1 Understanding the Bible: A Catholic Guide to the Word of God Too many Catholics aren't comfortable reading and

understanding the Bible. Let's look at the most essential principles taught by the Catholic Church for reading and interpreting Scripture. For a strong faith, it's important to know this! The Bible is uniquely important The Holy Bible is unmatched in importance for learning about God, his plans for us, and how he has worked through human history for our salvation. Pope John Paul II wrote: [Sacred Scripture] is truly divine, because it belongs to God truly and genuinely: God himself inspired it, God confirmed it, and God spoke it through the sacred writers Moses, the Prophets, the Evangelists, and the Apostlesand, above all, through his Son, our only Lord, in both the Old and the New Testament. It is true that the intensity and depth of the revelation varies [within the Bible], but there is not the least shadow of contradiction [between different parts of Scripture]. (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Patres Ecclesiae, January 2, 1980) Since God inspired & confirmed the Bible, we had better know how to read it correctly! Key principles for reading Scripture These three points are essential to a basic understanding of the bible: 1. God is indeed the principal author of Sacred Scripture. 2. God made use of specific people that wrote in a human language, and did so at a particular time and place in history. 3. At times we have to work carefully to determine exactly what a sacred author is asserting to be true, distinguishing that from something he's using as an image to help us understand the truth more clearly. We need to look at each of these points in detail...

2 God is the principal author of Scripture If there is only one thing you remember about understanding the Bible, let it be this point! To get it just right, I'll quote from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: God himself is the author of Sacred Scripture. (Compendium of the Catechism, #18) (The Compendium of the Catechism has a wonderful section on understanding the Bible within the part about Divine Revelation. You should read all of #6-24 to get a full understanding, but #18-24 are specifically about Scripture.) God chose to reveal to us certain truths for the sake of our salvation. This message of salvation is the set of revealed truths which we call the "deposit of faith," or Divine Revelation. The Bible is primarily concerned with telling us these truths, which are without error. God himself made sure of that. The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) said it well: "everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit" (Dei Verbum, #11). Got it? Good. That's the most essential point for reading & understanding the Bible. Now, remember that point as we look at some other details... God made use of people to write the Bible This is important: God did not "dictate" the Bible, word for word, to people who just wrote down his words. Instead, he did something... ...more amazing! He made use of specific people to write the various sacred books of the Bible. And although God gave each author special grace to aid him in this work, each author wrote in a way that was natural to him. This is also really important for a true Catholic understanding of the Bible. We have to understand this point completely, or we risk a serious misunderstanding! The Second Vatican Council put it this way:

3 In composing the sacred books, God chose men and while employed by Him they made use of their powers and abilities, so that with Him acting in them and through them, they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which He wanted. (Vatican II, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), 11) These writers used the language of their time, and they used words and wrote in a style that reflected their own personalities and educations. Some people get nervous when they start reading about this pointdon't be! This is important for a solid understanding of the Bible. Let's summarize it this way: 1. These men had to work with the imperfections of human language and understanding. 2. Despite this limitation, the Holy Spirit still used them to write the message of salvation in a way that was completely accurate. John Paul II made this point when he addressed the Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1979: The language of the Bible is to some degree linked to language which changed over the course of time.... But this only reaffirms the paradox of the [Christian] proclamation of revelation: ...people and events at particular points in history become the bearers of an absolute and transcendent message. (Pope John Paul II, Address, April 26, 1979) This is really quite astonishingGod was willing to work through people to tell us his saving truth. He revealed his divine truths via historical acts, using events and people of his choosing. And he did so using... Human language and knowledge God also used human language and knowledgewith all of its limitationsto tell us his eternal truths. He conveyed things to people through words and actions that made use of the ways of speaking and thinking that were common at the time. God worked this way so it would be possible for humans to write down or pass on these eternal truths.

4 The people who experienced these events and received God's divine messages either wrote them down later, or would pass them on in a reliable oral tradition that was later written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Of course, sometimes we have to work carefully to get past the imperfections of human language and knowledge in order to see what God wanted to tell us. This is an important step for understanding the Bible! Unlocking the original meaning We can easily put these principles to practical use when reading Scripture. First, learn to understand exactly what the inspired authors meant when they wrote their words. A good Catholic commentary will help explain any relevant language, concepts and cultural references. (I recommend the Navarre , which is outstanding in its explanations and its desire to help you see how the Church understands even the smallest details of the Bible.) That's an essential first stepif you don't understand what the sacred author was saying to people in his own cultural context, in terms as they were used at the time, you won't be able to clearly see what God is saying through him. But don't worry! It's really not hard to get this right for many passages. And once again, a good commentary will do the heavy lifting for you. And once you understand the sacred author's actual message... Embrace the Word of God The whole point of reading and understanding the Bible is to encounter God, understand the revelation he has given us, and grow in faith. So now that you've read a passage of Scripture and understand what the author is saying... ...take that next steplisten to God! Scripture is a living thing, meant for people in all times & places. God speaks through it now just as much as he did when it was written. To help our faith grow as we read Scripture, the Church gives us three important points for interpreting and understanding the Bible: 1. "Be especially attentive 'to the content and unity of the whole Scripture'" (Catechism, 112). It all fits together, so don't just look at parts in isolation.

5 2. Read the Bible within "the living Tradition of the whole Church" (Catechism, 113), since the Holy Spirit guides the Church in interpreting Scripture. Especially helpful is seeing how the Saints, Popes, and Church councils have commented on Scripture. 3. Pay attention to "the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation" (Catechism, 114). Like point #1, above, the entire deposit of faith forms a wonderful unitydoctrine sheds light on Scripture, and Scripture on doctrine. Let the Bible enkindle your faith Some people feel intimidated when they start to read Scripture. But not you! Now you have a solid foundation for understanding the Bible. The basic principles contained in this article will help you overcome many uncertainties people have with Scripture. So start reading! Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. (St Jerome) http://www.beginningcatholic.com/understanding-the-bible.html The Kingdom of God Taking the Center Of Christ's Teaching into the Heart of Your Faith Jesus taught constantly about "the kingdom of God". This concept was at the center of his teaching and life. It should also form a central place in your own Catholic faith. This article will give you a solid understanding of this concept. At the center of Christ's preaching St. Mark announces to us the beginning of the public life of our Lord in these words: "And after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying: 'The time is completed, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mk 1:14).

