Catholic Faith Formation Resources

Our encounter with God does not begin with dogmas or beliefs. Rather, it begins with searching for ultimate meaning and purpose in our life experiences. For whatever reason, known only to God, we have been created with a physical body that exists, at least during this lifetime, within a material world limited by time and space. It is an existence where one may experience ineffable moments of a transcendent reality of utter awe, peace and joy — of being one with the One. But we can also expect our life to be filled with many moments of suffering and heartbreak, leading ultimately to our physical death. We may question why a God, whose essence is love, and who we claim is all powerful and all knowing, not limited by time and space, would allow us to enter into this material existence in the first place; especially knowing in advance the pain, suffering, and physical death that this existence awaits all who enter it. The answer alludes us. Yet, we can still believe that our exist...

OPENING PRAYER Prayer for Priests Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace. We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen. Source: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayer-for-priests.cfm "THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS" — CCC , Nos. 1533–1600 Which priests have had a positive influence on your life? The Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Holy Orders and Marriage), are directed toward the salvat...

Meister Eckhart, a Dominican theologian, philosopher, and mystic from the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries said, “Be in all things a God seeker and at all times a God finder, among all kinds of people and in all kinds of circumstances.” 1 Pray continuously for the desire to seek God, and to be open to finding and experiencing God’s presence at all times and in everyone we encounter (including ourselves) and throughout all of creation. 1. Albert Haase, Catching Fire, Becoming Flame: A Personal Guide for Spiritual Transformation (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2013) (Kindle loc. 1034), citing Meister Eckhart, Talks of Instruction, 22. 

Are you consciously and intentionally aware and centering your senses, mind, and heart on what is present to you in the here and now? Far too often we become victims to the streaming thoughts of our egoistic mind that usually focus on what happened in the past, or what can happen in the future, on any time or place but the present moment. These thoughts are not reality, especially since the past has already occurred and the future has not yet arrived. Even when we are thinking about the past or the future, these thoughts are happening in the present moment. In choosing to do this, we ignore the true reality that exists beyond our finite minds in each particular moment and place where we are. For it is in being consciously and intentionally present to each moment as it offers itself to us, without the intrusion of our preconceived judgments or expectations, that we can experience the Divine Presence—we can experience God—who is not limited by time or space. It is in the pr...

OPENING PRAYER O God, I thank You for this day of life for eyes to see the sky for ears to hear the birds for feet to walk amidst the trees for hands to pick the flowers from the earth for a sense of smell to breathe in the sweet perfumes of nature for a mind to think about and appreciate the magic of everyday miracles for a spirit to swell in joy at Your mighty presence everywhere. Author Unknown "SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING THE SICK AND THE DYING" — CCC , Nos. 1499–1532 How have you experienced healing in your life? The Sacrament of Anointing brings the love and compassionate presence of Christ into the midst of suffering of those who are ill, elderly, or dying. Jesus came to heal the whole person—body and soul. Throughout the Gospels, we hear about the healing power of Jesus. At times, Jesus merely spoke some words to accomplish a healing. Other times he touched the person to bring about a cure. His cures were signs of the presence of the Reig...

We mourn the senseless harming and killing of life occurring around the world, especially innocent human life. We can never accept, justify, nor sanction anyone attributing such action to a God who is love; a God whose dream is for all of creation to be filled with love, joy, happiness, wholeness, justice, peace, truth, freedom, compassion, healing, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation; where all are called to be brothers and sisters to one another; and where all will become consciously aware that all are One in, with, and through God. We may feel helpless at our inability to personally comfort, defend, or protect the innocents of the world. Maybe the only thing we can offer to them is our solidarity, our prayers, our trust in a loving and compassionate God, and our faith and hope that God's dream for all creation will ultimately be realized. Sometimes we merely plant the seeds for God's dream that God gives us, and allow God to use others to nurture and care for the seeds, ...

There are many different degrees of "truths" and hierarchies of "truths." However, if the infinite and eternal God is the fullness of all Truth , then Truth can never be fully and completely known, at least not in our finiteness. At best, we only get glimpses or degrees of Truth that God chooses to reveal to us. For example, Scripture teaches that "God is Love " (1 John 4:8). Trying to understand what that means can only be understood and expressed in the finiteness of our human condition and language, and we can never capture the entire depth or completeness of God's infinite understanding or meaning of that term. Our search is an ongoing process whereby we can always discover more of the depths of what Truth or Love are.   There are many institutions, groups, or persons today who claim to possess "the truth," who claim they are mediators and protectors of "the truth," and who may seek to prevent, suppress, or disparage ot...

OPENING PRAYER Act of Contrition O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen. (A traditional version) or: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. (from the Rite of Penance) or: Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (from the Rite of Penance) Source: USCCB "SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILATION" — CCC , Nos. 1420–1498 How have you experienced forgivene...

One of the primary attributes of the Divine ("God") is omnipresence, that is, God is present everywhere at the same time. There is no place or time that God is not present.* The Christian faith tradition teaches that the "Word" ( Logos )—"the Son of God"—the "Second Person of the Trinity"—the "Christ," fully entered matter and became incarnated ("enfleshed") in the human person of Jesus of Nazareth. This tradition also teaches that the "Holy Spirit," the "Third Person of the Trinity," comes and indwells in each person when they receive the Sacrament of Baptism. This tradition further teaches that "Christ" was present and actively participated in Creation: In the beginning* was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be (John 1:1-3) [Christ] is the image of the invisib...

How do you determine and respond to the question “Who am I?” or perhaps, more accurately, “Who do I want to be?” or “Who do I want others to think I am?” Similarly, what standards do you use to judge others? Is your first instinct to perceive and allocate others as a member of some class or group—such as gender, race, physical characteristics, age, heritage, language, sexual preference, education, occupation, economic status, religion, or political party affiliation—and to judge them accordingly? Whose or what standards and values ultimately govern you in making these judgments? In whom or what do you find ultimate meaning? To whom or what do you give your allegiance? Through whose eyes do you “see” yourself and others? Through whose ears do you hear the “cries” of pain and despair of others? In considering these questions, what priority do you give in your mind, heart, will, soul, and actions to God, whose essence is unconditional love, truth, goodness, compassion, and ...

OPENING PRAYER An Act of Spiritual Communion My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen. (St. Alphonus Liguori) "EUCHARIST: SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE" — CCC , Nos. 1285–1321 How do you nourish your body, your mind, your heart, your relationships, and your soul or spirit? The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. The origin of the Eucharist is found in the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his Apostles. (See Mt.26:17-29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:7-20; cf. 1 Cor 11:23-26). “The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ’s saving life, death, and Resurrection, made present for our salvation by the action of the liturg...

OPENING PRAYER It helps now and then, to step back and take the long view. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. That is what we are about: We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do ...