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“How can I discover God’s will for my life?” “How can I be sure of God’s guidance in my decisions?” “God, what do you want me to do?” Practically all believers have asked questions like these, especially at critical decision points in their lives.

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We believe that prayer is the key to maintaining life and growth - in our lives individually and together as the Church. There are a couple ways that you can engage in prayer at Anchor Point:

Pray with one of the prayer team members during one of our services. During the response time each weekend, members of our prayer team are available and would love to pray with you

Submit a prayer request via the connect form (found in the program each week) or via email to prayer@anchorpointchurch.org. Each week, members of our staff and prayer team take time to pray, and we'd love to pray with you about the needs you have in your life.

Attend a "Before the Throne" event at Anchor Point. On a regular basis and before any outreach events, Anchor Point gathers together for a time of focused prayer and worship. These events provide a great opportunity for a more extended time of worship and focused prayer for our city.

​Did you know that during every service at Anchor Point, a group of people gather to pray? Interesting in joining us?
Prayer is a high priority at Anchor Point. Every step we take individually and as a church should be covered with prayer--a big job! We need you to help prepare the way in prayer, as the body does the work of the Lord. Join us in the prayer room (at the top of the stairs near the nursery) during a church service. This is the place to "get your feet wet" with prayer ministry--to simply join in with others to pray for the people of Anchor Point. It's a safe environment to experiment with your gifting and strengths and learn more about what God has for you. This is an opportunity to get a glimpse of what the prayer team is like, to meet some of our members, and decide if the prayer team is a good fit for you.

If you'd like to receive more information or have someone from the prayer team contact you, please click here. You can also email us directly with prayer requests here: prayer@anchorpointchurch.org
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in the order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God and being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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We believe that prayer is the key to maintaining life and growth - in our lives individually and together as the Church. There are a couple ways that you can engage in prayer at Anchor Point: Pray with one of the prayer team members during one of our services.

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You've probably heard of baptism, confirmation and penance, but do you know what they all have in common? If you said that they're all sacraments, you're correct! These are three of the seven sacraments of the Catholic church. Each is significant in its own way.

What are the seven sacraments?

The seven sacraments are baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, marriage and holy orders. They are divided into three categories: sacraments of initiation, sacraments of healing and sacraments of service.

Below you will find coloring pages that will help kids reflect on what the sacraments mean to them. Click the button to download and print!

What is a sacrament?

Before we get into the details of each sacrament, we want to reiterate one of the most important things about the sacraments - that they're means which God uses to show His grace and help us achieve salvation. The word sacrament means "a sign of the sacred," which is fitting as they are all outwards signs from God to us.

Not only are they signs, they're also celebrations of a continued journey and relationship with God, teachings to help live out His word and ceremonies to show devotion to Him.

Where did the sacraments originate?

In the Bible, Christ gives his followers clear instructions on how to administer and receive each of the sacraments. This is seen through his work with the Apostles, healing the sick, parables, giving his body and blood to nourish our souls and forgiving sinners. The Church administers these holy sacraments as instructed, in order for all to worship God and receive His salvation.

The Sacraments of Initiation

The three sacraments of initiation are baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. Each is meant to strengthen your faith and forge a deeper relationship with God. Baptism frees you from original sin, confirmation strengthens your faith and Eucharist allows you to taste the body and blood of eternal life and be reminded of Christ's love and sacrifice.

Baptism

Baptism is the first sacrament where you become united with Christ and the Church - no other sacrament can be received without it. A priest performs this rite by immersing the baptismal candidate into water, therefore cleansing their original sin through water and the word. The candidate traditionally wears white garments, a candle is lit and they are anointed with sacred chrism. This is the first step in your relationship with God and Christ. Usually this takes place when the candidate is a baby, however, it's never too late and you're never too old to begin your journey with God. It's common to have a baptism celebration with friends and family afterwards and give the child baptism keepsakes that will help them grow in their faith.

Confirmation

This is the sacrament that follows Baptism as part of the initiation process with God and the Church, where the candidate receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and continues their journey with Christ. During Confirmation, the candidate is anointed on the forehead with chrism by a bishop. Since baptism typically happens when the candidate is a baby, confirmation is a great way for an older child to acknowledge that they still want to continue their journey with God and grow their relationship with Him. Celebrate your child's confirmation by giving them a Bible with meaningful verses highlighted or cross as a daily reminder of God's love.

Eucharist

Eucharist means thanksgiving. This is when Christ's body and blood are offered and then received by the parishioner in the form of bread and wine. Christ during the Last Supper broke bread, ate it, gave it to his disciples and told them to eat it. Now the priest, through the words of consecration, blesses and administers the Holy Communion during every mass to remind followers that they are one with Christ. Food and drink nourishes our bodies ‒- Christ's blood and body nourishes us spiritually.

The Sacraments of Healing

The two sacraments of healing are penance and anointing the sick. Penance allows for spiritual healing and absolution for people who have distanced themselves from God through sin. Anointing the sick allows for both physical and spiritual healing. When one falls seriously ill, a minister anoints them and prays over them, calling on Christ to strengthen and heal.

Penance

During the sacrament of Penance, one confesses their sins to God through a priest who forgives their sins by God's mercy, and orders them to live a more faithful life through absolution. Confession is essential to cultivating and fruitfully living out the word of God. We're not perfect people, even if we try to be. It feels so much better to confess some of those things you have done wrong and receive forgiveness. This helps us have a stronger relationship with God.

Anointing the Sick

This sacrament is only bestowed upon those who are seriously ill or suffering, which then unites the inflicted with Christ's passion. Anointing the forehand and hands of the person with chrism while a priest administers a special blessing is how this sacrament is received. This special blessing is one way to make the ill feel strengthened and more connected with God in both mind and body.

The Sacraments of Service

Through marriage and the holy orders, couples and the clergy promise to serve and build up the church community.

Marriage

Marriage isn't just a union between man and wife. The devotion husband and wife have to each other, and to Christ, mirrors Christ's love and service to the church. Through marriage, a couple promises to help build each other up in faith, serve each other and the church and be faithful to each other until death.

Holy Orders

This sacrament is for those who choose to become a priest, bishop or deacon. Through ordination, they are able to perform sacred duties and serve the church community. This is not a sacrament that everyone partakes in, rather it's one that people feel called to by God.

Living Out the Sacraments

Receiving one of the seven sacraments is a life-changing moment where one truly experiences God's salvation and Christ's sacrifice. Events like first communion are exciting and deserve special gifts. Growing in faith doesn't only happen through the sacraments, it happens through daily prayer and devotion. Tools like a rosary, Bible, prayer journal and cross can assist you in practicing your faith.

If you know anyone about to partake in a sacrament or looking for tools to nourish their faith, consider blessing them in their journey with special religious gifts. It will be a keepsake that will stay with them as their faith continues to deepen.
Sources
JesusChristSavior.net | Study.com | Catholic.org

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The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church - Personal Creations Blog

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You've probably heard of baptism, confirmation and penance, but do you know what they all have in common? If you said that they're all sacraments, you're correct! These are three of the seven sacraments of the Catholic church. Each is significant in its own way.

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https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-meaning-of-prayer.html

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When I was a teacher, one of my co-workers posted a quote on his classroom wall: "The moment you settle for less than what you want is the moment you get more than you bargained for."

This is how it is with disobeying God. Once we settle for not going His way, we get less than we imagined and more than we ever wanted. Here are three truths about disobedience that I pray will help convince you that going God's way is always best.

Desperate longings can tempt us do desperate, disobedient things

One night, I dreamt I was being chased down a long, narrow hallway by a giant chocolate donut which screamed, "Eat me! Eat me!" Apparently at that point in my life I liked donuts more than I should-so they had become my enemy.

That's the way any great desire can be. If we want something too much it can become enemy number one to relationship with God, and a threat to obedience. Why? Because Satan can use what we long for most to seduce us into sin. This isn't surprising. After all, when is the last time you were tempted by something you didn't desire? Our enemy knows what we want most and is skilled at creating custom temptations to match our deepest longings.

In Scripture, James wrote about this when he said, "...but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15 NIV).

Perhaps you're thinking, This Scripture doesn't apply to my desires, because mine aren't evil. I just want to be loved, accepted, successful and have meaning in my life. There's nothing wrong with that.

I agree. There is nothing wrong with God-given desires, but when any longing is not submitted to Christ, it can still lead to disobedience, and therefore, the devastation that James describes.

For example, have you known a woman who wanted to be loved so badly that she was tempted and became involved with an abusive man? Or, have you heard about a man who had such a longing for success that he was seduced into a dishonest business deal?

Desperate longings can tempt us do desperate, disobedient things. Desire not submitted to Christ can make us to lose our sensibility, justify our behavior, and make excuses, which is very unattractive for God's children. When we give in to temptation, it often means we're not trusting Him to provide. As a result, we settle for crumbs, when God wants to give us an entire cake.

Disobedience can make us partially deaf

When I telephone my friend, Suzanne, and ask her a question such as, "How was your day?" and it's not the positive response I'm looking for, sometimes I tease and say, "OK, let's start over." From there, I restate the question and wait for a more interesting or digestible answer. It's become a joke between us. Sometimes I get the answer I want the second time around, and sometimes I don't.

This reminds me of a way that we sometimes communicate with God which hinders obedience. We ask Him for guidance. "Lord, do you want me to get a new job?" "Should I move to another state?" "Is it best for me to give my money to that woman in my church?" Then, because God is good and faithful, He answers. But sometimes we don't like His response, so just like I am with my friend Suzanne, we want to ask God to start over and give us a different answer. And sometimes if we don't like His answer, we may disobey and act like we haven't heard Him at all.

I call this "selective hearing." It's what some husbands do when they are watching football and don't want to be interrupted, and what students do when they don't want to hear their teacher. Selective hearing makes us tune-out whoever is speaking; so it's like they never said a word. Tuning-out God will make us act like we haven't heard Him and pretend that we have obeyed him.

Obedience that's partial isn't obedience at all

I once felt the Holy Spirit nudge me toward obedience and let go of some potential opportunities, because I was giving them too much importance; and they were edging in on the place reserved for Him on the throne in my heart.

These opportunities were like a box full of chocolates. To my chagrin, it was as if God said, "Wait! Don't eat those. I've got something better." But because I didn't completely listen, I gave in to temptation, and "stuck my fingers in all my chocolates of opportunity," by still checking out what could still be if God didn't show up. I hedged the line without blatantly disobeying.

And because I hadn't completely submitted myself to His authority, panic ruled.

Sometimes we can commit the sin of partial obedience. Sure, we haven't completely "eaten the chocolates" that God told us to give up, but we're still holding them in our hand, because we want a back up just in case He doesn't come through. Whether we are only sinning partially or all the way, we won't experience the peace that is ours in Christ unless we fully obey.

It can be in small or great matters, in the purchasing of a dress, marriage to a mate, or attending a party. If God says to wait or choose something else, it might not seem like a big deal if we change things just a little, right? We can justify or make excuses for our sin and the next thing you know, we're stuck going down a path without peace we had no intention of walking on.

Whenever I visit my friend and her husband in Texas, I am amazed by their well-behaved children. Rarely do I hear my girlfriend ask her kids to do something more than once, because they've been taught that quick and full obedience keeps them safe from consequence.

I want to not allow my desires to rule my relationship with God; I want to listen the first time and completely do what He says. How about you? Will you join me on a journey of going God's way?

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Obeying: God's Way Is Always Best - Focus on the Family

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When I was a teacher, one of my co-workers posted a quote on his classroom wall: "The moment you settle for less than what you want is the moment you get more than you bargained for." This is how it is with disobeying God.

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What is the Lord calling you to? If you've felt a tug on your heart towards either the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, Vocations Awareness Week presents the perfect opportunity to pray about it.

Celebrated Nov. 5-11, this national, annual event is a special time for parishes in the United States to actively foster and pray for a culture of vocations, according to a press release by the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops.

When St. John Paul II visited Denver in 1993, he predicted that the Mile High City would a hub for the New Evangelization. Since then and well before, the Archdiocese of Denver has been blessed to have a multitude of passionate priests, deacons and religious serving in our midst, and it seems there's no shortage. Even so, praying for vocations is one of the most important tasks of any Catholic.

In honor of Vocations Awareness Week, we asked two priests and two nuns about the favorite parts of their vocations, as well as advice for those who may be discerning.
Sister Faustina, Carmelite Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, Sts. Peter and Paul "The first step is to have a growing prayer life. You really have to know the Lord. It is he who reveals who we are. He's planted in our hearts at baptism our vocation, and it's really about discovering what's already in our hearts and how we're made. We can only find that through God's revelation, and that comes mostly through prayer."
Saint who's inspired her vocation: St. Faustina (obviously)
Father Sam Morehead, pastor of All Souls Parish "To be a priest brings two realities together: the life of God and the life of human beings. I love on the one hand the relationship you can have with almighty God in deep prayer and the service of the sacraments, but then how you bring that alive in real people's lives as you share their lives over family meals, as you're playing with the kids, as you're just engaging people in the reality of their lives. God and man come together in the priest right at the crossroads of that."
Saint who's inspired his vocation: St. John Fisher

Father Humberto Marquez, pastor of St. John the Baptist "The most important things in my priesthood are the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation. Through the Eucharist I fell in love with priesthood, and that is what finally led me to say 'yes' to the Lord. The sacrament of Reconciliation, [it's important] because, to see a person who arrived full of sins leaving the confessional with a clean soul, it is priceless."
Saint who's inspired his vocation: The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph

Mother Martha, Carmelite Sister, John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization "God does not cease to surprise us at every moment of our life. He certainly calls us and invites us, and along with that, He allows us to perform different missions in different parts of the world, something that in another state of our life would not have been possible. To travel to different countries, to meet new people, different cultures, this is something that does not cease to amaze me. God has allowed me and has lead me to different parts of the world. I have lived in Argentina, Chile and now here in Denver."
Saint who's inspired her vocation: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

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How to discern the will of God - Denver Catholic

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What is the Lord calling you to? If you've felt a tug on your heart towards either the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, Vocations Awareness Week presents the perfect opportunity to pray about it. Celebrated Nov.

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https://catholicexchange.com/4-ways-discern-voice-god

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https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9745

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Traditional Catholic prayers are like family heirlooms passed on from generation to generation. They include many of the best known Catholic prayers such as The Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and Apostles' Creed. Browse the list below to find traditional prayers of the Catholic faith, prayers of intercession, devotions to Mary and more.