6 St. Matthew says somewhat more briefly: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say: 'Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Mt 4:17). St. Matthew sums up the whole of our Lord's teaching in the words: "preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Mt 4:23), and our Lord himself, according to St. Luke, describes this as the object of his mission: "To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for I am sent for this purpose" (Lk 4:43). The good news of the kingdom of God was the starting point and the center of our Lord's whole public life. He was sent to announce this kingdom, to induce men by means of his miracles to believe in his gospel, and to unite all the faithful in this new kingdom. The Gospels use the terms "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" to refer to this kingdom. A main concept in the Old Testament Christ's own references to the kingdom of God were not newthe concept was a central, constant part of God's revelation to Israel from the beginning. Although the specific term "kingdom of God" is rare in the Old Testament, the idea which underlies this term is found everywhere: Yahweh, our God, is eternal King and Lord for ever and ever. We find this especially in the Psalms and the prophets. (The free eBook Understanding the Kingdom of God provides a lot of detail about the Old Testament understanding of this concept.) At the time of Jesus, the Jewish people had a deep conviction about the kingdom of God. The Old Testament repeatedly emphasized that it was to be regarded and expected as a divine, everlasting, universal, and spiritual kingdom.

Divine in that it would be established by & ruled by God. Everlasting because both God's reign and this kingdom itself would have no end. Universal because although it starts with the chosen people of Israel, it must extend to include all the nations of the earth. Spiritual in that it is more than an earthly kingdom: it is in essence a heavenly kingdom even though it is begun on earth.

Ancient Israelites distort the kingdom But the ancient Jews, desiring earthly things, transformed these characteristics of the kingdom of God more and moreand above all abandoned the spiritual nature of the coming kingdom.

7 By the time of Jesus, the Jewish people had come to expect a Messiah who would usher in an earthly kingdom, rule over all people through the kingdom of Israel, and require all people to first become Israelites in all things and take upon themselves the whole burden of the Jewish law. And of course, in the observance of this law they emphasized more and more following the letter of the law and the external, ceremonial directions of the time. The Israelites had lost the special significance of the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God. Many passages of the Gospel also give clear evidence that a similar distorted concept of the kingdom of God was widespread in the time of our Lord (see Mt 18:1; 20:20; Jn 6:15; etc.). And that kind of distortion is specifically why Jesus spent so much time teaching about the true nature of the kingdom of God.... Christ's teaching about the kingdom of God Our Lord addressed his teachings on the kingdom of God to these Israelites, to those with false earthly ideas of the kingdom. Jesus came before his people as the Messiah predicted by the prophets. He preached and announced the kingdom as it was known by the true meaning of the prophets. Thus in the first place this kingdom is the realization of God's sovereignty over man. For this purpose, the fulfillment of the will of God is above all things necessary: "Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Mt 7:21). Second, this kingdom isn't simply God's reign over individual people. It was to be established in a true and real kingdom, a gathering together of a religious community which would have as its head the only begotten Son of God, and which shall be governed according to the constitution which he has given and in accordance with his laws. This is the kingdom of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. The seed & initial gathering of this kingdom is the Church, founded by Christ to preach the gospel of Christ and bring Christ's own means of salvation to the world through the sacraments. Third, the kingdom of God is a true and actual kingdom of heavenits foundation is in heaven, from which its King and Founder has descended from the bosom of the Father, and it will have its final consummation again in heaven where Jesus Christ will reign for ever with the saints in glory.

8 Finally, this triumphant final time of the kingdom will be preceded by the preparatory stage of the time of conflict in the kingdom of God on earth. This community of the new covenant is founded on earth for man, will embrace all nations, and will last to the end of time. The time of conflict shall be followed by the eternal enjoyment of the reward in the kingdom of glory. The kingdom of God is one, although it has both these earthly and heavenly parts. Both parts of the kingdom coexist, each is related to the other, and each affects the other. While our Lord always refers to this one single kingdom of God, at times he teaches more about the time of preparation on earth, and at other times he refers to the final consummation in heaven. The parables teach about the kingdom Jesus wished to use parables to illustrate his doctrine about the kingdom of God. In many parables we find an introduction such as, "the kingdom of heaven is like...", or similar words. But even where there is no such introduction, the parables all still have at least some reference to the kingdom of God. In these parables we can see three principal points of view: 1. The development of the kingdom, its nature, and its working; 2. The members of the kingdom of heaven and their obligations; 3. Christ the Head of the kingdom of God and his position among the members. Jesus addresses these lessons first of all to his disciples, but also (at least partly) to the Jewish people as a whole to teach them the true character of the kingdom of the Messiah. (Our free eBook Understanding the Kingdom of God provides more detail about these categories, and also lists the parables that correspond to each category.) The Kingdom = salvation Admittedly, the term "kingdom of God" is somewhat complex: it spans the Old and New Testaments, and it refers to several things at once. But at its core, the kingdom is fundamentally about salvation. Pope John Paul II neatly summarizes the concept of the kingdom of God: In a word, the kingdom of God is the manifestation and the realization of God's plan of salvation in all its fullness. (Redemptoris Missio, #15) http://www.beginningcatholic.com/kingdom-of-god.html

How to Read the Bible Why write an article on how to read the Bible? Because too many people get lost when they start to read it! They begin with good intentions, but then they read something that doesn't make sense. Or they just don't see any deeper meaning in it. So they stop. Don't let that happen to you! You can successfully read Scripture! This article will give you some basic "tools" for reading the Bible. There are a few simple things to know and do when you read. They will make Scripture accessible, interesting, and best of all incredibly fruitful. Your spiritual life will grow when you read Scripture. Nothing else you can study even comes close to the power of the Bible. You do not need any academic background or anything beyond basic reading and thinking skills. So let's dig in! What are you reading for? The first thing to know is that people read the Bible for different reasons. When you start to read Scripture, it's best to pick one primary reason. This will help you focus your reading, and will keep you from getting bogged down. Some common reasons are:

Prayer Getting to know Christ better Learning our Catholic Christian faith Understanding how to live as a Christian Learning about history (the Bible contains a rich and accurate history of ancient Israel, and of Jesus and his Apostles) Understanding the ancient Jews, who are the roots of Christianity

All of these and more! are important.

