cfc yfl honoring god weekend

HONORING GOD WEEKEND

CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE │ 2009



Introduction: This is the first part in a series of weekends and sessions detailing the covenant of a CFC YFL member. This series is called the Habits Orientation with the thrust of developing certain habits that will help a young person live out his or her commitment to the Lord with the intention of growing in maturity in his or her faith and at the same time in his or her relationship with God. This particular discussion tackles the first covenant which is “I shall live as a follower of Christ”. The ideal time for this activity will be a whole weekend as it will cover the what, why and how’s of worship and prayer. It will also briefly give the participants an overview and experience on the different types of prayer with the intention of developing in them a desire and love for communing with God. The discussions covered are only introductory so it is highly recommended that further study should be undertaken personally and in the households or assemblies. Honoring God is such a rich topic that everything will not be fully covered in a month or much more a weekend. It is a life long process that can be done individually and much better with other brethren who shares the same desire. May this weekend spur, inspire and encourage the participants to truly live out their lives fully for the Lord for anything less of total and full is a short changing of God’s great mercy and love for us and of one’s self whom God calls fully unto Him. General Objectives: The HGW aims to: 1. Develop in the young person a desire to fully commune with God daily. 2. Make the young person understand that we were made by God to know Him, love Him and serve

Him. Specific Objectives: 1. Make the young person understand better the first item in the covenant. 2. Introduce them to the different types of (Catholic) prayers that they can use everyday. 3. Develop a certain desire and confidence to honor God through prayers daily. 4. Start them on in their daily prayer habit. 5. Allow them to see that praying is a joyful and wonderful experience not a burden or a boring one

that can be experienced daily. Schedule: DAY 1: 6:30 - 7:00 Registration/ Gathering/ Teaching of songs 7:00 - 8:00 Dinner 8:00 - 8:15 Gathering / Ice breaker 8:15 - 8:30 Worship 8:30 - 9:00 Welcoming / Orientation 9:00 - 9:45 Talk 1: We were made to honor Him 9:45 - 10:15 Sharing: How have I experienced prayer 10:15 - 10:30 Recap 10:30 - 10:45 Announcements / Closing prayer and song (pray the consecration to Mary prayer) 10:45 -12:00 Informal fellowship 12:00 Lights out



DAY2 6:00 - 6:30 Wake up call 6:30 - 7:30 Breakfast 7:30 - 8:00 Gathering / teaching of songs 8:00 - 8:45 Workshop 1: Worship Workshop 8:45 - 9:15 morning worship with common prayer time

(Bible reading) 9:15 - 9:30 Sharing of reflection (big group) 9:30 - 10:15 Workshop 2: holding the sword 0:15 -10:30 Triad sharing 10:30 - 10:45 Break 10:45 -11:00 Gathering / ice breaker 11:00 - 11:40 Talk 2: Catholics pray like no other 11:45 - 12:00 Rosary and angelus 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch 1:00 - 1:30 Break 1:30 - 2:00 Games / ice breakers 2:00 - 3:00 Talk 3: The sacrament of Conversion 3:00 - 3:15 Workshop 3: More than a Song 3:15 - 5:00 Workshop proper and confession 5:00 - 6:00 Fellowship preparation 6:00 - 6:30 Lord’s Day celebration 6:30 - 7:30 Dinner 7:30 - 8:00 Gathering / teaching of songs 8:00 - 8:15 Worship 8:15 - 9:15 Talk 4: Meditation – Praying with the mind 9:15 - 9:45 Talk 5: Take the sandals off your feet 9:45 - 10:15 Adoration proper (commitment) 10:15 - 11:45 Fellowship: presentation of workshop inputs 11:45 - 12:00 Announcements / Closing prayer

(Pray the consecration to Mary prayer) DAY 3 7:00 - 7:30 Wake up call 7:30 - 8:30 Breakfast 8:30 - 9:00 Morning worship and common prayertime 9:00 - 9:15 Gathering/ice breakers 9:15 -10:00 Talk 6: the Eucharist -source and summit 10:00 - 10:30 Mass preparation 10:30 - 11:30 Mass 11:30 - 11:45 Sharing 11:45 - 12:00 Closing prayer

(Pray the consecration to Mary prayer) Note to the team leader: It is highly suggested that PowerPoint presentations be used during the whole weekend especially during workshops as there are so many points to remember and do and it will be easier for the participants if they are given visual aids.



It will also greatly help if they are provided with hand-outs derived from the different points of the talks and the workshops. Also, young priests and nuns should be invited to give the talk.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Talk 1: We Were Made To Honor God

I. Introduction Man has been in constant search of meaning and purpose in life. A life lived without purpose has no meaning and not worth living at all. Many have tried so many things just to find that fulfillment and many have wasted their lives away. Yet, many also has shown us the way as they have found the WAY. Our hearts will remain restless until it rests in God. – St. Augustine A very wise saying from a man who has tried everything in life during his time and it was through her mother’s life of prayer and intercession from him (Her mom prayed for him for more than 30 years) and much grace from God that Augustine eventually found his home in Christ. II. We Share the Same Breath as God’s

“The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” Gen. 2:7 (NAB)

In the second story of creation where it is given in more detail how God created man, we can see that we were made by God and in a very special way. All the other creatures He created by the power of His word but we were created differently. The Lord had a deliberate act; He formed us out of clay and breathed life into us.

This simply shows how special we are and that truly, we belong to God. Our breath right now came from Him. We share the same breath as God’s. Thus, our true home is only in the Lord as our breath longs to go back to Him. This same breath then that we have that comes from the Lord has simply has to be offered back to Him. If we came from Him, our purpose and meaning is then all about Him. III. We Were Made For Him

How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you – CCC Article 2 Par. 1718 (Desire for Happiness)

In seeking fulfillment, we find happiness. This desire for happiness is a divine gift from the Lord that in the search of it, we shall discover Him. The Catholic Catechism teaches us that we were all made to KNOW HIM, to LOVE HIM and to SERVE HIM. This call to know, love and serve Him can be expressed in different ways as all of us were created unique, but no one can truly find real joy elsewhere as we were made for Him and Him alone. IV. The Importance of Being Earnest (Serious In Intention and Purpose)

The importance of honoring God can never be overestimated as it has been mentioned in Scriptures a lot of times.



In the Old Testament, we know that it is of extreme importance as it has been outlined in the first three of the 10 commandments which the Lord gave Moses.

“Then God delivered all these commandments: "I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain. "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you.

In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:1-11 (NAB)

The 10 Commandments can be divided into two - the first three pertaining to our relationship with God and the last 7 to our relationship with our neighbor.

This same importance was emphasized by Jesus himself, when He was asked what the greatest commandment was. He answered this by giving us the 2 Great Commandments and the first one refers to the Lord Jesus himself.

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.” Matthew 22: 36-38 (NAB)

V. It All Begins Honoring God is based on having a relationship with Him. And like all relationships, it begins with communication. It all begins with prayer. All prayer is conversation with God.

