INTIMACY with GODINTIMACY with GOD

Talk to Youth MinistersTalk to Youth MinistersOctober 2, 2012October 2, 2012

Opening Song: Opening Song: You Are Mine

SilencingSilencing

Theme: Theme: Responding to God’s LoveResponding to God’s Love

Grace:Grace:My Lord Jesus, I beg for the My Lord Jesus, I beg for the

grace of a grateful heart so I grace of a grateful heart so I may be able to freely respond may be able to freely respond to your love.to your love.

Song: Song: Pagkakaibigan (Fr. Charlie Cenzon, SJ)(Fr. Charlie Cenzon, SJ)

Sacred Scripture: Sacred Scripture: John 15: 1-10John 15: 1-10

““Remain in my love…”Remain in my love…”

What is Prayer?What is Prayer?• Our first response to God’s Our first response to God’s

initiative of loveinitiative of love• Communication with God – Communication with God –

mind , heart, whole beingmind , heart, whole being• Our main vehicle towards our Our main vehicle towards our

loving Godloving God• Sitting at the feet of Jesus, Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

spending time with Him, like spending time with Him, like Mary, listening to Him, Mary, listening to Him, focusing one’s whole being to focusing one’s whole being to Him.Him.

Why Pray?Why Pray?

• To respond to God’s initiative of To respond to God’s initiative of lovelove

• To build my relationship with To build my relationship with God – to discover who is God, God – to discover who is God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, their roles in my life, His plans their roles in my life, His plans for me, for the world.for me, for the world.

Why Pray?Why Pray?

• To communicate with God – To communicate with God – all my concerns, joys aand all my concerns, joys aand pains, successes and failures, pains, successes and failures, hopes and dreams – to find hopes and dreams – to find strength, rest, light, truth, strength, rest, light, truth, life.life.

Why Pray?Why Pray?

• Discover who I am, where I am Discover who I am, where I am going/my heavenly destination, going/my heavenly destination, my mission, clarity of issues, my mission, clarity of issues, inspirations/solutions to my inspirations/solutions to my concerns, etc.concerns, etc.

Different Kinds and Expressions of PrayerDifferent Kinds and Expressions of Prayer

VOCAL PRAYERVOCAL PRAYER

4 Traditional Kinds/Movements of Prayer4 Traditional Kinds/Movements of Prayer

5 Ps of Prayer5 Ps of Prayer

• PassagePassage• PlacePlace• PosturePosture• PresencePresence• PausePause

7 Signs of a Fruitful Prayer Life7 Signs of a Fruitful Prayer Life

Am I growing in these:Am I growing in these:• GentlenessGentleness• KindnessKindness• Generosity of HeartGenerosity of Heart

7 Signs of a Fruitful Prayer Life7 Signs of a Fruitful Prayer Life

Am I growing in these:Am I growing in these:• TruthfulnessTruthfulness• Eagerness to Serve – Eagerness to Serve – even if it even if it

brings suffering, the crossbrings suffering, the cross• PrudencePrudence• Humility – Humility – desire to embrace the desire to embrace the

33rdrd degree of of humility (S.E. of degree of of humility (S.E. of St. Ignatius – misunderstanding, St. Ignatius – misunderstanding, rejection, etc.)rejection, etc.)

With Prayer…With Prayer…

• We become We become MORE and MORE MORE and MORE ATTUNED AND SURRENDERED ATTUNED AND SURRENDERED TO GOD’S WILLTO GOD’S WILL– In Jesus’ word “not my will but In Jesus’ word “not my will but

yours be done”yours be done”– Our fruitfulness in our mission Our fruitfulness in our mission

depends on our FIAT, our YES to depends on our FIAT, our YES to God’s will.God’s will.

HUMAN INTIMACY grows…HUMAN INTIMACY grows…• When 2 parties take time to be When 2 parties take time to be

together.together.• Share openly and honestly in Share openly and honestly in

anything and everything that anything and everything that matters to them, with true matters to them, with true acceptance and without acceptance and without condemnation.condemnation.

• It changes both parties.It changes both parties.• They are transformed by the They are transformed by the

relationship, to the point that one relationship, to the point that one resembles the beloved – in resembles the beloved – in gestures, expressions, values and gestures, expressions, values and attitude.attitude.

DIVINE INTIMACYDIVINE INTIMACY

• Like human intimacy, Divine Like human intimacy, Divine intimacy happens between intimacy happens between God and His creature; God and His creature; between Jesus, the Savior and between Jesus, the Savior and You, Me, each one of us, the You, Me, each one of us, the savedsaved

• However, the initiative However, the initiative belongs to God. He loved us belongs to God. He loved us first and gives us the freedom first and gives us the freedom to love Him back or reject His to love Him back or reject His love.love.