10 But for the beginning Catholic, I'd recommend sticking to the first several reasons listed. Especially prayer and getting to know Christ. Those two are of fundamental importance! Four basic steps Of course, understanding something is not a mechanical process. Even the simplest parts of the Bible are profoundly rich. There is no magic system that will let us follow a few steps and understand it perfectly. Learning, reason, and intuition will always play a significant role. Still, there are a few easy guidelines we can follow. They make Scripture more approachable, and help us to read it in a satisfying way that yields solid knowledge. Here are the basic steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. Understand the scene Imagine the scene, in all its detail Consider a specific aspect of the scene Draw conclusions about that specific aspect of the scene

Repeat these steps (considering a different aspect each time) until you don't get anything more out of the scene, or you're out of time. Now let's see how to use this method, step by step. Step 1: Understand the scene Focus on one scene, or brief passage, at a time. It's tempting to plow through as quickly as possible, but don't! Read it slowly. God is trying to tell you something in every passage, if not in every line. Give him a chance. Listen to each word. The first thing to do is just to make sure you basically "get" what is going on in the scene. Make sure you know who is speaking, who is present in the scene, and the context of the passage. A good Catholic Bible commentary is invaluable here. I use the Navarre Bible . Its commentary is simply outstanding. (I love the Navarre Bible. It has helped me learn to read the Bible in meaningful way. Too many other commentaries I've seen focus on academic, historical criticism and frankly, that's just not helpful to me. The Navarre Bible is a refreshing change from that. It's been my trusted guide in discovering the wisdom and richness of Scripture.)

11 Now, you don't always have to understand every little detail of the scene. You can usually tell when something is important, and when it's not. Just make sure that the basics are clear, and then move on. Step 2: Imagine the scene in detail Once you understand the scene, take a few minutes and really bring it to life. Use your imagination and walk around in it. Talk to people. See things from several viewpoints. Remember that it's critical to keep your imagined scene within the bounds of a faithful reading of the scene. We all have a tendency to "read into" the Bible, trying to make it say something we would like it to say! Keep it real. Imagination is a powerful thing. It's also a important part of mental prayer, or Christian meditation. By using our imagination in this way, we can experience the attitudes and dispositions of people who seek Jesus in the Gospel scenes. This is a great help in making these dispositions our own. Imagining a scene also lets us understand the ways in which our Lord interacts with people. That's important if we, too, are going to interact with him on a daily basis. Step 3: Consider a specific aspect of the scene The reason a lot of people get stuck when they try to read the Bible is... ...they don't know where to begin! This method helps because it gives you some structure:

You focus on one specific thing at a time You draw specific conclusions It trains you to look for common types of meaning You quickly gain experience and understanding

Limit yourself to looking for one specific aspect of a scene at a time. This is one of the most important skills for reading Scripture! So... exactly what are these "aspects"? There are quite a number of them. I don't know if we could even list them all! But here are the main ones that I use: 1. Actions 2. Words

12 3. Emotions 4. Attitudes or dispositions 5. Motivation (what motivates people to behave this way?) 6. Doctrine (does this scene help us to understand some part of the faith?) 7. How to live (what lessons can this tell us about living as Christians?) 8. What is God like? (Characteristics) 9. How does God act in the world? 10. Environment (what are the surroundings & context? How does this influence the other aspects?) For most of these, it's important to consider both what is done, and what is not done. For example, the fact that Jesus does not get angry with someone is an important point to note about his attitude in many scenes. Of course, we consider each aspect for a purpose... Step 4: Draw conclusions When you look at a Bible passage with one specific aspect in mind, you should draw specific conclusions. The conclusions will be related to that aspect of meaning. Make the conclusions:

Specific Brief Grounded in Scripture

Your goal here is to have a specific idea that you can use to reason about the faith. This is called a proposition in logic a fact or point that you can use in your reasoning process. You want to move beyond thinking, "Gee, this is a nice passage," and into thinking exactly how you can learn from the passage. You want to learn... ...how it can change your life! Here are examples of good, specific conclusions:

Jesus offers mercy to everyone, without exception. Christ tells us to avoid sin at all cost. Humility is an essential disposition for coming to Christ.

Conclusions like these give you a solid foundation for your faith. You simply must have that foundation to advance in the spiritual life.

13 And now you have all that's needed to form specific conclusions like those from Scripture! Repeat! After considering one aspect of a passage, you just repeat the same process again for another aspect. Keep going until you've gotten everything you can from that passage, or until you're out of time. This method of reading Scripture really works! Like anything new, it may feel awkward the first couple of times. But very quickly, it'll become second nature. Then you'll be able to unlock the enormous treasure stored in the Bible. So give it a good try! To help you get started, I've put together some extensive examples of using this method. They're in the article Learn About Jesus in Scripture. And of course, Fr. Basset's book Following Christ Through The Gospels is a detailed, step-by-step guide to praying through more than 200 Gospel passages. So what are you waiting for? Start reading! http://www.beginningcatholic.com/how-to-read-the-bible.html Reading Scripture to Learn About Jesus People study the Bible for many reasons. Reading Scripture to learn about Jesus should be a primary goal for Catholic Christians. This article will:

Teach you some basic principles for knowing the Lord better by reading Scripture. Walk through some important Scripture passages with you to meet Jesus and understand him more personally.

Why develop a "portrait" of Christ?

14 We should start by saying just why this is so important. As Christians, we want to follow Christ closely. To follow him closely, to become more like Christ, we must know about him. We have to know what he did, understand his personality, and know how he spoke. To be accurate, our portrait must be deeply based in Scripture. But how do we read the Bible in a way that lets us learn about Jesus and form this portrait? Reading the Bible My article about how to read the Bible describes a step-by-step method you can use to master the skills needed for reading Scripture. We'll use that method here. The basic steps are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Understand the scene Imagine the scene, in all its detail Consider a specific aspect of the scene Draw conclusions (briefly put in words some specific aspect of Christ's personality) 5. Repeat 3 & 4 until you're done, or you're out of time. One of the keys to this method is the idea of looking at one specific aspect of a passage at a time. This article focuses on the aspects of:

Action Words Attitudes

These categories will help us develop a detailed portrait of Christ. So let's begin! Eating with sinners Our first passage is a scene from Matthew's Gospel: And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

