1. The Desire to Know God We Journey Toward God

2. God invites us into relationship with Him Knowledge: Knowing intimately Communicate: Prayer Vocation: Calls all members of the Church into holiness in whatever lifestyle they are living

3. The Incarnation God’s greatest invitation –In this mystery God revealed himself and gave himself to us in a new way so that we may understand the message of salvation –The mystery of God becoming flesh and living with us –Because of the Incarnation our salvation by forgiveness is permanent. –Only at the time of judgment can a person be certain of his own salvation

4. Why do we long for God? It is an inner longing written on our hearts We are called to be in relationship with God Desire: To long for what is absent or lost Vocation: a call from God to a life of holiness Holiness: To be in good relationship with God Our “GPS” is set for Heaven!!!

5. Four Objects of Love God Neighbors Selves Bodies

6. Natural Revelation God makes himself know to our reason through the created world; we have the capacity to know God by experiencing the world around us –Old Testament: Creation Experience of God through interaction with the Israelites –New Testament Jesus Experience of the early church

7. Logic All humans are created in God’s image and likeness. Hitler was a human Hitler was created in God’s image and likeness syllogism

8. Church Fathers Theologians of the early Church that proclaimed teachings based on scripture and the experiences of the Apostles St. Augustine –We know God through the natural world The universe and all creation Humans, the summit of creation The cause of everything The sustainer of everything

9. St. Anselm God is “that than which nothing greater can be thought” It is greater to exist in reality than in the mind Then God must exist in reality, not only in the mind and understanding.

10. The Five Proofs St. Thomas Aquinas: –Theologian of the Middle Ages –Dominican Friar –Doctor of the Church –Gave us 5 philosophical proofs that God exists First Mover –Who set the world in motion? Causality –Who was the first to create? Contingency –The chicken or the egg? Perfection –Who is the standard of perfection? Intelligent being –Who directs those things without intelligence to their right end?

11. Life is in motion. for life to be in motion there must have been a "first mover" to get everything going. That mover is God! An egg cannot just cause itself to be an egg. Something outside of the egg (like a hen and a rooster) that causes it to be an egg. Likewise there must have been something outside of creation that caused creation to come into existence. That cause is God The order and complexity of nature isn't just a happy accident. An intelligent being must exist who directs all things to their natural end. This being is God When we measure or rate things there is something we call truest or best against which we measure all things that are true or good. This perfect being is God. For everything else to exist there had to have been something in existence first. This something is God. First Mover Who set the world in motion? Contingency The chicken or the egg? Intelligent being Who directs those things without intelligence to their right end? Perfection Who is the standard of perfection? Causality Who was the first to create?

12. Wisdom in the Old Testament The first sign of wisdom is “Fear of the Lord” “Foolish are those who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing Him who is” The goodness of every created thing points to the Absolute and Supreme Good, God. All of creation points to God as the first cause and final end of things

13. Jesus Christ is God’s Perfect Revelation Because God wants a deep relationship with us, the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus the Christ. Through Jesus Christ, God has “provided the definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his life” (CCC, 68). From what you know about Jesus, what do you know about God? Incarnation (from Latin) “to become flesh”

14. How do you find God finding you? During the Middle Ages, especially during the 12 th, 13 th, and 14 th centuries, new ways of proving the existence of God emerged. Great thinkers held that humans could use their minds and logically develop “converging and convincing arguments” (CCC, 31) to attain truth and certainty about God and the human experience. ® Monika Wisniewska/Shutterstock.com Encountering God Through Thought and Reason

15. Two Great Thinkers on Natural Revelation Convergence of Probabilities: Many “hints” point to the existence of God. When combined, they produce a powerful argument for God. Anytime humans experience limitations in knowledge, freedom, or perfection, there is an awareness of God as Absolute Mystery. With which of these do you most identify? Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin Image in public domain John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801–1890) Karl Rahner, SJ (1904–1984)

16. God Reveals Himself To Us How has this lesson changed how you find God finding you? Thought & Reason CreationThe Bible Love Search for Happiness & Meaning

17. Vocation: God calls us all to holiness and service in a particular lifestyle Married Single Ordained Discernment: Listening for God’s call in our lives

18. Married Life Lifelong commitment –Offer holiness and service –Care for each other –Procreate & raise children –Fidelity –Domestic Church Community of faith Lead to God

19. Ordained Life In the Catholic Church only men can be ordained. Ministry includes deacons, priests, bishops Dedicate their lives in service to the Church

20. Single Life Religious community Living a chaste life Takes vows* of Poverty Chastity Obedience *solemn promise