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“I am not ashamed of the gospel.

It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who


believes”
- Romans 1:16 -

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)

Guidelines for Developing a Mission Testimony


What is a testimony?
An account of a specific saving action of the Lord in your life.
[Jesus] said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and
how he has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19
Not the story of your life or a list of your sins
An account that personalizes the Gospel, helping others understand that God is at work TODAY in our
lives.
“Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.” 1 John 5:10
In a personal testimony your life becomes the living pages of the Gospel.
Make God the main character. Let your testimony magnify and glorify Him.
Focus on what He has done in your life.
The Three Part Testimony
Before you begin to craft your testimony, pray for direction. Don’t rush. Let the Holy Spirit reveal what
He wants you to say.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds
from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” John 15:26
1. Before: A picture of where you were
Name
Hometown
Avoid too many details as they can detract from your story and glorify sin.
Explain what brought you to the realization of your need of a Savior.
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter
3:15

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.

1. God made you. In love, He created you to share in His life.


“In the beginning…” (Gen 1:27-31) You were made in His image!
God made us to KNOW Him (Gen 1:27-31)
God made us for COMMUNION and RELATIONSHIP with Himself and with one another (Gen 1:28)
God created all things perfect and without blemish (Gen 1:31)
Ps:139 - Matthew 10:29-31 - Jeremiah 1:4-5 - Isaiah 43:4
2. God loves you! He will never stop loving you! He invites you into an EXCHANGE of love.
CCC 221 (Unless the context is appropriate, DO NOT read this aloud from the catechism or reference
the catechism at all. In any case, you may share this truth without quoting aloud the catechism.)
An exchange of love signifies that love must be shared - it gives new life.
3. God wants to fulfill your life to the fullest! He has great plans for your life. God wants to bless
you, not harm you.
“For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord…” (Jer 29:11)

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture: Genesis 1-3; Zephaniah 3:17; 1 Peter 5:6-7; 1 John 3:1; 4:8,16 Jeramiah 31:3.
CCC: 218-221; 279-324.
Quotes: “Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.” St.
Augustine of Hippo
“Don’t you long to shout to those youths who are bustling around you: Fools! Leave those worldly
things that shackle the heart - and very often degrade it - leave all that and come with us in search of
Love!” St. Josemaria Escriva
Sin Separates Us From God
Kerygma Talk - 2
All of us have sinned. These sins separate us from God, our greatest love and good.

1. The Fall of Mankind (Gen 3)


“So she took some of its fruit and ate it...” (Gen 3:6)
“God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. . . It was through the devil’s
envy that death entered the world.” (Wis 1:13; 2:24)
2. The Reality of Sin
CCC 386: Sin is present in human history; any attempt to ignore it or to give this dark reality other
names would be futile. To try to understand what sin is, one must first recognize the profound relation of
man to God, for only in this relationship is the evil of sin unmasked in its true identity as humanity’s
rejection of God and opposition to him, even as it continues to weigh heavily on human life and history.
3. What is Sin?
Sin is disobedience and lack of trust in God’s goodness (CCC 397).
397 Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom,
disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of.
278 All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.
All men are implicated in Adam’s sin (CCC 402).
Romans 5:12 “Just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus
death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned.”
Due to the fall of mankind from its original position in a loving relationship with God, we experience
brokenness:
Between us and God (Spiritual)
Genesis 3:10 “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
All men are separated from God because of the original sin of our first parents (Isaiah 59:2).
Not only their sin but also our own sins have separated us from God (Romans 3:23).
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). All men must die because of sin.
Within ourselves (psychological).
Romans 7:22-24 “For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another
principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?”
Because of sin we cannot live as children of God, we cannot love God as we ought.
Between us and others (social).
Gen 3:16 “Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
Because of sin we cannot live in true peace with our fellow man.
CCC 390 Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the
original fault freely committed by our first parents.
Between us and nature (ecological).
Gen 3:17-19 “Cursed is the ground because of you! In toil you shall eat its yield all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field. By the sweat of your
brow you shall eat bread.”
The Reality of Satan
391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which
made them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen
angel, called “Satan” or the “devil.” The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by
God: “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became
evil by their own doing.”

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.

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture: Genesis 3; Romans 3, 5, 7.
CCC: 385-421.
Quotes: “Let us therefore give ourselves to God with a great desire to begin to live thus, and beg

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.

1. In spite of our sin, God is FORGIVING


“But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners...” (Romans 5:8)
Jesus illustrates the forgiving nature of God in the story of the Prodigal Son
Read Luke 15:11-32
God loves us so much that He sent His Son to stand in our place.
“He Himself bore our sins in His body upon the cross.” (I Pet 2:24a)
Jesus was God’s perfect son free from all sin. (1 John 3:5)
2. But that’s not all: the Son loved you so much that He FREELY offered His life in our place
“Our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to
the will of our God and Father.” (Galatians 1:4)
CCC 607 states that Jesus’ passion to redeem us was the very reason for the Incarnation.
3. Jesus’ death makes it possible for us to be accepted back in God’s FAMILY
CCC 616
In other words, just as Adam’s sin affected all humans born from his blood, so too Christ, because of
the uniqueness of His person, was able pass on His new life to all those born of His blood.
A. - Romans 5:1819 - Romans 5:21
Jesus’ death is our only way to new life. His wounds are our medicine, our healing.
B. - 1 Pet 2:24
Membership in God’s family is offered to all through the cross of Christ. It is a free gift. (Eph 2:8)
As we proclaim at Evening Prayer during Holy Week, “Hail, O Cross, our only hope.”

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture: Romans 3, 5: Eph 2:8
CCC:
Quotes: “Jesus, with His Cross, walks with us and takes upon Himself our fears, our problems, and our
sufferings, even those which are deepest and most painful. With the Cross, Jesus unites Himself to the
silence of the victims of violence, those who can no longer cry out, especially the innocent and the
defenseless.” Pope Francis
“The Cross of Christ bears the suffering and the sin of mankind, including our own. Jesus accepts all
this with open arms, bearing on His shoulders our crosses and saying to us: ‘Have courage! You do not
carry your cross alone! I carry it with you. I have overcome death and I have come to give you hope, to
give you life’ (John 3:16).” Pope Francis
“There is no cross, big or small, in our life, which the Lord does not share with us.” Pope Francis
Jesus Christ in the Life of a Believer
Kerygma Talk - 4
Objective: Here is where we explain the need for a response and invite the audience to receive Jesus
into their lives.
1. The Call to Conversion
Jesus began His public ministry with the call to repentance and conversion.
Mark 1:15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel.”
Matthew 4:17 “From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.’”
Conversion is turning away from evil and turning towards God.
“The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart. Conversion is first of all a
work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him...” (CCC 1432)
God’s call invites our response.
God offers to humanity this newness of life.
We are free to choose Jesus or to reject Him.
“God created us without us, but He did not will to save without us.” St. Augustine
2. Our Response
We need to acknowledge our sins.
“Who ever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.” John 4:15
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from
the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
We must “go and sin no more.” John 8:11
We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (Share a personal experience of a time when you
entrusted yourself to Jesus.)
“So that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Believing in Jesus means accepting Him as Lord of our life, living no longer for ourselves but for Him.
We receive the new life He offers through baptism.
“Not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of His mercy, He saved us through the
bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and
Spirit.” John 3:5
“We were indeed buried with Him through baptism into death, so that we too might live in newness of
life.” Romans 6:4
We do it because Jesus said to do it.
“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...” Matthew 28:19
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…” Mark 16:16
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you…” Acts 2:38
The New Life we receive is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the “down payment” on eternal life. (We will discuss the Holy Spirit more in the next
talk.)

