Catholic Faith Formation Resources

God's love is a powerful force of energy that can transforms lives, move people to action, and connects everything and everyone in profound ways. The Christian tradition teaches that God is love, God loves everyone unconditionally, and we are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength—our entire being—and to love others as God loves us (Matthew 22:36-37; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27; John 13:34). We can love others because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). Science has shown that love triggers the release of chemicals in our body that strengthens emotional bonds, promotes trust, reduces stress, and promotes well-being. Love isn't just an emotion. It's a spiritual force available to us through the indwelling Spirit that can shape our thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and our health. Love is an energy that radiates from one person to another, creating bonds and deep connections and relationships. Love expressed through acts of kindness, com...

[Jesus said], "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35) The Hebrew Scriptures commanded: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which emphasized treating others with the same care and respect that you would want for yourself. 1 Jesus’ “new" commandment, quoted above, takes this a step further. The key difference is the standard of love to which we are called. Instead of loving others as yourself, Jesus calls you to love others as Jesus—the human face of God—loves you. Moreover, Jesus’ standard of love is the essence and defining characteristic of being a disciple of Jesus (John 13:35). This standard calls each of us to a new way of loving and relating to others—the way that Jesus loved and related to those he encountered. Through scripture we learn that Jesus' ...

It is in the stillness of our hearts and minds that we hear God. Such stillness is difficult to experience in our fast-paced world where distractions are abundant and often overwhelming, constantly pulling us in every direction, bombarding us with noise, creating disorder, and consuming our attention. These distractions can cloud our minds and hearts, making it difficult to connect with God's presence. Letting go of these distractions is not just about removing noise from our lives; it's about creating sacred time and space where we can truly surrender and discern the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Relationships take time to deepen and grow. Begin with conducting an honest assessment of your relationship with God: How important for you is maintaining a loving relationship with God? When is the last time you read the Bible, the Word of God? When is the last time you spent dedicated time in prayer alone with God? When is the last time you expressed gratitu...