1. Devotions Chapter 12

2. Devotions From the 12 th through the 16 th centuries, many abuses occurred within the Church. However, the desire for reform eventually led to the rise of religious orders, such as the Franciscans and the Dominicans. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic led separate movements that stressed simplicity and humility---a return to the central message of Jesus.

3. Devotions During this time in Church history, printed materials as we know them today did not exist. Both Francis and Dominic wanted to give people access to Jesus and his teachings. To accomplish this, they went about preaching and introduced their followers to devotions, such as the Stations of the Cross and the Rosary.

4. The Gift of Piety Piety is one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gift of Piety helps us express our reverence for God and grow in our personal relationship with him. The Church recognizes popular devotions and personal prayer as valuable ways to express and develop piety.

5. CCC 1675 “Those expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church but do not replace it.” The purpose of such devotions is to enrich Catholic life.

6. The Imitation of Christ During Thomas a Kempis time, the majority of faithful Catholics were peasants who turned to devotions to express their private faith. They found comfort in devotions of local patron saints. Patron saints of local times were the superheroes of their time.

7. The Imitation of Christ Read page 184 then in your group answer the following questions: What does Thomas say about the outward appearance of and the interior, or inside, of a good Christian? What advice does Thomas give about devotion?

8. Mendicant Orders A mendicant order is a religious community of men or women who dedicate themselves to living the Gospel ideal of poverty and belong to a way of living and preaching the Gospel approved by the Church. They support themselves by begging for what they need to accomplish their work.

9. Mendicant Orders The members of these orders were also called “begging friars” because they relied on the charity of others for their basic needs. During this difficult time in Church history, certain groups tried to stay true to the Gospel. The friars of the Franciscan order worked to teach others about Jesus through dramatizations of Gospel stories and the Stations of the Cross.

10. Mendicant Orders Saint Francis emphasized a life of absolute poverty. He challenged the Church and society to conform their materialism.

11. Read page 185 How did the Dominican Order reform religious life? Complete the Activity on page 185 Then how can you make the practices you underlined a part of yourlife?

12. HOMEWORK List three devotions that either you, your family or someone you know practices to deepen their faith.