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Traditional Catholic prayers are like family heirlooms passed on from generation to generation. They include many of the best known Catholic prayers such as The Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and Apostles' Creed. Browse the list below to find traditional prayers of the Catholic faith, prayers of intercession, devotions to Mary and more.

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https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what-is-the-will-of-god-and-how-do-we-know-it

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+J.M.J.+

Monsignor Charles M. Mangan
Catholic Online

Anyone who is serious about obtaining Everlasting Life in Heaven will do all he can to increase in the virtue of obedience. For without it, one will never please the Lord, Who is our benevolent Creator and compassionate Master.

Yes, we are actually obliged to be obedient--it is our solemn duty. And in the future, God willing, we will see that it helped us to attain the crown of perfect beatitude--the unending face-to-face vision of the Most Blessed Trinity--in Paradise.

What do we mean by the virtue of obedience?

The eminent Jesuit theologian Father John Anthony Hardon, S.T.D. (1914-2000), in his helpful Pocket Catholic Dictionary (New York: Image Books, 1985), offered the following definition of obedience: "The moral virtue that inclines the will to comply with the will of another who has the right to command." (Page 291)

Therefore, a person who is rooted in obedience submits his will to the one who possesses legitimate authority over him.

In his Summa Theologica (II, II, Question 104, Articles 4 and 5), Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225?-1274) declared that God is to be obeyed in all things, while human authorities are to be obeyed in certain things. Father Hardon explained: " . . . obedience to God is without limit, whereas obedience to human beings is limited by higher laws that must not be transgressed, and by the competency or authority of the one who gives the orders." (ibid.)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the virtue of obedience, even calling it, as we did above, a duty. "The duty of obedience requires all to give due honor to authority and to treat those who are charged to exercise it with respect, and, insofar as it is deserved, with gratitude and good-will." (1900)

Several examples of the virtue of obedience in action spring to mind.

+ Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, obeyed His Father by becoming man through the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary, later going to His obedience-inspired salvific Death on Calvary.

+ Our Blessed Lady obeyed the Almighty by consenting to become the Virgin-Mother of the long-awaited Messiah.

+ Saint Joseph heeded the Angel of the Lord and took Jesus and Mary to Egypt because King Herod wanted to kill the Baby.

+ All baptized Christians are moved by the obedience of faith to listen and submit to the Word of God.

+ Children obey, respect and pray for their parents, grateful that God has given their fathers and mothers to them.

+ Priests obey their Bishops or Superiors, for example by accepting new assignments from them.

+ Those who are consecrated to Christ by the profession of the Evangelical Counsels of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience obey their Religious Superiors regarding what apostolic work they are to do.

+ Those who have spiritual directors listen to and obey them concerning how they should seek Christian perfection in particular matters.

+ Catholics obey God and the Church by heeding the Commandments and the Precepts of the Church, for example by attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, following the Church's laws concerning the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, etc.

+ Citizens pay taxes to the rightful authority and defend their country from hostile foreign attack.

Father Hardon added: "As a virtue, (obedience) is pleasing to God because it means the sacrifice of one's will out of love for God." (ibid.)

How does one fail in regard to the virtue of obedience? Theologians have traditionally distinguished between sins in excess and sins in defect relative to a virtue.

A sin in excess against obedience is servility, which is marked by adherence to a directive that is contrary to a higher law or precept. One would be guilty of servility if he obeyed a civil law that is at odds with God's moral law.

A sin in defect against obedience is disobedience, which is the transgression of an order that falls within the competent authority of the superior and is, therefore, a legitimate directive. One is disobedient if he purposely fails to do or omit something commanded by his lawful authority.

Dom Gregory Manise, O.S.B., under the heading "Obedience" in the Dictionary of Moral Theology compiled under the direction of Francesco Cardinal Roberti (Westminster, Maryland: The Newman Press, 1961), wrote: "Obedience to a human superior in lawful commands, if not motivated by selfish reasons but honest motives, does not degrade but ennoble man, for it is submission to God Himself, from Whom all power proceeds. Also obedience provides certainty of freedom from error: a superior may err in commanding, but a subject never errs in obeying a lawful injunction. Obedience strengthens the will as the noblest sacrifice man can make to God, which Holy Scripture, speaking of obedience, calls greater in virtue than sacrifice (I Kings 15:22)."

Is there ever an occasion when one should refuse to follow the order of a human authority? Yes, if a human superior commands something that is against God's law. One must refuse to obey injunctions that are in opposition to God's law because they are not truly legitimate. Authentic human superiors are those to whom God has delegated part of His authority. If they misuse that authority by enjoining contrary to the Creator, then their human subjects are bound to disobey them. Saint Peter and the other Apostles had it right when they fearlessly proclaimed: "We must obey God rather than men." (The Acts of the Apostles 5:29)

Consider the civil officials in innumerable localities who promote indescribable aberrations contrary to God and His wise designs: the destruction of innocent life in the womb, the hastening of death for the elderly, the direct sterilization of mentally handicapped persons, the "marriage" of one man to another and one woman to another, etc. No Christian worthy of the name defends or intentionally acquiesces to these ghastly affronts against our loving Creator and His immutable Law.

We cannot obey the Lord and legitimate human authority without the supernatural assistance provided for in the Sacraments, our sincere veneration of Our Blessed Mother, our daily prayers, our avoidance of the "near occasion of sin" (that is various persons, places, objects and events), and our genuine and frequent acts of charity and self-denial.

God desires that we progress in the virtue of obedience because He realizes that our final destiny hangs in the balance. With Jesus the Eternal High Priest as our stellar model and His Mother and His Foster-father as our constant companions, we will perform well our duty of being obedient to Our Blessed Lord and to our rightful human superiors and one day experience the unceasing joys of our labors.

This pamphlet is available from Eternal Life (902 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown, KY 40004) and may be obtained by calling 1-800-842-2871. Used with permission.

Contact

Mary's Field
https://www.catholic.org , VA
Monsignor Charles M. Mangan - Official, 390 66616-1125

Email

fathermangan@catholic.org

Keywords

Virture of Obedience

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The Virtue of Obedience: Our Duty, Our Crown - Featured Today - Catholic Online

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J.M.J.+ Monsignor Charles M. Mangan Catholic Online Anyone who is serious about obtaining Everlasting Life in Heaven will do all he can to increase in the virtue of obedience. For without it, one will never please the Lord, Who is our benevolent Creator and compassionate Master.

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What is the Lord calling you to? If you've felt a tug on your heart towards either the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, Vocations Awareness Week presents the perfect opportunity to pray about it.

Celebrated Nov. 5-11, this national, annual event is a special time for parishes in the United States to actively foster and pray for a culture of vocations, according to a press release by the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops.

When St. John Paul II visited Denver in 1993, he predicted that the Mile High City would a hub for the New Evangelization. Since then and well before, the Archdiocese of Denver has been blessed to have a multitude of passionate priests, deacons and religious serving in our midst, and it seems there's no shortage. Even so, praying for vocations is one of the most important tasks of any Catholic.

In honor of Vocations Awareness Week, we asked two priests and two nuns about the favorite parts of their vocations, as well as advice for those who may be discerning.
Sister Faustina, Carmelite Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, Sts. Peter and Paul "The first step is to have a growing prayer life. You really have to know the Lord. It is he who reveals who we are. He's planted in our hearts at baptism our vocation, and it's really about discovering what's already in our hearts and how we're made. We can only find that through God's revelation, and that comes mostly through prayer."
Saint who's inspired her vocation: St. Faustina (obviously)
Father Sam Morehead, pastor of All Souls Parish "To be a priest brings two realities together: the life of God and the life of human beings. I love on the one hand the relationship you can have with almighty God in deep prayer and the service of the sacraments, but then how you bring that alive in real people's lives as you share their lives over family meals, as you're playing with the kids, as you're just engaging people in the reality of their lives. God and man come together in the priest right at the crossroads of that."
Saint who's inspired his vocation: St. John Fisher

Father Humberto Marquez, pastor of St. John the Baptist "The most important things in my priesthood are the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation. Through the Eucharist I fell in love with priesthood, and that is what finally led me to say 'yes' to the Lord. The sacrament of Reconciliation, [it's important] because, to see a person who arrived full of sins leaving the confessional with a clean soul, it is priceless."
Saint who's inspired his vocation: The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph

Mother Martha, Carmelite Sister, John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization "God does not cease to surprise us at every moment of our life. He certainly calls us and invites us, and along with that, He allows us to perform different missions in different parts of the world, something that in another state of our life would not have been possible. To travel to different countries, to meet new people, different cultures, this is something that does not cease to amaze me. God has allowed me and has lead me to different parts of the world. I have lived in Argentina, Chile and now here in Denver."
Saint who's inspired her vocation: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

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How to discern the will of God - Denver Catholic

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What is the Lord calling you to? If you've felt a tug on your heart towards either the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, Vocations Awareness Week presents the perfect opportunity to pray about it. Celebrated Nov.

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https://www.sspx.ca/en/news-events/news/true-obedience-the-mark-of-a-faithful-catholic

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By Rev Charles Seet

Preached at / Published Life BPC 1045am Svc, 2011-09-04

Text: Proverbs 3:5,6

In every situation we face, our greatest desire should be to do God's will because we love Him, and because we know that no matter how difficult it may be for us to do His will, doing it always works out for the best. However, in order to do God's will, we first need to know what it is. What is it that God wants us to do? How can we know exactly what God's will for us is in every situation? How does God reveal His will to us? These are important questions that every child of God will ask.

In this message, we will not be considering God's will regarding things that are already revealed very clearly by His written Word. For instance, if someone has wronged you there is no need for you to ask, "Lord, is it your will for me to forgive him?" God has already revealed what you must do in such a situation - e.g. in Ephesians 4:32, we have been told to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us.

Here is another example: As you think about whom you should marry, someone comes along who has everything that you hoped for in a life partner, except for one 'little' thing - she is not a Christian. Should you pray, "Lord, is it your will for me to marry her?" The answer is clearly no, because God has already told us very plainly in 2 Corinthians 6:14 not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever.

We don't need to ask God what His will is about such things. We should simply obey what God has revealed in His Word. The same thing applies to any moral decision - God's will for these things has already been made known to us. Anything that involves sin, or that would cause us to break any commandment of God, isoutside of God's will. There is no difficulty in discerning the will of God for such matters, since all that we need to know is what the Bible teaches on them.

Our difficulty is how to discern God's will in matters that are not revealed in the Bible at all. The Bible is not an almanac where you can find every specific detail about your life. So, if you are a young person seeking to know what God's will is for your career, you won't find it in the Bible. What you will find are some useful guiding principles that help to narrow down your options. Whatever career you choose should be one that will honour the Lord and make you useful to society. But there are no indications in the Bible on whether you should be a lawyer, doctor, engineer or businessman. Concerning marriage, obeying God's Word will limit your options only to Christians. But it gives no indication on which particular Christian you should marry.

Similarly, if you want to know whether God wants you to change your job or to migrate to another place, you won't find it in the Bible. If you are a parent who is anxious to know which school you should put your child in, you won't find it in the Bible. If you are reaching the age of retirement, you cannot expect to find specific details on where God wants you to live for your retirement, and what He wants you to do with your time.

So what should you do when you have to make such decisions? How can you know what God wants you to do? How can you avoid having this nagging fear that you may be making a wrong choice - a choice which is not God's will for you? The anwer to this problem is to learn how to discern God's will for your life. That is what we hope to do through this message.

Learning to discern God's will for your life will also help you in another way. You will have better time management. Many of us have perhaps become too busy for our own good. We take on too many commitments and as a result of this, we find ourselves terriblyoverwhelmed. We are unable to accomplish all that we are responsible to do. Then our spiritual life suffers, and our family life suffers. Twenty-four hours a day is not enough. We wish that we could have a lot more time.

Do you know what the real cause of all this is? It is not due to a shortage of time at all. It is due to our failure to discern which commitments God wants us to handle. There will always be sufficient time for us to fulfill commitments that are God's will for us to handle. God makes sure of that. He knows how capacity. Our time problems begin when we take on more commitments than what God has willed for us to handle. And so I hope you understand now that good time management comes from being able to discern God's will for your life.

Our Lord Jesus is the best example of this. Within only 3½ years of ministry He was able to complete everything that He came to do on earth, because He was focused on doing nothing else but the will of His Father (John 4:34). That's what we ought to do. How much better our time management would be, if we can only learn to discern God's will for our life, and focus on doing it!

Before we actually learn how to discern God's will for our life, there is a question that some have raised on this subject. Does God really have a custom-designed plan for each and every individual believer? Does He have a plan which includes which employer you will have, whom you will marry, which apartment you will buy, and so on? There are some who say no. They claim that God does not have a custom-made plan for each believer. This new view was popularized over the last 30 years by Gary Friesen in his book, Decision making and the Will of God.

In this book Gary Friesen tried to prove from the Scriptures that in those areas where the Bible gives no command or principle, the believer does not need to discern carefully whether it is God's will for him or not. He is free to choose his own course of action and any decision he makes is the right one and is acceptable to God as long as it is kept within God's moral will. This means that God does not really care whom you choose to marry as long as she is a Christian. And God does not really care what job you choose, as long as it does not violate any of His commandments. This effectively reduces God's will to nothing more than a set of general guidelines.

But a strong case can be made from the Scriptures for the traditional view that God does have a specific plan for every believer, and that He cares even for the smallest details of a believer's life. We think, for example of Abraham's servant asking God to guide him to the right woman to select as a bride for Isaac (Genesis 24). All that Abraham required his servant to do was to find a willing bride from among Abraham's relatives in Haran, and not from among the Canaanites who were all idolatrous (vv.3,4). There would have been a number of women at Haran who would have satisfied this requirement. But Abraham's servant prayed that God would direct him to find the particular woman He had appointed to become Isaac's wife (v.14). God answered that prayer by bringing Rebecca to meet the servant. Hence, it must have been God's will all along for Isaac to marry no one else but Rebecca.

Another example of God's care for the smallest details of our life can be found in what our Lord Jesus did when He selected His twelve apostles (Luke 6:12-13). He did not choose them randomly but spent one whole night in prayer before He decided whom He should choose. The twelve were not the only disciples Jesus had. According to Luke 10, there was a pool of at least seventy disciples that He could choose from. But Jesus prayed in order to discern which ones among them should be His apostles. From this He knew that it was God's will for no one else but those particular twelve men to be sent to bring the Gospel to the whole world.