15 But when he [Jesus] heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mt 9:10-13) 1. Understand the scene The first step is to understand the scene. The scene itself is pretty straightforward. This scene immediately follows the calling of St. Matthew, where Jesus tells Matthew to "follow me" and become an Apostle. Jesus is eating at St. Matthew's house with the other disciples, and "many tax collectors and sinners". Apparently some Pharisees are with them, too. The Pharisees challenge Jesus for willingly keeping company with "tax collectors and sinners", two despised groups. Essentially, the Pharisees are accusing Jesus of opposing Judaism, and therefore the will of God. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they are misinterpreting the will of God. He says that saving sinners is of primary importance. By saying that he "came not to call the righteous, but sinners", Jesus: 1. Says that he is the Messiah: Jesus equates God's words to Israel in the book of Hosea ("I desire mercy, not sacrifice", Hos 6:6) with his own words ("For I came..."), and identifies his personal mission with the promised saving mission of the Messiah. 2. Reminds the Pharisees that Israel's history is one of continually going astray (sinning), followed by God's saving action to restore her to righteousness (living in accord with the will & law of God). 3. Accuses the Pharisees of being self-righteous, since they see themselves as righteous when in fact all are sinners before God. Jesus claims the words of God as his own: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6). The Pharisees would have seen this as a clear and bold claim to be acting with the authority of God, and even to be God himself. (Indeed, the Pharisees constantly charge Jesus with saying exactly that. That's the main charge for which they crucify him.) 2. Imagine the scene in detail Imagining this scene will let us see important details about Jesus that we'd otherwise miss.

16 Remember that it's critical to keep our imagined scene within the bounds of a faithful reading of the scene. We all have a tendency to make the Gospel say something we would like it to say! Keep it real. So just close your eyes for a minute or two and imagine the scene. Here are some small examples. We see Jesus sitting with his disciples. Many of Matthew's friends come in, and many of them are outcasts (tax collectors & sinners). They are drawn by the news that Matthew is leaving; they stay and sit down at the table. Jesus must have a magnetic, warm personality: they feel welcomed by him. These people are despised publicly wherever they go, but not by Jesus. We can see him giving them a friendly look, welcoming them to join him at the table. He does not condemn them, scold them, or give them a lecture. He just invites. Jesus must be very confident when he's welcoming these people: he knows that not everyone approves, but he still goes out of his way to welcome everyone who comes to him seeking genuine contact. Imagine how these outcasts feel about this. Look at their faces; watch how they warm to Jesus, sit with him, and just casually talk. Feel the excitement in the air, and uncertainty: who is this Jesus? Why is our friend, Matthew, leaving us to follow him? And those stories we've heard about Jesus incredible works could they be true? Also imagine the hush that must come over the room when the Pharisees stop by & look in. Feel their reproachful looks, see how important they look and also how selfimportant they must feel! They look down at everyone in the room. They look down at Jesus, whom they think is just a trouble-maker. It's important to imagine things from the Pharisees' point of view, too. After all, they think they're doing the right thing upholding God's law, admonishing people to live the right way, etc. And Jesus is totally different from what they expected the Messiah to be like. Put yourself in their shoes, too, and feel that tension. (Is he the Messiah? But he can't be! Just look at him! On the other hand, the things we've seen him do.... No, he can't be!) And also see things through Jesus eyes. Feel the depth of your love for everyone, and the unquenchable desire to save them all. Know how real the offer of mercy is; extend that offer to everyone you meet. 3. Draw conclusions from specific aspects of the scene First we'll look at Christ's words in this scene. Here are some things we can learn about Jesus based on what he says:

17

Divine authority: by saying "I came to call sinners" and quoting Hosea to justify his actions and mission, Jesus claims to act with the authority of God. Salvation: By clearly telling us he came to call sinners, Jesus reveals his role as Savior. Compassion: he knows we are "sick" and in need of healing. This healing, like that offered by a physician, is the focus of his saving work. Mercy: Jesus offers us mercy, and wants us to be merciful ourselves. Truth: Jesus clearly and plainly names the truth about things, whether it's about "sinners" or the Pharisees. Proper understanding: Christ stresses the need for us to understand Scripture and his own life properly. (The Pharisees challenge Jesus because they misunderstand both Scripture and the ways of God. Jesus offers them a correct understanding.)

These are important and fundamental points! Now let's consider another aspect, the actions of Christ and others in this scene. Here's what else we can learn about Jesus:

He welcomes sinners into his company. (Be careful to avoid the false conclusion that Jesus is "soft" on sin. That's not consistent with the rest of the Gospels. Jesus combines mercy with a clear call to repentance.) Jesus must have an attractive, magnetic personality: "many... came and sat down" with him. He defends the dignity of everyone, even the outcasts. (The Pharisees just want to shun them; Christ sees them as being in need of salvation and deserving of mercy.) He does not react to the Pharisees' criticism by becoming angry, demonstrating his power, or proving his divinity. He simply tells them the truth and respects their freedom to accept or reject him. He uses ordinary activities (a meal, gatherings with friends) as a means of connecting with us. He also works through us to bring others to him, through our ordinary friendships. (The sinners & tax collectors are in this scene because they're Matthew's friends.)

Finally, we'll note a few points about Jesus from the aspect of hisattitude. Christ:

Is aware of his mission (to call & save sinners). Speaks with clear authority. Knows that his mission was foretold in the Old Testament (again, he quotes Hosea to justify his actions & describe his mission). Deeply desires to save us and heal our wounds.

That's quite a lot of solid, detailed information! We've made a very good start in our development of a portrait of Jesus.

18 You should review each of those conclusions. We're doing this to build up a detailed understanding of Jesus. Make each of those conclusions a part of your own picture of Christ. Each point will help you know him better and follow him more closely. "If I only touch his garment..." Let's add to our portrait of Christ. Here's another passage from Matthew: And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment; for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well." Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. (Mt 9:20-22) 1. Understand the scene This is the story of a miracle: a woman touches Christ's garment and is healed. Jesus makes a point of encouraging her ("take heart, daughter"). He also says that her faith is what makes her well. Two other Gospels also contain this story; those other accounts add more detail (see Mk 5:24-34 and Lk 8:42-48). They tell us that a great crowd surrounded Jesus at the time. They also add that Jesus noticed that "power had gone forth from him" (Mk 5:30) when the woman touched him. One important thing to note is that this woman was ritually "unclean" according to Jewish law. Women were considered impure during their monthly periods. This woman's condition made her impure all of the time. Everyone who touched her would also become unclean (see Leviticus 15:19-31). This is probably the reason why she acts so discretely: she knows that she cannot ask Jesus to touch her, as that would make him unclean, too. This scene is like many others that show someone who is unclean, sick, or in sin: their state represents our own. Christ wants each of us to recognize that we, too, are in need of his mercy. Only then can we approach him and be healed.