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.

What is the 5 Point Catechism?


1. Prayer
Prayer is a gift from God. (CCC 2558-2559)
Humility and trust is its foundation.
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven
and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6
Prayer draws us closer to Jesus, who calls us to lives of ongoing conversion.
“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily
and follow me’.” Luke 9:23
We imitate Christ in all things, including His devotion to prayer.
“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded
place, and was praying there.” Mark 1:35
Prayer is the basis for all life in Christ. Without prayer we cannot have life in Jesus.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
2. God’s Word
The Bible should always be on our lips and in our hearts.
“Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.” Proverbs 4:21
We need to reflect daily on God’s Word.
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2
God’s Word gives us direction in our life. It provides the answers we need to live a complete life in
Christ.
“Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
3. Sacraments
Our entire community life in Christ revolves around the celebration of the Eucharist.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and the prayers.” Acts 2:42
Jesus gives us His life in the sacraments. Sacraments are “powers that come forth” from the Body of
Christ, which is ever living and life giving. (CCC 1116)
“We were indeed buried with Him through baptism into death, so that we too might live in newness of
life.” Romans 6:4
We should receive sacraments as often as possible.
CCC 1389
4. Community
Jesus’ most earnest prayer for His disciples and for us is that we be one.
“That they may be one even as we are one.” John 17:22
We rejoice in our diversity as an aid to unity.
1 Corinthians 12:15-19
We should treat all people with kindness and respect.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” -
Ephesians 4:32
We should seek to understand before seeking to be understood.
If necessary, we give charitable correction in order to help guide our brothers and sisters along the path
of freedom in Christ.
“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” Proverbs 18:2
5. Service
Jesus is our example, who came to serve and not to be served.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for
many.” Mark 10:45
Our true joy is found in pouring ourselves out in service to one another.
“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in
the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
We should serve in our local churches and communities with cheerful and generous hearts
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23
We should strive to find out the needs of others and meet those needs.
Ephesians 6:6

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture:
CCC: 2558-2565; 1113-1134.
Quotes: “Prayer gives us strength for great ideals, for keeping up our faith, charity, purity, generosity.
Prayer gives us light by which to see and to judge from God’s perspective and from eternity.” Pope
John Paul II
“They are centered on the Word of God and at the same time are justified and sustained by it.” Pope
Benedict XVI
Prayer
5 Point Catechism - 1
1. What is Prayer?
The raising of one’s mind and heart to God.
The requesting of good things from God.
A turning of the heart toward God.
Our relationship with God.
A seeking after God, who wants to be found.
2. Acts 17:27 “Though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For ‘in him we live and move and have
our being’.”
3. Where does prayer come from?
Prayer is a call from God - God wants to know you, and He wants you to get to know Him in prayer.
Jeremiah 33:3 “I will tell you great things beyond the reach of your knowledge.”
“Out of the depths of a humble and contrite heart”
Humility is the foundation of prayer (CCC 2959).
James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Contrition attracts God’s favor and prepares the heart for an encounter with Him.
Isaiah 66:2 “this is the one to whom I will look…” - Psalm 43:18 “The LORD is near unto those…”
Our Heart
Our hidden center - Place of decision - Place of encounter
If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain. (CCC 2562)
4. Prayer draws us closer to Jesus
Psalm 37:4 “Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart’s desire.”
James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
We should pray daily, continually. Our lives should be prayers in constant
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Romans 12:12 “Be constant in prayer.”Ephesians 6:18 “ Praying at all times…”
5. In prayer we receive the strength to live for Jesus
2 Thessalonians 1:11 “To this end, we always pray for you...”
6. You learn to pray by praying
“Prayer is a gift one obtains through prayer.” CCC
“Prayer is turning the heart towards God. When a person prays, he enters into a living relationship with
God.” YOUCAT 469

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture:
CCC: 2558-2565
Quotes: “Prayer gives us strength for great ideals, for keeping up our faith, charity, purity, generosity;
prayer gives us strength to rise up from indifference and guilt, if we have had the misfortune to give in
to temptation and weakness. Prayer gives us light by which to see and to judge from God’s perspective
and from eternity. That is why you must not give up on praying!” Pope John Paul II

“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.

Revelation: God tell us about himself.


Divine Revelation.
Definition/meaning.
Scripture is the inspired record of God’s Revelation in history.
2. A relationship with Sacred Scripture – Why is it important to read God’s Word?
If we truly desire to know God, we MUST have a relationship with Sacred Scripture.
Jesus is the WORD INCARNATE - John 1:14
The Word is LIVING and ACTIVE - Hebrews 4:12
If we want to love God, we MUST have a relationship with Sacred Scripture.
“If a man loves me, he will KEEP MY WORD” – John 14:23
If we want to follow God, we MUST have a relationship with Sacred Scripture.
“If you continue in my word, you are TRULY MY DISCIPLES” – John 8:31-32
God’s Word is food that eternally satisfies.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew
4:4
3. How to read God’s Word – Where do I begin?
Start with the Gospels.
Pray with God’s Word.
Study God’s Word.

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5, 29:11-14; Isaiah 49:16; John 1:1, 8:25-30; 2 Timothy 3:16; Exodus 3:13-15;
Matthew 16:13-20; Hebrews 1:1-2; Romans 15:4; Luke 8:11; Isaiah 55:11; John 17:17 Psalm 107:20.
CCC: 27-35; 51-53; 65-67; 74-95; 101 & 104; 108
Quotes: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” – St. Jerome
“If your Bible is falling apart, it is probably a good indicator that your life is not” - Unknown
Sacraments
5 Point Catechism – 3
Objective: In this talk we want to stress that the Church and Her members are the Body of Christ. As
such we partake of the sacraments as a way to deeper our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is calling all
people to Himself. He offers Himself in a special way in the 7 sacraments.
Review/ recap: Review the other two points and ask for testimonies.