One more example to show that God's will for each of us is very specific is the apostle Paul. In five of the epistles he wrote, Paul introduced himself as "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." And when God called him on the road of Damascus, it was revealed that Paul was specially ordained to be God's apostle to the Gentiles, and not to the Jews (Acts 9:15). God's specific plan for Paul even included his bringing the gospel westwards to Macedonia instead of eastwards to Bithynia (Acts 16:7). If not for this detail, history would have been quite different: We Asians would probably have received the Gospel first before our western counterparts.

These three examples are sufficient to show that God has a specific plan for you, a plan that includes even the tiniest little details of your life. After all, no detail of your life is ever too insignificant to God. Jesus says that even the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Matthew 10:30). What you are right now is the cumulative result of many different influences. Your mindset, attitudes and convictions have been shaped by every person you happened to meet or live with, every place you have visited, and even by every book you happened to read. And these things are often the result of the choices you had made. So we have strong reasons to believe that God's will isn't just a set of general guidelines, but it extends to every specific detail of our life.

But this presents us with a problem: How then can you know the specific details of God's will for your life, so that you will not make any mistakes when you make choices? Do you sometimes wonder whether some of the decisions you made in the past were not made according to God's will? Do you wonder what your life would like be today if you had chosen a different course of study or career, or if you had married a different person, or if you had lived in a different neighbourhood, or if you had attended a different church? Should this make you feel very worried that you may have missed God's will for your life? - That you now have to settle for 'second best'?

The answer to this is found in understanding God's sovereignty. Romans 8:28 assures us that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." All things have already been determined by God. God's will for your life therefore includes all your personal responses and even all the errors you made in discerning His will. Everything has been taken into account. God does not have to modify His plan for your life if you happen to choose wrongly. Nothing can ever stop Him from accomplishing His purposes. Psalm 23 assures us that the Lord is our Shepherd who leads us all the way, and He ensures that we will not miss any blessing that He has planned for us to have. We can therefore say,"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." (v.6)

But you may then ask this question: If God has already known and ordained every choice you make, does this mean that you can choose or decide any way you like, without bothering to discern God's will? No. You are still held responsible to make the best possible choice you can make, trusting that what you choose is indeed God's will for your life. How do you do this? Here are six basic steps...

1. Surrender your own will. Begin with the right attitude - the attitude that Christ had when He prayed at Gethsemane: "Not my will, but Thine be done." (Luke 22:42) This was also Paul's attitude when he met Christ on the road to Damascus. He said - "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6) Surrendering your will means that you must willingly accept whatever God has in store for you, even if it is not to your liking, and even if it goes against your personal preference.

Sometimes when a person comes to me for biblical advice to handle a situation, I discover that what he really wants is an endorsement of what he had already planned to do. And so when my advice turns out to be different from that, he argues with me and refuses to heed my advice. If you are really sincere about wanting to discern God's will for your life, you must not do that. You must settle it right within your heart that what you want is to know God's will and do it. This is the first step to discern the will of God. When you have done this, you can go on to the second step which is to:

2. Ask God to direct your path and trust that He will really do so. This is based on our Scripture text of Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

I want you to observe that the last part of v.6 does not say, "...He may direct thy paths" but '...He shalldirect thy paths.' This shows that God is more willing to give you the guidance you need, than you are to seek after it. Listen to what He says in Psalm 32:8 - "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." But please, don't expect God to reveal His entire plan for your life. He will lead you only one step at a time. There is a good purpose for this - so that you would build a closer relationship with God by having to rely on Him to lead you all the way to the end of your life.

What you do after this step is important. People often want a quick solution. They want to get the answer from God in the shortest possible time and with least amount of effort. So, when faced with a major decision they resort to using unscriptural methods to discern God's will. They ask for a special sign from God (like Gideon did when he put out a sheep's fleece overnight, Judges 6:37) or they draw lots. One method that some have used is bibliomancy. A person asks God to show His will for a decision, then he flips the Bible randomly to any page and points to any verse. Then he tries to see what message it has for him.

You may have heard the story of someone whose finger landed on Matthew 27:5 ("And he [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.") Not satisfied with the answer, he tried it again. This time his finger landed on Luke 10:37 ("Go, and do thou likewise.") Imagine how shocked he was when the next verse he got was John 13:27 ("That thou doest, do quickly.") This is the wrong way to seek God's will for your life. The right way to seek God's will requires time and patience to carry out the next few steps:

3. Pray for wisdom. James 1:5 says - "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Wisdom is not the same as knowledge. It is knowledge which is rightly applied. For instance you may know the Bible quite well. But it takes wisdom to know which passages in it are relevant to the situation you are facing, and how they are to be applied to make the right decision.

For instance, when choosing a life partner, your prayer for wisdom may lead you to Proverbs 31:30 ("Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.") or it may lead you to 1 Samuel 16:7 ("Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.") The principle behind these verses is the same: What God wants you to look for is not someone with good looks but one who has good character and godliness. The world puts too much value on externals - but we must not be conformed to the world's way of evaluating people.

And be careful how you apply God's Word to your situation. An English pastor one promised to serve in a church in north England, but after that he received an invitation to a more attractive post in south England. As he was wondering what he should do, he read a verse from Isaiah 43:6 - "I will say to the north, Give up..." And so he thought that God will cause the northern church to terminate his prior commitment so that he might be free to take up the more attractive offer from the southern church. But this didn't happen. When the pastor looked at Isaiah 43:6 again he saw that the next part said, "...and to the south, Keep not back:" He also realized that the verse is all about the regathering of God's people from exile back to the Promised Land. How foolish he was to have taken it out of context!

Wisdom requires us to use our minds well. There are no short cuts. We need to ask the right questions. We need to give careful thought and prayer to each portion of Scripture. All this requires time and effort. This is one reason why some are not able to discern God's will for their lives - they do not want to put in the time and effort that is needed for it. They want God's answer to come to them instantly like a bolt out of the blue, in the form of a sign, a dream or vision or a so-called word of prophecy.

But God has given all of us minds that are capable of evaluating several options and discerning the best one to choose. He expects us to reason things out carefully with the wisdom He gives us to make sound judgements. We better learn to use this God-given mind well, because one day we will have to judge the world when we reign with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:2). And if we worry that our judgements are not sound enough, there is another help that God has given us - other Christians. This brings us to the next step, which is to...

4. Consult spiritually mature believers for their advice. Proverbs 15:22 tells us - "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established." Don't choose people who will say only what you want to hear, but choose those who are willing to give advice that you may not like to hear.

Young people should not leave out one important resource you have for wise counsel: Your parents. Why? Because they usually have a lot more valuable experience, and more importantly, they have your interests at heart. (Proverbs 1:8-9 - "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.") Other sources of Christian counsel include pastors, your BS leader or SS teacher, and good Christian books. But be careful to check that what they say is aligned with Scripture before you apply it. When you have taken this step, then you can go on to the next...

5. Carefully consider the circumstances you are in. God may reveal His will for you by opening doors of opportunity. As He said to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:8 - "behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it..." But be careful - Satan can open doors too and they are called temptations. Just because someone offers you a job which does not require any work but has an attractive compensation, this does not mean that it is God's will for you. It may involve sinful practices and compromise your Christian testimony. Make sure that you obtain as much information as you can about any offer before you make any assessment of it.

Sometimes, there may be several options open to you. How can you know which is the best one that God wants you to take? Trace the path that God has been leading you from the past to the present - Are there consistent indications which seem to favour one of your options above all the rest? Weigh the pros and cons of each option - write down all the possible outcomes of taking each of them. If all their outcomes are good, look for the best one among them. If the outcomes are all bad, then look for the option which has the least unfavourable outcome.

Going through the first 5 steps in discerning God's will may lead you to consider one particular option as being the most likely choice that God wants you to make. This is the right time to apply the sixth step - the one which is most subjective:

6. Be sensitive to the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you a deep-seated peace when you are in line with God's will. Thus, you should see if choosing that particular option in question will bring peace to your heart. If you have a sense of unease instead of peace then it may not be the choice you should make.

Paul described this in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 - "Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia." One way to tell whether the peace or unease that you feel is from the Holy Spirit is to see how long it persists. The Spirit's conviction is not just a momentary feeling or passing impulse but a long-lasting impression that refuses to go away. It will keep coming back to you until you take notice of His conviction.

Thus we have seen the 6 basic steps for discerning God's will for your life: 1. Surrender your own will; 2. Ask God to direct your path; 3. Pray for wisdom; 4. Consult spiritually mature believers; 5. Consider thecircumstances you are in; and 6. Be sensitive to the Spirit's conviction. Now we come to the most important part.

Discerning the will of God is of no use until you actually do it. When God shows you His will, it is not for you to waste time deciding whether you should really carry it out or not. The language of submission is: "God has said it. That settles it. I will do it." And do not ever think that you are wiser than God, and try to modify His will to suit your own situation, for your own convenience. And when you submit yourself to the will of God, please make the Lord Jesus your example for the manner in which you do it.

To our Lord Jesus, doing the will of God was even more important than His own life. This is revealed in the prayer that He made in Gethsemane: "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will but Thy will be done." (Luke 22:42). His plea, "If Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me," does not mean that Jesus was reluctant to die on the cross. Instead, it reveals the awful price He had to pay for our sins! Never before has anyone surrendered and suffered so much for the sake of doing the will of God, as our Lord Jesus Christ!

If Jesus has gone through so much to do God's will to save you from sin and eternal death, is it too much for you to do God's will instead of your own will? Perhaps there may be someone here who is still not saved. Well, God's will for you right now is that you turn from your sins without delay and turn to Jesus alone for salvation. If you are already saved, will you commit yourself now to do the will of God for your life? May the Lord speak to our hearts as we ponder over this.

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Proverbs 03:5,6 - Discerning God's Will for Your Life

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By Rev Charles Seet Preached at / Published Life BPC 1045am Svc, 2011-09-04 Text: Proverbs 3:5,6 In every situation we face, our greatest desire should be to do God's will because we love Him, and because we know that no matter how difficult it may be for us to do His will, doing it always works out for the best.

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https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/beginning-with-god/the-art-of-discerning-gods-will.html

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https://www.biblestudy.org/beginner/best-places-to-pray.html

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https://denvercatholic.org/how-to-discern-the-will-of-god/

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+J.M.J.+

Monsignor Charles M. Mangan
Catholic Online

Anyone who is serious about obtaining Everlasting Life in Heaven will do all he can to increase in the virtue of obedience. For without it, one will never please the Lord, Who is our benevolent Creator and compassionate Master.

Yes, we are actually obliged to be obedient--it is our solemn duty. And in the future, God willing, we will see that it helped us to attain the crown of perfect beatitude--the unending face-to-face vision of the Most Blessed Trinity--in Paradise.

What do we mean by the virtue of obedience?

The eminent Jesuit theologian Father John Anthony Hardon, S.T.D. (1914-2000), in his helpful Pocket Catholic Dictionary (New York: Image Books, 1985), offered the following definition of obedience: "The moral virtue that inclines the will to comply with the will of another who has the right to command." (Page 291)

Therefore, a person who is rooted in obedience submits his will to the one who possesses legitimate authority over him.

In his Summa Theologica (II, II, Question 104, Articles 4 and 5), Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225?-1274) declared that God is to be obeyed in all things, while human authorities are to be obeyed in certain things. Father Hardon explained: " . . . obedience to God is without limit, whereas obedience to human beings is limited by higher laws that must not be transgressed, and by the competency or authority of the one who gives the orders." (ibid.)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the virtue of obedience, even calling it, as we did above, a duty. "The duty of obedience requires all to give due honor to authority and to treat those who are charged to exercise it with respect, and, insofar as it is deserved, with gratitude and good-will." (1900)

Several examples of the virtue of obedience in action spring to mind.

+ Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, obeyed His Father by becoming man through the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary, later going to His obedience-inspired salvific Death on Calvary.

+ Our Blessed Lady obeyed the Almighty by consenting to become the Virgin-Mother of the long-awaited Messiah.

+ Saint Joseph heeded the Angel of the Lord and took Jesus and Mary to Egypt because King Herod wanted to kill the Baby.

+ All baptized Christians are moved by the obedience of faith to listen and submit to the Word of God.

+ Children obey, respect and pray for their parents, grateful that God has given their fathers and mothers to them.

+ Priests obey their Bishops or Superiors, for example by accepting new assignments from them.

+ Those who are consecrated to Christ by the profession of the Evangelical Counsels of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience obey their Religious Superiors regarding what apostolic work they are to do.

+ Those who have spiritual directors listen to and obey them concerning how they should seek Christian perfection in particular matters.

+ Catholics obey God and the Church by heeding the Commandments and the Precepts of the Church, for example by attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, following the Church's laws concerning the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, etc.

+ Citizens pay taxes to the rightful authority and defend their country from hostile foreign attack.

Father Hardon added: "As a virtue, (obedience) is pleasing to God because it means the sacrifice of one's will out of love for God." (ibid.)

How does one fail in regard to the virtue of obedience? Theologians have traditionally distinguished between sins in excess and sins in defect relative to a virtue.

A sin in excess against obedience is servility, which is marked by adherence to a directive that is contrary to a higher law or precept. One would be guilty of servility if he obeyed a civil law that is at odds with God's moral law.

A sin in defect against obedience is disobedience, which is the transgression of an order that falls within the competent authority of the superior and is, therefore, a legitimate directive. One is disobedient if he purposely fails to do or omit something commanded by his lawful authority.

Dom Gregory Manise, O.S.B., under the heading "Obedience" in the Dictionary of Moral Theology compiled under the direction of Francesco Cardinal Roberti (Westminster, Maryland: The Newman Press, 1961), wrote: "Obedience to a human superior in lawful commands, if not motivated by selfish reasons but honest motives, does not degrade but ennoble man, for it is submission to God Himself, from Whom all power proceeds. Also obedience provides certainty of freedom from error: a superior may err in commanding, but a subject never errs in obeying a lawful injunction. Obedience strengthens the will as the noblest sacrifice man can make to God, which Holy Scripture, speaking of obedience, calls greater in virtue than sacrifice (I Kings 15:22)."