"You wrote to me: 'To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About what? About him, and yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, great ambitions, daily worries - even your weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions - and love and reparation. In short, to get



to know him and to get to know yourself - 'to get acquainted!'" St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, Sinag-Tala Publishers (1994)p.21. Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, hereinafter ccc, sec. 2559)

Prayer is the raising up of our minds and hearts to God, either to praise Him, or to thank Him, or to beg His grace; or His forgiveness. The usual different types of prayers can be assigned the acronym ACTS.

A - Adoration – To glorify and praise God. It is our obligation to praise God because it will later on be our pre-occupation in Heaven anyway. It says in Revelations that those who are in heaven with God praise Him day and night. It is better to practice now while we are living. C - Contrition – To ask for forgiveness and beg His mercy. We all have sinned and we are all in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. T - Thanksgiving – To express our gratitude for all the things the Lord has blessed us with whether material or in any other form. Ingratitude is a detestable vice while gratitude is the best way to acquire more graces from the Lord.

"In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus". (1 Thess. 5:18).

S - Supplication – To ask the Lord specific things for specific things whether material or not in form. The Lord said,

“Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it will be opened unto you.” Luke 11:19

Everyone should pray. Prayer is necessary for the salvation of all.

"Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all. This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life ... insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 2697

VI. Getting Started 3 W’s and an H of Prayer 1. WHAT to Pray for – We can pray for anything. Nothing is too little that it’s not worthy of being

prayed for and nothing is too big that God’s power cannot make possible. You can use the ACTS to guide you in the content of your prayer.

2. WHEN – Now. The best time to pray is now. Start immediately. Planning for prayer does not work all

the time as sometimes, we are consumed too much by the planning when we should have used the time itself to actually pray. For more daily regular prayer time, choose your best time for the day wherein you are alert and awake and at the same time not in a rush. The quality of the time matters much as it will can also determine the quality of attention we give to the Lord. Some people may find it better in the morning upon waking up while some may find it at night before going to sleep. It really depends on each person.

How long? If you are new to praying daily, starting out for a few minutes (5 minutes for example) may be good already. What is important is that you cultivate an attitude of prayer. You may find

http://www.opusdei.us/sec.php?s=14

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P8Z.HTM#3W

http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=1+Thess.+5%3A18&version=NIV&showfn=yes&showxref=yes&language=english



yourself praying for a longer or extended period of time the more regular you have it.

You can actually pray anytime you want to. Anytime of the day is appropriate. What better way to spend your time especially your idle time than praying? You can pray while waiting for public transport, on your way to school or work, etc. St. Paul exhorts us, “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NAB)

3. WHERE – Find a quiet place to pray. Choose a place that is free from distractions so you can concentrate fully not just on your prayers but more so, on the presence of the Lord. Even Jesus went out of his way to pray. He left crowds and noisy places to be one with His father.

“He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” Luke 14:13 (NAB)

4. HOW – We Catholics begin and end our prayer with the sign of the cross which is the symbol of God’s

great love for us. Then anything else can follow. You can pray standing, kneeling, sitting. You can sing songs, read psalms, speak aloud, quietly meditate. You can speak your personal prayer, say formula prayers. You can pray spontaneously or use prayer guides or aids such as the rosary and novenas. The mechanics of your prayer is secondary. What is important is the honesty, sincerity and faithfulness of your prayer.

VII. It’s Never Easy Praying is never easy if we want to develop a regular healthy daily prayer time. We will always encounter different obstacles and difficulties in prayer. Prayer may not be 2nd nature to us but talking to a friend is. Remember that praying is conversing with God, with your Father, with Jesus, your brother, with the Holy Spirit, your constant companion. The evil one will do everything he can do to prevent us from praying. But know that his power is no match to the power of God who makes all things possible. The important thing is that we persist or persevere in our prayer especially at times that we are discouraged from praying. St. Francis de Sales tells us: "Pray for your prayer's success." Jesus has told us that we know not how to pray so the best way is to even ask the Lord that the Holy Spirit guides us as to how we pray that we may pray in Spirit and in truth and that God may truly be glorified. DISCUSSION STARTERS: 1. How is my prayer life? 2. What are the difficulties I experience in having a regular prayer time? 3. What concrete things should I do to be able to persevere in prayer?



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Talk 2: Catholics Pray Like No Other I. Introduction Our Catholic faith is rich in tradition especially when it comes to prayers. Much of it we know and we have been practicing since we where kids but we lack appreciation of them causing us sometimes to neglect them or be ashamed of them which is sad on our part as we miss out on the blessings and graces they give. There are prayers uniquely Catholics and being baptized Catholics, we ought to understand, appreciate and practice them for they have been given to us as tools for us to grow in maturity in our faith and in our relationship with the Lord. II. The Sign of Salvation: The Sign Of The Cross This is one practice we have that not all Christians share in. The Protestants don’t use it as often as we do and the Eastern Orthodox do them differently. We always begin and end our prayers with this but do we know what it means and why we should do it?

The sign of the cross is a) a confession of faith; b) a renewal of baptism; c) a mark of discipleship; d) an acceptance of suffering; e) a defense against the devil; and a f) victory over self-indulgence. When you make the sign, you are professing a mini version of the creed -- you are professing your belief in the Father, and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. When you say the words and pray in someone's name you are declaring their presence and coming into their presence -- that's how a name is used in Scripture. As a sacramental, it's a renewal of the sacrament of baptism; when you make it you say again, in effect, "I died with Christ and rose to new life." The sign of the cross in baptism is like a Christian circumcision, which united Gentile converts to the Jewish nation. The sign links you to the body of Christ, and when you make it you remember your joining to the body with Christ as the head. The sign of the cross is a mark of discipleship. Jesus says in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The word that the Fathers of the Church used for the sign of the cross is a Greek word that is the same as what a slave owner put on a slave, a shepherd put on a sheep and a general put on a soldier -- it's a declaration that I belong to Christ. Self-denial is not just giving up little things; to be a disciple you are under Christ's leadership and you don't belong to yourself. By doing the sign of the cross, you're saying to the Lord, "I want to obey you; I belong to you. You direct all my decisions. I will always be obedient to God's law, Christ's teachings and the Church." When suffering comes, the sign of the cross is a sign of acceptance. It's remembering that Jesus became a man and suffered for us and that we participate in Christ's suffering. The sign of the cross says, "I am willing to embrace suffering to share in Christ's suffering." When you're suffering, when you're feeling like God is not there, the sign of the cross brings him there



and declares his presence whether you feel it. It is a way of acknowledging him at that time of trial. One of the main teachings of the early Church Fathers is that the sign of the cross is a declaration of defense against the devil. When you sign yourself, you are declaring to the devil, "Hands off. I belong to Christ; he is my protection." It's both an offensive and defensive tool. The sign of the cross is a way to put to death self-indulgence -- those big problems we have, the stubborn things we can't get rid of. The Church Fathers say if you are angry, full of lust, fearful, emotional or grappling with fleshly problems, make the sign when tempted and it will help dispel the problem. I began to make it to gain control with a problem with anger. Signing myself is a way of destroying the anger, putting on patient behavior, imitating Jesus' practice of virtue. Why do Catholics use the sign of the cross with holy water upon entering and exiting a church? In order to participate in the great sacrifice of the Mass, you need to be baptized. Using holy water to sign yourself is saying "I am a baptized Christian and I am authorized to participate in this sacrifice." When you make the sign of the cross when you leave, you say that the Mass never ends -- your whole life is participating in Christ's sacrifice.

"Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer" (Loyola Press). Bert Ghezzi. III. The Rosary We Catholics have a special place and reverence for Mary, the Mother of God. We value her just like we value our own mothers. With this, we have been accused of worshipping her when in fact we do not. We simply venerate her and accord her the respect that she deserves as she is the Mother of our Savior, our model of Faith, the Mediatrix of all Graces and our Mother too. One way to honor her is praying the rosary. In CFC YFL and all the other ministries, we are encouraged to pray the rosary daily and at the same time before an assembly. A. Its Origin Pinpointing the origin of the rosary is not easy. The familiar legend that St. Dominic (1170-1221) received the rosary from Our Lady is difficult to substantiate, and most historians believe the rosary developed slowly during a time-span stretching possibly from the 1100s to 1569, when Pope Pius V officially approved the devotion. Reflected in the legend, no doubt, is the historical truth of St. Dominic's great devotion to Our Lady and the key role played by his followers, the Dominican Order, in the promotion of the rosary over the centuries. Apparently, the rosary developed out of the laity's desire to have a form of prayer similar to that practiced by the monks, who prayed the psalter—the 150 psalms of the Bible. The faithful—especially those unable to read—began the practice of saying 150 Our Fathers in place of the psalms. Some used a string of 150 beads to keep count. In a parallel development, people devoted to Mary said 150 Ave Marias (only the Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary—not the entire Hail Mary as we know it today), mixed with verses from the psalms, a devotion sometimes known as Our Lady's Psalter. With time, mysteries



from the life of Christ were added—to give those praying material for contemplation and to keep Christ as the central focus of the devotion. The rosary took its present form between the 14th and 15th centuries. A Carthusian monk divided the 150 Ave Marias into the 15 decades, with each decade preceded by the Lord's Prayer. In 1569, as indicated earlier, Pope Pius V officially recommended this prayer of "150 angelic salutations...with the Lord's Prayer at each decade...while meditating on the mysteries which recall the entire life of our Lord Jesus Christ." This same pope added the second part of the Hail Mary, and this form of the prayer was eventually adopted for the rosary. For the next 400 years, the rosary has remained unchanged. During the past century—from Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) to John Paul II—this prayer has been consistently and highly recommended by the popes. B. The Rosary is Christ – Centered The mysteries of the rosary are clearly centered on events in Christ's life—the joyful mysteries on his incarnation, the sorrowful mysteries on his suffering and death, and the glorious mysteries on his resurrection. "In praying the rosary with devotion," says Mother Teresa of Calcutta, "we are reliving the life of Christ." On one occasion in the Vatican, Pope Paul VI is reported to have held up his rosary and proclaimed: "This is the Bible for those who can neither read nor write." The whole history of our salvation, the pope went on to explain, is contained in these mysteries which summarize the life of Christ. C. It is Gospel –Centered The Mysteries that we recite are actual events that happened in the life of Jesus and can be found in the Gospels. It is actually Scripture based as the Our Father were taken directly from Matthew, the first part of the Hail Mary from the Annunciation account. D. It is contemplative not repetitive. Repeating prayers is a form of contemplation that has been practiced since ancient times. E. It is an incarnational prayer. We are reminded of the humanness and accessibility of our loving God through Mary as we pray the rosary. The God of Christians is not an abstraction but a personal God who "was born of the Virgin Mary" and who walked with us as a fellow human in this world. F. It is a powerful tool of intercession We can pray for other people and their concerns and even obtain graces for the souls in purgatory as we offer rosaries in their behalf. The rosary has been lauded and promoted by a great number of popes – Pope Leo, Pope John XXIII, and Pope John Paul II to name a few.



IV. Blessed Are We We are truly fortunate to have the sign of the cross, the rosary and a host of other Catholic Prayers (Angelus, Novenas to saints, Holy Hour, Divine Office etc.) These are great treasures we can derive favors and graces from. All we need to do is to learn and use them. Many of those who did, share in God’s glory in His heavenly Kingdom. All we need to do is to remember our saints who prayed them. Let us pray like saints.

Reference: Thomas A. Thompson, S.M., and Jack Wintz, O.F.M Note: On another document is an explanation of the novenas. This can be used as a reference and at the same time can be shared to the participants if time permits or on another occasion. It will be helpful if they are given a prayer book on how to pray the rosary with all the Mysteries in it. An added good souvenir will be a rosary for each participant. A stampita of the CFCFFL Consecration to Mary Mediatrix of All Grace is also a good give away.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Talk 3: The Sacrament of Conversion II. INTRODUCTION:

“Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 (NAB) This is God’s command to us and we all should desire to be like Him, just like Him. We may have the desire but we still find ourselves, falling short, sinning. God in His great love for us has instituted the sacrament of reconciliation where we are able to obtain the grace to come back to Him. II. What Do We Obtain? From this Sacrament we obtain: a. pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him b. reconciliation with the Church which we have wounded by our sins The Church by charity, example and prayer labors for our conversion. CCC 1422 III. Who Do We Sin To When We Commit Wrongs? Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. CCC 1440 IV. Who Forgives Sins? Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, "The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" and exercises this divine power: "Your sins are forgiven." Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name. CCC 1441 V. Why Confess to Priests? Priests are able to forgive sins as they share in this divine authority which was given by Jesus by the virtue of their priesthood. They share in the authority of Christ here on earth. They are not exempted from sinning and confessing their own sins. Their sinfulness does nor diminish the authority which Christ has accorded them. If Jesus has given them the authority to forgive sins here on earth, why should it not then be used or taken advantaged of by people who needs the sacrament. It would have not been given if it was not meant to be used. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion. CCC 1448



VI. The Three Acts of a Penitent a. Contrition - is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution

not to sin again. CCC 1451 b. Confession - admission by man of the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby

opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible. CCC 1455

c. Satisfaction or Penance - recovering one’s full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin CCC 1459

VII. How Often Should We Confess? We are obliged to go to confession once a year but we are not allowed to receive Holy Communion when we have committed mortal sin even when we are deeply contrite. Since, we in our weakness sin a lot, it is best to go to confession as often as we can. Confessing once a month is a good practice. Doing it much more often is better. We are in the benefiting end anyway when we confess. VIII. Effects of the Sacrament For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation "is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation."74 Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God. CCC 1468

This sacrament reconciles us with the Church. Sin damages or even breaks fraternal communion. The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores it. In this sense it does not simply heal the one restored to ecclesial communion, but has also a revitalizing effect on the life of the Church which suffered from the sin of one of her members. CCC 1469 IX. How Do We Make A Good Confession? 6 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION a. Examine your conscience - what sins have you committed since your last good confession. (see