19 2. Imagine the scene in detail Spend a few minutes using your imagination to bring the scene to life. Explore it from the point of view of the woman, Jesus, and someone in the crowd. By using our imagination in this way, we can experience the attitudes and dispositions of people who seek Jesus in the Gospel scenes. This is a great help in making these dispositions our own. It also lets us understand the ways in which our Lord interacts with people. We need to know that if we, too, are going to interact with him on a daily basis. 3. Draw conclusions from specific aspects of the scene This scene confirms much of what we learned in the last scene: Jesus welcomes outcasts (this woman is unclean), desires to heal us, is aware of his divinity (he acknowledges that strong faith leads people to seek contact with him), and knows that part of his mission is to cure the sick (this was prophesied in Isaiah). Considering Christ's words in this scene shows us two additional things about him:

He wants us to know that faith is what saves us, as it healed the woman in this scene. Faith leads us to believe in Christ and to seek him of our own free will. Jesus wants us to "take heart", to have hope: we can be cured of our own sicknesses (a symbol of sin), if only we have faith.

The simple action in this scene tells us:

Jesus wants us to actively seek contact with him. It is not enough to think he's a nice guy, or even to believe that Jesus is God: we must get close to him and touch him. Christ himself makes the woman clean thus he surpasses the ritual law of the Old Covenant. (Note that Jesus does not react in anger when she, an unclean woman, touches him. Jesus knows that he is greater than the ritual law; he fulfills the law (see Mt 5:17).) Again we see that Jesus works through very ordinary actions and in everyday circumstances.

Finally, it is essential to understand some details of attitude here. These dispositions are at the foundation of this woman's faith. Christ requires these dispositions of us, too, if we are to get close to him:

Humility: the woman give us an excellent example of humility. She understands that she is sick, and knows that Christ is the only one who can heal her. She knows she is unworthy to have him touch her (she is unclean), so she approaches him discretely.

20

Desire for healing: Once humility leads us to see our own sickness, hope must drive us to desire healing. Complete confidence in Christ's power to heal & transform: this woman knows Christ can heal her "if I only touch his garment...." Her physical cure is merely a sign of the supernatural transformation Christ wants to cause in each of us.

Vine & branches We'll consider one more Scripture passage in detail for this article. This time, it's a passage from the Gospel of John: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." (Jn 15:1-8) 1. Understand the scene This beautiful passage relates Jesus words to the remaining eleven Apostles at the end of the Last Supper, after Judas has left to betray Jesus. These verses come near the beginning of a long discourse in which Jesus tells the Apostles he is about to be killed. Although Jesus is speaking to the Apostles, we should read this passage as if he's speaking to us, too. (We should read all of Scripture this way: it is God's word, always current and fresh, meant for us.) This passage, rich and full of meaning, is pretty easy to understand. Essentially, Jesus tells us that union with him is essential for life. Without that union, we will die. 2. Imagine the scene in detail This scene just shows Jesus talking there is no other action in it.

21 Still, it's important to use your imagination with this scene, too. Make the scene vivid: hang on every word from the lips of Christ, hear what he emphasizes, and listen to his tone of voice. Sit with the Apostles and keep your eyes on the Master. He's telling you something essential here, right before he's betrayed; try understanding his words deeply. Also see the scene through the eyes of Jesus. Your Apostles are growing anxious and uncertain; see how your words affect them and bring them peace in the midst of uncertainty. 3. Draw conclusions from specific aspects of the scene Although the action here is simple (Jesus speaks to his Apostles), we can still learn important things from it:

Words are important to the Christ, the Word of God. The Gospels, and all of Scripture, are a treasury of divine truths that God deeply desires us to know about for our salvation. These are the words of eternal life (see Jn 6:68). Read them, understand them, pray them and live them! Jesus uses familiar and common things to teach us. Here, he uses a simple metaphor of a vine & branches to teach us profound truths about our relationship to him, and to the Father.

Christ's words in this passage tell us very specific things about him:

Jesus and the Father are distinct Persons. (John's Gospel provides some of clearest evidence of the Trinity found in Scripture.) Christ's mission is to provide life to us. The vine is a beautiful image of Christ's complete, self-giving love: he devotes his life to giving us life. Jesus gives us life through our close union with him. He wants our union to be so close that we become a part of Christ himself, as a branch is part of the whole vine. Jesus gives us this life so we can "bear fruit" ourselves. He knows the purpose of his life is to glorify the Father. This will be the "fruit" we bear, too. It becomes the ultimate purpose of our lives. Jesus wants us to know that refusing to "abide" in him means choosing death.

This is much-needed background about Christ's identity, his mission, our relationship to him, and our own mission. These are fundamental points to understand about Jesus! A strong start in our portrait of Christ

22 We've considered only three Scripture passages in this article, and yet we've already built a very strong and accurate portrait of Christ. This portrait gives us a solid basis for many things:

Prayer Contemplating the life of Christ in Scripture Reading the rest of Scripture Spreading the faith with others Helping others to grow in their own understanding of Christ

Our goal in this article was to learn how to read Scripture in a way that lets us learn about Jesus. There isn't anything magic about these three passages; you can use this simple method to learn a great deal from just about any passage in the Gospels. Here are five other passages that are good "next steps" as you are reading the Bible to learn about Jesus:

Mark 1:14-15 (The proclamation of the Kingdom) Matthew 13:1-24 (Parable of the sower) Mark 1:32-39 (Healing & casting out demons) Mark 2:1-13 (Curing the paralytic) Luke 5:1-11 ("Let down your nets for a catch...")