Is there ever an occasion when one should refuse to follow the order of a human authority? Yes, if a human superior commands something that is against God's law. One must refuse to obey injunctions that are in opposition to God's law because they are not truly legitimate. Authentic human superiors are those to whom God has delegated part of His authority. If they misuse that authority by enjoining contrary to the Creator, then their human subjects are bound to disobey them. Saint Peter and the other Apostles had it right when they fearlessly proclaimed: "We must obey God rather than men." (The Acts of the Apostles 5:29)

Consider the civil officials in innumerable localities who promote indescribable aberrations contrary to God and His wise designs: the destruction of innocent life in the womb, the hastening of death for the elderly, the direct sterilization of mentally handicapped persons, the "marriage" of one man to another and one woman to another, etc. No Christian worthy of the name defends or intentionally acquiesces to these ghastly affronts against our loving Creator and His immutable Law.

We cannot obey the Lord and legitimate human authority without the supernatural assistance provided for in the Sacraments, our sincere veneration of Our Blessed Mother, our daily prayers, our avoidance of the "near occasion of sin" (that is various persons, places, objects and events), and our genuine and frequent acts of charity and self-denial.

God desires that we progress in the virtue of obedience because He realizes that our final destiny hangs in the balance. With Jesus the Eternal High Priest as our stellar model and His Mother and His Foster-father as our constant companions, we will perform well our duty of being obedient to Our Blessed Lord and to our rightful human superiors and one day experience the unceasing joys of our labors.

This pamphlet is available from Eternal Life (902 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown, KY 40004) and may be obtained by calling 1-800-842-2871. Used with permission.

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J.M.J.+ Monsignor Charles M. Mangan Catholic Online Anyone who is serious about obtaining Everlasting Life in Heaven will do all he can to increase in the virtue of obedience. For without it, one will never please the Lord, Who is our benevolent Creator and compassionate Master.

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Jesus touches our lives through the sacraments. Our celebrations of the sacraments are signs of Jesus' presence in our lives and a means for receiving his grace. The Church celebrates seven sacraments, which are divided into three categories.

Sacraments of Initiation

These sacraments lay the foundation of every Christian life.

In Baptism we receive new life in Christ. Baptism takes away original sin and gives us a new birth in the Holy Spirit. Its sign is the pouring of water.
Confirmation
Confirmation seals our life of faith in Jesus. Its signs are the laying on of hands on a person's head, most often by a bishop, and the anointing with oil. Like Baptism, Confirmation is received only once.

The Eucharist nourishes our life of faith. Its signs are the bread and wine we receive-the Body and Blood of Christ.

Sacraments of Healing

These sacraments celebrate the healing power of Jesus.

Through Penance we receive God's forgiveness. Forgiveness requires being sorry for our sins. In Penance we receive Jesus' healing grace through absolution by the priest. The signs of this sacrament are our confession of sins and the words of absolution.
Anointing of the Sick
This sacrament unites a sick person's suffering with that of Jesus and brings forgiveness of sins. Oil, a symbol of strength, is the sign of this sacrament. A person is anointed with oil and receives the laying on of hands from a priest.

Sacraments at the Service of Communion

These sacraments help members serve the community.

In Matrimony a baptized man and woman are united with each other as a sign of the unity between Jesus and his Church. Matrimony requires the consent of the couple, as expressed in the marriage promises. The couple and their wedding rings are the signs of this sacrament.
Holy Orders
In Holy Orders men are ordained as priests, deacons, or bishops. Priests serve as spiritual leaders of their communities, and deacons serve to remind us of our baptismal call to help others. Bishops carry on the teachings of the apostles. The signs of this sacrament are the laying on of hands and anointing with oil by the bishop.

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Jesus touches our lives through the sacraments. Our celebrations of the sacraments are signs of Jesus' presence in our lives and a means for receiving his grace. The Church celebrates seven sacraments, which are divided into three categories. Sacraments of Initiation These sacraments lay the foundation of every Christian life.

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https://bible.org/article/discerning-will-god

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http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/index.cfm

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http://www.grace4families.com/blog/2017/6/6/the-way-to-discern-gods-will-for-tomorrow-is-simply-to-trust-and-obey-him-today

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http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/index.cfm

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https://working4christtwo.wordpress.com/2015/02/12/learning-about-the-seven-sacraments-by-patrick-miron/

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https://www.catholic.org/prayers/sacrament.php

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http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c3a1.htm

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Today we are looking into Luke 11:1-13 and Matthew 6:1-14. Between chapters 10 and 11, there is a time interval which is covered in John 9:1-10:21. 1

Luke 11 can be summarized by generosity: If Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Twelve all needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray! We must put God's concerns first (Luke 11:2-4) because prayer is based on sonship, not friendship. God is a loving Father, not a grouchy neighbor; He gives us what we need. He neither slumbers nor sleeps; and He doesn't become irritated when we ask for help (James 1:5). 2
Outline:

1. Pattern for Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) a guide, rather than something to recite.

1. True prayer has responsibilities (Luke 11:2) honoring God's kingdom and doing God's will. It is important to read God's Word and to know God's Word, we cannot separate prayer from God's Word (John 15:7).

2. True prayer asks requests, in proper order (Luke 11:3-4) once we are secure in our relationship with God and his will. He provides our needs, not our greeds.

2. Persistence in Prayer (Luke 11:5-8)

1. Prayer is based on sonship, rather than friendship.

2. Prayer is based on shamelessness, the man was not ashamed to wake up his neighbor.

1. When people pray, God's reputation is at stake.

2. When we are persistent, we do not changed God's mind, but we get ourselves to the place where we can trust God for the answer.

3. Promises for Prayer (Luke 11:9-13)

1. Verb tenses: keep on asking, knowing, seeking: not just during a midnight emergency.

2. Various examples:

1. Jesus called this abiding (John 15:1-11).

2. Paul called this "prayer without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

3. Vexing illustrations: we never need be afraid of the answers God gives.

Overview:
This prayer passage fits in with Luke's purpose in presenting Christ as the Son of Man, ever dependent upon God His Father. The disciples sensed that prayer was a real and vital force in the life of Jesus. As they heard Him pray, it made them want to pray too. And so one of His disciples asked that He would teach them to pray. He did not say, "Teach us how to pray," but "Teach us to pray." However, the request certainly includes both the fact and the method.

This study is designed to develop the character quality of persistence in prayer. Jesus warned that without prayer believers we will become faint-hearted (Luke 18:1). When you don't persist in prayer you become ignorant of God's will and stubborn to do your own will. God wants us to be persistent and passionate in seeking His face. Jesus in this passage gives three commands on how to be persistent in our prayers. We are to habitually and continuously keep on asking, seeking, and knocking.
Historical Background:
Throughout Jesus' ministry starting with His baptism (Luke 3:21) Jesus practiced the presence of God by communing with the Father through prayer.

The disciples found Jesus praying early in the morning (Mark 1:35)

They watched him slip away often for prayer (Luke 5:16)

He taught them of the importance of prayer especially when He (the Bridegroom) would return to the Father (Matthew 9:14-15; Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:33-35)

He spent a night in prayer in preparation for choosing "The Twelve" (Luke 6:12-13)

He taught them at their "Ordination Service" (Sermon on the Mount) to pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28)

He taught them to in secret, guarding their motives while practicing this discipline (Matthew 6:5-18)

He challenged them with these words in Matthew 7:7, 8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

These are the same words that Jesus uses when teaching His disciples in Luke 11 one year later. They are now personally interested in learning how to pray.
Discussion:
1. What motivated the disciples to ask Jesus to teach them how to pray? (Luke 11: 1) The disciples were motivated to pray because Jesus had taught them by example. Prayer is better caught than taught. They were not ready to learn how to pray until now. Their readiness to enter the school of prayer was precipitated by the realization that if God the Son was desperate to receive direction from the Father, how much more did they need to seek His face through prayer. Jesus' prayer life communicated that He believed there is no direction without connection.

Matthew 14:23 - After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Mark 1:35 - 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 6:46 - After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

Luke 5:16 - But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

Luke 9:18 - And it happened that while He was praying alone. The disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the people say that I am?"

2. If prayer was so important, why is it that Jesus was so relaxed about His disciple's prayer lives? (Luke 5:33-35) When Jesus' disciples were talking with him they were talking with the second person of the Godhead. Prayer is really nothing more than a conversation with God. So the disciples were in essence praying every day as they walked and talked with Jesus. But there was coming a day when Jesus would return to the Father and it would be essential that his disciples used the discipline of fasting and prayer to maintain contact with God.

3. How have churched unbelievers misused this prayer? (Matthew 6:7, 8) Prayers are not to be merely recited, nor are our words to be repeated thoughtlessly, or as if they were automatic formulas. But this is not a prohibition against persistence in pray. This practice was common in many pagan religions of that day, as it is in many religions today, including some branches of Christianity. The word translated "meaningless repetition" refers to idle, thoughtless chatter, mimicking the sounds of meaningless babble.

John MacArthur writes "The Jews had picked up the practice from the Gentiles, who believed that the value of prayer was largely a matter of quantity. The longer the better. 'They suppose they will be heard for their many words' (Matthew 6:7), Jesus explained. Those who prayed to pagan gods thought their deities first had to be aroused, then cajoled, intimidated, and badgered into listening and answering - just as the prophets of Baal did on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:26-29). In the New Testament we see a similar practice. Aroused against Paul and his companions by Demetrius and other silversmiths of Ephesus, a great crowd began chanting, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' and continued incessantly for two hours (Acts 19:24-34).

Many Buddhists spin wheels containing written prayers, believing that each turn of the wheel sends that prayer to their god. Roman Catholics light prayer candles in the belief that their requests will continue to ascend to God as long as the candle is lit. Rosaries are used to count off repeated prayers of Hail Mary and Our Father, the rosary itself coming to Catholicism from Buddhism by way of the Spanish Muslims during the Middle Ages. Certain charismatic groups in our own day repeat the same words or phrases over and over until the speaking degenerates to unintelligible confusion" (Matthew by: John A. Broadus, Judson, 1886, pg.130).

4. If God knows what we need before we ever pray, why pray? (Matthew 6:8) God does not have to be badgered into submission, our Father knows what we need, before we ask Him. Martin Luther said, "By our praying... we are instructing ourselves more than we are him." The purpose of prayer is not to inform or persuade God, but to come before God sincerely, purposely, consciously, and devotedly (Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by: John Stott, lnterVarsity, 1978, pg.145).

Prayer is sharing the needs, burdens, and hunger of our hearts before our heavenly Father, who already knows what we need but also wants us to ask him. He wants to hear us, he wants to commune with us, more than we could ever want to commune with him because his love for us is so much greater than our love for him. Prayer is our giving God the opportunity to manifest His power, majesty, love, and providence (John 14:13).

5. Did Jesus intend for this prayer to be prayed repetitiously by rote memory? (Matthew 6:9) Jesus taught them to pray "in this way" or "in this manner" or "along these lines." The prayer is a model, not a liturgy. It is notable for its brevity, simplicity, and comprehensiveness. Of the six petitions, three are directed to God (Matthew 6:9-10) and three toward human needs (Matthew 6:11-13).

6. How are we to address God? (Luke 11:2; Matthew 6:9) God is addressed as Father only for those who have been spiritually born into God's family through faith in Christ's substitutionary death and resurrection (John 1:12-13; John 3:3, 5-7).

Malachi wrote, "Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us?" (Malachi 2:10).

Paul said to the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill "As even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring"' (Acts 17:28).

But Scripture makes it unmistakably clear that God's fatherhood of unbelievers is only in the sense of being their Creator. Spiritually, unbelievers have another father. In his severest condemnation of the Jewish leaders who opposed and rejected Him, Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil" (John 8:44). It is only to those who receive Him that Jesus gives "the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12; cf. Romans 8:14; Galatians 3:26; Hebrews 2:11-14; 2 Peter 1:4). Because believers belong to God the Son, they can come to God the Father as his beloved children. "Our Father," indicates God's eagerness to lend his ear, his power, and his eternal blessing to the petitions of his children if it serves them best and further reveals his purpose and glory.

7. What does "hallowed be Thy Name" tell us about God's person? (Luke 11:2; Matthew 6:9) Hallowed is an archaic English word used to translate a form of the Greek word that means to make holy. Words from the same root are translated "holy, saint, sanctify, sanctification," etc. God's people are commanded to be holy (1 Peter 1:16), but God is acknowledged as "being" holy. That is the meaning of praying hallowed "be" Thy name: to attribute to God the holiness that already is his, (it always has been, supremely and uniquely His). To hallow God's name is to revere, honor, glorify, and obey him as singularly perfect. As John Calvin observed, that God's name should be hallowed was nothing other than to say that God should have his own honor, of which he was so worthy, that men should never think or speak of Him without the greatest veneration (A Harmony of the Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Baker, 1979, pg. 318).

8. What is involved in praying for God's program? (Luke 11:2; Matthew 6:10) All prayer, first of all, willingly submits to God's purposes, plans, and glory. Our greatest desire should be to see the Lord reigning as King in his kingdom, to have the honor and authority that have always been his but that he has not yet come to claim.

The word kingdom does not refer primarily to a geographical territory but to sovereignty and dominion. Therefore when we pray "Thy kingdom come," we are praying for God's rule through Christ's enthronement to come, his glorious reign on earth to begin. The verb "come" is an aorist active imperative, which denotes a sudden, instantaneous coming (Matthew 24:27). It is the coming kingdom of God, not an effort to create a more godly society on earth through the progressive, human-oriented work of Christians.

To pray "Thy kingdom come" is to pray for God's kingdom, the kingdom over which he, and he alone, is Lord and King. It will be a kingdom on earth (Matthew 6:10a), but it will not be a kingdom of this world, like the present world system. Jesus told Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). We do not advance God's kingdom to improve human society, no matter how worth y the cause. Supporting those causes neither build the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ nor bring it closer.

Practically as we pray for God's kingdom to come we need to ask ourselves if we have surrendered to the reign of Christ in our lives. Our ministries' focus ought to bring everything within our sphere of influence under Christ's reign.

9. How often should we pray for God's provision? (Luke 11:3; Matthew 6:11) God wants us to have a daily dependence upon Him (see Rev.3:17). The word translated "daily" was difficult to translate for centuries, since this is the only place the word occurs inside or outside the Bible. Then a few years ago, an archeologist dug up a papyrus fragment that contained a housewife's shopping list. Next to several items the woman had scribbled this word for daily: It probably meant, "Enough for the coming day" The phrase should be translated, "give us today bread enough for tomorrow" When prayed in the morning, it is a prayer for the needs in the hours ahead. Prayed in the evening, it is a request for the needs of the next day. The implication is that God will supply what we need to honor Him and do His will.

