Ways to deepen our Friendship with God How to Become a Saint

▪St. Ignatius: Principle and Foundation ▪Purpose of human life ▪To love and serve God on this earth in order to be with him forever in heaven. ▪To grow in our friendship with God and to be transformed more and more into the likeness of our Lord Introduction

▪St. Paul ▪Put Jesus Christ at the center of your life ▪Pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17) ▪Give thanks in all circumstances (5:18) How do you do that?

▪How to be a contemplative in action as a busy business person or professional? ▪How can we live always in the presence of the Lord and learn to do his will always? How do you do that?

▪Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23) God’s Promise

▪ Questions we will try to answer ▪How can I become more aware of the Lord throughout a busy workday? ▪How can I grow from praying 15 minutes to praying all day long? What We Will Cover

▪We need to develop new habits ▪This involves discipline and repeated actions and never giving up A Challenge

▪Beginning and end of each day ▪First habit ▪As soon as you open your eyes in the morning praise the Lord for the new day ▪As you settle down to fall asleep thank the Lord for the day past ▪Second habit ▪Twice a day (lunch and at night) make an examination of conscience, general and particular Becoming More Aware of God’s Presence

▪Third habit ▪Always say grace before and after meals ▪Whether you are alone or with others ▪Fourth habit ▪Add “God minutes” all throughout your day ▪After a task ▪Before a meeting ▪While on the road Growth in Awareness of God’s Presence

▪The commitment of 15 minutes of prayer and 15 minutes of reading Scripture is here presupposed ▪Additional methods ▪The Jesus prayer ▪The rosary Praying Always

▪The Way of the Pilgrim ▪ ewayofthepilgrim.htmhttp://desertfathers.webs.com/th ewayofthepilgrim.htm ▪Method ▪To repeat the following prayer over and over again ▪Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner ▪You can shorten it ▪Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me ▪Or just “Jesus mercy” The Jesus Prayer

▪Purpose of the rosary ▪To contemplate the mysteries of our Lord’s life with and through our blessed Lady ▪Purpose is NOT saying Hail Marys ▪Purpose is to focus on Jesus and his life and ministry ▪How can I focus more and more on Jesus and not just rattling off prayers? The Rosary

▪Mystery: the nativity of the Lord ▪Hail Mary full of grace. The Lord is with you. You are blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb JESUS ▪WHO WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM ▪Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death. Amen The German Way

1.Baptism in the Jordan 2.The Wedding Feast at Cana 3.The Proclamation of the Kingdom 4.The Transfiguration 5.The Institution of the Eucharist Luminous Mysteries

▪Use the rosary to contemplate today’s Gospel, eg. 1.Jesus thought to be one of the prophets 2.Jesus thought to be John the Baptist come to life again 3.Jesus thought to be Elijah 4.Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of the living God 5.Jesus, the King of the martyrs John the Baptist and Paul Mikki and companions Make up your own Mysteries

▪During the day use the rosary to think of the Lord ▪When in transit ▪When taking a rest ▪When taking a walk, etc. Use the Rosary to Remain in God’s Presence

▪We need to remove the things that distract us from the Lord ▪Certain use of Media ▪Observe how you actually spend your time Final Challenge

▪May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. (1 Thess 5:23-24) Final Encouragement

1.How do you keep aware of God’s presence now? 2.What could you do immediately to grow in awareness of his presence? Discussion Question