Prayer
What must we cultivate to draw closer to God, and come to know and love Christ better?
The habit of prayer
Who described prayer as "the raising of one's mind and heart to God, or the requesting of good things from God?
St. John of Damascus
What does prayer make us attentive to?
How God can speak to us and how He can be present to us through our ordinary experiences.
Who intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father?
Jesus
God calls each of us to share our hearts with Him in this.
Prayer
The process of prayer is likened to this display of emotion.
Falling in love
What are some of the ordinary experiences in which God can speak to us?
In the blessings He gives us (or doesn't give us), in the movements of our heart, or in the words of people He puts in our lives.
How do we encounter Jesus Christ?
Through the Sacraments and through the habit of prayer.
According to Scripture, what is it that prays?
The heart.
What is the first and greatest commandment?
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all of your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind.
How is Jesus united to us and why?
Through His human nature, so we can relate to Him as a human being.
Who moves us to prayer?
The Holy Spirit
What happens if our heart is far from God in prayer?
The words of the prayer are in vain.
What is the call God has placed on our hearts?
To spend time with Him and develop a real relationship of love and prayer.
What do we need to do to hear God in prayer?
We need to listen to His word in Scripture and Tradition, and to His son, Jesus Christ.
How do we come to know Jesus intimately, not only as our Lord and master and teacher, but as a friend?
When we call on Jesus as our Savior, when we meditate upon His life in Scripture or in the Rosary, or when we spend time in silent reflection after receiving His Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
If you want to pray, but you find that your heart is far from God, how can you bring your heart into your prayer?
Be in a quiet place, listen to sacred or inspirational music, ask God for His help, reading devotional writings or the Bible.
What are some of the most essential actions that allow love to flourish?
Spend time with others, self-sacrifice, sharing experiences, companionship, volunteering time, listening with care and compassion.
Name a saint or person in the Bible who has had a private revelation from God directly or through His angels.
Noah, Abraham, Saul, Joseph the husband of Mary, Joseph, Blessed Virgin Mary, Moses, etc.
Why was St. Francis de Sales's Introduction to the Devout Life Unique?
It was one of the first books to propose that holiness is not reserved for priests or nuns, but that there is a universal call to holiness that we can live no matter the state of life that God calls us to.