1. The New Evangelization


Through the ministry of the Church, Jesus continues to call all people to himself.
The Church calls us to a “New Evangelization.”
The “newness” of Evangelization is a call to Catholics to reignite their fervor and enthusiasm, to a
greater practice of the faith.
The New Evangelization is a call to each person to deepen his or her own faith, have confidence in the
Gospel, and to possess a willingness to share the Gospel.
The New Evangelization provides the lens through which people experience the Church and the world
around them.
“It is important always to know that the first word, the true initiative, the true activity comes from God
and only by inserting ourselves into the divine initiative, only begging for this divine initiative, shall we
too be able to become - with him and in him - evangelizers”. Pope Benedict XVI
2. The New Evangelization invites people to experience God’s love and mercy through the
sacraments.
Sacraments are sacred symbols, which when received in faith, are encounters with God: Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
Sacraments help us to celebrate and to be conscious of a God who is always present to us.
They are visible signs of an invisible grace.
Sacraments put flesh on God and helps in the formation of the community into the people of God, the
Church.
3. The Sacraments equip us to evangelize.
Baptism (READ ROMANS 6:4-6)
Baptism makes us “members of one another.”
Baptism requires us to reject sin and change our lives.
It frees us from the hold of Original Sin.
In Baptism, we “put on Christ”.
We are baptized into the priestly, prophetic and kingly ministry of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
The Eucharist
“The source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium 11; CCC 1324)
The Eucharist draws each of us closer to Christ as individuals, but also as a community.
The Eucharist is truly the Body of Christ.
Luke 22: 19 “This is my body, which is given for you.”
The Eucharist is our “food for the journey.”
John 6: 55-56 “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks
my blood remains in me and I in him.”
Sacrament of Penance
We are called to examine our consciences and admit our failings.
John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”
In repentance we return our hearts to God.
Anointing of the Sick
A sacrament of God’s healing and forgiveness.
We can seek out for those gravely ill or near death.
Marriage
Provides the foundation for family and the formation of “new citizens of human society.”
This sacrament conveys real grace into relationships for living together in a holy way and loving one
another.
Holy Orders
Equips men for mission and service, to be builders of community, proclaimers of the Word, and
advocates for the poor.
Jesus left His flock with shepherds and pastors.
4. Obstacles to reception of and benefits from the Sacraments
Does it seem that some people lack any benefit from receiving Sacraments? Why? (Ask your audience
what they think.)
Many of our brothers and sisters have drifted away from the Church.
Others attend Mass, but feel little connection to community life (mention that we will be discussing this
in our next talk).
Some are simply uninformed, or have not really been evangelized. They lack a true relationship with
Christ.
Moral failings and our sins also keep people away from the sacraments, or prevent them from being
effective in their lives.
We have been wounded by sin and need Mother Church to reach out to us.
“The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the
church must be ministers of mercy above all.” Pope Francis
5. The Sacraments call us to be forgivers, peacemakers, evangelizers
Baptism reveals the equality and dignity of each member of the community; it makes us one.
The Spirit moves us to imitate the love and service of Christ and the saints.
Having received the undeserved gift of forgiveness, we are called to extend the same forgiveness and
mercy to others.
The vows of marriage and holy orders free us for sacrifice and self gift.
All the sacraments equip us to be evangelizers. All are called.
“Each individual must stand before the world as a witness to the resurrection and life of the Lord Jesus
and a symbol of the living God.” Lumen Gentium 38

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!”

1. Why is community important?


Jesus calls us to be one.
John 17: 20-23
2. God is a community of persons. We are called to be like God
Ephesians 5:1 “So try to be like God, because you are his own dear children.”
3. God is Love. Love is revealed in relationship.
John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
God is glorified in our Unity.
Romans 15:5-6
4. Unity is Powerful.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
5. How do we foster and maintain community?
Frequent and fervent prayer together and for one another
Acts 2:46-47 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their
homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Outdo one another in service.
John 13: 12-15 “So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table
again, he said to them, ‘Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me “teacher” and “master,”
and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you
ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you,
you should also do.’”
6. Submit to authority
Titus 3:1 “Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be
open to every good enterprise.”
Resolving conflicts.
7. Love covers a multitude of sins
I Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Seek to understand before being understood.
“Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted. To understand, than to be
understood. To love, than to be loved.” Saint Francis Prayer
Ask for forgiveness from both God and the person you may have offended.
Matthew 5:23-25 “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything
against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then
come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.”
8. No Gossiping
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building
up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Communicate with others instead of holding it in.
James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to
anger.”
Proverbs 28:23 “In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery.”
Orthopraxy (Living the Message):
Scripture: Leviticus 26:8.
CCC:
Quotes: “Gossip can also kill, because it kills the reputation of the person! It is so terrible to gossip! At
first it may seem like a nice thing, even amusing, like enjoying a candy. But in the end, it fills the heart
with bitterness, and even poisons us.” Pope Francis
“The Church is born from God’s wish to call all people to communion with him, to friendship with him,
indeed, to share in his own divine life as his sons and daughters. The very word ‘Church’, means
‘convocation’: God convokes us, he impels us to come out of our individualism, from our tendency to
close ourselves into ourselves, and he calls us to belong to his family.” Pope Francis
“The image of a body does not imply that the believer is simply one part of an anonymous whole, a
mere cog in great machine; rather, it brings out the vital union of Christ with believers, and of believers
among themselves.” cf. Romans 12:4-5
Christians are “one” (cf. Galatians 3:28), yet in a way which does not make them lose their individuality;
in service to others, they come into their own in the highest degree.” Pope Francis

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi


Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace!
That where there is hatred, I may bring love.
That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.
That where there is discord, I may bring harmony.
That where there is error, I may bring truth.
That where there is doubt, I may bring faith.
That where there is despair, I may bring hope.
That where there are shadows, I may bring light.
That where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted.
To understand, than to be understood.
To love, than to be loved.
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life.
—Saint Francis of Assisi—
Service
5 Point Catechism - 5

1. Service gives life to our faith; Faith without service is dead


James 2:14-17 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, 16 and
one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the
necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
CCC 1816 Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation.
Jesus did not come to earth just to preach. He preached, but he also acted and glorified his heavenly
Father by works of service.
John 17:4 “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.”
We must be imitators of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1 “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”
We must act and serve as He did in love so that all may glorify God.
Matthew. 5:16 “Let your light shine before all men. That they may see your good works and glorify your
Father in heaven.”
2. Service is INDISPENSABLE to our new life in Jesus Christ
Service in the Christian life cannot exist without LOVE, and Love does not exist without service.
St. Gregory the Great “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things, but
when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist!”
Council of Trent, Preface 10 “The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the
love that never ends so that anyone can see that all [our] works spring from love and have no other
object than to arrive at Love.”
Service could be seen as a Stairway to Heaven consisting of various steps:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Lk. 6:13 “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Love your neighbor as yourself. This is the most basic rule of the Christian life.
Lev. 19:18 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Quoted 7 times in New Testament.)
3. The Works of Mercy
Read Matthew. 25:31-46
Corporal Works of Mercy:
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Ransom the captive
Bury the dead
Spiritual Works of Mercy:
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Admonish the sinners
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive offenses willingly
Comfort the afflicted
“What does love look like? It has hands to help others, it has feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It
has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.” St. Augustine of
Hippo
“You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just
so, you learn to love by loving...” St. Francis de Sales
Offer Yourself
Read John 15:8-13
Die to self.
“We love to the degree that we are willing to suffer.” Servant of God, Fr. John Hardon
“For love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt-- it must empty us self.” Mother Teresa
Endure hardships.