DIVINE INTIMACYDIVINE INTIMACY

• When one experiences the When one experiences the unconditional love of the unconditional love of the Father, one is TRANSFORMED, Father, one is TRANSFORMED, one begins to return that love.one begins to return that love.

• This RECIPROCAL LOVE This RECIPROCAL LOVE RELATIONSHIP with GOD RELATIONSHIP with GOD enables one to be like the enables one to be like the Beloved and extend HIS love to Beloved and extend HIS love to others in freedom.others in freedom.

DIVINE INTIMACYDIVINE INTIMACY

• Through this RECIPROCAL Through this RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP we:RELATIONSHIP we:– Learn to love others without Learn to love others without

condition.condition.– Become a vessel of divine love here Become a vessel of divine love here

on earth.on earth.– Become His apostle and witness.Become His apostle and witness.– Becomes fruitful in our mission.Becomes fruitful in our mission.

DIVINE INTIMACYDIVINE INTIMACY

This DIVINE INTIMACY is all made This DIVINE INTIMACY is all made possible through prayer. possible through prayer.

• When we spend time in prayer.When we spend time in prayer.• When we sit in silence at His feet like When we sit in silence at His feet like

Mary to listen to Him.Mary to listen to Him.• When we spend more time in the When we spend more time in the

Eucharist to be with Him, to rest, be Eucharist to be with Him, to rest, be strengthened, be guided.strengthened, be guided.

DIVINE INTIMACYDIVINE INTIMACY

• As apostles/witnesses of Jesus As apostles/witnesses of Jesus Christ in our world, in our Christ in our world, in our church, He establishes with us a church, He establishes with us a reciprocal love relationship.reciprocal love relationship.

• Our FRUITFULNESS depends on Our FRUITFULNESS depends on our rootedness, in our deep our rootedness, in our deep personal relationship with Him. personal relationship with Him.

• Separate from Him we cannot Separate from Him we cannot be fruitful. ONLY JESUS IS THE be fruitful. ONLY JESUS IS THE SOURCE of our FRUITFULNESS.SOURCE of our FRUITFULNESS.

MODEL OF DIVINE INTIMACYMODEL OF DIVINE INTIMACY

• The BLESSED VIRGIN is the The BLESSED VIRGIN is the epitome of this divine epitome of this divine intimacy, with her faith filled intimacy, with her faith filled FIAT.FIAT.

• The fruitfulness of her mission The fruitfulness of her mission of motherhood from Jesus to of motherhood from Jesus to us, the Church, continues, us, the Church, continues, rooted in her deep divine rooted in her deep divine intimacy with her Son and the intimacy with her Son and the Holy Spirit.Holy Spirit.

MODELS OF DIVINE INTIMACYMODELS OF DIVINE INTIMACY

• St. Francis of AssisiSt. Francis of Assisi• St. Ignatius of LoyolaSt. Ignatius of Loyola• St. Teresa of AvilaSt. Teresa of Avila• St. John of the CrossSt. John of the Cross• Mother Theresa of CalcuttaMother Theresa of Calcutta• Blessed John Paul IIBlessed John Paul II• St. Lorenzo RuizSt. Lorenzo Ruiz

REFLECTION QUESTIONSREFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Where am I in my Where am I in my relationship with Jesus?relationship with Jesus?

• Do I feel the need to pray? Do I feel the need to pray? Do I hear Him invite me to Do I hear Him invite me to rest a while in a quiet place rest a while in a quiet place after a day of work for the after a day of work for the kingdom?kingdom?

REFLECTION QUESTIONSREFLECTION QUESTIONS• Do I find time for Jesus to Do I find time for Jesus to

communicate with Him? communicate with Him? • Or am I too busy doing His Or am I too busy doing His

work? work? • Is it my work or His?Is it my work or His? (Am I (Am I

only after successful only after successful activities or projects? Will I activities or projects? Will I be praised by my bishop or be praised by my bishop or superiors? How do I take superiors? How do I take failures? Sufferings?)failures? Sufferings?)

REFLECTION QUESTIONSREFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Does my mission as a Does my mission as a Youth Minister help me Youth Minister help me grow in my spiritual life? grow in my spiritual life? (Am I growing in holiness? (Am I growing in holiness? Growing more and more Growing more and more like Jesus?)like Jesus?)

REFLECTION QUESTIONSREFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Can I honestly claim I am Can I honestly claim I am fruitful in my mission as a fruitful in my mission as a youth minister? Am I youth minister? Am I bringing the young people bringing the young people entrusted to me closer to entrusted to me closer to Jesus?Jesus?

Closing Prayer: Closing Prayer: Pagkakaibigan