My Soul Longs for You, O God (Ps. 42:2) St. Mary’s RCIA

Paperback: 200 pages Publisher: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (October 20, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: ISBN-13: The information from this Powerpoint Presentation is taken from…

How do people incorporate Scriptures into their lives? The word of God, the liturgy of the Church and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity offer us essential sustenance. Prayer should be accompanied by the reading of the Scriptures so that a dialogue takes place between God and us. In the Scriptures, the Father comes lovingly to meet his children and talks with them. If the reader stays open to what the Holy Spirit says through the Scriptures, prayer takes place. Lectio divina is a Latin phrase that literally means “divine reading” or “sacred reading.” Lectio divina a way of allowing the Scriptures to become again what God intended that the should be –a means of uniting us to him.

- Lectio is receiving the word of God. Lectio divina aims at giving an awareness of God’s presence through the fivefold process of lectio, meditatio, oratio, contemplatio, and actio. - Meditatio is allowing the word to be present in our awareness. - Oratio is sharing ourselves in prayer. - Contemplatio is resting in the presence of God. - Actio is responding to God’s message with action.

1. One person reads aloud the Scriptural passage, pausing at the end for 1 to 2 minutes of silence. During this silence the members of the group choose a word or phrase that is especially attractive to them. The Lectio Divina Process 2. Each person shares aloud the word or phrase that attracted him or her (no elaboration is necessary). 3. A new person reads the same passage a second time, pausing for 2 to 3 minutes of silence, reflect on this question: How does the word or phrase that has touched my heart touch my life today? 4. Participants share their answers aloud, perhaps using the following sentence starters: “I see…I hear…” 5. A new person reads the same passage a third time, pausing for 2 to 3 minutes of silence, reflect on this question: What is Christ calling me to do or become today or this week? 6. Everyone shares. 7. After sharing, everyone prays silently for each one in the group.

St. Elizabeth Anne Seton Timeline: briefly identify the spiritually significant or important events (turning points) in the life of your saint Virtue: A specific moral quality regarded as good. What qualities or characteristics of the saint impressed you? Why? Miracle (if there is one): an event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific law. What miracles did God perform through your saint? Patron (a protector): Who or what is your saint the protector of. Summary: How has learning about the life of your saint influenced you? Will you think, talk or act any differently? Do you see your saint’s life as a model that leads to better knowing of Jesus? How or why?

Why do human beings have a desire for God? God himself, creating man is his own image, has written upon his heart the desire to see him.

Even if this desire is often ignored, God never ceases to draw man to himself because only in God will we find and live the fullness of truth and happiness for which he never stops searching.

By nature and vocation, therefore, man is a religious being, capable of entering into communion with God. This intimate and vital bond with God confers on man his fundamental dignity

How is it possible to know God with only the light of human reason? Starting from creation, that is from the world and from the human person, through reason alone can one know God with certainty as the origin and end of the universe, as the highest good and infinite truth and beauty.

Is the light of reason alone sufficient to know the mystery of God? In coming to a knowledge of God by light of reason alone man experiences many difficulties. Indeed, on his own he is unable to enter into the intimacy of divine mystery.

This is why he stands in need of being enlightened by God’s revelation, not only about those things that exceed his understanding, but also those religious and moral truths which of themselves are not beyond the grasp of human reason, so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can be known by all with ease, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error. Is the light of reason alone sufficient to know the mystery of God?

United States Catechism for Adults Chapter 2 (10 minutes) Group 1 Read pages 2-3 “The Universal Desire for God.” “Think Aloud” and “Talk to the Text” capture the Main Idea on your poster. Group 2 Read pages 4-5 “Through the Human Person.” “Think Aloud” and “Talk to the Text” capture the Main Idea on your poster. Group 3 Read pages 3-5 “Through Creation.” “Think Aloud” and “Talk to the Text” capture the Main Idea on your poster. Read pages 6-7 “A Generation of Seekers.” “Think Aloud” and “Talk to the Text” capture the Main Idea on your poster. Group 3

From the Catechism 1. How have people expressed their quest for God throughout history? 2. What do we mean by “proofs” for God’s existence? 3. Can we know God? Group Discussion

Doctrinal Statements Choose your statement

Closing Prayer