
The book of Revelation shows the praise of God in heaven.
Revelation 19:1 “After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, ‘Praise the
LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.’”
The angels closest to God, the Serafim, are seen crying out “holy holy holy”
Isaiah 6:3 “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is
full of his glory!’”
3. What is thanksgiving? CCC 2638
Every event and need acquired is an occasion to give thanks.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ
Jesus.”
(See also Col 4:2)
Pray always with thanksgiving.
4. Praise and thanksgiving in worshipful song
How do we praise and thank God in worship?
Singing and making music from the heart. (Ephesians 5:18)
Clapping and dancing. (Psalm 47:1; Psalm 149:3)
Delighting in the Lord. (Psalm 37:4)
Sing with fervor, raise your hands, stand up or kneel regardless of how you feel. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
We praise and worship detached from our petitions focusing on who He is.
Complaining and grumbling weaken your praise and thanksgiving.
James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not
be.”
When you have unholy thoughts renounce them and give them over to Jesus. Choose to act in spite of
how you feel or perceive things.
Call out to Him to open your heart and mouth.
Psalm 51:15 “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.”
Use the Bible - memorize scripture and say it in worship.
Command Satan to be gone in the name of Jesus.
Prepare yourself to encounter the Living God. Consider that He is present and you are doing all for Him
because of how much you love Him.
5. Our Lives are Prayer (Psalm 146:2)
Let your greatest praise be your choice to live for Him, in Him.
Let your greatest thanksgiving be a joyful reception of whatever He calls you to do.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message):
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes:
Prayer Talk 4: Intercession
Objective - In this talk we discuss the importance of intercessory prayer in the life of a believer as well
as potential problems an intercessor might face.
Review/ recap - Review other prayer talks as well as testimonies from last week.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Write it down. Keep a journal of requests and results. This will
strengthen your faith as you see God work in your intercessions. It will also alllow us to see His action
and where it differed from what we wanted. We can begin to make His will our own.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes:
1. God has placed in our hearts such an infinite desire for happiness that nothing can satisfy it
but God himself.
All earthly fulfillment gives us only a foretaste of eternal happiness.
We were made for the beatific vision, to see God face to face in an embrace of utter happiness and joy.
2. The Beatitudes and their message
READ Matthew 5:3-12.
The beatitudes teach us that all true happiness is found in God alone.
They show us the true face of Jesus, eg. He was poor in spirit, He experienced hunger, He was meek,
etc.
They express the calling of all the faithful.
3. The Paradoxes of the Beatitudes
Poverty for the Kingdom.
“To will all that God wills, and always to will it, on all occasions and without reservations, is the kingdom
of God that is completely within.” Fénelon
Tribulation and mourning for His comfort.
Meekness to inherit the earth (not by violence).
The Beatitudes point us to heaven.
They are the goal of human existence.
The ultimate end of all human acts.
They are the vision of God.
“‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ It is true, because of the greatness and
inexpressible glory of God, that ‘man shall not see me and live,’ for the Father cannot be grasped. But
because of God’s love and goodness toward us, and because he can do all things, he goes so far as to
grant those who love him the privilege of seeing him...For ‘what is impossible for men is possible for
God’.” St Ireneaus
The Beatitudes confront us with difficult moral choices - God or world?
Youcat 285: “God would like us to decide in favor of happiness; we should choose God freely, love him
above all things, do good and avoid evil insofar as we are able.”
Our true happiness is not found here in this world but with Him.
God alone is the source of every good and all love.
Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Let’s spend some time right now calling upon the name of Jesus!
Take time this week to speak the name of Jesus in conversations and call on His name in your needs.
Scripture:
CCC: 430-435.
Quotes: