CL REVIEWER - 2nd Quarter: Lesson 4 - Jesus Christ, The Heart Of Prayer PDF

**CL REVIEWER - 2^nd^ QUARTER** **LESSON 4 -- JESUS CHRIST, THE HEART OF PRAYER** ***AT THE CENTER OF OUR HUMAN LIFE: THE HEART*** - The heart weighs less than one pound. The average weight for women is 8 ounces and for men, 10 ounces. - The heart beats with enough strength to shoot bloo...

**CL REVIEWER - 2^nd^ QUARTER** **LESSON 4 -- JESUS CHRIST, THE HEART OF PRAYER** ***AT THE CENTER OF OUR HUMAN LIFE: THE HEART*** - The heart weighs less than one pound. The average weight for women is 8 ounces and for men, 10 ounces. - The heart beats with enough strength to shoot blood a distance of 30 feet. - On average, a million barrels worth of blood is pumped through the heart in a lifetime. - The blood vessels fed by the heart are more than 60, 000 miles long they could wrap the world twice. - The human heart begins to beat as early as 4 weeks after conception. Scientists believe that by eight weeks, when the embryo is only an inch long, the heart is fully developed. - Every year, the heart beats approximately 35 million times. That is 100, 000 beats per day and 70 beats per minute. Over the course of a lifetime, that adds up to an average of 2.5 billion heartbeats. - The heart is made up almost entirely of muscle. It is strong enough to lift approximately 3,000 pounds --roughly the weight of a compact car. ***The heart is more than a body organ, it is also the seat of all our options and decisions. Where our heart is, there we are. If Jesus is in our hearts, all our thoughts, words, and actions will be in accordance with the moral law. With Jesus in our hearts, we shall be able to avoid evil and do good.*** **10 Different Types of Heart According to the Bible** - **The Good Heart -** The heart that is open to God's Word and produces a lot of fruit is said to have a healthy heart. The heart is what is receptive to the operation of the Holy Spirit and willing to carry out God's desire. - **The Hardened** **Heart** - The heart that has become hardened is one that is resistant to change and closes off to God's Word. It is the heart that refuses to turn from sin and accept forgiveness. - **The Deceitful Heart (Mapanlinglang)** - The heart that is full of deceit and prone to immorality is said to have a deceitful heart. The heart is the area most susceptible to temptation and seduction from one's own wants. - **The Divided Heart** - The heart that struggles between serving God and serving self is said to have a divided heart. Lack of commitment causes the divided heart, which results in a life of uncertainty and indecision. - **The Broken Heart** - The broken heart is the heart that has to be healed since it has been damaged by sin. - **The Proud Heart** - The heart that is filled with pride and self-importance is the proud heart. The heart that elevates itself above others and rejects to bow to God's rule is the problem. - **The Uncircumcised Heart** - the one that is resistant to change and hardened to God's Message. It is the heart that exhibits disobedience and rebellion and is unwilling to submit to God's will. - **The Fearful Heart** - The fearful heart is the heart that is filled with fear and anxiety. It is the heart that lacks faith and is not putting its confidence in God's promises. - **The Rebellious Heart** - The heart that rebels against God's authority and is not submissive is said to have a rebellious heart. The refusal to follow God's instructions comes from the heart, which breeds disobedience and rebellion. - **The Wicked Heart** - The heart that is wicked is the wicked heart. It is the heart that exhibits a love of sin and a disregard for God's laws. Living an unjust and rebellious life is the result of having a wicked heart. **Four Types of Hearts according to the Gospel Mt. 13:1-23\ **In the parable of the sower, Jesus unveils a profound mystery of the kingdom of God.\ ***Seed - Word of God\ Soil - Kinds of heart*** - **The hard soil** that represents a **hard heart** that is *closed off to God's Word* *(Matthew 13:4, 19).* - **The rocky soil** represents a **shallow heart** that *receives the Word with joy but lacks roots and falls away in times of trouble* *(Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21).* - **The thorny soil** represents *a **heart that is choked** by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, making it unfruitful* (Matthew 13:7, 22). - **The good soil** represents ***a heart that receives the Word, understands it, and produces much fruit*** (Matthew 13:8, 23). **How to Guide your Heart & Walk in Purity\ **Guarding our hearts with all diligence is essential for our spiritual well-being. - Protect Your Eyes and Ears - Take Every Thought Captive - Put on the Full Armor of God - Stay Filled with God's Word **Parts of The Our Father** - Prayer of Praise - Prayer of Contrition - Prayer of Petition The heart of a Christian prayer is ***Jesus Christ***, this means that without Christ, we will not have any prayerful life, we will never know how to pray and we cannot pray.\ Jesus tells us that we should not turn our prayer into some kind of ***performance*** where those who see it will applaud and praise us for being prayerful **We follow Jesus not only by imitating how He prayed but also, by living the kind of life he lived.** **As Saint Paul says in his letter to Colossians....\ **"Live in Christ Jesus, be ***rooted in Him*** and built up in Him" If we ***"put on"*** Christ, our very life will mirror the kind of life He lived. **St. Rose Philippine Duchesne** - As a young girl, she felt a strong desire to serve God and entered the Visitation Order at age 18. During the Revolution, her convent was closed, and she returned home. She continued her ministry in secret, helping the poor and sick. After the Revolution, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart, founded by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, with a passion for missionary work. Philippine had a long-held dream to evangelize Native Americans, inspired by her love for Christ and a spirit of adventure. In 1818, at age 49, she sailed to the United States with four other sisters to help establish schools and spread Catholic education. Settled in St. Charles, Missouri, where she established the first free school west of the Mississippi, focusing on educating pioneer children and young girls. At age 72, she fulfilled her dream of working with Native Americans by living among the Potawatomi tribe in Kansas, where she earned the nickname ***\"Woman Who Prays Always\"*** due to her prayerful dedication. **LESSON 5 -- DEVELOPING AUTHENTIC PRAYER** **Authenticity** - real or genuine; not copied or false true and accurate concerns the truthfulness of origins, attributes, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions. **Pope Francis** - The People's Pope - Person of the Year in 2013 by Time Magazine **What made Pope Francis an authentic Church leader? What made him declared as The People's Pope by Time Magazine on the year 2013? What are some of his activities?** - Pope Francis eating with Vatican workers - He's reaching out to other religions - He will embrace you no matter what you look like - Washing and kissing of feet. - He hangs out with ordinary people. - He gave individual hugs to 100 wheelchair-bound visitors. - Shows special love to the poor, the needy and the abandoned. - Pope Francis taking a selfie with the pilgrims of the Vatican. - Has a sense of humor **Pope Francis is a model of authenticity because:** - He lives what he teaches. - Shows love and compassion in his actions. - Do not judge people - Merciful - Accepting no matter what the status of the people he deals ***Just like Pope Francis, just like Jesus***, this is also what God the Father is dreaming for all of us. To become authentic children of God especially when we approach Him in prayer. He wants all of us to do it with our ***whole heart.*** **Matthew 4:1 -- 11\ **Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^\[[a](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23211a)\]^ by the devil. **^2 ^**After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. **^3 ^**The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." **^4 ^**Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'^\[[b](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23214b)\]^" **^5 ^**Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. **^6 ^**"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you,\     and they will lift you up in their hands,\     so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'^\[[c](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23216c)\]^" **^7 ^**Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'^\[[d](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23217d)\]^" **^8 ^**Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. **^9 ^**"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." **^10 ^**Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'^\[[e](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23220e)\]^" **^11 ^**Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Jesus' prayer sustained him in his journey to fulfill the mission the Father entrusted him. In the same way we are called by God to make an important part of our daily life as we journey towards God's kingdom. **What does it mean to be authentic?** - To be true to one's self - Practicing what one preaches - Being true to our words **CCC -- Catechism of the Catholic Church\ CFC -- Catechism for Filipino Catholics** **Authentic Prayer** - Rooted from the heart - Related to the neighbor in loving compassion and service - Grounded in Sacred Scripture and the great prayers of the liturgy and of Christian Tradition - Actively related to others in the concrete of human context - Consciously seeking to discern and follow the Spirit's movements. - Opens us to personal growth through a constant "letting go" which allows another to tie you fast and carry you off against your will". - **Prayers from the Scripture** - Lord's Prayer - Hail Mary - The Angelus - The prayers we recite in the Mass **Liturgy and Christian Tradition** - The Creed - Morning and evening prayer - Prayer before and after meal - Act of Contrition - Act of Faith - Act of Hope - Act of Love **How does authentic prayer open us to personal growth?** - In our pilgrimage to God's Kingdom we are bound to meet challenges, suffering, and pain but we can overcome all these if we call on the name of Jesus in prayer - Developing an authentic prayer life requires practicing virtues - **Virtue of Justice**- we give God what he deserves - **Virtue of Humility**- express our dependence on God and recognize that we can do nothing without Him - **Virtue of Charity**- rooted in our love for God and moves us to be compassionate towards others. **St. Paul Miki, John of Goto, and James Kisai, three of best-known martyrs of Nagasaki** - They were lay persons and were associated with the Jesuits. - **Miki-** training for priesthood - **Kisai-** lay brother - **John of Goto-** catechist preparing to enter the order - Paul Miki and many other Catholics were made to march for a month to Nagasaki before they were martyred. He remained strong during this march and constant in his faith by joining one of the captive Franciscan priests in preaching to the crowds who came to mock them. - Miki was the son of a wealthy military leader. He was converted to the Catholic faith along with the rest of his family. He joined the Jesuits and helped many Buddhists to embrace Christianity - Just like Christ, he prayed as he hung on the cross, saying: "After Christ's example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain." - St. Paul Miki and his 25 companions were stabbed to death with lances on February 5, 1597, at the site that became known as "Martyrs' Hill." Pope Pius IX canonized the Martyrs of Nagasaki in 1862. **LESSON 6 -- WORSHIP IN THE BIBLE** A responsible child of God prays for something that will not harm others, will make him/ her a better person and will result in the good of all. *"Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."