In our culture, with freezers and refrigerators, we seldom purchase food for a single day. We store up food in such abundance that we mutter only thoughtless words of thanks as we eat. We hardly acknowledge that the meal we eat and clothes we wear have come from the Father's hand. We must re-establish a daily dependence upon the Lord.

10. What happens when we pray for God's pardon but have been unwilling to forgive others? (Luke 11:4: Matthew 6:12, 14-15) God doesn't forgive us. In Luke's account, Jesus says to tell God you're forgiving everybody, so please do the same for us, but in Matthew 6:12, Jesus made it more conditional, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Jesus instructed them to ask the Father to forgive them only to the degree that they forgive other people. Jesus provides a brief commentary on this aspect of the prayer in Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you... but if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The kind of forgiveness that the disciples are seeking in the Lord's Prayer is "parental forgiveness." They are already members in the family of God; this is why they are instructed to address God as their "Father." These verses are not suggesting that God will withdraw justification (Judicial Forgiveness) from those who have already received the free pardon he extends to all believers. Judicial forgiveness is a permanent and complete acquittal from the guilt and ultimate penalty of sin, and belongs to all who are in Christ (John 5:24; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:7). Yet, Scripture also teaches that God chastens His children who disobey (Heb. 12:5-7). Believers are to confess their sins in order to obtain a day-to-day cleansing (1 John 1:9). This sort of forgiveness (parental forgiveness) is a simple washing from the worldly defilements of sin; not a repeat of the wholesale cleansing from sin's corruption that comes with justification. It is like a washing of the feet rather than a bath (see John 13:10). Forgiveness in this sense is what God threatens to withhold from Christians who refuse to forgive others (Matthew 18:23-35).

11. Why do we need to pray for God's protection? (Luke 11:4; Matthew 6:13) God does not tempt men toward sin (James 1:13), but he will subject them to trials that may expose them to spiritual assaults from the enemy, as in the case of Job and Peter (Luke 22:31, 32). This petition reflects the believing one's desire to avoid the dangers of sin altogether. God knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8), and he promises that no one will be subjected to testing beyond what can be endured. He also promises a way of escape, often through endurance (1 Corinthians 10:13).

12. What two aspects of prayer are being stressed in the story found in Luke 11:5-8? Jesus tells the story of a one-room house with a common sleeping area shared by the whole family, which was common in Palestine at that time. If one person arose and lit a lamp to get bread, all would be awakened. The man in the story finally responds to the request because of his neighbor's persistence. The word "persistence" can be translated "without shame, without embarrassment, without modesty." Vines suggest "shamelessness."

Jesus' point is if shameless persistence can obtain bread from a neighbor who doesn't want to be bothered, then certainly earnest prayer will receive our Father's answer.

The second aspect of prayer that is being stressed here is interceding on behalf of others. The reason this man was so immodest about his asking was he wasn't asking for himself. This is the pattern of the Lord's Prayer. Jesus didn't say to pray "My Father, give me this day my daily bread, do not lead me into temptation, but deliver me from the Evil One." Jesus taught them to pray "our" and "us." The strength of our prayer life is not determined by how much time you spend on your knees pleading for your own needs, but for the needs of others.

13. What are we commanded to do in Luke 11:9? Jesus commanded His disciples to keep on "asking, and it will be given to you; seeking, and you will find; knocking, and it will be opened to you" (all present imperatives).

14. What bizarre examples does Jesus give to point out that God will respond to our petitions only in kindness? (Luke 11:11-12; Matthew 7:9-11) Asking for a fish (get a snake), ask for an egg (get a scorpion).

15. Why does God only respond to us in kindness? (Luke 11:13) God's gifts reflect His character or his nature. God is good all the time, in contrast with man who is "evil" (James 1:17).

16. What have we already been given at salvation that the disciples had to ask for? (Luke 11:13) We were given the Holy Spirit at Salvation. Romans 8:9 says, "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit was "with" them but when He came at Pentecost the Spirit would be "in" them (John 14:16). Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the life of every believer at the moment of salvation (Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and baptizes them into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). At Pentecost, the apostles prayed (Acts 1:12-14) and the Holy Spirit came in great power.

Commentary: 1

Luke 11:2 - The model prayer which the Lord Jesus gave to them at this time is somewhat different from the so-called Lord's Prayer in Matthew's gospel. These differences all have a purpose and meaning. None of them is without significance.

First of all, the Lord taught the disciples to address God as Our Father. This intimate family relationship was unknown to believers in the OT. It simply means that believers are now to speak to God as to a loving heavenly Father. Next, we are taught to pray that God's name should be hallowed. This expresses the longing of the believer's heart that He should be reverenced, magnified, and adored. In the petition, "Your kingdom come," we have a prayer that the day will soon arrive when God will put down the forces of evil and, in the Person of Christ, reign supreme over the earth, where His will shall be done as it is in heaven.

Luke 11:3 - Having thus sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the petitioner is taught to make known his personal needs and desires. The ever-recurring need for food, both physical and spiritual, is introduced. We are to live in daily dependence upon Him, acknowledging Him as the source of every good.

Luke 11:4 Next there is the prayer for the forgiveness of sins, based on the fact that we have shown a forgiving spirit to others. Obviously this does not refer to forgiveness from the penalty of sin. That forgiveness is based upon the finished work of Christ on Calvary, and is received through faith alone. But here we are dealing with parental or governmental forgiveness. After we are saved, God deals with us as with children. If he finds a hard and unforgiving spirit in our hearts, he will chastise us until we are broken and brought back into fellowship with himself. This forgiveness has to do with fellowship with God, rather than with relationship.

The plea "And do not lead us into temptation" presents difficulties to some. We know that God never tempts anyone to sin. But He does allow us to experience trials and testings in life, and these are designed for our good. Here the thought seems to be that we should constantly be aware of our own proneness to wander and fall into sin. We should ask the Lord to keep us from falling into sin, even if we ourselves might want to do it. We should pray that the opportunity to sin and the desire to do so should never coincide. The prayer expresses a healthy distrust of our own ability to resist temptation. The prayer ends with a plea for deliverance from the evil one.

Luke 11:5-8 - Continuing with the subject of prayer, the Lord gave an illustration designed to show God's willingness to hear and answer the petitions of his children. In applying this illustration we must be careful to avoid certain conclusions. It doesn't mean that God is annoyed by our persistent requests. And it doesn't suggest that the only way to get our prayers answered is to be persistent.

It does teach that if a man is willing to help a friend because of his persistence, God is much more willing to hear the cries of His children.

Luke 11:9 teaches that we should not grow weary or discouraged in our prayer life. "Keep on asking ... keep on seeking ... keep on knocking ..." Sometimes God answers our prayers the first time we ask. But in other cases he answers only after prolonged asking.

Luke 11:10 teaches that everyone who asks receives, everyone who seeks finds, and everyone who knocks has it opened to him. This is a promise that when we pray, God always gives us what we ask or he gives us something better.

Luke 11:11-12 teaches that God will never deceive us.

Luke 11:13 - A human father would not give bad gifts; even though he has a sinful nature, he knows how to give good gifts to his children. How much more is our heavenly Father willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. J. G. Bellet says, "It is significant that the gift he selects as the one we most need, and the one He most desires to give, is the Holy Spirit." When Jesus spoke these words, the Holy Spirit had not yet been given (John 7:39). We should not pray today for the Holy Spirit to be given to us because he comes to indwell us at the time of our conversion (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).

But it is certainly proper and necessary for us to pray for the Holy Spirit in other ways. We should pray that we will be teachable by the Holy Spirit, that we will be guided by the Spirit, and that his power will be poured out on us in all our service for Christ.

It is quite possible that when Jesus taught the disciples to ask for the Holy Spirit, He was referring to the power of the Spirit enabling them to live the other-worldly type of discipleship which He had been teaching in the preceding chapters. By this time, they were probably feeling how utterly impossible it was for them to meet the tests of discipleship in their own strength. This is, of course, true. The Holy Spirit is the power that enables one to live the Christian life. So Jesus pictured God as anxious to give this power to those who ask.

In the original Greek, Luke 11:13 does not say that God will give the Holy Spirit, but rather He will "give Holy Spirit" (without the article). Professor H. B. Swete pointed out that when the article is present, it refers to the Person himself, but when the article is absent, it refers to his gifts or operations on our behalf. So in this passage, it is not so much a prayer for the Person of the Holy Spirit, but rather for his ministries in our lives. This is further borne out by the parallel passage in Matthew 7:11 which reads, "... how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

1 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1411). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). With the Word Bible Commentary (Luke 11:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[Questions and responses by Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

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Today we are looking into Luke 11:1-13 and Matthew 6:1-14. Between chapters 10 and 11, there is a time interval which is covered in John 9:1-10:21. 1 Luke 11 can be summarized by generosity: If Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Twelve all needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray!

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https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/catholic-daily-prayers.html

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https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/mental-prayer.html

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Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

>> Prayer Card
Hail Mary

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
>> Prayer Card
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:by the power of the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is adored and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.

Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
To whom God's love
commits me here,
Ever this day,
be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
>> Prayer Card
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.

Act of Contrition

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.
> Prayer Card
The Holy Rosary

Start by making the sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Then recite the Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Then say 1 "Our Father", 3 "Hail Mary's" for the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity; and then 1 "Glory Be":
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

The Rosary is divided into three parts, each having five mysteries. While meditating on the Mysteries, recite for each Mystery:
1 "Our Father"
10 "Hail Mary's" and
1 "Glory Be"

After each Mystery the "Fatima Prayer" is said.
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.
All together this makes up one decade.
After the completion of the five mysteries (five decades), the "Hail Holy Queen" is said:
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen)

Hail, holy Queen, mother of Mercy.
Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping,
in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile, show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet virgin Mary.

Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Make the Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Optional Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

The Eternal Father
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Repeat for the remaining decades
Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Optional Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion--inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

Litany of Mary

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

God our Father ln Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Virgin most wise, pray for us.
Virgin rightly praised, pray for us.
Virgin rightly renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin gentle in mercy, pray for us.
Faithful Virgin, pray for us.

Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Throne of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.

Shrine of the Spirit, pray for us.
Glory of Israel, pray for us.
Vessel of selfless devotion, pray for us.
Mystical Rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comfort of the troubled, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.

Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles and martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors and virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed in to heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the rosary, pray for us.
Queen of families, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.

Blessed be the name of the Virgin Mary now and forever.

Hail, Joseph

Act of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God, in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man and died for our sins and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
>> Prayer Card
Act of Hope

O My God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
>> Prayer Card
Act of Love

O my God, I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon for all whom I have injured.
>> Prayer Card
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer for Vocations

O Father, raise up among Christians
abundant and holy vocations to the priesthood,
who keep the faith alive
and guard the blessed memory of your Son Jesus
through the preaching of his word
and the administration of the Sacraments,
with which you continually renew your faithful.

Grant us holy ministers of your altar,
who are careful and fervent guardians of the Eucharist,
the sacrament of the supreme gift of Christ
for the redemption of the world.

Call ministers of your mercy,
who, through the sacrament of Reconciliation,
spread the joy of your forgiveness.

Grant, O Father, that the Church may welcome with joy
the numerous inspirations of the Spirit of your Son
and, docile to His teachings,
may she care for vocations to the ministerial priesthood
and to the consecrated life.

Sustain the Bishops, priests and deacons,
consecrated men and women, and all the baptized in Christ,
so that they may faithfully fulfill their mission
at the service of the Gospel.

This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mary, Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Alternate Version: >> Prayer Card
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

Prayer of St. Dominic

May God the Father who made us bless us.
May God the Son send his healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit move within us and
give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with,
and hands that your work might be done.
May we walk and preach the word of
God to all.
May the angel of peace watch over us and
lead us at last by God's grace to the
Kingdom.

Prayer of St. Benedict

Gracious and holy Father,
grant us the intellect to understand you,
reason to discern you, diligence to seek you,
wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you,
a heart to meditate upon you.
May our ears hear you, may our eyes behold you,
and may our tongues proclaim you.
Give us grace that our way of life may be pleasing to you,
that we may have the patience to wait for you
and the perseverance to look for you.
Grant us a perfect end--your holy presence,
a blessed resurrection and life everlasting.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

From "The Breastplate of St. Patrick"

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

- Cecil F. Alexander

Prayer in Honor of St. Peter Julian Eymard

Gracious God of our ancestors,
you led Peter Julian Eymard,
like Jacob in times past,
on a journey of faith.
Under the guidance of your gentle Spirit,
Peter Julian discovered the gift of love
in the Eucharist which your son Jesus
offered for the hungers of humanity.
Grant that we may
celebrate this mystery worthily,
adore it profoundly, and
proclaim it prophetically
for your greater glory.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard,
Apostle of the Eucharist,
pray for us!

Prayer to Saint Christopher

Grant me, O Lord, a steady hand and watchful eye.
That no one shall be hurt as I pass by.
You gave life, I pray no act of mine may take away or mar that gift of thine.
Shelter those, dear Lord, who bear my company, from the evils of fire and all calamity.
Teach me, to use my car for others need; Nor miss through love of undue speed The beauty of the world; that thus I may with joy and courtesy go on my way.
St. Christopher, holy patron of travelers, protect me and lead me safely to my destiny.

The Fragrance of Christ

Help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go - let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by my example - by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you.

- John Henry Newman

Dear God

Dear God,
please reveal to us your sublime beauty
that is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere,
so that we will never again feel frightened.
My divine love, my love,
please let us touch
your face.

- St. Francis of Assis i

Prayer for the Year of Faith

Eternal God, you called your Church at the Second Vatican Council to
stir into flame afresh riches of grace that abide in her heart, and bid
us seek from you a new and fiery Pentecost. In fidelity to this call,
sanctify your Church by a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that we
might set the world ablaze with liberating truth and radiant beauty of
your beloved Son, Jesus Christ; for you, O Father, are the
lover of mankind. Amen.

-Pope Benedict XVI

The Rosary
The Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
Way of the Cross

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.

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http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/index.cfm

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Do you know what a sacrament is? Do you know how many there are? Can you name them? Do you know what they do?

These are important questions that every Catholic should be able to answer. If it's a bit fuzzy or confusing, here is a short primer that lays out the big picture of our relationship to the sacraments and what they do for us.