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture: Matthew 7:12
CCC: 1816; 2447
Quotes: “I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect
thing to do, and forget self. I understood too that there are many degrees of perfection, to do as little or
much for Him, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking, and I cried out ‘My God I choose ALL’.”
Venerable Mary of Agreda
“There is no place for selfishness—and no place for fear! Do not be afraid then, when love makes
demands. Do not be afraid when love requires sacrifice.” Saint John Paul II
“What is the mark of love for your neighbor? Not to seek what is for your own benefit, but what is for
the benefit of the one loved, both in body and soul.” St. Basil the Great
Transformation Talk 1: Holiness
Objective: This talk begins a series of talks on transformation. In these talks we are encouraging our
audience members to allow Jesus to change them into what He desires of them.

READ ROMANS 12:1-2


1. What does it mean to be Holy?
Set apart, consecrated.
To be set apart means to be set aside for something special.
Set apart to be used only by God - Used for NO OTHER PURPOSE (CCC 2013, 2028, LG 40).
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light.”
2. Holiness is only possible by God’s mercy and grace.
It is not something we do by our might alone.
1 Peter 2:10 “Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (cf Matthew 4:16)
The Holy Spirit gives us sanctifying and transforming grace through:
Prayer
God’s Word
Sacraments
Service
Community
3. Living Sacrifices
Our lives are totally devoted to Him.
There is no end to becoming holy.
Matthew 5:48 “You must be perfect as the heavenly father is perfect.”
Our commitment to God needs to be the FUEL for our growth.
Our lives are truly sacrifices, including the cross.
The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and
spiritual battle that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes. CCC 2015
Living sacrifices mean that our lives are our greatest forms of worship.
The saints are incredible examples and leaders in how to become holy.
We should read and be challenged by their lives.
4. What do we need to become holy?
Love God with all our being.
Charity is the soul of holiness to which all are called: it “governs, shapes, and perfects all the means of
sanctification.” CCC 826
Seek to know God. Strive for a close relationship with Jesus Christ.
Accept the Gospel. Try and put God’s Word into practice.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Love, love, love!
“And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members of the
Church to act; if it ceased to function, the Apostles would forget to preach the gospel, the Martyrs would
refuse to shed their blood. LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT’S
A UNIVERSE OF ITS OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE—IT’S ETERNAL!” St Therese of
Liseux
Serve as Jesus did.
Have a new attitude. Put on the mind of Christ
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?’ But we have the
mind of Christ.”

5. Obstacles to Transformation and Holiness


We tell ourselves that holiness is too hard.
We put holiness on a pedestal, eg. unattainable standards, qualifications, excuses as to why we cannot
be holy, “I am only a lay person”.
We tell ourselves that to be holy, we need to do, do, do.
Remember this is principally God’s work, our job is to co-operate with Him.
We put God and the Christian life in a box, eg. “I need to pray like so and so and I cannot do that so
God must not be calling me to be holy.”
“How to pray? This is a simple matter. I would say: Pray any way you like, so long as you do pray.”
Pope John Paul II
6. Conforming Ourselves to His will.
A living Sacrifice is a life lived in God’s will.
In the upcoming weeks, we will continnue to talk about trasformation, about looking to Jesus.
Jesus is our example and model. When He was about to lay down His life. He encountered the
weakness of our humanity but ultimately submitted Himself to the Father’s will.
Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be
done.”
Let’s make His prayer our own.

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

Read 2 Corinthians 6:1-10


1. Love costs. Love is sacrifice.
John 15:13 “No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for his friends.”
There is NO SALVATION without the cross!
Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily and follow me’.”
Love compels us to lay down our lives every day – eg. marriage, parenthood, being a missionary.
“All it costs is everything.” Genie Summers
The kingdom of God is the pearl of great price.
Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he
finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
God calls us to be patient in sacrifice, to wait upon Him when we suffer.
Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Begrudging sacrifice is useless to the kingdom. God will give you as much as you give.
Luke 6:38 “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and
overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be
measured out to you.”
Turn the other cheek.
Luke 6:29 “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away
your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.”
Choose the Cross.
John 10: 18 “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it
down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
2. Break with Sin
Repent daily.
Get radical! Jesus says to cut off your hand if necessary.
Matthew 5:30 “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that
you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”
Suffering purifies us and helps us die to self.
1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various
trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though
tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
3. Redemptive Suffering
We can offer our suffering to God for the sake of others.
We could say that suffering...is present in order to unleash love in the human person, that unselfish
gift...on behalf of other people, especially those who suffer. St John Paul II
2 Cor 1:4 “God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.”
Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is
lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.”
4. Praise God in the midst of Suffering
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for
this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
READ Luke 6:20-23.

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

1. Recognizing God’s Will in My Life


God has a plan for your life. Finding it is your life’s greatest pursuit and it gives meaning to everything
else in life.
The greatest failure in life is the failure to find life’s true meaning and purpose.
To obtain a peaceful, resolute, and purposeful life we need to ask and answer, “What shall I do with my
life?—What does God want of me?”
To do this we need to discern what is His will.
READ Romans 12:1-2
2. Discerning the Will of God
Discern - “to apprehend” or “to recognize clearly.”
When we speak of discernment of God’s will, then, we mean to apprehend or recognize clearly what
His will is for us.
Once we have discerned God’s will for us, we begin to live lives of peace.
Saint Paul shares with us two keys to this process. One is a tearing down of the old and the other is a
building back up in Jesus Christ:
Present Ourselves as Living Sacrifices (Death to Self).
Renew Our Minds (Forming a Correct View of God and His desires for us).
3. “Present your bodies as living sacrifices” (Dying to Self)
Two wills at work in the life of the Believer - Their own will and God’s will.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed: “My Father . . . not as I will, but as thou wilt” Matthew
26:39.
Even within the life of Jesus He revealed to us that He has both a divine and human will.
In a different way, we also can find within us two “wills”: our will and God’s.
The first step is to clear our conscience and heart of any sin or disobedience. If we discover mortal or
serious sin in our lives, we MUST go to confession.
This is good even if we have only venial or less serious sin. Our minds and hearts are healed in the
Sacrament and we are given grace.
When God forgives us, He strengthens us in faith.
Only after we have cleared our conscience of sin through God’s forgiveness and through the cleansing
of our sin are we able to see within us the tension between God’s will and our own.
A clear conscience means that your faith and moral life are in good order, because when either our faith
or moral life is in disorder (that is, when we lack faith or are in a state of serious sin) the voice of God is
difficult to hear.
Vatican II spoke of conscience as “man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with
God whose voice echoes in his depths” (Gaudium et Spes, 16).
4. Renew Our Minds (Forming a Correct View of God and His desires for us)
St. Thomas explains in the Summa Theologiae that the will tends to be attracted to anything perceived
as good. Sadly, we are too often seduced by the lie that wealth, fame, success, and selfgratification
bring happiness and peace.
We need to be renewed - What does God really want? What will bring Him the greatest glory in our
lives?
We need to open our hearts in faith that His will is not impractical. He has plans for our good.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your
welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”
We must die to our selfish wants in order to have the peace of Christ.
Through a regular, sincere, and integral confession of one’s sins, we are able to meet our divine Lord in
the sanctuary of our conscience and begin the process of clearly apprehending His divine will.
Once our conscience is clear of sin, we must deepen our faith through prayer, reading God’s Word,
and, when possible, receiving the Holy Eucharist.
5. Mary - Our Great Example
The Blessed Mother’s “Be it done unto me according to Your word” is the model of perfect fulfillment of
the will of God and the source of the peace that it brings.
In Mary’s peace-filled “yes” to God, she united her human will to His divine will.
In her yes, Mary saw with clear conscience and perfect faith, the will of God, and chose to unite herself
to Him.
This faithful trust in God is to be seen as part of the process of discernment because it is only in doing
God’s will that we can say “I know God’s will” with any certainty.
Doing God’s will perfects our knowledge of His will.
The reason some people go on and on with endless discernment of God’s will is that they fail to submit
to and embrace the final peace that comes from union with God’s will.
Our Blessed Mother could have never said in faith, “I know this is God’s will,” if she did not first say,
“Let it be done as you say.” She asked God to work His will in His own way, according to His devices
and plans.
With that surrender comes peace, conviction, and certitude.
“Then you will see what is good acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

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.

READ ROMANS 12:3-13


1. What is community?
Community is our “common unity.”
It is a uniting of our what we hold in common.
Community is fellowship bonded in love.
We are not called to be copies of one another but united in love.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body,
though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
2. How do we live in Christian Community?
Put others first. (Romans 12:3.)
We have different gifts God has given us. Use your gifts to serve the body. (Romans 12: 4-8a.)
Give it all you have. (Romans 12:8b.)
“All it takes is everything.” Genie Summers
Be considerate of those in your ministry and family. (Romans 12: 8c.)
Always serve joyfully in love. (Romans 12:8d.)
Be real with who you are. Don’t put on a mask. (Romans 12: 9a.)
“It is impossible to please God if you do not live on friendly terms with others.” St John Baptist de la
Salle
Live a holy life. (Romans 12:9b.)
Regard others as more important than yourself. Do it out of love for them. (Romans 12: 10.)
Work in eagerness with a ready and willing Spirit. (Romans 12:11.)
Persevere. Never give up your life with Jesus. (Romans 12:12a.)
Pray daily, hourly. Live in God’s presence. (Romans 12:12b.)
“Wherever I go I will find you, my God.” St John Baptist de la Salle
Be generous with your possessions. Share, share, share. (Romans 12:13a.)
“Teach us to give and not to count the cost.” (Saint Ignatius Loyola)
Be hospitable. (Romans 12: 13b.)
“All guests who should be received as Christ.” St. Benedict

Orthopraxy (Living the Message): Choose at least one of the points mentioned and practice it this
week.
Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes: See above.

Transformation Talk 5: Loving Our Enemies - Conquering Evil with Good


Objective: This is the final transformation talk. Here we will be finishing our reading of Romans 12. It
would be good to prepare a personal testimony of a time when you had to love an enemy or difficult
person. Your example could be powerful in this particular talk. Other examples from history and saints
would be applicable.
Review/ recap: Review the other transformation talks and ask for testimonies.

READ Romans 12:14-21


1. Who are your enemies?
Someone has picked on you or disrepected you in some way, causing you anger.
Some with whom you hold a grudge.
Family member with whom you have had a big fight.
Someone who hurt you or a loved one.
Someone who persecutes you or curses you.
Anyone who has offended or hurt you.
Is there anyone in your life who you just can’t stand or who irritates you?
2. What does it mean to love our enemies sincerely?
Anger, hatred and resentment living within us wound the love of God in our hearts.
To “Love Your Enemy” is to find it in your heart to put aside any wrongs, and to love him or her as a
fellow human being.
No matter what their actions, we never allow bitterness against them to invade our hearts, but will treat
them with goodwill. (Romans 12:14)
It means we must open our hearts to them.
Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.
3. Why should I love my enemies?
Jesus commands it.
READ Matthew 5:38-48
We maintain emotional and spiritual freedom. If we long for vengeance our heart is not with Jesus.
Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
In forgiveness we find happiness and joy.
Anger under the surface often comes out in other areas of our lives affecting our relationships, our
loved ones, and the people around us. We need the peace of forgiveness.
Romans 12:18 “If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.”
You could change your enemy’s life. Your enemy is a human being and it’s possible that God will use
your suffering to bring them salvation and repentance.
Your actions set examples for others, especially the youth. Your love of an enemy can have
repercussions that last far longer than your life.
Loving our enemies shows us the truth of our own love. i.e. do I only love when it benefits me or is
easy?
4. How can I love my enemies?
Pray for them. It’s much easier to love some one you are praying for.
When we pray for our enemies, God opens our hearts and helps us see them the way He does.
When we pray for our enemies, God helps us to pity them.
Be open to reconciliation. You cannot change the way they feel but you can embrace them in prayer.
Recognize that you are powerless over their heart. God must do the work of reconciliation. You have to
let go and let Him heal.
Romans 12: 19 “Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written,
‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’.”
Acknowledge your anger or frustration and offer it to God. This can be part of your living sacrifice.
Seek to understand your enemy. What is that person going through? What are they like inside? What
made them act the way they did?
Your enemy is a real person, not just some one evil. We need to see them from God’s perspective.
Accept that God has allowed this person in your life for your good as well as theirs.
Forgive, forgive, forgive. This is the radical message of Jesus.
Find something good about your enemy.
See them as yourself, or a loved one.
Ask God to open your heart. Be willing to be vulnerable.
Reach out to them. Express your forgiveness in acts of love.
Romans 12:20 “Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;
for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.”
Move on with Jesus in the light.
Romans 12:21 “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.”

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.

1. God has called all His faithful to be missionary disciples.


Ad Gentes 23: Christ the Lord always calls whomever He will from among the number of His disciples,
to be with Him and to be sent by Him to preach to the nations.
Evangelii Gaudium 120: In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become
missionary disciples.
Mission means “sent out.”
Notice the Mass ends with, “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
God has called us to go out into the world and share His good news
2. The Great Commission
READ Matthew 28:15-20. (Also you could read Mark 16:14-20.)
Jesus is calling us not simply to do good works, but also to be kind and to help others. He is calling us
to proclaim the Gospel.
Proclaim the Gospel with our lives and words.
3. What is the Gospel?
Good News!
Jesus Himself is the Good News of the Gospel.
The message and messenger are one.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone
who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek.”
Christianity is about a person - Jesus Christ.
“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a
person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Pope Benedict XVI
You must preach with words not just actions.
“Preach and if possible use words.” Anonymous
4. What is the Basic Message we preach? (Evangelli Gaudium 164)
Jesus Christ loves you.
He gave his life to save you.
Now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.