You can read through them at your own pace, practicing what you've learned in this article. And now that you've started... Keep going! You're making great strides in your desire to make Scripture a strong part of your Christian faith! A whole new life awaits you. "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (Jn 10:10) http://www.beginningcatholic.com/learn-about-jesus.html

23 How to Pray: A Catholic Guide to the Interior Life It's no secret: you can learn how to pray! Yes, you! Even if you've got a houseful of screaming kids, or too much schoolwork, or a job that consumes way too much of your time. In fact, that just means that you need prayer more! Because prayer gives true freedom, "the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Rom 8:21). And that's exactly what you need right about now, isn't it? Yeah, I know... ...it's what we all need! This brief guide to Catholic prayer is the fruit of my own struggle to develop a good prayer life. I found it difficult to just find solid guidance in learning how to pray. But good information helped immensely, in developing both an interior life and my faith as a whole. This article covers the best things I've learned from true experts, the keys that unlocked the riches of prayer. So let's get started, shall we? Overcoming common myths Too many people think they have good reasons why they cannot have a better prayer life. Don't believe them! I've used these excuses myself too many times in my life. And they still creep back in when I'm not looking! Some common myths are:

"I don't need to pray in any 'formal' sense. God knows I love him." "I just can't find the time to pray." "My faith isn't deep enough to get anything out of prayer." "I've tried learning how to pray, but I just don't 'get it'. It's too hard."

Please know that the truth about prayer is Good News! Truth: A prayer life is essential to the Christian life.

24 Prayer is "a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God." (Catechism, 2558) Prayer the lifeblood of your faith. Without prayer, your faith will die. (Catechism, 2744) Truth: Prayer is compatible with everyday life. You do need a small amount of quiet time each day to learn how to pray. But it's not difficult just 5 or 10 minutes to start is fine. And you'll also make prayer a part of the fabric of everyday life. You can find God in all the normal tasks of daily life. Seek him there! "It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop, . . . while buying or selling, . . . or even while cooking." St. John Chrysostom Truth: Even the smallest faith will blossom through prayer. Here's a secret: as with faith itself, God does all of prayer's hard work! We get the easy part. And our part is learning how to pray, and then praying every day. St. Paul tells us, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words." (Rom 8:26) And the Catechism says: "The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God's works, is the master of prayer." (#741) With a Master like that, how can you go wrong? Truth: Learning how to pray is simple. The basics of prayer are simple. Throughout the ages, all kinds of people have learned how to pray. Why not you, too? For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. St. Therese of Lemieux If you recognize your own thinking in any of those myths about prayer, examine the problem directly. You owe it to yourself to come to terms with it!

25 I've found Amy Welborn's book Prove It! Prayer to be a great help in addressing these questions. It's a great help for learning how to pray and developing a solid, mature prayer life. Don't be put off by the fact that the book is marketed for teens & young adults: the writing is breezy and casual, but the material is outstanding. It's very approachable. Easily one of the best guides to beginning a prayer life that I've seen. The foundation: conversion If you're serious about developing a prayer life, you have to make a fundamental commitment to convert to Christ. That means you have:

Love for God Desire to do his will Openness to change in your life

Prayer relies on this foundation. So what if you're not quite there yet? Welcome to the club! None of us is fully "there yet." Conversion is an ongoing challenge. It doesn't end when you're baptized or confirmed. You'll have to return to it frequently & renew your commitment. But you do need a basic commitment to love & follow the Lord. Faith comes from God, not from our own work. But we have to consciously receive and nurture his gift of faith. A good step is learning how to pray. It's always good to return to the basics of conversion. Review them, make sure that you understand them. I find it's helpful to pretend I'm just starting out again, and take it step by step. The article about the RCIA inquiry stage talks a lot about building a strong foundation of love for Christ. Everything in the spiritual life rests on this foundation. First step: pray for help Turn to God as you learn how to pray. With even the smallest initial faith, you'll find it easy to turn to God and ask him for help. A wonderful prayer here is to use the words of the sick child's father in the Gospel of Mark:

26 "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mk 9:24) Now you say it! Go ahead; I'll wait. And really mean it let it come from your heart. Wasn't that easy? Hey! You're praying!

You're aware of a desire for God. You wanted what he wants for you. You reached out to ask him to help you get there.

Those are basically the three points we listed in the previous section! In fact, this short prayer is an outstanding model of some basic attitudes we need for effective prayer. Which leads us to... Basic attitudes This is important: Prayer depends on this attitude of neediness before God, expressed beautifully in the prayer from Scripture, above. This attitude is one of humility and basic faith. It looks with confidence to God as the only source that can fulfill our needs and desires. We call this having good dispositions. The keys to learning how to pray:

Good dispositions, especially humility and faith Perseverance

Without good dispositions, we won't really be praying. Without perseverance, we won't keep praying. Compare the attitudes of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Jesus parable from Luke's Gospel (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee is one of those who "trusted in themselves... and despised others." He lacks good dispositions; you could even say he lacks basic conversion.

27 The Pharisee really talks to himself rather than God. He loves himself, but not God or neighbor. His prayer is not true prayer hence, Jesus says he is not "justified." The Pharisee's prayer is the opposite of a prayer of humility and faith. In contrast, the tax collector's prayer is rooted in the humility of knowing he's done wrong, and in faith he looks to God's mercy: "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Our dispositions in prayer are what will make us grow or stagnate in the interior life. In addition, perseverance is necessary for learning how to pray. It shows our commitment to loving God even if we don't feel any particular benefit. Especially when learning how to pray, most people face "temptations which cast doubt on the usefulness or even the possibility of prayer" (Catechism, 2753). The remedy is perseverance and trust in God. Develop these two basic attitudes. Make them your own. Keep them before you constantly as you begin to pray.

Using a prayer book as a guide will give you great benefit here. The best ones will help you develop good dispositions while guiding your prayer. The In Conversation With God series are outstanding in this respect. It often focuses on our basic attitudes and virtues, as this is the source of many difficulties in prayer and in faith.

Return to these basic attitudes frequently as you learn how to pray. Work to strengthen them. Build a strong foundation and prayer will become much easier. Two simple habits The next step in learning how to pray is to develop two simple habits of prayer. 1. Sprinkle a few quick prayers into key parts of your day 2. Develop your awareness of the presence of God This will work some quick prayers into the fabric of your normal day. You'll also have a basic structure of prayer to build on. Most of all, it makes prayer a natural part of daily life. That's very important as you learn how to pray: if it's something foreign to your normal day, you'll be tempted to drop it as soon as you're pressed for time. This is very easy.

