Jesus My Lord

Jesus, my
Lord
Group reflections on our call
to love and serve our Lord
2
Jesus, My Lord
978-0-9927584-1-7
Nihil Obstat: Father Terry Tastard, Censor

Imprimatur: H.E Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster
Date: Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, 24 September 2014
The Nihil obstat and Imprimatur are a declaration that a book or pamphlet
is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that
those who have granted the Nihil obstat and Imprimatur agree with the
contents, opinions or statements expressed.
Writing Team: Dr Mark Nash and Mrs Margaret Wickware
We are grateful to the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A
for use of the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition copyright
1993 &1989 and to the Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd for use of
the Good News Bible copyright 1994. Excerpts from The Divine Office 1974,
hierarchies of Australia, England and Wales, Ireland. All rights reserved.
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For all others the copyright has either been obtained or sought.
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exploring booklets are published by WRCDT.

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Front cover: The Crucified Christ (c.1437-1446) by Fra Angelico (c.1395-1455)
Jesus, My Lord
Contents
About this book with 3

Foreword by Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Westminster)
1. Life in the Spirit 6

Baptism as the foundational sacrament for discipleship
2. Restless Hearts 14
Nurturing a desire to explore our faith in Christ Jesus
3. The Three Foods 22

Coming to know Jesus more deeply in Scripture and the Eucharist
4. Seeking Christ 30
Laying down our nets; making a life changing decision
5. Called and Gifted 38

Being the hands and voice of Christ in the world
6. Feeding the Hungry 46

Helping others to know Gods healing, mercy and love
Daily Prayers 54
Prayers from Sunday to Saturday
Further Reading 63
Other books and documents you may find useful
Jesus, My Lord 1
Why small groups?
In St Lukes account of the Early Church we hear that three thousand were
baptised following Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Guided by the Holy Spirit, the newly
baptised devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42). In a similar fashion thousands of
people have found spiritual nourishment in faith-sharing, in reflecting on Scripture
and prayer as part of a small group.
This resource feeds such small groups drawing on the Scriptures with each session
clearly rooted in a passage from the Bible. As the Second Vatican Council Fathers
emphasised in the sacred books the Father comes lovingly to meet his children and
talks with them (Dei Verbum, 21).
Fellowship is a vital part of small group participation. In these small groups you
are able to get to know your fellow Christians better and to form strong, mutually
supportive bonds. The living community is essentially Christian as Jesus did not
come to save individuals without any bond between them (Lumen Gentium, 9).
Members of small groups are encouraged to share and gain confidence in talking
about their faith. It is this confidence building in a trusting environment that helps
participants to love in all the circumstances of ordinary life (Gaudium et Spes, 38).
Our prayers together help us to become the dwelling places of the Holy Spirit that
we are called to be (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 2).
How do small groups work?