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

How to Evangelize/ How to Give your Personal Testimony


Objective: Here we continue deepening the audience’s understanding of the Great Commission by
giving them practical advice on sharing the faith.
Review/ recap: Review the Great Commission and ask if anyone had an opportunity to share this week.

1. How do we share our faith?


Begin at home:
Pray everyday in the home.
Share your faith with your spouse and children. Your family is your first mission field.
Schedule family prayer time and Bible reading.
Attend Mass and receive the Sacraments.
Mark your house as a house of Jesus.
Have it blessed.
Decorate it with saintly pictures.
Talk about Jesus/ God everywhere you go in all situations.
God bless you.
May the peace of Christ be with you.
Thank you Jesus!
Praise Jesus!
Offer to pray with people who are hurting or sick.
Be ready to give testimony to the great things God is doing in your life.
You definitely have a testimony if you know Jesus.
1 John 5: 10 “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.”
Anyone can share their testimony:
READ John 4:1-30 or Luke 8:26-39 and discuss how these simple people either shared their encounter
with Jesus or were directly encouraged to by Jesus Himself.
Stress that they didn’t know doctrine, only their testimony of an encounter with the Lord.
Study your faith.
Read your Bible everyday (at least 15 min).
1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a
defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and
respect.”
2. How to give testimony
A. Conversion Testimony:
1. Where you were.
Admit your mistakes and fallen state.
What work did God need to do in your life to change you?
2. How did Jesus work in your life? What happened to bring you to Him?
What caused you to turn to Him?
What was the central point that changed your heart? What brought you to surrender yourself to Him?
3. Where you are now.
How are you different because of Jesus?

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

1. The Meaning of Gospel Poverty


Gaudium et Spes 1: The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age,
especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and
anxieties of the followers of Christ.
The Church is the followers of Christ, all of us.
The “joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties” of the poor are OURS.
This is why we are called by our Pope, and more importantly, as we see in the Gospel, by our Lord, to
be poor, and for the poor.
Does not mean destitution:
We are not called to lack the basic necessities for human life, to starve, to go naked, to be homeless.
We are called as Christians to prevent ANYONE from lacking basic needs - to feed the hungry, clothe
the naked, etc.
2. Poverty in the Life of Jesus
We can see the importance of poverty by the fact that Satan himself tempted Our Lord to abandon it.
Matthew 4:3 “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Satan continues to use this very temptation with much success against many in the Church today and
indeed in our whole society.
As Our Lord was born in poverty we entered this world with nothing and will leave it with nothing; we
are, therefore, to be content with mere necessities.
Jesus was very poor, he even admitted that he “had no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58) He was truly
poor for our sake. We are to be poor for the sake of the poor.
2. Poverty as a Radical Witness of Jesus Christ
We should be poor because it frees us to follow Jesus, as shown in Jesus’ most radical instruction:
Luke 18:22 “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me.”
Poverty is not something sought for its own sake but as a witness to the eternal Kingdom (where we
won’t have material possessions) for it makes possible and much easier to attain:
a radical readiness to follow our Lord.
a sensitivity to what Jesus is about.
a sharing with the needy and in sharing with the needy sharing with God.
an apostolic credibility.
a pilgrim witness in a world of diminishing resources.
Jesus calls us to be poor when He calls us to be like Him. He acknowledges that it won’t be easy:
Matthew 16: 24-26 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross
and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will
find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can
anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Jesus says “follow me”, “be like me” - Jesus was poor.
3. Poverty in Eternity
Our destiny is not in this world. Holy Scripture teaches us that nothing on the face of earth compares
with the possession of God in deep prayer.
4. Poverty and the Love of God
We are called to be in love with God.
People in love are not much concerned about things.
A soft, comfortable existence is foreign to the New Testament. Poverty is difficult and demands
sacrifice.
That’s why only a true lover of God and neighbor can make this sacrifice, for true love (which is always
a total self-giving) knows no bounds.
Remember that in Scripture we are always asked to give everything.
READ Luke 21:1-4 (Widow’s Mite)
Our Lord praises the widow because she gave her all: no holding back. She gave literally all she had to
live on. Her love knew no bounds.
6. Poverty and Love of Neighbor
True love of God brings forth love of neighbor. Scripture portrays the Last Judgment based upon love
of neighbor : “What you did to the least of my brethren, you did (or did not do) unto Me.” Matthew 25:
31-46
READ James 2:14-17
As we encounter Jesus, as we encounter the poor, we will fall more in love with Him, and it will make
our call to poverty more real, and more feasible; Gospel poverty must be an outpouring of love.
“Our” possessions are meant to be shared.
Gaudium et Spes 69: God intended the earth with everything contained in it for the use of all human
beings and peoples. Thus, under the leadership of justice and in the company of charity, created goods
should be in abundance for all in like manner.
5. Poverty and True Happiness
With no exceptions, the saints lived a sparing-sharing life.
The saints chose to give up comforts, to live below the “normal” standards in order to be generous to
the poor. They gave joyful, loving witness to the Gospel.
Luke 6:20 “Happy are you poor, for the kingdom of heaven is yours.” Do we want to be happy?
We must remind ourselves that all things of the world are passing and our true home, for all eternity is
in Heaven. Without Gospel Poverty, we will not get there.

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): Pray everyday for at least 15 minutes.