* **- John 4:21-24** *Not everyone that said to me, lord, lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my father which is in heaven.* **- Matthew 7:21\ \ What does CFC tell us about WORSHIP?** - Authentic worship necessarily includes both an inner attitude of reverence and homage before the Divine Majesty, and an outward expression on signs of words, actions, songs, dances, usually enacted in public rituals. (CFC 1496-1497) - It comes from our inborn gratitude for the gift of life. (CFC 1496) - **How do we express our worship of God?** - In the Old Testament, we learn from the story of God's people and how we should worship God - The commandment that God gave Israel. - We learn what true worship means... - True worship consists not in words o on the lips but in deeds from o the heart - In the New Testament, - "God is Spirit and they who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth." - Jesus by His obedience to the Father, teaches o us that we should not be separate o from our daily moral living. - It is a time when we pay deep, sincere, awesome respect, love, and fear of God. - It should cause us to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God the Father and Christ contrasted to our own unworthiness. - It helps us to develop a God-like and Christ-like character. - it helps us develop traits such as forgiveness, tenderness, justice, righteousness, purity, kindness and love, thus, preparing us for eternal life in heaven with God. - Authentic worship of God is characterized by the purity of our love for Him and our desire to be with Him and our acts of worship into actions for and on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. **St. Clare of Assisi** - **6 Facts about her** - She came from a wealthy family - One of the **first followers** of **St. Francis of Assisi** - She is the foundress of **The Poor Clares.** - She is **the first woman** to write a **monastic rule** - She defended the Monastery w/ the power of the Holy Eucharist - Her sister, Agnes, and other women also became attracted to her way of life. They did not have money, wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and spent their time in silence and prayer. Her community came to be known as ***"Poor Clares"*** - "Set your mind on things above, and not on the things on the earth." **Colossians 3:2** **LESSON 7 -- LITURGY, WORK OF THE PEOPLE** **Liturgy** - comes from the Greek word "***leitourgia***" which means, "***public work***" or service in the name of or on behalf of the people. In Judeo Christian, it means the ***participation of the People of God in the work of God*** - Is also defined as the customary public worship performed as a \"***work of the people***\" by a specific religious group, according to its particular beliefs, customs, and traditions. - Liturgy is the ***prayer of the Church***, gathered in assembly, an ecclesial activity, celebrated by the whole Church, head and members. - The Center of the Church's liturgy is the Eucharist which commemorates the ***Paschal Mystery*** of our Lord Jesus Christ. ***("Do this in memory of me")*** **PCP II -- Second Plenary Council of the Philippines** **Liturgical Renewal** - Aims to make the celebration and reception of the sacraments real experience of faith. **Pre-Sacramental Catechesis** - Stresses that before the Sacraments are received especially in Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony. - The recipients must be properly instructed on the meaning and significance of the sacraments in the life of the faithful. **Renewal of the Sacrament of Penance** - Emphasizes that both priest and lay people must be educated in such a way that the sacraments are seen as a ***real encounter with the merciful God who reconciles us with himself.*** **Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist** - Emphasizes that the Eucharist must be seen and appreciated as the ***summit and source of all Christian life.*** - This means that we place it at the center of our life and not simply as something we mechanically attend for an hour every Sunday. **How is Christ present in the Eucharist?** - Christ is present in the Word -- ***"the Good News"*** - Christ is present in the ***community***, the people that prays, sings, and receives His body. - Christ is present in the person of the priest or the Mass presider and he is called ***alter Christus*** ***"another Christ"*** - Christ is present in the ***bread and wine*** - The Eucharist requires our ***full, conscious, and active participation*** **Liturgy or the Eucharist** - is the ***public, communal, and official worship*** of the Church where the people of God participate in the works of God. - It is the **highest form** of worship of the Church - Five essential qualities of the Liturgy - **Trinitarian** - It is called **[Trinitarian]** because our praise and thanksgiving in the liturgy is directed to the ***Trinity***. - **Sacramental** - **[Sacramental]** symbols, the gestures, the movements and verbal formula - **Ecclesial or communitarian** - It is called **[Ecclesial]** because of the whole church gathered together in assembly. - **Ethically oriented** - **[Ethically oriented]** reminds us that Liturgy is not just a celebration done inside the Church, but it helps us become better ***Catholics*** - **Eschatological** - **[Eschatological]** Liturgy gives us a foretaste of ***God's Kingdom.*** - In the liturgy, the faithful have different roles: ***lectors, commentators, music ministry, extraordinary ministers, acolytes, and presiders.*** - **The Two Characters of Liturgy** - **[Sanctification of Man/Woman (God\'s Work)]** - *\"Ang Diyos ay nagkatawang-tao upang makasama at iligtas tayo.\"* - **[Glorification of God (People's Work) -]** *\"Ang tugon ng mga tao sa pagdating ng Diyos ay sa pamamagitan ng pagpupuri at pagsasagawa ng Kanyang kalooban.\"* *"Whoops kiri whoops" - Steven*