The sessions in this booklet are designed to last between 1 and 1 hours. Those
leading the session are, of course, free to add periods of silence, hymns and other
readings of interest - these sessions are a guide but can be used as they are written.
It is vital that each person is given the opportunity to give their thoughts and
share where they are on their faith journey. Small group sharing is not a place for
argument or heated debate.
The atmosphere should be prayerful with the aim of helping each to feel welcome
and conscious of Gods loving presence. Soft music, candlelight, a religious image
or crucifix to focus attention can all be used to help in this aim.
2 Jesus, My Lord
Foreword
To be a Christian is to be a missionary disciple. Pope Francis frequently and
powerfully teaches this truth. We all became missionary disciples at our baptism.
However, each one of us lives out our missionary discipleship in our own particular
way. As missionary disciples we needs to ask ourselves in a truly personal manner:
Who am I as a disciple? As a missionary, what have I to do and say?
This resource, Jesus, My Lord, helps us to explore these questions. It seeks to
deepen our understanding of discipleship so to impel us to use our gifts to
proclaim Gods Kingdom. We are reminded that a disciple is a believer, a student,
a follower. So too that we must remain focused on the one in whom we believe,
learn from and follow. Only by doing this can we discover what we must do and
say in order to enable others to meet Jesus, to extend to them the joy that fills
the hearts and lives of who encounter Jesus (Evangelii Gaudium, 1).
St Peter made a conscious decision to drop everything and to follow Jesus as his
Lord with all that entailed (see Matthew 4:18-19). After the Resurrection he
proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Christ (see Acts 2). Jesus asks us to do the same.
St Paul announced joyfully the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus as
Lord - no matter the cost (e.g. see Philipians 3:8). We are ambassadors of Christ,
he says, entrusted with the message of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:19-
20). To be effective emissaries of the Lords mercy, we must become ever more
intimate with him.
I invite you to join me in regularly reflecting upon how well we live our vocation
as missionary disciples. How profound and loving is our knowledge of the Lord?
Do we readily permit him to send us out to be his living presence in our world?
To be a missionary disciple is a daily and life-long vocation. It embraces many
moments of exultant joy. It is also marked with moments of darkness, doubt and
real failure. Yet even in failure we can return to our true focus: the Lord. Let us
open our hearts to him anew, become afresh his faithful disciples so to be his
ever more his faithful missionaries.
With an assurance of my prayers and best wishes,
Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Archbishop of Westminster
Jesus, My Lord 3
About this book
The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those
who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and
loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to
encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization
marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Churchs journey in years
to come (Pope Francis - The Joy of the Gospel, 1).
Jesus, My Lord is the Diocese of Westminsters faith-sharing resource on what

discipleship means for us today. The principal documents used in this booklet
are: Pope Francis Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), St John Paul IIs
Redemptoris Missio (The Mission of the Redeemer) and inspiration is drawn from
Pope Benedict XVIs Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith).
Jesus, My Lord is divided into six group sessions which explore and aim to
strengthen our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the nature that our
response to Gods gift of Christ may take.
In addition to the Scripture and reflections now familiar to users of exploring faith
booklets, you will find text boxes explaining various terms. The Scripture passages
have been chosen to reflect the theme of their respective sessions and you will
benefit from reading the passage in context (that is, reading the passages before
and after the one featured in the booklet) either as a group or individually.
New to this booklet is a section specifically written with children in mind. That
said, it may also prove useful in exploring the theme with people for whom
English is not a first language - more on this on page 5.
The booklet is illustrated with a selection of pictures and looking upon these
images may stir a thought or feeling in a way that the text could not. We also
invite you to make use of simplified daily prayers drawn from the Divine Office.
Jesus, My Lord is not tied to a particular time of year and the prayers and
meditations may be used by individuals, groups or in a wider parish context
throughout the year. This booklet and others in the exploring faith series can be
viewed at and downloaded from the Diocese of Westminsters website [http://
rcdow.org.uk/faith/small-groups/resources/].
4 Jesus, My Lord
CHILDRENS PAGES
Jesus, My Lord, the latest booklet in the exploring faith series, features pages
specifically written for children. Reflecting the theme of the adult pages, the
childrens section will a short reflection, the Scripture passage (from the Good
News translation of the Bible), a question on the Scripture and some form of
activity based on the theme.
The childrens section also features Theodore (a name which means gift from God)
a young boy who is keen to understand how to respond to Gods love for him.
Theo, which he likes to be called for short, will ask himself various questions and
will prompt us to ask the same questions ourselves. The pages on which you see
his face will include activities and passages from the Bible which aim to help us
explore the themes we find in the full sessions.
pes
o fo r s hort) ho e
re (The ods lov
Theodo understand G how our
to help
us might s
a n d h ow we
for us d.
e for Go
own lov
Jesus, My Lord 5
Image: Christ Washing the Feet of the Apostles by Meister des Hausbuches (1475)
6 Session One Jesus, My Lord

life in the spirit
session one
Opening prayer
Taken from Psalm 136(135) - to be said all together or the group can divide in half and alternate.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his love endures for ever;
B: who alone has wrought marvellous works,
whose wisdom it was made the skies,
who fixed the earth firmly on the seas,
A: It was he who made the great lights,
the sun to rule in the day,
the moon and the stars in the night,
B: He remembered us in our distress,
He gives food to all living things,
To the God of heaven give thanks,
All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in
the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord Session One 7