Appendix: Guide for examination of conscience) b. Be sincerely sorry for your sins. c. Confess your sins to the priest. d. Make certain that you confess all your mortal sins and the number of them. e. After your confession, do the penance the priest gives to you. f. Pray daily for the strength to avoid the occasion of sin, especially for those sins you were just

absolved from. X. Make It a Habit Make confession a habit. It is God welcoming us with open arms like the Father who welcomed his son who has strayed away from him. The son was once lost and now found, was once dead but now has come back to life.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Talk 4: Meditation: Praying With the Mind I. Introduction: Prayer is communicating with God. We are used to and have been trained to pray mostly with the use of our mouths or tongues. Oftentimes when we pray, what first comes to mind is vocal or verbal prayers. But prayer is not limited to spoken words. It is actually coming into the Lord’s presence and acknowledging that presence. Many are having a hard time keeping silent at prayer as we have been also accustomed to sound or noise. Young people nowadays find it difficult to keep quiet. Silence makes them uncomfortable but the Lord is not only in the shouts of praises or the beat of the drums. He is also present in the softness of a whisper and in the nothingness of silence. II. Keeping Our Minds From Wandering One major problem that we experience when we pray is that our mind easily wanders off. We have very short attention span so we easily get lost in our prayers. If not wandering off, we catch ourselves dozing or getting sleepy. The apostles were guilty of this as well. Jesus was saddened by the sleepiness of the apostles who were not able to pray with Him. Difficult as it is to concentrate, it is nor impossible. There are certain steps we can do to keep us attentive and alert during prayer especially during silence. We need to concentrate and it begins with awareness. We are not aware of our present moment. The present slips by and we cannot bring it back. Awareness of presence is very important when we pray. A. AWARENESS EXERCISE:

1. Choose a quiet and comfortable place to do this exercise. Make sure nothing and noone will bother you.

2. Sit comfortably. If you are sitting on the floor, you can do an Indian sit. Straighten your back. If you are sitting on a chair, don’t rest your back on the backrest. Maintain a straightback. Rest your 2 feet firmly on the floor.

3. Put your palms on your lap. Slowly close your eyes. 4. Take deep breaths. Breath in through your nostrils and breathe out through your mouth. Slowly

inhale and exhale. Feel the air filling your lungs, expanding your chest and diaphragm section. Repeat this action for at least 5-10 times.

5. As you feel the air filling you, feel your feet planted on the ground. How does it feel? 6. Feel your hands on your lap. Feel your pants or jeans. How does it feel? 7. When your mind wanders off or you feel sleepy, start all over gain from step 2. 8. Take hold of the moment., know where you are. Take note of what you feel and how you feel.

How do your hands feel? How does your lap feel? How do your feet feel? How about your head? 9. Rythmically with every breath, say your prayer. Choose a statement that you will divide into two

parts. For every breathe in, say the first part. For everytime you breathe out, say the second part



of the prayer. For example, while breathing in, say mentally – Lord Jesus: while breathing our, say mentally – have mercy on me a sinner. You can make your own prayer that you will recite.

10. Repeat this for about 5 minutes. If you are successful, then you have learned how to be present at the moment and at the same time learned a type of prayer. Remember that our undivided attention is one of the best gifts we can give the Lord. (Love the Lord your God with all your… mind) Slowly open your eyes.

B. PRAYING WITH YOUR MIND

1. Choose a passage, preferably a story in the Gospels. Read the Gospel story. For example: Nativity story, Agony in the Garden, Jesus feeds 5,000….

2. Do the awareness exercise. 3. When you are fully aware and alert, imagine the Gospel story unfolding in your mind. Take note

of what you see. Remember the characters in the story. Note them one by one, how they look, what they are wearing, what they are doing. Create a movie in your mind.

4. Now, see the place in your mind where it is all happening. Take note of the surroundings. What is the atmosphere like? What are the things you see and where are they placed? Take note of the height, lengths, depths, widths of the things you see.

5. Now, put yourself in the story. You are not simply an observer, you are not an outsider. You are there where it is all happening, while it is happening. What character are you? How do you look like? What are you wearing? Make sure that you can describe yourself in detail later.

6. Interact with the characters in the story as it unfolds. Talk to them. Are they talking to you? What are they saying? If not, why are they not saying anything to you? Remember what things you are told. Take note also of what you are feeling when you are there in the story.

7. If you lose focus or concentration, go back to the awareness exercise and start all over again. 8. Slowly open your eyes and remember what you saw and what message you got. 9. Thank God for the message and pray for greater knowledge and understanding and the courage

to accept and act on the message that was given to you. 10. Take note of the message and if there is a possibility, share it to other people.

III. It’s All in the Mind Meditating is a type of prayer that one learns and grows with in time. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to master. But once you have gotten used to it, you will find yourself in more meaningful communication with God and at the same time you will be able to pray anywhere and be in your own personal desert even in the midst of noise and chaos. You can pray anytime and anywhere. WORKSHOP PROPER: 1. Perform the instructions beginning with items on A. 2. Do the items on B. read out the Gospel story slowly while they perform steps 3-6 of B. 3. Do not rush, take time. It will be helpful to set the atmosphere right. Lower a bit the lights in the

room but not too dark that participants may doze off. 4. Have some candles lighted if possible and there could also be very soft instrumental music on the

background like Lauds while the Gospel is being read.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Talk 5: Take the Sandals off Your Feet I. Introduction:

"I myself am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall ever thirst" (Jn 6:35).

We are never alone. The Lord is present in the Holy Eucharist and we are invited to come and draw closer to Him. II. History This type of prayer as it's now wasn't present in the beginning of Christianity. This cult has been developed late and only in the West. It has appeared in the second half of the twelfth century. III. Why Was The Adoration Established? 1. From a theological point of view - People have understood that the mass has her unity. It means,

that it isn't only the consecration which is important, even if it's a privileged moment. Every part has a strong relation with the others. The mass is a unity and we need to be concentrated all along the mass, because God is alive between us and talks through every word and gesture.

2. From a religious piety point of view - People have felt the need and the desire to look, to contemplate the Holy Host. They didn't want to have a short relation with the Body of Jesus even physically. That's why the priest raises the Holy Host for some seconds even for a minute. That is also why in 1264 the Church proclaimed the Holy Day of Jesus' Body and Blood (Feast of Corpus Christi.) Fifty years later the Church will start also with the processions in the streets.

3. From a liturgical point of view - The Church has decided to separate the cult from the moment of the mass, When different mistakes have been comitted. For example:

Some masses have been celebrated in front of the Holy Host exposed They have had adoration instead the eucharistic prayer.

