Catholic Faith Formation Resources

Faith teaches that "In [God] we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). God's is the reality whose Presence underlies all of creation. The essence of God is unconditional love (1 John 4:16). You are part of God's manifested Presence, even if you are not consciously aware of it, or you refuse to acknowledge or accept it. For it is God's grace that maintains your existence through each heartbeat and each breath you take. Regardless of what you believe or think you can control, some day your heartbeat and breath will stop and you will physically cease to exist. How are you being called to live before that event occurs? Christianity offers you a Way. You are called to enter into a loving relationship with God whose Presence lies within the core of your being, as exemplied and modeled for you through the life and teachings of Jesus, and transmitted to you through Scripture and the tradition of the Church. You are called to surrender yourself to God...

" Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" — Luke 23:34 1 The verse quoted above is one of the "seven last words," as recorded in the Gospels, that were spoken by Jesus during his crucifixion. 2 What does Jesus mean when he says, "they know not what they do"? 3 Obviously, those in power or members of the crowd who demanded and had Jesus put to death intended to punish and murder Jesus. The ground asserted to justify the killing of Jesus was that he claimed to be "King of the Jews" who opposed Caesar ( See John 19:16b–22). Crucifixion was the most violent, painful, and humiliating means employed by Rome against those who challenged its authority or power. What may surprise some is that Jesus Christ inherently forgave, or at least expressly asked the "Father" to forgive, these people without first requiring them to understand, acknowledge, repent, and offer contrition for their part in willingly desiring and causing ...

At your Baptism you received Christ’s gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19) You are called to embrace a life lived in the Holy Spirit, allowing it to guide your thoughts, attitude, decisions, and actions. If you are willing to humbly surrender, discern, and cooperate with the promptings of the Holy Spirit, it will teach you the Way of Christ—the virtuous way of truth, love, peace, justice, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and selfless service to others—that leads you towards holiness (the perfection of love) and closeness with God, and it will guide you, intercede for you, and empower you to become the unique person that God intends for you to be. As scripture teaches, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Achieving holiness is not attained through your ow...

Catholic Christian spirituality is a way of life, lived with a community of faith, that seeks to help you grow in loving and meaningful relationships with God, others, yourself, and all of creation. It calls you to be open and attentive to the promptings, guidance, and transformative power of the Holy Spirit, centered on the teachings, principles, qualities, and example of Jesus Christ, the human face of God for us, as revealed in Scripture and the Church's tradition. It is the recognition that God unconditionally loves you, seeks a personal relationship with you, is merciful and forgiving, wills only your good, and is present to you in each moment of your everyday life. Catholic Christianity offers numerous practices that can deepen your relationship with God, help you to become more Christlike and more attuned to the promptings of the Spirit, and assist you in your spiritual, personal, emotional, and pschological growth. 1 Here are some of the benefits you can experience f...