WHAT IS A SACRAMENT?

A sacrament is an outward sign of an invisible spiritual reality. Because humans are a unity of a physical body and a spiritual soul, God uses the means of physical objects and rituals to convey spiritual truths that we cannot detect using our senses.

This outward sign functions as a channel through which God imparts sanctifying grace into the soul. The sacraments are seven in number and have their source in the saving work of Jesus in his passion, death, and resurrection, and were established by Him for the sanctification of every member of His Church.

Sacraments are external rites performed by the Church that we experience both physically and mystically. Through them God imparts actual divine grace (participation in the divine life of the Holy Trinity) which enters into our soul and transforms (sanctifies) us, helping us to live a life pleasing to God so that we can spend eternity with him in heaven.

Through the sacraments the supernatural moral virtues are also infused into our souls, giving us the grace we need to overcome sin and to live a life ruled by faith, hope, and charity with increasing perfection throughout our lives.

In a nutshell, "Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification."

WHY ARE THERE SEVEN?

According the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the sacraments
"touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life."
Because of this broad inclusion of all stages of life from birth to death, it is fitting that there be more than a single sacrament that corresponds to each. This is for our benefit so that we can know that God is always with us, that he sustains us through all the stages of our life, and that his grace is always working to save us through His Church.

The number seven is also a spiritually significant number; it appears in many biblical passages and is associated with perfection or completeness. For example, God rested on the seventh day after creation, there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, Jesus spoke seven last words from the Cross, etc.

The Three Sacraments of Initiation
into the Catholic Church

The first three sacraments-Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion-are collectively known as the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church, "whose unity must be safeguarded" according to the Catholic Catechism. In other words, they are a package deal, so to speak.

The easiest way to understand why there are three Sacraments of Initiation (and not just one) is by viewing them in light of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is the Christian doctrine of God's nature: the unity of three Divine Persons in one God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of the Sacraments of Initiation reveal one of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

Baptism is always the first sacrament to be received; it is the gateway into the Church and plants the seed of divine life into our souls, which is then increased by degree through the other sacraments throughout our lives.

The Sacrament of Baptism: The removal of the stain of original sin and becoming a Christian, a son or daughter of God the Father.

The Sacrament of Confirmation: The seal or completion of baptism; the reception of the mark of God the Holy Spirit and His seven sanctifying gifts.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion: The reception of the God the Son in the Holy Eucharist; the body, blood, soul, and divinity of the Incarnate Jesus Christ.

So we see that the three Sacraments of Initiation follow a Trinitarian formula: being received into the divine life of the Triune God through each of the Divine Persons.

According to the Catechism,

"The sacraments of Christian initiation-Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist-lay the foundations of every Christian life. The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity." (CCC 1212)

The Other Four Sacraments
that Guide Us through Life

From here we can understand the other four sacraments. Once we are received into the Church through the three Sacraments of Initiation, our life within the Church doesn't stop there. We also regularly receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance which restores us when, during the course of our life, we through sin fall from the grace we have received in our baptism. Serious sin cuts us off from God's grace (called a grave sin because it kills God's divine life in the soul), while sacramental confession restores it.

Next comes the question of our state in life as Christians living in the world. The vocational sacraments are the Sacrament of Holy Matrimon y and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. These sacraments impart God's divine life to those living out a life-long call to marriage or the priesthood.

Finally, at the end of our lives comes sickness and death and the corresponding Sacrament of Healing, also called Anointing of the Sick, Extreme Unction, or Last Rites. It is when we receive the prayer and blessing of the Church to strengthen the soul as we transition from this life to the next. The sacrament is also administered to those who are seriously ill or in danger of death.

THE ROLE OF THE PRIEST

The sacraments, as external rites, are performed by the priest who acts in persona Christi. This means that the priest, in virtue of apostolic succession, acts in the very person of Christ as he administers the sacraments to the faithful. The sacraments impart divine life into our souls through the power and authority of Jesus Christ in the person of the priest.

The seven sacraments of the Catholic Church are injections of divine grace to help us live our lives, from birth to death, in harmony with the will of God, which is intended for our happiness and well-being in this life. They are marvelous gifts of God intended to purify our souls and bring us to eternal life with Him in heaven, and we should be very grateful for them!
This article has been updated and was originally published in January 2013. © The Catholic Company. All rights reserved.

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Understanding the 7 Sacraments: The Big Picture

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A sacrament is an outward sign of an invisible spiritual reality. Because humans are a unity of a physical body and a spiritual soul, God uses the means of physical objects and rituals to convey spiritual truths that we cannot detect using our senses.This outward sign functions as a channel through which God imparts sanctifying[...]

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Blanca Lagunas

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.- Pope Francis dedicated his homily at Mass on Tuesday to the theme of obeying God's will, saying a Christian should have a heart like Mary, who was open and obedient to all that God asked of her.

"Do I pray that the Lord gives me the desire to do his will, or do I look for compromises because I'm afraid of God's will?" the Pope asked the attendees of his Jan. 27 Mass, held in the chapel of the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse.

The Roman Pontiff encouraged those present to pray in order "to know God's will for me and my life, concerning a decision that I must take; the way in which we handle things ... there are so many things."

First, he said, there is the need to pray to know God's will, then to pray for the desire to do it, and finally when we have these things, we pray "for the third time, to follow it. To carry out that will, which is not my own, it is his will. And all this is not easy."

Pope Francis centered his homily on the day's first reading from St. Paul's letter to the Hebrews, in which the apostle affirms that rather than seeking burnt offerings and sacrifices, God desires an obedient heart.

Adam and Eve's act of disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden "brought evil to the whole of humanity," the Pope noted, saying their primary sin was that of not doing God's will.

There is no other path to heaven than obedience, he said, explaining that "it begins with Jesus in Heaven, in his desire to obey the Father. But here on earth it begins with Our Lady."

When Mary told the Angel Gabriel, "Let it be done to me according to your word," she allowed God's will to be carried out through her, and with her 'Yes' to God "our Lord began his journey amongst us."

However, following God's will is "not easy," the Roman Pontiff observed, noting how even Christ faced temptations in the desert before beginning his public ministry, as well as in the Garden of Olives before his passion and death.

If it was not easy for Christ, then it will not be easy for us either, he said, which is why it is so important to pray for knowledge of God's will, to have the desire to do it, and then pray to carry it out.

Pope Francis then turned to the day's Gospel reading from Mark, in which Christ, while seated with a crowd of people, is told that his mother and relatives had arrived.

When approached and informed of their presence, Christ indicated that the people he was sitting with were his relatives, saying, "whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

The Lord grants this opportunity of obedience to each individual, the Roman Pontiff said, so that everyone can be a part of that group who crowded around Christ, and of whom he said "here is my mother and my brothers and my sisters."

Doing God's will, he concluded, "makes us become part of Jesus' family; it makes us his mother, father, sister, brother."

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Pope Francis asks, Do you discern God's will before making a decision?

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Pope Francis dedicated his homily at Mass on Tuesday to the theme of obeying God's will, saying a Christian should have a heart like Mary, who was open and obedient to all that God asked of her. "Do I pray that the Lord gives me the desire to do his will, or do I look for compromises because I'm afraid of God's will?"

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Even though religion is slowly being dismantled, the acceptance of spirituality is at an all-time high. Prayer and faith, for example, are both rising in popularity and accepted by many, for numerous reasons. While people are not "religious," they are highly "spiritual." I simply celebrate the very notion that unbelievers are open to a "spiritual realm."

Unfortunately, in this conversation of spiritual piety, the Church may be in threat of diluting our special fellowship with God. We may mean well, but I believe our piety has become more about the right "activity" and "vocabulary," than about "sincerity" and "authenticity."

It's a struggle today, and it was a struggle in Jesus' day. Jesus calls us to have a prayer life that is sincere and authentic so we can completely focus on God.

Jesus' Message (Matthew 6:5-8)

In an effort to explain what authentic piety looks like, Jesus gave us three examples. The first, was on giving money, and the second is prayer:

"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your who sees in will reward you.

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.[i]

At first glance, it appears that "private prayer" is the only authentic form of prayer. It doesn't take long, however, before we understand that Jesus is clearly trying to make a point - our prayer life should be sincere and authentic.

Prayer in the New Testament

Prayer for the devote Jew occurred three times every day (Daniel 6:10).[ii] Prayer was also encouraged in both private and public life in an effort to break down religious segregation and to live out private faith in public spaces.[iii] What's interesting, however, is that prayer itself wasn't unique to the Jews. The pagans thought if they spoke more words, mentioned more gods, and repeated themselves enough, they would have a better chance of their prayers being answered.[iv] Jesus clearly witnessed the Jews acting in their spirituality, but also adopting a hypocritical view of prayer.

"Hypocritical" Prayer

When Jesus spoke of being a "hypocrite" in this context, he pointed to a "self-deceit" - when we fool ourselves to thinking our prayer life is directed towards God, when in reality, we are looking for the praise of those around us, and using "empty phrases."[v] Jews during this time, were praying so that others could see and hear their piety.

If we desire for others to view us as "spiritual," we will receive their praise and forfeit God's fellowship. As a result, our prayer becomes hypocritical because it doesn't draw us into fellowship with God, rather ourselves. John Stott called it "a mean kind of self-service."[vi] In the end, hypocritical prayer only hurts our spirituality and pushes us away from our relationship with God.

This also extends to the words we use when we pray. The pagans believed "that they [would] be heard for their many words" (Matthew 6:7). In reality, there is no need to repeat ourselves with empty phrases, unnecessary repetition, or filling silence with religious quotes because God already knows what we need (6:8).

This might be a difficult one to swallow. I grew up in the Church and I learned all of the proper prayer lingo. Everything from phrases like "we pray a hedge of protection," to bible verses, songs, and repeating "Oh, God..." between every thought. It has become our way of prayer. The ESV translated the Greek word battalogeō as "heap up empty phrases," but the rare word is understood to mean "babbling" or "speaking without thinking."[vii]

The question is, do we, as believers, use words and phrases just for the sake of using them or to show others our spirituality, or do we sincerely and authentically think about what we are praying? Our intentions may be good, but we may not be as sincere and as authentic as we may think. After all, these verses serve as a "warning" for us so that we aren't naively practicing our righteousness (6:1).

I guess the best question to ask ourselves is this: when I pray, does God hear my words and knowledge, or does God hear the sincerity and authenticity of my heart?

"Righteous" Prayer

We rightfully connect our prayer lives with our faith and spirituality and often take this topic personally. So before I attempt to define righteous prayer, it might be helpful to state what righteous prayer is not.

It's not avoiding pubic prayer. We can't be quick to make Jesus' words here an absolute. The issue is about the heart, not about the place of prayer. The early church devoted themselves to the unity of prayer, and so should we (Acts 2:42).

It's not avoiding quoting scripture and other spiritual phrases. For centuries, the Church has used scripture and traditional sayings in prayer. Again, the issue is not what is said, but the authenticity behind what is said. In fact, I believe the Church would do well in praying more Psalms.

It's not assuming short prayers are best. Jesus used examples to illustrate a principle. As a result, His examples are often specific to the time and place. For example, in Luke 18, Jesus actually acknowledged the purpose of persistent prayer.

Righteous prayer is all about the heart. Prayer is about putting away the selfish appeal of our old-self, and putting on the selfless withdrawal of new life. Our prayer life should cause us to withdraw ourselves and connect with God, not draw others to the appeal of our righteousness. Likewise, our words should be thoughtful, not meaningless.[viii]

Prayer for today

Prayer has to be the guiding force in every believer. In order to do that, our prayer life has to start in the "private prayer room." That space doesn't have to be a physical room, rather a space where you can withdraw and connect with God. From that sincere and authentic place of prayer, our "public prayer space" will naturally bring glory to God and not to ourselves or others because our attention is already pointed in the right direction. I believe we fall into the trap of hypocritical prayer because our "private prayer room" is often lacking. Martin Luther challenged believers to live out a continuous authentic prayer life:

"In the morning and in the evening, at table and whenever he [or she] has time, every individual should speak a benediction or the Our Father or the Creed or a psalm."[ix]

To help, Jesus gave us a model of prayer (6:9-13). We call it The Lord's Prayer. How do we pray? In daily fellowship ("daily bread"), we direct our attention to the Father, pray for His glory, the establishment of His kingdom and His will, and have a spirit of forgiveness because He forgave us. It's a selfless prayer focused on God the Father.

Your turn

1. How can you guard yourself against hypocritical prayer?

2. How is God calling you to PRAY today?

God wants to connect with us. He doesn't want us to draw attention to ourselves or fill our prayers with thoughtless words. God wants to hear the sincere and authentic prayers of our hearts, and sometimes that means we have to stop and wait before God.

Our sincere and authentic prayer is the kind of faithful prayer that God rewards.

____________

[i] Matthew 6:5-8, ESV.

[ii] John Nolland, The Gospel of Matthew, NIGTC (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmands, 2005), 277-278.

[iii] John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity, 1985), 133.

[iv] D. A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 64.

[vi] Stott, 133.

[vii] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, (Grand Rapids, MI; W.B. Eerdmans, 1992), 141.

[viii] Stott, 145.

[ix] Martin Luther, The Sermon on the Mount (Sermons) and The Magnificant, Luther's Words; ed. J. Pelikan (St. Louis, MO: Concordia, 1956), 139.

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About the author

Andrew T. Holm
ChristianWeek Columnist

Andrew lives in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland with his wife, Deidre, and daughter, Rae, where he is the Lead Pastor of Bethel Pentecostal Church. He is a graduate of Memorial University (BBA) and Tyndale Seminary (MTS). His passion is to help people become true disciples of Jesus. andrewholm.com

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Prayer from a sincere and authentic life - ChristianWeek

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Even though religion is slowly being dismantled, the acceptance of spirituality is at an all-time high. Prayer and faith, for example, are both rising in popularity and accepted by many, for numerous reasons. While people are not "religious," they are...Read More→

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Jesus touches our lives through the sacraments. Our celebrations of the sacraments are signs of Jesus' presence in our lives and a means for receiving his grace. The Church celebrates seven sacraments, which are divided into three categories.

Sacraments of Initiation

These sacraments lay the foundation of every Christian life.