Scripture: Acts 14:22; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Collosians 4:2; I Thessalonians 5:16-18
CCC: 2725-2745
Quotes: “Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him; for he
desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer.” Evagrius Ponticus
“As long as we live, we fight, and as long as we are fighting, that is a sign that we are not defeated and
that the good Spirit dwells within us. And if death does not meet you as the victor, he should find you a
warrior.” Saint Augustine
“There are two parts to a prayer of petition: assurance that the prayer will be heard and absolute
renunciation of an answer according to one’s own plan.” Karl Rahner
Prayer Talk 2: Prayer and Bible Reading: An Introduction to Lectio Divina
Objective: The goal here is to teach how to pray with the Bible and encourage others to use scripture in
their prayer time. It is important to note that this is ONE of many ways to incorporate the Bible in prayer.
Here the goal is not to be expansive and explain every way, but to give a good grounding in one way
the Church has been asking us to consider.
Review/recap - Review last week’s talk and ask for testimonies.
1. The Church is calling us to a more prayerful reading of the Bible
It is a fundamental element of every believer’s spiritual life and growth.
God’s Word is the basis for ALL authentic Christian Spirituality.
Reading the Bible is a dialogue with God.
“Your prayer is the word you speak to God. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you
pray, you speak to God.” St. Augustine
Read with the intent of strengthening your faith and pleasing God.
If you do not understand:
Matt 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
The Bible must always be read in communion with the Church:
In Mass.
In the lives of the saints.
With the aid of the Magisterium.
2. The Bible is the Word of God written down
Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1, 14).
In the Bible it is the Son who speaks. Just as He was made flesh in the man Jesus He was made
written word in the Bible.
When we read the Bible prayerfully we can hear God speak to us what He wants to say.
3. How to pray using Lectio Divina (4 Steps)
Read a short text. (Lectio)
What does the Biblical text say in itself?
What does the text say to me?
Allow yourself to be moved and challenged.
What do we say to the Lord in response to this word? (Oratio)
What conversion of mind, heart and life is the Lord asking of you? (Contemplatio)
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that
by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For, ‘who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But
we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”
What is God asking me to do? (Actio)
No true prayer without action.
Prayer must bring a change.
4. Example of Mary (Luke 2:19,51 - kept it all in her heart)
Heard God’s word and understood it.
Accepted its contents and agreed with it.
Opened her heart and had faith - Yes, be it done unto me…
Acted always in God’s word.

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.

1. Petition vs. Intercession


Petition: for self.
Intercession: for others, in their presence or apart from them (for a need, against illness, etc.).

2. Obstacles to a life of intercession:


Sin. (I am unworthy. I am bad.)
We should accept our limitations and look to the power of God to transform us through His grace.
READ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (Grace made perfect in weakness).
Inmaturity. (I am not a great Christian. I know too little.)
We never stop learning about God and maturing in the spirit. If we wait until we get there to pray we will
be wasting so much time.
Self-centeredness. (I am too busy. My time is more important that God’s time.)
We can pray anywhere. Multitask: pray in the shower, while walking from place to place, changing
diapers, washing dishes, etc.
God commands us to intercede.
Philippians 4:6 “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.”
3. For whom do we intercede?
Spouse.
Family.
Community.
Government.
We should be constantly praying for these areas, that:
The power of God would sustain and develop them in accordance with His will.
That the forces of evil would not sway them from truth and justice.
4. How does intercession benefit us?
Jesus has promised that those who intercede will do even greater works than He did. As we see Him
work through our prayer it strengthens our trust in Him.
John 14:12-13 “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will
do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I
will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (See also Mark 11:24.)
As we begin to pray for others it changes our outlook on life.
We begin to focus on others rather than ourselves.
We begin to “die to self,” which is our most difficult task as Christians.
Intercession for others disciplines us to see thir needs before our own and to seek God’s assistance for
them rather than for ourselves.
An awareness of others becomes implanted within us.
This diminishes pride and self-will.
The interecessor is a channel (give example of a channel of water that brings water from far away to a
community).
5. Where do I begin?
Family needs.
The ministry of the local church and christian community.
Leadership in the church - Pope, Bishop, Pastor, Vicar, missionaries, ministers, etc.
Unity in the Church.
Pray for the spread of the Gospel throughout the world.
Peace between nations and communities.
Government officials - local, national, international.
Persecuted Christians.
The combating of evils in society.
How?
Words, thoughts in silence, singing.
Many words are not necessary.
Matthew 6:7-8 “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of
their many words. Do not be like them.”
Intercessors need to be in tune with God’s will. Pray in faith.
READ James 1: 5-8.
Begin with praise and thanksgiving. Recognize what God has done in history, in our lives, in our
communities and nations.
Listen, let the Holy Spirit guide your prayer. It is good now and then to just sit and allow God to direct
your prayer. Ask Him for guidance and try and remove distractions if possible. Offer up the people and
situations that He presents you.
God knows your heart. Allow your heart to pray for others.
If you can’t get away from distractions, use them for His glory. Pray into the distraction.
Try to put yourself in the place of the other as you pray. What would I want or need as the other person.
As we try to place ourselves in the shoes of others, we become less judgemental and more thoughtful
of them.
eg. If I am praying for those starving, I might fast.
Romans 12:15.
Let your emotions enter your prayer. Don’t run from them. We need not pray like we are machines.
Give God your pain and joy.
Believe He will answer you. Be bold. God is interested in your prayers.
Matthew 10:30 and Ephesians 3:11-12.
Be ready to BE the answer you pray for. If you are praying for your neighbor to have a friend be ready
to be the first one.

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:

Prayer Talk 5: Prayer for the Sick / Healing of the Body


Objective – To teach and challenge listeners to prayer for healing in the lives of others.
Review/recap – review other prayer themes and ask for testimonies.
1. Jesus’ Ministry was a Healing Ministry
READ Luke 4: 16-21.
Jesus invites all who are burdened in any way to come to Him for healing. (Matthew 1:28; John 10:10).
The four Gospels record 41 distinct instances of physical and mental healings by Jesus.
2. The Church’s Ministry is a Healing Ministry
Included in the Great Commission. (Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12.)
Linked with the Eucharistic Celebration. (I Cor 11: 29-30.)
Listed as a Gift of the Spirit. (I Cor 12: 9, 28, 30.)
Instructed by James – Anointing of the Sick. (James 5: 14-16.)
Pope Benedict XVI “Healing is an essential dimension of the apostolic mission and of Christian faith in
general. It can even be said that Christianity is a ‘therapeutic religion, a religion of healing.”
3. The Four Basic Categories of Healing
Physical Healing – healing from physical sickness and disability.
Psychological Healing – healing of wounds to the human psyche, including emotional wounds.
Spiritual Healing – Healing from sin, restores a person to a relationship with God.
Exorcism and Deliverance – Healing from Diabolic Connections.
4. What is Christian Healing?
Christian healing does not take place by the exclusive use of some medicinal substance, or by sole
reliance on some obscure impersonal energy, but through a personal encounter with and experience of
Jesus, our Saviour, Healer and Deliverer.
It is not something we get hold of, but Someone we hold on to.
It does not result from some sort of emotional faith but from one’s unshakable trust in the Lord, in his
love by dying for us and in the power of his resurrection. (Philippians 3:10.)
It is the full Gospel in action, proclaiming God’s love and bringing peace to man, giving glory to God
and destroying the work of Satan.
5. Approaching God in Healing Prayer
The Father’s Love - recognise that the person you are praying for is deeply loved by their heavenly
Father.
Rather than focusing on a person’s problem, begin to gently worship Father God for his love for them;
consciously thanking him for choosing them, adopting them as his very own child, and for loving them
so much that he gave Jesus for them.
This has the effect of lifting their attention off their problem and placing it on the fact that they are a
much loved child of God.
Whenever we focus on the Fatherhood of God, the Holy Spirit is also at work bringing a new awareness
of the depth of the Father’s love for each person.
The Presence of Jesus - Jesus told us quite clearly that he would be with us. (Matthew 18.20 and
Matthew 28.20.)
Once a person begins to recognize the love of God, and begins to take their eyes off their own issues,
we can ask them: “Where is Jesus for you, right now?”
This does not require a deep theological response, but is about how they are experiencing the
presence of Jesus at that very moment.
The presence of Jesus is not meant to be simply a nice feeling but rather a transforming presence; this
transformation often begins when specific needs are brought to him. Rather than me asking God to
meet the person’s need, we can ask the person to speak directly to Jesus.
The presence of the Holy Spirit - invite the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Praying for other people is a huge privilege; it is about us being door-openers for others to revel in the
Father’s love for them, to enjoy and experience the presence of Jesus, and to receive something of the
healing touch of the Holy Spirit upon them.
6. How to pray for healing
(This list is by no means exhaustive nor exclusive.)
Have a constant, personal, intimate, day by day and moment by moment relationship and fellowship
with the Lord. Without this kind of relationship with him, one’s life is devoid of real power.
John 15:5, 7 “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much
fruit, because without me you can do nothing... If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask
for whatever you will, and it will be given unto you.”
Receive the sacraments of the Church, especially the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
CCC 1509: The Church believes in the life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies.
This presence is particularly active through the sacraments, and in an altogether special way through
the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life, and that St. Paul suggests is connected with bodily
health.
Invoke Mary and the Holy Angels for their intercession and protection.
Have an expectant faith. Have faith that the Lord can work in and through you for his glory.
Luke 17:6 “I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”
Lay hands on the sick. Jesus laid hands on the sick and healed them.
Use the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus.
John 14:14 “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
Give praise to God’s goodness and his healing love.
Hebrews 13:15 “Through him, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips
that confess his name.”

