a. Our prayer must be faithful.

 Decide to spend time with the Lord every day.

 Adopt a prayer format to begin.
- Use ACTS: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
- Use daily prayer guides (e.g. In His Steps)
 Decide on the practical details.
- When? Decide on a specific time of the day, which you can protect.
- Where? Mt 6.6. Find a place where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
- How long? Begin with 5 to 10 minutes, and gradually increase.

b. Our prayer must be led by the Holy Spirit.

.
 Scheduled and structured prayer is helpful, but could make our prayer dry and
mechanical.
 Be open to changing the format of your prayer as the Spirit leads.

c) Our prayer must be centered on a relationship with Jesus.

 Prayer is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Our goal is not “to pray” or even
“to pray well”, but to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
 People can get wrapped up in techniques. While these can help, prayer is really
very simple. It is a matter of loving God and being loved by him.
 Concentrate not on the prayer but on the Lord. In prayer we talk with God and God
talks to us.
a. Reading and reflecting on the Bible.

 This is the most important means to know more about God and his plan for us since
the Bible is the very word of God. It teaches us who God is, what he has done, and
what he wants us to do.
 We should read the Bible daily. Start with about 10 to 15 minutes and gradually
increase. Pursue a more deliberate study of selected portions of the Bible,
particularly the Gospels. Make it a goal to read the whole Bible.

b. Reading Church’s publications and other spiritual books.

 After reading what God has said of himself in the Bible, we can read what men
have said or written about God.
 This includes studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and reading
encyclicals (e.g. Lumen Fidei), apostolic exhortations (e.g. Evangelii Gaudium),
spiritual books, magazines, articles, etc. In particular, the Catechism will enable us
to know better our Catholic faith.
a. Attending teachings and listening to preaching.

 CFC HOLD has a teaching and formation program, including enrichment retreats.
 The word of God is spoken during Sunday Mass homilies, parish conferences, etc.
 Begin the habit of taking notes.

b. In the Catholic tradition, the intercession of Mary and the saints is a powerful tool of
prayer. “The prayers of the Virgin Mary, in her Fiat and Magnificat, are characterized
by the generous offering of her whole being in faith.” (CCC 2622) A devotion to
Mary and the saints is part and parcel of a Catholic tradition. Reading books on the
lives of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints is also a good way to understand how
the Holy Spirit acts in our lives.
a. As we put the Lord first in our lives, he calls us to reach out also to others.

b. Service helps us grow because it touches the most basic attitudes we have of ourselves
and our independence. To serve others is to be humble.
d. We serve by making ourselves and our resources – our
time, talent, and treasure – available for God’s work.

• Doing good work. James 2:14-17.

• Supporting through prayer and financial contribution
authentic Christian ministries that further the spread of the
gospel.
• Looking for opportunities to give our time and energy to
serve in a Christian group, such as CFC HOLD, on a regular
basis.
a. We do not become Christians by ourselves. We must be
joined to others in order to experience the fullness of
Christian life. Fellowship is not an optional extra. We need the
support of others. We need their wisdom and strength. We need
to do things together.

b. We can experience Christian fellowship in a number of

ways: worship in liturgies, prayer meetings, conferences;
coming together for teaching and formation; serving together
(like the service team in this CLP); and social gatherings.

c. We can experience this Christian fellowship in Couples for

Christ. Next week we will explain what CFC HOLD is, its
vision and mission, and what it does.
1. The fifth and most important tool for Catholics to grow in
the Holy Spirit is the regular reception of the sacraments,
particularly the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament
of Holy Communion.

2. There are 7 sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance

(or Reconciliation), Eucharist (or Holy Communion),
Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. The seven
sacraments were instituted by Christ and given to the Church
to administer. They are necessary for our salvation.

3. The purpose of the sacraments is to make people holy, to

build up the body of Christ, and to give worship to God. The
sacraments impart sanctifying grace.
4. For couples, they must have received the sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony.

5. Although the sacraments of Confession and Communion

are required to be received by Catholics only once a year, we
should exert every effort to avail of these sacraments as often as
possible.