The adoration of the Eucharist as we know it now and also the benediction with the Holy host have became widespread in the fifteenth century. And the practice became strong during the controversy with the protestants. IV. Why Do We Do Adoration? As we know the Eucharist's reason of being is to feed us with Jesus. The adoration helps us to revive the big dimensions of the mass, these are: the recognition of our smallness, the gratitude, the offering, the call to the Holy Spirit, the plead for the Humanity and the Church, the praise because of Jesus' being and His life. To recognize our smallness. - It's not to have inferiority complex or to compare us with others or

even with God. God has created us and loves us as we are. The recognition of our smallness is to really have the feeling and the conviction that we need Him, that we're not able to find real hapiness without Him. This feeling and recognition do not come without an experience of life with Jesus. He's the only who knows what is the best for us and for his Kingdom. Even if we can't understand His words and His ways. Is to recognise that He's the Way, the Truth.



To express our gratitude – We thank the Lord that He has given Himself fully to us not only in words or in spirit but even in a physical and concrete way.

To offer our lives and share in Jesus' suffering - Sure, only if we want to be Shared Bread for others,

then we learn to praise him on those who are hungry, naked, ill, in prison…just like how He gave glory to the Fatehr by His love for the poor and the marginalized.

To call on the Holy Spirit - We call only Him twice during the Mass: for the consecration and for the

unity. We need to call him very often because Jesus and the Father have sent Him to us in order to show us the Way, to be able to discern what is better or what is God's will for our lives.

To plead for humanity and the Church - Jesus wants us to plead with perseverance, but He thinks

that we don't know well to plead, that's why He tell us to plead the help of the Holx Spirit and to believe that we're going to receive the best.

To praise Jesus - This is the most important part or raison d'etre of the adoration. And that is

possible only in the silence, outside and inside us: to contemplate Jesus as He is. To allow Him, to yield to Him, to surrender to Him that He transforms us.

V. Keep Watch

“When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Mark 14:37-38

We spend so much time with people who are dear to us. Spend time as well before the Lord and show Him how much He means to us. NOTES: 1. This session is ideally done in a chapel. If a priest is available, let him give the talk or speak about the

adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. 2. After the talk, have an exposition and explain to everyone the posture before the Real Presence of

Christ. 3. Have time for adoration; 30 minutes to an hour or as the time permits. 4. Instruct them to commit to honor God with their lives and establish a regular prayer and Scripture

reading time daily. They should write down the details such as what time, where and what other things they commit to do for the Lord like fasting, perpetual adoration once a week, saying the rosary etc, Write it down like a letter of a child to his/her father.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Talk 6: The Eucharist: Source And Summit I. Introduction The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Mass) is a sacrament that we are all familiar with. We are obliged to attend Mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation. This we subscribe to as faithfully as we can yet not all of us understand and appreciate this great sacrament. We in CFC YFL professing ourselves to be Catholics should not only subscribe to the obligation of attendance but also grow in our understanding and love of this sacrament. II. The Institution of the Eucharist Christ Himself instituted this sacrament just like the others. Before he did this at the Passover meal (Last Supper), He was already taking about it in a number of his teachings. A. A Hard Teaching - This teaching on the Eucharist – Jesus giving His body for us to eat and His blood

for us to drink drove many disciples away.

Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him" John 6:51, 54, 56 (NAB)

The first announcement of the Eucharist divided the disciples, just as the announcement of the Passion scandalized them: "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" The Eucharist and the cross are stumbling blocks. It is the same mystery and it never ceases to be an occasion of division. "Will you also go away?", the Lord's question echoes through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover that only he has "the words of eternal life" and that to receive in faith the gift of his Eucharist is to receive the Lord himself. CCC 1336

This teaching was hard for the disciples to accept. It seemed like Jesus was teaching them cannibalism as He was saying that being His followers, one has to eat His body and blood. Some were not able to accept and understand this that they left. B. The Last Supper – Jesus instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper. There he turned the bread into

His body and the wine in to His blood.

The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them to the end. Knowing that the hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father, in the course of a meal he washed their feet and gave them the commandment of love. In order to leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make them sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; "thereby he constituted them priests of the New Testament. CCC 1337

On that night, it was not only the sacrament of the Eucharist established but also the Holy Orders as the



apostles were made into priests who will celebrate the memorial of his death and Resurrection. III. Is Christ Present In the Eucharist? Christ is present in the Eucharist not only with everything that makes Him man, but with all that makes Him this human being. He is therefore present with all His physical properties, hands and feet and head and human heart. He is present with His human soul, with His thoughts, desires and human affections. He becomes present in the Eucharist by means of transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the term used to identify the change that takes place at the consecration of the bread and wine at Mass. Therefore after the consecration; nothing remains of the bread and wine except their external properties. By this we mean the bread still looks like bread and tastes like bread, and the wine still looks and tastes like wine, but they are no longer bread and wine. Their substance becomes the living Body and Blood of Christ.

It is a matter of faith that Jesus Christ is contained under each particle of the species of bread and wine. No matter how great the number of parts into which the species are divided, the whole Christ is present in every portion. He is present in the Eucharist as long as the species remain. Therefore, we worship the Blessed Sacrament as we would worship the person of Jesus Himself. IV. Called To Partake We are called to partake of His body and blood if we truly want to be with Him. Jesus promised to be with us till the end of time and He fulfilled this promise by instituting the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as He is present in the Sacred Host and we are able to receive Him when we receive communion. When we receive communion, we become one with Him and Him one with us. V. The Fruits of Holy Communion a. Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. - The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in

Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. CCC 1391 b. Holy Communion gives us spiritual nourishment - What material food produces in our bodily life,

Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. CCC 1392 c. Holy Communion separates us from sin - The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given

up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins. CCC 1393

d. Holy Communion restores spiritual strength. - As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins.231 By giving himself to us Christ revives our love and enables us to break our disordered attachments to creatures and root ourselves in him CCC 1394

e. Holy Communion preserves us from future mortal sins - The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church. CCC 1395

f. Holy Communion makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews,



strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. CCC 1396 g. Holy Communion commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up

for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren. CCC 1397 VI. Most Excellent Of All The Eucharist is the most excellent of all the sacraments because it contains Christ Himself. All the other sacraments are channels of grace but they do not actually possess Jesus Christ, the Author of Grace. Moreover, the other sacraments point to the Eucharist as their purpose or end. Baptism enables us to receive the Eucharist; Confirmation perfects the Christian so that his faith in the Eucharist may remain strong; Penance and Anointing of the Sick cleanse the soul from weakness and sin and prepare it for the reception of the Eucharist; Holy Orders ordains the priests necessary to consecrate and offer the Eucharist; and Matrimony is the earthly sign of the purpose of the Eucharist, to unite the faithful with Christ in selfless love. VII. Attitudes at Mass Knowing that the Mass is of great importance, we should be of right heart, mind, and attitude and prepared when we attend it. If we prepare so much for the parties that we go to, then how should we prepare for Mass? 1. Arrive before Mass begins. 2. Properly dispose of chewing gum before entering church. 3. Turn off cell phones/pagers or any electronics that will distract. 4. Say an individual preparatory prayer. 5. Settle in (and down) and place your heart and mind in the presence of the Lord. 6. Participate and assist at the Mass devoutly by using the Missal to follow the priest, saying the Mass