In Baptism we receive new life in Christ. Baptism takes away original sin and gives us a new birth in the Holy Spirit. Its sign is the pouring of water.
Confirmation
Confirmation seals our life of faith in Jesus. Its signs are the laying on of hands on a person's head, most often by a bishop, and the anointing with oil. Like Baptism, Confirmation is received only once.

The Eucharist nourishes our life of faith. Its signs are the bread and wine we receive-the Body and Blood of Christ.

Sacraments of Healing

These sacraments celebrate the healing power of Jesus.

Through Penance we receive God's forgiveness. Forgiveness requires being sorry for our sins. In Penance we receive Jesus' healing grace through absolution by the priest. The signs of this sacrament are our confession of sins and the words of absolution.
Anointing of the Sick
This sacrament unites a sick person's suffering with that of Jesus and brings forgiveness of sins. Oil, a symbol of strength, is the sign of this sacrament. A person is anointed with oil and receives the laying on of hands from a priest.

Sacraments at the Service of Communion

These sacraments help members serve the community.

In Matrimony a baptized man and woman are united with each other as a sign of the unity between Jesus and his Church. Matrimony requires the consent of the couple, as expressed in the marriage promises. The couple and their wedding rings are the signs of this sacrament.
Holy Orders
In Holy Orders men are ordained as priests, deacons, or bishops. Priests serve as spiritual leaders of their communities, and deacons serve to remind us of our baptismal call to help others. Bishops carry on the teachings of the apostles. The signs of this sacrament are the laying on of hands and anointing with oil by the bishop.

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Jesus touches our lives through the sacraments. Our celebrations of the sacraments are signs of Jesus' presence in our lives and a means for receiving his grace. The Church celebrates seven sacraments, which are divided into three categories. Sacraments of Initiation These sacraments lay the foundation of every Christian life.

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Franciscan Media, formerly St. Anthony Messenger Press, seeks to help Christians grow closer to God by creating inspiring and innovative products in the spirit of St. Francis. St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Servant Books, and AmericanCatholic.org inspire Catholics to live in love and grow in faith.

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https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/sacraments

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https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/understanding-the-7-sacraments-the-big-picture-6064

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https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9745

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https://denvercatholic.org/how-to-discern-the-will-of-god/

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http://www.beginningcatholic.com/how-to-pray

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https://www.archmil.org/Our-Faith/sacraments.htm

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https://scriptureunion.org/how-to-read-pray/

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http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/index.cfm

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https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9745

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How Do We Know God's Will?

Many people after discovering the faith soon realize that it is sometimes difficult to discern God's will in a given situation. Most people think that knowing God's will is impossible. After all, He gave us our natural capacity to reason and He has revealed Himself to us - so the rest is up to us. There is some truth to this, especially at the beginning of the spiritual life. But anyone who tries to make progress in our pilgrimage of faith this way is soon discouraged. Following Christ often requires us to act in ways far beyond what common sense would dictate. This is why St. Paul urges, "calling to mind the mercy of God, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age, but live a transformed life by the renewal of your minds - so that you may discern what is God's will - what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).

As long as we try to live like everybody else, as long as we think like everyone else, our ability to know God's will is severely impeded. The mercy of God revealed by Christ crucified gives us a different standard. The pathway to knowing the will of God is found in loving imitation of the Lord who laid down His life for His friends. God's will is found in the Cross.

We can find the Cross first of all through loving sacrifice no matter how small or insignificant or hidden from the world. In fact, the more hidden the better. In the old days, this was called "offering it up." Whatever is the least desired, least comfortable, least understood - God's will is hidden there waiting to be discovered. Whenever we renounce anything out of love and devotion to the Lord, whenever we bear a trial for His glory, whenever we offer up our internal pain and continue out of faithfulness to Him - this action opens up space in our hearts and minds, space for God's will to flow into our will. Paradoxically, this never overthrows our freedom but expands it, liberating us from selfishness and anything else that prevents us from loving to the full.

The Cross of Christ is also found whenever we are moved to do something beautiful for God. It was in her effort to do something beautiful for God that Blessed Teresa of Calcutta heard the Lord call her to be His light. She discovered in her efforts to do something beautiful for God new facets of His Holy Will that would have otherwise remained hidden. St. John of the Cross lived by this same wisdom and marveled at the immense horizon of love and freedom God's will contains. He came to counsel those who were seeking the Will of God, "Where there is no love, put love, and you will find love."
Editor's Note: For more of Anthony's insights on prayer, don't miss his book, Hidden Mountain Secret Garden, an experience like no other. Anthony has an unusually profound understanding of mystical theology and lives a life of deep prayer. Among his many accomplishments and responsibilities, Dr. Lilles now teaches theology for the Avila Institute.
Art: CC; The Crucified Christ, Peter Paul Rubens, between 1610 and 1611, PD-US; Mother Teresa of Calcuta [sic], portrait painting by Robert Pérez Paulou, 1 January 1994, St. John of the Cross, Francisco de Zurbarán, 1656, PD-US; Wikimedia Commons.

Anthony Lilles, a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, completed his graduate and post-graduate studies in Rome at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas. He and his lovely wife, Agnes, are blessed with three children and live in California, where he is the Academic Dean, and Associate Professor of Theology, St. John's Seminary, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Academic Advisor at Juan Diego House, House of Formation for Seminarians. For over twenty years, Dr. Lilles worked for the Denver Archdiocese directing parish religious education, R.C.I.A. and youth ministry, as well as serving as Director of the Office of Liturgy for the Archdiocese and as Coordinator of Spiritual Formation for the permanent diaconate. In 1999, he became a founding faculty member of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary where he was Academic Dean for nine years and Associate Professor of Theology. He is a Board Member for the Society of Catholic Liturgy.

Dr. Lilles has provided graduate level courses on a variety of topics including the Eucharist, the Sacraments of Healing, Church History, Spiritual Theology, Spiritual Direction and on various classics of Catholic Spirituality. His expertise is in the spiritual doctrine of Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In 2012, Discerning Hearts published his book "Hidden Mountain, Secret Garden: A Theological Contemplation on Prayer," a compilation of discussions with seminarians, students and contemplatives about the spiritual life. He collaborated with Dan Burke on the book "30 Days with Teresa of Avila". Among his many accomplishments and responsibilities, Dr. Lilles now teaches theology for the Avila Institute. He blogs at BeginningtoPray.blogspot.com

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How Do We Know God's Will? Many people after discovering the faith soon realize that it is sometimes difficult to discern God's will in a given situation. Most people think that knowing God's will is impossible. After all, He gave us our natural capacity to reason and He has revealed Himself to us - so ...

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We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love. We cannot "see" the love the hug expresses, though sometimes we can see its nurturing effect in the child.

The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot "see" is God's grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God's initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives.

The saving words and deeds of Jesus Christ are the foundation of what he would communicate in the Sacraments through the ministers of the Church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. They are the Sacraments of Initiation ( Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing ( Penance and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion ( Marriage and Holy Orders). Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier.

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Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples | en Español
This 28 page booklet and study guide highlights the connections between the celebration of the sacraments and our social mission as followers of Jesus and the Body of Christ. . Print copies are also available for $5.95/booklet from USCCB Publishing.

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We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love.

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https://www.catholic.org/prayers/sacrament.php

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https://www.catholic.org/prayers/sacrament.php

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http://www.beginningcatholic.com/how-to-pray

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No matter where you are on your spiritual path, missionaries will have truths and insights that can help you on your way.

Missionaries can:

Help you feel closer to God.

Show you how to pray and receive answers from Him.

Help you find answers to your spiritual questions.

Teach you about the Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Guide you in ways to understand the scriptures.

Support you through your personal challenges.

Encourage your progress toward repentance, faith, and baptism.

Introduce you to a community of like-minded believers who can continue to support you in your spiritual journey

You may have already been seeking some of these things. Or maybe you did once and never found answers that felt right. The Missionaries can help you discover the answers you need.

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How can the Missionaries Help Me | ComeUntoChrist.org

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No matter where you are on your spiritual path, missionaries will have truths and insights that can help you on your way. Missionaries can: Help you feel closer to God. Show you how to pray and receive answers from Him. Help you find answers to your spiritual questions.

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The Seven Sacraments of The Catholic Church | Covenant Network Catholic Radio

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When Jesus walked the face of the Early nearly 2,000 years ago, he possessed the power to save, heal, nourish, and strengthen people. These powers continue today in the Church by means of the 7 Sacraments, continuing Jesus' saving work and ministry right here and now!

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https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/catholic-daily-prayers.html

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https://www.catholic.org/prayers/sacrament.php

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E'Liza

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Many years ago a group of seminarians were gathered and their Novice Master instructed them, "Now remember, you are not allowed to chew gum while you are praying."

One of the seminarians asked, "But, Father, is it okay to pray while we're chewing gum?"

"Of course," the Novice Master replied, leaving them wondering just how to follow these contradictory instructions.

This story illustrates that prayer is both an activity on its own as well as a way of living out one's entire life. Prayer can be formal or informal, verbal or nonverbal, active or contemplative. Prayer is communicating with God. Just as we talk and share with our best friends what is happening in our lives, so we talk and share with God. Just as we listen to our friends, so we listen to God.

As in human communication, our communication with God can be expressed in a variety of ways. We communicate with God using words and songs, in imagination and silence, and ritually or spontaneously. We can pray in church, our gardens, our cars, or while in the shower. We can also pray lying in bed, as the first thing we do when we awake, and as the last thing we do as we drift off to sleep. One of the characteristics of prayer we as Catholics believe is that with the right intention every moment of the day-all our hopes, works, joys, and sufferings-can become our prayer.

Catholics pray in different ways. The Catechism names three major expressions of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer.

Vocal Prayer

Vocal prayer is giving voice to what is stirring in our hearts and in our souls. Vocal prayer can be as simple and uplifting as "Thank you, God, for this beautiful morning." It can be as formal as a Mass celebrating a very special occasion. It can be as intense and immediate as the prayer Jesus uttered in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done."

Most Catholics learn traditional prayers from the time they were young. These normally include the Sign of the Cross, the Hail Mary, the Lord's Prayer, and a mealtime blessing. They might also include prayers at waking and at bedtime. Over time many people learn other prayers, such as the Memorare, a prayer asking Mary, the mother of God, to pray for us in our time of need.

Catholics often pray in groups. When two or more people gather together to raise their minds and hearts to God in prayer, their prayer is called communal prayer. Examples of communal prayer are the Rosary, devotional prayers including novenas and litanies, classroom prayers, and, most importantly, the Mass. Standing together at Mass reciting the Creed ("I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth . . .") is a powerful experience that both expresses and shapes our faith. Though we might say the same prayers over the course of our lives, their meaning grows and changes with our life experiences. Surely, the Lord's Prayer means something vastly different to a person who has just buried his or her father than it does to a child who still has only vague notions about God. Our vocal prayers are not just "going through the motions," they are the expression of a living faith.

At Mass the presider invites each one of us to "Lift up your hearts." When we honestly say "We lift them up to the Lord," we know we are truly praying, for that is what prayer is-lifting our hearts to God.

Meditation

To meditate is to reflect on or think about God. When we meditate, we keep our attention and focus on God so that we can recognize his presence in our daily lives and respond to what God is asking of us. When we meditate, a variety of things can help us to concentrate and to spark our imaginations. We may use Scripture, particularly the Gospels; traditional prayers; writings of the spiritual fathers; religious images; or history-the page on which the "today" of God is written. Meditation, also known as reflective prayer, leads us to conversation with God. Remembering that we are in God's presence, we can listen to him speak to us. We enter into God's sacred time and space and know that he is with us at all times and in all places.

Contemplative Prayer

When we rest quietly in God's presence, we engage in contemplation. In contemplation we spend time with God in wordless silence, aware that he is with us. To understand how contemplation occurs, we can compare it with thinking on-or contemplating-a beautiful sunset. We are conscious of its impact, but our reaction is wordless. When we experience God personally, we feel his love and wait for him to speak to us in his own way. The key is to make time to relax and listen in God's presence, to seek union with the God who loves us.

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Many years ago a group of seminarians were gathered and their Novice Master instructed them, "Now remember, you are not allowed to chew gum while you are praying." One of the seminarians asked, "But, Father, is it okay to pray while we're chewing gum?"

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https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9745

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The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.

If you learn more about the sacraments, you can celebrate them more fully. To learn more about the individual sacraments, please follow the links below. To arrange to receive a Sacrament, please contact the St. Thomas Main Office.

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The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.

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Developing a Life of Prayer - Focus on the Family

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You will grow in intimacy with God as you take the time to talk with Him each day.

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https://www.franciscanmedia.org/an-introduction-the-sacraments/

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Chase

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I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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. (Romans 12:1-2)

The aim of Romans 12:1-2 is that all of life would become "spiritual worship." Verse 1: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." The aim of all human life in God's eyes is that Christ would be made to look as valuable as he is. Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus. There is a way to live - a way to love - that does that. There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God. If you can't find it, that may mean you should change jobs. Or it might mean that verse 2 is not happening to the degree it should.

Verse 2 is Paul's answer to how we turn all of life into worship. We must be transformed. We must be transformed. Not just our external behavior, but the way we feel and think - our minds. Verse 2: "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind."

Become What You Are

Those who believe in Christ Jesus are already blood-bought new creatures in Christ. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). But now we must become what we are. "Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened" (1 Corinthians 5:7).

"Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus."

"You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Colossians 3:10). You have been made new in Christ; and now you are being renewed day by day. That's what we focused on last week.

Now we focus on the last part of verse 2, namely, the aim of the renewed mind: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, [now here comes the aim] that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. " So our focus today is on the meaning of the term "will of God" and how we discern it.

The Two Wills of God

There are two clear and very different meanings for the term "will of God" in the Bible. We need to know them and decide which one is being used here in Romans 12:2. In fact, knowing the difference between these two meanings of "the will of God" is crucial to understanding one of the biggest and most perplexing things in all the Bible, namely, that God is sovereign over all things and yet disapproves of many things. Which means that God disapproves of some of what he ordains to happen. That is, he forbids some of the things he brings about. And he commands some of the things he hinders. Or to put it most paradoxically: God wills some events in one sense that he does not will in another sense.