Orthopraxy (Living the Message):


Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes:
The Beatitudes: God’s Path to Happiness
Objective: This talk will discuss the beatitudes and its relationship to our own personal happiness.

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):


Scripture:
CCC:
Quotes:
Armor of God: Standing Strong Against Satan
Spiritual Warfare – Who is Our Real Enemy and How Do We Fight Him?

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.


1. The Reality of the Devil and Demons
The devil is real, he exists and he wants to deceive and devour you.
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil
and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.”
2. God is greater than Satan; He created Satan; He defeated Satan
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly places.”
John 4:4 “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
3. God has given us weapons for battle; as Christians, we must do battle against evil and the
evil one
Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on
that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
The Arsenal – What are our weapons?
14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of
righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of
peace. 16 With all of these, [b] take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the
flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert
and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
1. The Belt of Truth
To withstand the deceptions of Satan we need to know the truth about our Lord and His great love for
us.
John 3:20.
We encounter Jesus most purely in the Sacraments and Scriptures.
John 1:1, 14; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
The heart is the arena in which we do battle with Satan.
Matthew 15:18 “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile.”
Isaiah 59:1-2 “Unrighteousness separates us from God.”
We need to live righteous, holy lives in Christ to protect the new heart He has given us. (Ezekiel 36:26)
3. Shoes or sandals of the Proclamation of Peace
Jesus gives us His peace so we will not be afraid of the evil one.
John 14:27.
Ephesians 2: 14 “Jesus is our peace.”
4. The Shield of Faith
To be victorious we must trust in God even when our eyes see reasons to disbelieve.
2 Corinthians 5:7, I Peter 5:9.
5. The Helmet of Salvation
Through salvation we have been made heirs of heaven.
Hebrews 11:12-14.
We need to live lives focused on Jesus and our heavenly home.
6. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Our greatest weapon against the devil is to live, pray and know the Bible.
7. Perseverance in Prayer
Orthopraxy (Living the Message):
Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 17:14, Romans 16:20.
CCC: 2465-2470.
Quotes: “I believe that the Devil exists and his greatest achievement in these times has been to make
us believe
that he doesn’t exist.” Pope Francis
Jesus: The Name Above All Names
Objective: As missionaries, it is of paramount importance that we proclaim the name of Jesus.
Nevertheless, it is of just as great importance that we know what the Bible says about this great name
and why it is so great. One should note that this talk could be used especially when talking to
Jehovah’s Witnesses who believe that the Bible emphasizes Jehovah’s name. The reality is that the
Bible is a book that places Jesus above all other names.

1. The meaning and importance of the name of Jesus (CCC 430)


Jesus in Hebrew, Yeshua, means “God saves.”
The name of Jesus expresses both his identity and mission.
CCC 432: “The name ‘Jesus’ signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son,
made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins.”
The name of Jesus is the heart of Christian prayer.
2666: “But the one name that contains everything is the one that the Son of God received in his
incarnation: JESUS. The name ‘Jesus’ contains all... to pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke him and to call him
within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies.”
2. What does the Bible teach us about the name of Jesus?
We need to gather in Jesus’ name.
Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.”
I Corinthians 5:4 “When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit,
along with the power of our Lord Jesus.”
When we pray, we need to call upon the name of Jesus and ask things in His name.
John 14:13-14 “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
John 15:16 “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit
that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
John 16:23-24.
We give thanks to God in Jesus’ name.
Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God
the Father.”
Saint Paul defines Christians as those who call upon the name of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ
Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
their Lord and ours.”
Conversion and Pardon of sins are announced in the name of Jesus.
Luke 24:46-47 “And he said to them, ‘Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the
dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem’.”
We need to believe in the name of Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins.
John 1:12 “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who
believe in his name.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
might not perish but might have eternal life.”
See also Acts 10:43; John 3:23; John 5:13.
We only receive salvation by the name of Jesus.
Acts 2:21 “And it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.”
Jude 1:4 “For there have been some intruders, who long ago were designated for this condemnation,
godless persons, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and who deny our only Master
and Lord, Jesus Christ.
See also Romans 10:13, John 14:6.
Demons flee at His name.
Luke 10:17 “The seventy[-two] returned rejoicing, and said, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us
because of your name’.”
Acts 16:18 “She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, ‘I
command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ Then it came out at that moment.”
The Holy Spirit is sent in Jesus’ name.
John 14:26 “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you
everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
The name of Jesus is used to heal the sick and crippled.
Acts 4:10 “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from
the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”
Acts 4:30 “As you stretch forth [your] hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name
of your holy servant Jesus.”
See also Acts 3:15-16.
In whose name do we need to do all things?
Colossians 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.”
What name do we need to announce to all the nations?
Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name
before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites’.”
What is the name that the Bible says is above all other names?
Philippians 2:10 “At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and
under the earth.”
Isaiah 45:22-23 “Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God (YHWH); there is no
other! By myself I swear, uttering my just decree, a word that will not return: To me every knee shall
bend; by me every tongue shall swear, saying, ‘Only in the Lord are just deeds and power’.”
Notice here that what is said about YHWH is also true of Jesus’ name
Of whose name are we called to be witnesses?
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
WE ARE CALLED TO BE WITNESSES OF JESUS’ NAME!

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:

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