prayers as found in the prayer book, and singing hymns. 7. Assisting in the Mass also means to unite fully with the priest in offering the Holy Sacrifice and to

receive Holy Communion. 8. Remember not to leave until after our celebrant, acting in the presence of Christ, has left the church. 9. Leave the Lord's house neat and tidy by placing books back in the pew holder. VII. Do This in Remembrance of Me Jesus in instituting the Eucharist said that we should do it in remembrance of Him. Loving Him should draw us more to Him. We must seek His presence as much as we can and receive Him as often as we can. We always want to be with the ones we love. This is the Source of all grace as it is Jesus Himself who is present not only spiritually but even physically and it is the summit of all the sacraments as it is the highlight of our being a member of the Catholic Church.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Workshop 1: Worship Workshop I. Introduction Start the session with just a simple prayer after practicing some songs. Choose a slow worshipful song for this activity. Make sure it’s a song that people know well enough

or is easy enough for people to sing without looking at the words. (Note: Slow songs make it easier for people to feel the presence of God more and as such are more effective for this activity).

Explain the words of the song / Help people understand what it means and encourage them to

pray the song as they sing it. In order to help participants focus even more, ask them to close their eyes. Worship, in a sense, transports people into God’s presence – into His “courts” if we may refer it in that way – encourage people to take note of how they perceive that in the vision that they will see in their minds.

Sing the song (For the speaker, make sure that you yourself are praying the song) Get feedback. Find out what images they saw in their minds. Was the Lord present in the picture of

their mind’s eye? Where were they? Were they standing, seated, kneeling, hands outstretched or clasped?

Sing the song one more time, this time challenging the participants to allow their physical bodies to

express what they see themselves doing in their minds. Help them realize that their whole bodies want to pray also, and that if they intend to give their lives to the Lord, at the very least, it begins with surrendering their bodies as expressed by a raised hand, outstretched arms or bended knees.

Feel free to sing in the spirit or in tongues or sing a second song, as the Spirit leads. Get feedback on what they experienced. Find out if some may have received prophecies or visions.

II. Understanding Worship A. Worship is the central point of our gatherings

1. It’s supposed to be inspiring and should build up the body. Worship should be nourishing and spirit-filled.

2. Recently, however, much of our worship has been dry and sometimes perceived as a waste of

time. This is so because many times, our worship leaders are unable to lead people to worship. Many times our worship is not worship at all

B. Worship is being able to honestly say “I LOVE YOU LORD for you are GREAT and your GREATNESS

has blessed my life”

NJB Psalms 150:1-6



1. Alleluia! Praise God in His holy place; praise Him in the heavenly vault of his power, 2. Praise him for His mighty deeds; praise Him for all His greatness. 3. Praise Him with fanfare of trumpet, praise Him with harp and lyre, 4. Praise Him with tambourines and dancing, praise Him with strings and pipes, 5. Praise Him with the clamor of cymbals; praise Him with triumphant cymbals, 6. Let everything that breathes praise Yahweh. Alleluia!

1. Just as we experienced at the start of this talk, worship is being able to come into that loving,

healing and mighty presence of God and being able to acknowledge that HE ALONE IS GOD – loving, healing and mighty!

At the same time, we are blessed by the healing grace of His presence and by the mere fact that this same GOD holds us as special and in spite of our sins and imperfections sees us as the gem of His creation.

2. Worship is paying “homage” to our true King and Captain. In the same way that subjects in

ancient times have to regularly visit their ruler and pay “tribute” or “homage” or “tax” (in more modern terms). We come to pay homage admitting that everything we have is His. At the same time, we are grateful that HE gives all of these – our bodies, our minds, our money, our property – for us to freely use, and that He never punishes us as we deserve whenever we misuse these things which are rightfully HIS.

3. Worship is one of the very few times when we are able to have a taste of how it was and a

foretaste of how it will. It’s the time when we in our “fallen – sinful - human natures” are able to connect to God in spirit the way it was meant to be before our sin made it impossible for us to continually be in God’s presence (as Adam and Eve were). It allows us a foretaste of the kind of relationship we will have with God when we are made perfect in heaven.

4. There are three levels that we usually go through when we really worship:

a. The first is when we start speaking words of PRAISE – or what we might be liken to as “introductions” in any audience. This is where we honor God and acknowledge His greatness.

b. The second is WORSHIP – this is when we start saying how we feel and when we begin to truly

realize God’s greatness. In this level, people start to “offer” themselves to God saying “I belong to you…my life is yours”.

c. The third is GLORY – this is when we actually come into the holy presence of God. It is at this

level that God speaks, we listen then we respond. This is where we receive prophecies, visions, where we cry at the realization of God’s love and mercy, where emotional and “physical’ healing takes place.

Sadly, most worship leaders are not aware of this nor do they strive to reach these levels of

worship. We sing a lot of songs, we say a lot of words that include the word “Lord” and “Amen” but few of these are able to make actual worship take place. Maybe, this is why there are less and less of the spiritual gifts (tongues, prophecies, visions etc….) during our worships and activities.

Every worship, whether it is alone in your own prayer time, a household meeting, a teaching, assembly or “Praisefest” should reach this third level. Any worship leader who does not have



this as their goal for worship misses the whole point, and may have not actually lead people to worship. Before we start to think that leading worship is next to impossible, we need to realize that the effort is almost totally out of our hands and in the very capable hands of God Himself. God wants us to connect to Him much more than we want for ourselves and for our members. This takes a huge pressure off of our shoulders because worship then does not depend on our eloquence or on the dynamics or tone of our voices but rather depends on and simply begins with an honest desire to be in God’s presence.

III. Some Important Attitudes Regarding Worship A. Every worship should start with an exhortation.

Exhortation is giving people reason to worship. It should be able to inspire them to come before the Lord in jubilant praise. It can either be a personal sharing, a story or a bible verse. An exhortation need not be long but should be encouraging and acknowledges God’s greatness in our lives.

B. You need to worship in order to lead worship

Avoid just singing songs. Enter into God’s Holy presence, raise your hands and mean it. Pray in tongues. Listen to God. Don’t be too conscious of the words you will use, just speak exactly what is in your heart. Talk to the Lord as if He were in front of you, because He is. Avoid making your prayer a “well-rehearsed speech” with words “Lord” at the beginning and “Amen “at the end.

C. Worship is an expression of your life

Worship is very important, but is only an expression of the even more important reality you are

living. Be careful in saying words like “Lord Jesus We Enthrone You” or “Refiners fire, my heart’s one desire is to be holy” if it’s not true in your life, if you do only what you want in your life – in other words – you are calling the shots.

Worship - especially leading worship is difficult if there is serious unrighteousness in your life

(e.g. premarital sex, cheating, gambling, stealing etc….) This doesn’t mean that you should choose not to worship or decline from leading worship – since after all, none of us are worthy because all of us are sinful. Rather, it’s in always having a genuine repentant attitude. Come before God’s presence and humbly ask for His mercy. Be Real and Honest. Come before God in total humility. Surrender and allow God’s spirit to flow through you. Never fake it. Be knowledgeable. Know the songs by heart. Know their meaning, the right tune and know how to lead people into singing in the spirit.