1. God's Will of Decree, or Sovereign Will

Let's see the passages of Scripture that make us think this way. First consider passages that describe "the will of God" as his sovereign control of all that comes to pass. One of the clearest is the way Jesus spoke of the will of God in Gethsemane when he was praying. He said, in Matthew 26:39, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." What does the will of God refer to in this verse? It refers to the sovereign plan of God that will happen in the coming hours. You recall how Acts 4:27-28 says this: "Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." So the "will of God" was that Jesus die. This was his plan, his decree. There was no changing it, and Jesus bowed and said, "Here's my request, but you do what is best to do." That's the sovereign will of God.

And don't miss the very crucial point here that it includes the sins of man. Herod, Pilate, the soldiers, the Jewish leaders - they all sinned in fulfilling God's will that his Son be crucified (Isaiah 53:10). So be very clear on this: God wills to come to pass some things that he hates.

Here's an example from 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 3:17, Peter writes, "It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil." In other words, it may be God's will that Christians suffer for doing good. He has in mind persecution. But persecution of Christians who do not deserve it is sin. So again, God sometimes wills that events come about that include sin. "It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will."

Paul gives a sweeping summary statement of this truth in Ephesians 1:11, "In him [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. " The will of God is God's sovereign governance of all that comes to pass. And there are many other passages in the Bible that teach that God's providence over the universe extends to the smallest details of nature and human decisions. Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from our Father in heaven (Matthew 10:29). "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord" (Proverbs 16:33). "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord" (Proverbs 16:1). "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will" (Proverbs 21:1).

That's the first meaning of the will of God: It is God's sovereign control of all things. We will call this his "sovereign will" or his "will of decree." It cannot be broken. It always comes to pass. "He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" (Daniel 4:35).

2. God's Will of Command

Now the other meaning for "the will of God" in the Bible is what we can call his "will of command." His will is what he commands us to do. This is the will of God we can disobey and fail to do. The will of decree we do whether we believe in it or not. The will of command we can fail to do. For example, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Not all do the will of his Father. He says so. "Not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven." Why? Because not all do the will of God.

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality." Here we have a very specific instance of what God commands us: holiness, sanctification, sexual purity. This is his will of command. But, oh, so many do not obey.

Then Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." There again is a specific aspect of his will of command: Give thanks in all circumstances. But many do not do this will of God.

"Immerse yourself in the written word of God. Saturate your mind with it."

One more example: "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:17). Not all abide forever. Some do. Some don't. The difference? Some do the will of God. Some don't. The will of God, in this sense, does not always happen.

So I conclude from these and many other passages of the Bible that there are two ways of talking about the will of God. Both are true, and both are important to understand and believe in. One we can call God's will of decree (or his sovereign will) and the other we can call God's will of command. His will of decree always comes to pass whether we believe in it or not. His will of command can be broken, and is every day.

The Preciousness of These Truths

Before I relate this to Romans 12:2, let me comment on how precious these two truths are. Both correspond to a deep need that we all have when we are deeply hurt or experience great loss. On the one hand, we need the assurance that God is in control and therefore is able to work all of my pain and loss together for my good and the good of all who love him. On the other hand, we need to know that God empathizes with us and does not delight in sin or pain in and of themselves. These two needs correspond to God's will of decree and his will of command.

For example, if you were badly abused as a child, and someone asks you, "Do you think that was the will of God?" you now have a way to make some biblical sense out of this, and give an answer that doesn't contradict the Bible. You may say, "No it was not God's will; because he commands that humans not be abusive, but love each other. The abuse broke his commandment and therefore moved his heart with anger and grief (Mark 3:5). But, in another sense, yes, it was God's will (his sovereign will), because there are a hundred ways he could have stopped it. But for reasons I don't yet fully understand, he didn't."

And corresponding to these two wills are the two things you need in this situation: one is a God who is strong and sovereign enough to turn it for good; and the other is a God who is able to empathize with you. On the one hand, Christ is a sovereign High King, and nothing happens apart from his will (Matthew 28:18). On the other hand, Christ is a merciful High Priest and sympathizes with our weaknesses and pain (Hebrews 4:15). The Holy Spirit conquers us and our sins when he wills (John 1:13; Romans 9:15-16), and allows himself to be quenched and grieved and angered when he wills (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). His sovereign will is invincible, and his will of command can be grievously broken.

We need both these truths - both these understandings of the will of God - not only to make sense out of the Bible, but to hold fast to God in suffering.

Which Will?

Now, which of these is meant in 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." The answer surely is that Paul is referring to God's will of command. I say this for at least two reasons. One is that God does not intend for us to know most of his sovereign will ahead of time. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us" (Deuteronomy 29:29). If you want to know the future details of God's will of decree, you don't want a renewed mind, you want a crystal ball. This is not called transformation and obedience; it's called divination, soothsaying.

The other reason I say that the will of God in Romans 12:2 is God's will of command and not his will of decree is that the phrase "by testing you may discern" implies that we should approve of the will of God and then obediently do it. But in fact we should not approve of sin or do it, even though it is part of God's sovereign will. Paul's meaning in Romans 12:2 is paraphrased almost exactly in Hebrews 5:14, which says, "Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" (See also Philippians 1:9-11.) That's the goal of this verse: not ferreting out the secret will of God that he plans to do, but discerning the revealed will of God that we ought to do.

Three Stages

There are three stages of knowing and doing the revealed will of God, that is, his will of command; and all of them require the renewed mind with its Holy-Spirit-given discernment that we talked about last time.

Stage One

First, God's will of command is revealed with final, decisive authority only in the Bible. And we need the renewed mind to understand and embrace what God commands in the Scripture. Without the renewed mind, we will distort the Scriptures to avoid their radical commands for self-denial, and love, and purity, and supreme satisfaction in Christ alone. God's authoritative will of command is found only in the Bible. Paul says that the Scriptures are inspired and make the Christian "competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Not just some good works. "Every good work." Oh, what energy and time and devotion Christians should spend meditating on the written word of God.

Stage Two

The second stage of God's will of command is our application of the biblical truth to new situations that may or may not be explicitly addressed in the Bible. The Bible does not tell you which person to marry, or which car to drive, or whether to own a home, where you take your vacation, what cell phone plan to buy, or which brand of orange juice to drink. Or a thousand other choices you must make.

"If you want to know the future details of God's will of decree, you don't want a renewed mind, you want a crystal ball."

What is necessary is that we have a renewed mind, that is so shaped and so governed by the revealed will of God in the Bible, that we see and assess all relevant factors with the mind of Christ, and discern what God is calling us to do. This is very different from constantly trying to hear God's voice saying do this and do that. People who try to lead their lives by hearing voices are not in sync with Romans 12:2.

There is a world of difference between praying and laboring for a renewed mind that discerns how to apply God's word, on the one hand, and the habit of asking God to give you new revelation of what to do, on the other hand. Divination does not require transformation. God's aim is a new mind, a new way of thinking and judging, not just new information. His aim is that we be transformed, sanctified, freed by the truth of his revealed word (John 8:32; 17:17). So the second stage of God's will of command is the discerning application of the Scriptures to new situations in life by means of a renewed mind.

Stage Three

Finally, the third stage of God's will of command is the vast majority of living where there is no conscious reflection before we act. I venture to say that a good 95 percent of your behavior you do not premeditate. That is, most of your thoughts, attitudes, and actions are spontaneous. They are just spillover from what's inside. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak" (Matthew 12:34-36).

Why do I call this part of God's will of command? For one reason. Because God commands things like: Don't be angry. Don't be prideful. Don't covet. Don't be anxious. Don't be jealous. Don't envy. And none of those actions are premeditated. Anger, pride, covetousness, anxiety, jealousy, envy - they all just rise up out of the heart with no conscious reflection or intention. And we are guilty because of them. They break the commandment of God.

Is it not plain therefore that there is one great task of the Christian life: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We need new hearts and new minds. Make the tree good and the fruit will be good (Matthew 12:33). That's the great challenge. That is what God calls you to. You can't do it on your own. You need Christ, who died for your sins. And you need the Holy Spirit to lead you into Christ-exalting truth and to work in you truth-embracing humility.

Give yourself to this. Immerse yourself in the written word of God; saturate your mind with it. And pray that the Spirit of Christ would make you so new that the spillover would be good, acceptable, and perfect - the will of God.

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What Is the Will of God and How Do We Know It?

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I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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.

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The Roman Catholic Church has seven holy sacraments that are seen as mystical channels of divine grace, instituted by Christ. Each is celebrated with a visible rite, which reflects the invisible, spiritual essence of the sacrament. Whereas some sacraments are received only once, others require active and ongoing participation to foster the "living faith" of the celebrant.

Baptism

baptism of Jesus© Photos.com/Thinkstock

Baptism is seen as the sacrament of admission to the faith, bringing sanctifying grace to the person being baptized. In Catholicism the baptism of infants is the most common form, but unbaptized children or adults who wish to join the faith must also receive the sacrament. A person is to be baptized only once in their life, and the Catholic Church recognizes baptisms done by most other Christian denominations as valid. In the rite of baptism holy water is usually sprinkled or poured on the head by a priest who simultaneously invokes the Trinity with the words, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The old self is said to die in the waters, and a new self emerges, mirroring the death and resurrection of Christ. Given that the sacrament is understood as a requirement for salvation, anyone, even non-baptized persons, can baptize someone as the situation requires.

Eucharist

Clements, George John H. White/EPA/National Archives, Washington, D.C.

The Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is another sacrament of initiation and can be received daily if desired. It is the central rite of Catholic worship. A baptized child's First Communion is usually celebrated around age seven or eight and is preceded by their first confession (the sacrament of Reconciliation). During the mass the priest consecrates bread and wine, the elements of the Eucharist, which are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. As a memorial of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and in a reflection of his Last Supper with his disciples, the congregation then shares in the sacred meal. Special lay ministers (i.e., non-priests) are trained to bring the consecrated elements to the ill or otherwise homebound so that all Catholics can participate.

Confirmation

Confirmation is the third sacrament of initiation and serves to "confirm" a baptized person in their faith. The rite of confirmation can occur as early as age 7 for children who were baptized as infants but is commonly received around age 13; it is performed immediately after baptism for adult converts. A bishop or priest normally performs the rite, which includes the laying on of hands in prayer and blessing and the anointing of the forehead with chrism (holy oil) with the words, "Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit." In so "sealing" that person as a member of the church, the outward rite of confirmation signifies the inner presence of the Holy Spirit, who is believed to provide the strength to live out a life of faith. At confirmation a Catholic may symbolically take the name of a saint to be his or her patron.

Reconciliation

SCALA/Art Resource, New York

Also known as Confession or Penance, the sacrament of Reconciliation is seen as an opportunity for renewal and can be done as often as needed. Some Catholics participate weekly before receiving the Eucharist, whereas others may seek the sacrament only during the penitential seasons of Lent or Advent. Reconciliation is a means of obtaining pardon from God for sins for which the sinner is truly remorseful, and brings the sinner back into communion with God and the Church. The sacrament is an opportunity for self-reflection and requires that the person take full responsibility for his or her sins, both those in thought and in action. During the rite, sins are recounted privately to a priest, who is seen as a healer aiding the process, and the priest commonly assigns acts of penance, such as specific prayers or acts of restitution, to complete in the following days. A prayer of contrition is offered at the end of the confession, and the newly absolved Catholic is urged to refrain from repeating those sins.

Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Extreme Unction, is a sacrament that is administered to give strength and comfort to the ill and to mystically unite their suffering with that of Christ during his Passion and death. This sacrament can be given to those who are afflicted with serious illness or injury, those who are awaiting surgery, the weakened elderly, or to ill children who are old enough to understand its significance. A person can receive the sacrament as many times as needed throughout their life, and a person with a chronic illness might be anointed again if the disease worsens. The rite can be performed in a home or hospital by a priest, who prays over the person and anoints their head and hands with chrism (holy oil). The priest may also administer the sacrament of the Eucharist if the person has been unable to receive it and can hear a confession if so desired. If a person is at the point of death, the priest also administers a special Apostolic blessing in what is known as the Last Rites.

Marriage

marriage: Christian wedding ceremony© Bogdan Sonjachnyj/Shutterstock.com

In Catholicism marriage is a sacrament that a baptized man and a baptized woman administer to each other through their marriage vows and lifelong partnership. Given that to a Catholic sacramental marriage reflects the union of Christ with the church as his mystical body, marriage is understood to be an indissoluble union. The rite commonly takes place during a mass, with a priest serving as the minister of the mass and as a witness to the mutual consent of the couple. The marriage union is used to sanctify both the husband and wife by drawing them into a deeper understanding of God's love and is intended to be fruitful, with any children to be raised within the teachings of the church.

Ordination

Ordination, or Holy Orders, is a sacrament that is available only to men who are being ordained as deacons, priests, or bishops. As with Baptism and Confirmation, the sacrament is said to convey a special indelible "character" on the soul of the recipient. During the rite, which typically occurs during a special Sunday mass, a prayer and blessing is offered as a bishop lays his hands on the head of the man being ordained. In the case of the ordination of priests and bishops, this act confers the sacramental power to ordain (for bishops), baptize, confirm, witness marriages, absolve sins, and consecrate the Eucharist. Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, preach, and assist during the mass, but they cannot consecrate the Eucharist or hear confessions. With the exception of married deacons, an order restored by the Second Vatican Council, all ordained men are to be celibate.

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The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church

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The Roman Catholic Church has seven holy sacraments that are seen as mystical channels of divine grace, instituted by Christ. Each is celebrated with a visible rite, which reflects the invisible, spiritual essence of the sacrament. Whereas some sacraments are received only once, others require active and ongoing participation to foster the "living faith" of the celebrant.

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http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/201612-10five-ways-to-pray/

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https://www.catholic.org/prayers/sacrament.php

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https://www.catholicscomehome.org/your-questions/church-teachings/the-sacraments/

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We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love. We cannot "see" the love the hug expresses, though sometimes we can see its nurturing effect in the child.

The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot "see" is God's grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God's initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives.

The saving words and deeds of Jesus Christ are the foundation of what he would communicate in the Sacraments through the ministers of the Church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. They are the Sacraments of Initiation ( Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing ( Penance and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion ( Marriage and Holy Orders). Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier.

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Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples | en Español
This 28 page booklet and study guide highlights the connections between the celebration of the sacraments and our social mission as followers of Jesus and the Body of Christ. . Print copies are also available for $5.95/booklet from USCCB Publishing.

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We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love.

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https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/sacraments/the-seven-sacraments/the-seven-sacramentsarticle2

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https://denvercatholic.org/how-to-discern-the-will-of-god/

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https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/sacraments

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