28 The article daily Catholic prayer gives you a lot of suggestions for how to add a few quick prayers into your day. It only takes a few seconds here or a minute there, and suddenly your whole day is framed by prayer. Another article helps make living in the presence of God a habit. This is also an essential part of the spiritual life. The need to start simply You may be tempted to skip those habits mentioned above. Do not skip them! A very common mistake in learning how to pray is to take on too much and then grow discouraged. I've seen people try to start with hour-long prayer sessions, prayer journals, and long prayer workshops only to give up in frustration. The best approach is to do the opposite: Start very simply. Only take on a little. Build slowly. In fact, these habit gets you started so easily that you'll only notice the joy of suddenly having prayer in your day! And you won't have to struggle to find the time. You'll form a wonderful habit of prayer that runs throughout your day. Everything else will be framed by your deep love for God, and your desire for union with him. Now you'll find it easy to spend a few minutes in silence with the Lord... Talking with God: mental prayer Daily mental prayer is necessary for the Christian. Your good habits of brief prayer throughout the day will make this not only easy, but an absolute pleasure! Mental prayer, or Christian meditation, will be the focus of your growth in how to pray. A school of prayer: the Rosary There's actually an easy way to learn how to pray: the Rosary! Non-Catholics often just do not understand the Rosary. (Believe me, I've been there myself!) Yes, the Holy Rosary is indeed a loving devotion to Mary. But it's really much more than that: the Rosary is a beautiful school of prayer. It's a great way to learn how to pray.

29 The whole point of the Rosary is to lead you through some of the central Mysteries of Christ's life. As you go through each Mystery, you spend some time meditating on it. New life awaits you! Prayer is your lifeline to a new life in Christ. Use it! Learn how to pray. Give yourself the gift of knowing how to talk with God. Prayer "is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man." (Catechism, 2564) Did you catch that? You and God both act together in prayer! The Lord awaits. "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev 22:20) The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let him who hears say, "Come." And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev 22:17) http://www.beginningcatholic.com/how-to-pray.html Christian Meditation: A Beginner's Guide to Catholic Mental Prayer Christian meditation "engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire" in prayer. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2708) It is also known as mental prayer. This article is a detailed, "how to" guide to Christian meditation. You can develop a strong prayer life! Christian meditation is essential Every Christian needs to practice mental prayer. Every day.

30 Your faith cannot live without prayer, the "vital and personal relationship with the living and true God." (Catechism, 2744 & 2558) Recall the basic truths about prayer from this site's how to pray article:

Prayer is essential to the Christian life It is compatible with everyday life Prayer will nurture with even the smallest faith It's easy to learn the basics of prayer

Your good habits of daily Catholic prayer and the presence of God will help you make a strong start in Christian meditation. Those habits make it easy for you to start mental prayer. In fact, they'll make it an absolute pleasure! With your habit of daily Catholic prayer, you're already doing the most basic action of mental prayer: speaking with God. Now you need to learn to listen to him, too. Christian meditation is the way to do that. Not your everyday "meditation" Don't let the word "meditation" fool you. Mental prayer is very different from Eastern meditation practices.

Non-Christian meditation practices aim at emptying the mind. Christian meditation engages the mind in prayer.

Catholic meditation seeks use the faculties of the mind to know the Lord, understand his love for us, and to move into deep union with him. Use of the mind "is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ." (Catechism, 2708) Put simply, our goal is to answer the basic human question: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (Catechism, 2706) Christian meditation must immerse us in the Trinity: we surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit, the master of prayer, so that he can unite us to Christ and perfect our prayer to the Father. "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" (Gal 4:6)

31 What you'll need You only need a few simple things to start a lifetime of rich Christian meditation:

A small amount of time A quiet place A Bible

Start by taking just 5 or 10 minutes, alone and in quiet. Early in the day is best, but if that's not possible for you, find another time. Give yourself a set time, and stick to it. Consistency is very important: don't cut prayer short if you're "dry" one day, and likewise don't prolong it if you're feeling wonderful. You also need to find some written or visual material to use as the basis of your Christian meditation. The Gospels are the best choice. Pick one and read a part each day, or just use the daily Mass readings. You can read the daily Gospel passage in your Bible, subscribe to a monthly booklet like Magnificat, or read them online.

The daily readings are good because they're brief. You're reading for depth here, not length.

You can use many things as the source material for Christian meditation: Scripture, especially the Gospels, spiritual writings, liturgical texts, and even the "fingerprints of God" visible in the natural world itself. Pick your reading beforehand, so you don't waste your prayer time finding a suitable passage in the Bible. Bible passages to get you started I know it's a little intimidating to have to find a good place in the Bible to start. Here's a small set of Scripture passages to get you started. I'm deliberately not including the text itself here, so you'll get comfortable working with your Bible. You'll thank me later. (You're quite welcome; don't mention it!) These passages vary in length quite a bit. The first one, in particular, is very long. Pick just a few verses at a time from the longer readings. Remember, you'll be reading for depth in Christian meditation, so shorter is better. 1. Matthew chapters 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount this is one of the most essential parts of the Gospels to get to know.) 2. Matthew 13:1-24 (The parable of the sower) 3. Matthew 13:44-50 (Parables: hidden treasure, pearl of great price) 4. Matthew 18:1-6 (Becoming like children)

32 5. Matthew 18:21-35 (The unforgiving servant) 6. Matthew 19:16-30 (The rich young man) 7. Mark 1:14-15 (The proclamation of the Kingdom) 8. Mark 1:40-45 (The healing of the leper) 9. Mark 5:24-34 (The healing of the woman with the hemorrhage) 10. Luke 1:46-55 (The Magnificat) 11. Luke 15:1-10 (Parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin) 12. Luke 15:11-32 (The prodigal son) 13. Luke 17:5-10 (Faith; attitude of service) 14. John 1:1-18 15. John 2:1-11 (Wedding at Cana) 16. John 3:14-21 17. John 8:23-32 ("The truth will make you free") 18. John 15:1-11 (The vine & branches) 19. John 15:12-17 ("Love one another") Naturally, the Bible is full of outstanding material for Christian meditation! These suggestions are just some good places to start. Prayer time: preparation Again, two things are very important in Christian meditation:

Consistency in time of prayer Consistency in duration

This consistency is so critical because of what's called the "battle of prayer". As you grow in prayer, you'll overcome many things: tiredness, distractions, boredom, the feeling that you're not getting anything out of Christian meditation, etc. All of these things conspire to tempt you into stopping your prayer life. The stakes here are very high indeed. Your spiritual life depends upon persisting in prayer! That's why it's called a battle. Realize that this battle starts before you even sit down to pray it starts with simply making and keeping the appointed time for Christian meditation. Choose to fight this first battle the strongest. Keep to your chosen time! It's easy to do, and you'll find it makes it easier to fight the other battles, also. Once you're ready to start, sit down and quiet your mind. Place yourself in the presence of God and ask for his help with a quick prayer. You can use your own words, or a written prayer. I use this one:

33 Preparatory Prayer My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with profound reverence, I ask your pardon for my sins, and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful. My immaculate Mother, Saint Joseph my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me. (From Handbook of Prayers, James Socias, ed.) The basic structure of prayer time Your Christian meditation session should generally follow this basic outline: 1. Read your source material for the day (the Gospel passage, or whatever you're using). Read it two or three times, slowly, and let it sink in. 2. If a part of the reading grabs your attention, stay with it. 3. Meditate on the reading, or on the part that catches your attention. The next sections are a detailed guide to doing this! o This is the heart of your prayer time. You'll spend most of the time on this point. 4. If your thoughts drift, regain focus with the words of the passage. 5. Form some specific resolutions based on your meditation. Know how you are going to apply these thoughts to your life, today. 6. End with a quick prayer of thanks. Christian meditation itself The meditation itself is the heart of your prayer time. Let the passage provide material for a conversation with God: ask him questions, tell him things. Above all, listen to him, both in the words of Scripture and in how those words guide your thoughts. If you need help with this part of Christian meditation, try something like:

Pretend that God wrote these words just to you, right now, to tell you something important. What is it? How will it affect your life? Imagine the scene in the reading. Picture yourself there, hearing the words, seeing the action. Follow the Lord, watch him, listen. What is he teaching you? What does the passage tell you about God? What is he like? What does he value? What does the passage say about you? Does the reading's message, or a part of it, describe you, for good or bad? What specific things should you change in your life to be closer to the Gospel message you're reading?

The goal of Christian meditation is closer union with Christ.

34 You don't want to reduce mental prayer to a simple reflection on the passage you're reading. You should get to know Christ better, and love him more. You should learn of his boundless love for you, so you can grow closer to him. You should see how he acts and loves and gives his very life for you, so you can become more like him. You should see how he seeks and does the will of the Father, so you can, too. Get it? The goal of Christian meditation is not just to think good thoughts about the passage. What counts is how we apply those thoughts to our lives. God communicates with us through our thoughts. We must take those thoughts, form resolutions, and act on them. "What? God talks to us through our thoughts?" Yes, indeed! In prayer, God most often affects our thoughts to communicate with us. Often it's a gentle, normal movement of thought. Occasionally it may be a sudden and strong realization. You also sense God's voice through your conscience, imagination, and even your heart and feelings. Christian meditation can use all of these. Of course, other things besides God affect your thoughts & emotions! Not all of them are good. Make sure that the message you're hearing in Christian meditation is consistent with the truths found in Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and general "good living."

Don't be afraid to put the ball back in God's court if you're not sure: "Lord, I'm not sure if this is from you or not. If it is, please tell me more clearly at some other time. Until then, I won't act on it." Check out any relevant Church teachings. The Holy Spirit guides and forms the Church he never asks us to act contrary to its genuine teachings! (Catechism 1783-5, 2039) Ask a priest for help if you're still doubtful about something, or if you think God is asking you to make unusual changes in your life. Most priests will be delighted to help you advance in prayer.

When your thoughts drift during prayer, regain focus with the words of the passage. And don't forget: Form some specific resolutions based on your Christian meditation. Know how you are going to apply these thoughts to your life, today.

35 "What should I think about?" Your thoughts during prayer will be as unique as you are. Still, most people find that their thoughts in Christian meditation centers on some of the big themes found in Scripture:

Love God more Seek to do the Father's will, not your own Increase your faith Follow Christ more closely Turn from sin Rely on God's mercy and love

It's not surprising that these are such common themes in prayer: God has repeated them over & over in his Revelation to us for thousands of years! (Why haven't we gotten the message yet?) The key to prayer in Christian meditation is to move beyond seeing only the general themes, and to see how they affect you and call you to change your life. In other words... ...form specific resolutions! I'll tell you plainly: forming and keeping specific resolutions is one of the more challenging parts of Christian meditation, and prayer in general. It's a challenge because it calls us to change our lives. And most of us resist doing that. I've found that using a prayer book can be a tremendous help in this area. I use a series of prayer books called In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez. I use it every day, and it's outstanding. There are three reflections for each day (which is why they need several volumes for a whole year). Each reflection help me focus on a main theme in the daily Scripture readings. (My mind tends to wander off easily otherwise during Christian meditation.) But beyond that, I think the most valuable thing about this series of books is that they deliberately guide you in making those resolutions, and in understanding the specifics of how to grow in faith and virtue. Each reflection also contains a little lesson on how to live something taken from the Scripture reading. Something like:

What humility is and how to grow in it How to get to know the Holy Spirit in your daily life

36

What specific good disposition is shown by a Scripture reading, and how to apply it to your life today

When I first started using the In Conversation with God books a few years ago, I was surprised at how much I had been missing in my daily prayer I was badly lacking in specific resolutions. Those books have been an outstanding fuel for growth in my prayer life, and in my faith in general. Highly recommended! I've found it to be essential in learning how to pray. Ending your time of prayer When it's time to end your Christian meditation, recall your specific resolutions. (You didn't forget to make them, did you?) Then end with a quick prayer of thanks. Something like: Closing prayer I thank you, my God, for the good resolutions, affections and inspirations that you have communicated to me in this meditation. I ask your help to put them into effect. My immaculate Mother, Saint Joseph my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me. (From Handbook of Prayers, James Socias, ed.) Now, move on to the rest of your day! Act on your resolutions as soon as possible. Recall them throughout the day. Keep asking God to help you remember them and put them into practice. Repeat the next day! Christian meditation is not hard. You can do this! People can get intimidated by thinking they have to have profound, deep thoughts about the passages they're meditating on. You don't have to. God wants you to become a great saint for him in your ordinary life! So it's natural that many of your thoughts and resolutions in Christian meditation will also be... ...about your ordinary life.

37 Just start! Start now. Begin that prayer life you've always wished for. It can be yours. It begins with the simple habits and steps for Christian meditation that you've just read in this article. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Commit to doing what's needed for your faith. (Which reminds me of another great Gospel passage for prayer: Luke 12:16-21.) At the end of the day, it is our union with Christ that saves us. Our work is just to respond to his invitation to union. See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1) Amen! http://www.beginningcatholic.com/christian-meditation.html