D. Avoid anything that distracts

Avoid anything that distracts you or the people you are leading from focusing on God – who after all is the object of our worship.

Don’t use action songs during the “worship proper.” Try to make everything clear – announce song titles and numbers. Announce where the song is headed (next line or verse).

IV. Conclusion 1. True Worship – We are used to play instruments in worship. Sometimes we focus ourselves too

much in playing not worshipping. In playing there should be prayer and focus on God. 2. God increases as you decrease ( total humility ) - There is a tendency for us to be proud because of

the ff: Talent Boasting False humility Seeking for praise and acknowledgement from others regarding how good you are in your talent

3. God as being the biggest part of our being – God should consume us in everything that we do. Let God consume others as well, not you or your talent.

Sample Exhoration: What is worship…many people have already defined it, I know for sure that you also have heard several workshops/talks regarding worshiping the Lord. Worship must be the way of your life…we must remember that true worship is coming before your God and dismantling your armor (talents, skills, goals, and plans) before Him. My next question is…when was your last worship…when was the last time you stand still before your God and dwell in His presence…Well good for you if it was just a few minutes ago or earlier this morning. But now if I were to ask you, when was the last time you brought others before God’s presence…you can forget all your talents in playing guitars or any instrument you know. The challenge is to reach others and cause change in their lives by presenting them to God. “I invite you to seat at the edge of your chair or wherever you are seating now (this very moment)…the answer depends on you…you are seating at the edge…will you reach out and bring others to God by playing music or you will continue playing well but not thinking of others…the call is on you…you are the one to answer that call…” DYNAMICS: 1. Go through the whole outline. Following the instructions indicated within. 2. After leading the people into prayer, give them time to reflect on the Readings of the day. 3. It will be helpful if you read them aloud especially the gospel and you provide copies of the reading

(printed or on PowerPoint). 4. Allow them some quiet time for reflection. 5. Call them back to close prayer together and ask for people to share what the Lord has spoken to

them during their reflection. CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE



Honoring God Weekend Workshop 2: Holding the Sword I. Introduction:

“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Part of the first item in our covenant is the daily reading of God’s word. Together with prayer, it is like a dual action piston of an engine which makes our Christian life more meaningful and fruitful. II. Why Read Scriptures? A. Because it is God's inspired word Vatican Council states that "All Scripture (both Old and New Testament) is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instruction in justice that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work." Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Section 11 (Also 2 Tim. 3: 16 & 17)

B. Because the Bible is true and essential for today as always That's why Vatican Council states that, "The books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly, faithfully, and without error, that truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation.” Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Section 11 C. Because Jesus said: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 (NAB) D. Because it shows the way you can have a personal relationship with God

Vatican Council specifically asks all Christians to read the Bible frequently in order to know Jesus. "This sacred Synod earnestly and specifically urges all the Christian faithful... to learn by frequent reading of the Divine Scriptures the excelling knowledge of Christ. For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ… And let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together.” Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Section 25 E. Because it challenges us to spread the Good News of Salvation

Jesus said to His disciples: “Go into all the World and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Matthew 16:15-16 (NAB) III. Keeping It Real



“Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to His word; instead, put it into practice. Whoever listens to the word but does not put it into practice is like a man who looks in a mirror and sees himself as he is. He takes a good look at himself and then goes away and at once forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks closely into the perfect law that sets people free, who keeps on paying attention to it and does not simply listen and then forget it, but puts it into practice – that person will be blessed by God in what he does.” James 1:22-25 (NAB)

A. Listen to God’s Word

1. Look Intently – “…the man who looks intently into the perfect law…” LOGOS – “the truth” RHEMA – “personal word”

2. Keep on looking Intently – “…and continues to do so…” 3. Remember what you looked at – “…not forgetting what he has heard…”

A few suggestions for daily Scripture reading: 1. Know “Where You Are” before you read the Bible. Know the Questions of your heart and pose them

before the Lord. 2. Always read the Bible with this question at the bottom of your heart: “What is God telling me

today?” 3. Dirty your Bible: Be free to underline, put question marks, exclamation points, and actual phrases in

the Bible. 4. Write a prayer to the Lord after reading the Bible. Write comments, reflections, and questions –

especially God’s Rhema for the day. 5. If there is a specific verse that has “leapt the pages”, see if the Lord wants you to memorize that

particular verse. Write it on a small card and bring it with you. B. Live God’s word

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!” James 1:22 (NAB) “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NAB)

IV. Sharing God’s Word (Note: You can replace with this with the CFC style of Bible sharing. I cannot find the document so I placed one of those that I know. If this is good it can remain, if not, use the CFC one.) There are many ways to study God’s word and do Bible sharing. We are not lacking in materials which may guide us as to how to do them. The following is a 7 step Bible sharing method for groups which may be done in a household setting. This is known as the Lumko method. You may look for other ways that may fit your own liking. What is important is that we feast on the Lord’s words individually and as a community. FIRST STEP: We invite the Lord



Once the group settles down, the leader asks someone to volunteer “to invite the Lord”. The belief in the living presence of the Risen Christ in our midst is the presupposition and basis of our meditation. We want to meet the Word who became flesh and dwells among us. We remember Jesus’ promise: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I shall be there with them.” (Mt 18,20). SECOND STEP: We read the text The leader announces the chosen text. First the book, then the chapter. He/she waits until everyone has found the chapter and only then does he announce the verse. When everyone has found the passage, the leader invites someone to volunteer to read the text. A moment of silence follows. THIRD STEP: We dwell on the text The leader continues: “We dwell on the text. Which words strike you in a special way?” In doing so, almost the entire text is very listened to again. The members spontaneously read aloud the word or words that have impressed them. Whole verses are not read, only short phrases or individual words. The members are encouraged to repeat those words silently to themselves three or four times. It is extremely important that a moment of silence be kept after each person has spoken, allowing the message to “soak in”. As a result of this step, “simple” words often take on new meaning. FOURTH STEP: We are quiet After spending time on the individual word, the entire passage is read again slowly. Then the leader announces a time of silence, giving the exact length of time, for example, three minutes. We advise the people to spend this time in silence before God. “We are open to God.” “We allow ourselves to be loved by him.” “We let God look at us.” A helpful practice during this silence is to repeat a specific word. Meditation: Simply to be open to God, to wait for him, to be with him, “in fact he is not far from any of us” (Acts 17, 27). FIFTH STEP: We share what we have heard in our hearts After the time of quiet, the leader announces the next step: “We share with each other what we have heard in our hearts.” We do this to share with one another our faith experience and to help each other to grow in the faith. The entire Sacred Scripture is nothing less than a God experience which the People of Israel and Jesus “share” with us.



