Class will be meeting next Sunday, April 10.
Last time, we completed Chapter 10: Finding Your Vocation. Key points:
- Once you understand and experience the reality of God, everything changes.
- Each person is unique and unrepeatable, and God, who created us out of love, has a unique plan for each of us.
- Every person is called to the general vocation to love as God loves (FTFF) and to holiness (become the best version of yourself).
- But each person is also called to a particular vocation, a particular way to live that general vocation -- through either marriage or celibacy.
- Man will only find himself when he learns to give himself away in love.
- Sin is the rejection or destruction of something good, and we can't reject or destroy good things without rejecting goodness itself -- i.e. God. So sin damages our relationship with God.
- Some things make it harder to hear God's voice (see pp 146-7) including: noise, excessive busy-ness, fear, not caring, and sin.
- Tips for discerning God's will in a particular instance:
- Getting to know God through prayer is essential if we want to hear and recognize his voice, so we need to make room for silence and time for prayer.
- Ask yourself if the decision is in line with God's teaching.
- Get advice from a spiritual director, priest, or others who are strong in the faith.
- Go to reconciliation.
- Listen to your heart.
Your particular vocation will be one that uses your gifts and talents and harnesses your noblest desires. Quote to ponder:
“A discovery of the importance of silence is one of the secrets of practicing contemplation and meditation. One drawback of a society dominated by technology and the mass media is the fact that silence becomes increasingly difficult to achieve.” – Pope John Paul II
At home assignment:
Please read "Digging Deeper" on p. 150-154, and "Live it Out" on p. 155.
If you missed missed class or want to review:
Read TOB for Teens, Chapter 10, pages 143-150. Also see the assignment above.
Future class dates:
April
10 Class
17 Class
24 Class
Happy Easter!