CLE Gr.8 Rev.

Nino Perido, CRS

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Aemilianum College Inc.
Rizal St. Piot, Sorsogon City

LESSON 1
REACHING OUT TO GOD
A. HUMAN‘S DESIRE FOR GOD
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) has explained in a very
simple way that human has always the desire toward God. The
desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is
created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to
himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never
stops searching for:

CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION

INTRODUCTIONS:
A. We should not lose our focus
on God. Without Him we
can do nothing. No matter
what we are going through
as our earthly journey
requires, God always with
us. Thus, constant
communication with Him
through prayers is extremely
important to deepen our
faith.
B. REACHING OUT FOR GOD THROUGH
PRAYER
B. God is the Prime Mover of all
that we are and we have.
- The dignity of man rests above all on
the fact that he is called to
communion with God. This invitation
to converse with God is addressed to
man as soon as he comes into being.
- For if man exists it is because God has created him
through love, and through love continues to hold him
in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth
unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts
himself to his creator (God).
- Humanity desire for God is truly urgent mostly when
humanity encounter many challenges and difficulties
in lives. It is a fact that humanity can’t do everything
just by his own power but they are in need of God’s
help.
- The dignity that God has given to men are equally
reserved to everyone and because of that there will be
no discriminations and violations.
Prayer makes the heart alive
each moment of our earthly life.
The memory of the heart

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CLE Gr.8 Rev. Nino Perido, CRS
This is to indicate that we are
not of our own but we are
God’s. In a simple way we
could understand that we are
coming from God and to God
we shall return.
C.
Human as we are, we tend to
search many things in this
world just to satisfy our
needs and longing. This is
naturally understood
because of our being human
will never satisfy with what
we have. Rather always
craving for something out
side us.
D. This lesson will help us to
searching for something
more valuable than anything
else. We want to search for
something beyond our own
imagination. We will reach
out for God. God is the
object of our act of reaching-
out. It is through a media
called prayer where we can
reach God.
E. We can find God only in a
situation wherein our whole
being patterned with what
the Word of God is asking to
do and to avoid anything
contradict with what he
taught us. God is with us in
our journey of longing for
Him. No other way that can
help us than to turn to God
himself.
awakens in us thoughts of God at
specific times to pray willingly
with perseverance.
We offer prayers at specific times of
the day, on certain season, in the
Eucharistic celebration, and through
the Liturgy of the hours. Prayers are
expressions according to each
person’s experiences and state of
being. It comes from one’s heart.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), has explained some points
regarding prayer. There are three characteristics of prayer, prayer
as a gift from God, prayer as a covenant, and prayer as a
communion.
a. Prayer as God's gift
CCC no.2559 "Prayer is the raising of
one's mind and heart to God or the
requesting of good things from
God." But when we pray, do we speak
from the height of our pride and will, or
"out of the depths" of a humble and
contrite heart? 
He who humbles himself will be exalted; HUMILITY  is the
foundation of prayer, only when we humbly acknowledge that "we
do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive
freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."
CCC no.2560 "If you knew the gift of
God!"7 The wonder of prayer is
revealed beside the well where we
come seeking water: there, CHRIST
comes to meet every human being. It
is HE who first seeks us and asks us
for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking
arises from the depths of God's desire
for us. Whether we realize it or not,
prayer is the encounter of God's
thirst with ours. God thirsts that we
may thirst for him.
CCC no.2561 "You would have asked
him, and he would have given you
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CLE Gr.8 Rev. Nino Perido, CRS
Three expressions of
prayer:
A. VOCAL PRAYER:
“Our Father” was taught by
Jesus to His Apostles and
disciples vocally. Vocal prayer
is necessary for Christian life
specially to express to God in
words intentions from the
heart. In the Gospel, Jesus
raises His voice and heart to
the Father in His personal
prayer particularly in His
petition to God at
Gethsemane and on the
Cross.
B. MEDITATION
Meditation involves the
human faculties like the
emotions, thoughts, desires,
or imaginations, to deepen
one’s faith for a change of
heart, a change of
perspectives, and the firm
conviction to follow God’s
will. In meditation we are
LIVING WATER." 
Paradoxically our prayer of petition is a response to the plea of the
living God: "They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,
and hewn out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold
no water!" Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of
salvation and also a response of love to the thirst of the only Son of
God.
b. Prayer as covenant
CCC no.2562 Where does prayer
come from? Whether prayer is
expressed in words or gestures, it is
the whole man who prays. But in
naming the source of prayer,
Scripture speaks sometimes of the
soul or the spirit, but most often of
the heart (more than a thousand
times).
According to Scripture, it is the heart  that prays. If our heart is far
from God, the words of prayer are in vain.
CCC no.2563 The heart is the dwelling-
place where I am, where I live;
according to the Semitic or Biblical
expression, the heart is the place "to
which I withdraw."
THE HEART is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason
and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart
and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than
our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or
death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live
in relation: it is the place of covenant.
CCC no.2564 Christian prayer is a
covenant relationship between God
and man in Christ. It is the action of
God and of man, springing forth from
both the Holy Spirit and ourselves,
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CLE Gr.8 Rev. Nino Perido, CRS
being helped by Sacred
Scriptures especially
dwellings on the Gospels,
documents written by the
Church fathers, God’s
handwriting in creation,
among others.
C. CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
Contemplative prayer, means
the likened to a dialogue
with a close friend which is a
frequent, minute by minute
encounter, deep and alone
with God, a gaze of love
fixed on Jesus, the heart’s
beloved.
wholly directed to the FATHER, in union
with the human will of the Son of God
made man.
C. Prayer as communion
CCC no.2565 In the New Covenant,
prayer is the living relationship of the
children of God with their Father who is
good beyond measure, with his Son
Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit.
The grace of the Kingdom is "the union
of the entire holy and royal Trinity . . .
with the whole human spirit." 
Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the
thrice-holy God and in communion with him.
This communion of life is always
possible because, through BAPTISM,
we have already been united with
Christ. Prayer is Christian  insofar as it is
communion with Christ and extends
throughout the Church, which is his
Body. Its dimensions are those of
Christ's love.
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CLE Gr.8 Rev. Nino Perido, CRS

Name:
Date:
Section:
Subject: CLE 8
HOME ACTIVITY:
Jesus’ Teaching on
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:
Prayer
1. What is the title of the prayer Jesus teaching His Disciples?
11 One day Jesus was praying in a _____________________________________________________
certain place. When he finished, one 2. How do you pray at home?
___________________________________________________________
of his disciples said to him, ___________________________________________________________
“Lord, teach us to pray, just as John _________________________________________
taught his disciples.”
3. To whom do you usually pray?
2 
He said to them, “When you pray, ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
say:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________
“‘Father,[a] 4. Do you ask the Lord to teach you to prayer? How?
hallowed be your name, ___________________________________________________________
your kingdom come.[b] ___________________________________________________________
3 
Give us each day our daily bread. _________________________________________
4 
Forgive us our sins, 5. What do you experience during prayer?
___________________________________________________________
    for we also forgive everyone who ___________________________________________________________
sins against us.[c] ___________________________________________________________
And lead us not into temptation. ___________________________________________
6. Make your own simple vocal prayer!
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
_____________________________
7. Why do you need to pray? What is the reason?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________

(For questions or clarifications, send me message in this number

09214305862, or through messenger @ Nino Perido)

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CLE Gr.8 Rev. Nino Perido, CRS