It is somewhat strange that we can talk to friends about almost every aspect of our life yet when it comes to sharing with others our experience with God, we become shy. In this Bible meditation method, however, anyone can learn “to risk” this sharing in a very natural and unpressured way. SIXTH STEP: We search together The leader announces: “We search together.” Now the time has come for the participants to examine their lives in the light of the Gospel. At this stage, a basic community might discuss everyday problems as: A certain member or friend is in great need for prayers A community activity has still to be planned and fixed A member experiencing problems at home or in school None of these problems need to have a direct connection to the Bible passage which had been read and shared. However, they emerge and can be resolved because of the mutual confidence that now exists in an atmosphere of the presence of God. Things look different when God is allowed to be present. SEVENTH STEP: We pray together The leader now invites everyone to pray. The words of Scripture, the various experiences of God’s Word, the daily problems – these all become fuel for prayer. Some find this form of sharing in prayer the easiest way to communicate with others. The members are encouraged to incorporate in their personal prayer whatever has been of special importance to them during the meditation. Only at the end is a formal prayer known to everyone recited. V. Closer and Closer God’s words are alive and it has to be real in us, meaning applied in our lives for it to be alive. Reading God’s words and living them out will draw us closer to Him and make us more and more like Him. The more we read, the more we know. The more we know, the closer we become. WORKSHOP DYNAMICS: 1. Divide the group into groups of three. 2. Assign each group a specific reading. It may also be the same reading for all of the groups. 3. Instruct them to follow and apply the 7 step Bible sharing.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Workshop 3: More Than a Song I. Introduction We are made for Him. We are made to worship the one True God. One misconception though is that we have limited worship to singing. Without music, there will be no worship. There is so much to worshipping than simply singing. Yes, the Bible exhorts us to sing our praises to the Lord.

David and the Israelites “made merry before the Lord with all their strength, with singing and with citharas, harps, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.” 2 Sam 6:5 (NAB) Jesus and his apostles sang a hymn before their journey to the Mount of Olives. Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26 (NAB) St. Paul instructed the Ephesians to “*address+ one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts.” Eph 5:18-19 (NAB) He sang with Silas in captivity. Acts 16:25 (NAB) The letter of St. James asks, “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise.” James 5:13 (NAB)

But Scriptures also tells us to “worship the Lord in Spirit and truth!” John 4:24 (NAB) II. In Spirit

Oftentimes, we say that we need to be inspired to be able to worship God fully. Where does the words inspiration, inspire come from? Inspire – from the Latin word “inspirare” which means to blow into or upon, to breathe into. It conveys the idea of motion, direction, or inclination into or to a place or a thing. To be inspired then is to simply mean to allow the Spirit to breathe into us and move us to God. By virtue of our baptism, the Holy Spirit is in us and all we need to do is to yield to the Spirit. So, in worshipping God all we need to do is to allow the Spirit to move us.

III. Like No Other

When we were born, God created each of us unique. It was like we were given each a backpack and there are different contents and of varying degrees or quantity. With these skills, talents and gifts that we were given, God has not only made us like no other but also set out for us how we will worship Him. Some of us may have been given a wonderful set of feet that we can dance easily and lose ourselves into the music. Some were given crafty hands that we are able to create works of beauty. To some were given an analytical mind that we can easily understand complex problems and situations. To some were given the ability to play with words and evoke emotions from them. Each one is truly different.



And with the Spirit in us, spiritual gifts have also been made available to us. Each one has also a different gift.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. 1 Cor. 12:4-11 (NAB)

With each one of us created unique and with different gifts from the Spirit, then we can worship the Lord uniquely, in our own personal way!

What makes you unique? What makes you, you? What gifts and talents has God endowed you with to use in worshipping Him?

IV. In Truth

We are to come before the Lord in truth! The Lord sees everything and everyone. Nothing is hidden from him. He sees the deep recesses of our hearts. We cannot hide anything from Him.

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach. Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you… Psalms 139: 1-7, 13-15 (NAB)

We have to come before the Lord without pretensions. Come just as you are, with all your shortcomings, sins, faults! He knows them anyway and He loves us just as we are. No need to be afraid of Him. So when we worship the Lord in truth, we come with all that we are, with all sincerity and truthfulness! Then the Lord is truly glorified!

V. Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Him

He is the reason and the object of our worship, not our skills, not our prayers, not our talents, not what we do, not us but simply HIM!



We simply focus on Him, let the Spirit lead us as to how to worship Him for He is more than deserving of whatever we can offer Him. He is an unlimited God being worshipped by a limited being, a Creator worshipped by His creation. And with all that He has given us, we worship Him! Just like the three Kings who visited the baby Jesus in His manger, we present to Him the best we have to offer and from the deepest parts of our hearts and being we come to worship Him. WORKSHOP PROPER: 1. Begin with a prayer. Quiet yourself and prepare to come before the Lord. 2. Assess yourself, what are the things God has gifted me with? What are the things I can do? 3. Thank Him for all the things He has given you and express your praise to Him by silently praising Him

in your heart. 4. Focus on God and marvel at His greatness and His great love for us. 5. Express your prayer or worship to our Lord in any way you feel the Spirit is leading you. You can sing,

compose a song, write a journal, compose a poem, draw, paint, do figures with clay, come up with a script for a skit, etc. You are free to do what you feel in your heart. There are no restrictions bur in all of these remember that you are not doing a project but worshipping God.

6. When you finish, present to the Lord what you have done and acknowledge that it is Him that made you able to worship Him this way.

7. Close your prayer and keep your “worship product” as it may be used as a reminder for you later on or be used by other people and serve as an inspiration to others

NOTE to the TEAM LEADER: 1. Provide different materials for people to express their worship to God. Have papers, pens, art

materials like colored papers, scissors, glue, clay, etc. The more variety, better. There should also be musical instruments available for the participants as some may want to sing or compose musical pieces.

2. Make sure that even in the “busy-ness”, a worshipful atmosphere is maintained. 3. When everyone has finished, remind the participants to keep what they have made. Take into

account what “worship products” were made and they can be used or shown in the evening during the fellowship night.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Honoring God Weekend Closing Exhortation Note to the Team Leader: After the Mass, everyone is called back for a recap of the whole weekend and to have some sharing from the participants like in other camps. Then at the end they are reminded of their personal commitment to God to honor Him with their lives and to have a regular healthy prayer time and Scripture reading time daily. Exhortation: This weekend, we heard a lot about honoring God, worshipping Him. We learned a lot about praying and our attitude and keeping a healthy prayer time. We experienced different types of prayers starting with our community’s type of worship to the Catholic prayers we have grown up with, to incorporating Scripture reading with our prayers, to meditation, to adoration and the Sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist. Definitely, it was a very full weekend. We hope that you have been encouraged to do so much more than the little things we have doe this weekend. Worshipping and honoring God is a life long vocation. Pray unceasingly. Worship Him in Spirit and Truth day and night for that is what we will be preoccupied with when we meet Him in His heavenly kingdom. It will never be easy but remember that God called us to be faithful and not successful. Success in our spiritual life is determined by how faithful we are.

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