As we come together let us, either aloud or in the silence of our hearts, give
thanks and praise to the Lord for all the things we have accomplished, the joys
experienced, graces received and people met over the past week. Let us also
remember all those in need of our prayers.
Introduction to the Scripture reading

Let us listen carefully to the Word of the Lord,
and attend to it with the ear of our hearts.
Let us welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.
St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-c.547) adapted
Explore the Scriptures Acts 1:1-8
Note: The Book of Acts recounts the establishment of the early Christian Church. Scholars
generally agree that St Luke penned the Book of Acts as a continuation of his Gospel
writings. In its first verses, we are reminded of the Great Commission, the gift of the Holy
Spirit and the sending forth of the disciples.
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the
beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering
he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them
over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While
staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for
the promise of the Father. This, he said, is what you have heard from me; for John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
from now.
So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, is this the time when
you will restore the kingdom to Israel? He replied, It is not for you to know the
times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Please take a few moments in silence to reflect on the passage, then share a word
or phrase that has struck you. Pause to think about what others have said then,
after a second reading of the passage, you may wish to share a further thought.

Reflection
Many among us may recall our teenage years and memories of courting: some
fond while others best kept long forgotten. Today, however, the popular press
suggests that dating is generally out of fashion as young people socialize in
packs, that is hanging out with friends. Spur of the moment, Facebook and text
messaging have replaced the long awaited phone call (perhaps hesitantly made)
to arrange a date a time of getting to know one particular person, to discover
common interests and shared values. Time taken to develop mutual trust, a bond of
love, to fall in love.
This lack of time invested in developing relationships might seem to contradict

Christian living at its very root. God slowly and patiently engendered the Israelites
with a yearning for the coming of our saviour, but we do not have to wait. We are
invited, indeed privileged to be able to develop a dynamic relationship with the
risen Christ, to get to know him, to fall in love with him, to become his disciple.
In the opening verses of the book of Acts of the Apostles that we have just read,
we hear Jesus announce the supreme gift about to be bestowed upon Christs first
disciples. At baptism, the foundational sacrament for discipleship, we too receive
this supreme gift: the Holy Spirit infused into the inmost depths of our beings.
Only through the workings of the Holy Spirit are we united with Christ: Through
the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christs passion by dying to sin, and
his Resurrection by being born to a new life (CCC, 1988). Only with the grace of
the Holy Spirit can we respond to Gods gratuitous gift: the virtue of faith.
I would like to invite everyone to renew Pope Benedict XVI Final

firm trust in the Lord. I would like that we General Audience (Feb 2013)
all, entrust ourselves as children to the
arms of God, and rest assured that those
arms support us and [help] us to walk every
day, even in times of struggle. I would like
everyone to feel loved by the God who gave
His Son for us and showed us His boundless
love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being
Christian.

For many of us, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were received at baptism as infants and
strengthening by the sacrament of confirmation in our early teens. In those early
years, our parents were given the task of helping us to grow in intimacy with the
Lord, to entrust ourselves to him. However, the writings of St. John Paul II remind
us that this is an ongoing lifelong endeavour which demands a continual turning
again and again to life according to the Spirit (see Romans 8:3-13), to walk with
the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Conversion means accepting, by a personal decision,
the saving sovereignty of Christ and becoming his disciple. (Redemptoris Missio -
Mission of the Redeemer, 46)
Have you previously considered yourself a disciple?

What does the idea that discipleship is an ongoing lifetime endeavour
mean to you personally?
How can we deepen our trust in our loving God?
How can we help others to do the same?
Closing Prayers
You may wish to end this session with the Lords Prayer or silent reflection.
Gracious and holy Father, please give me:
intellect to understand you; reason to discern you;
diligence to seek you; wisdom to find you;
a spirit to know you; a heart to meditate upon you;
ears to hear you; eyes to see you;
a tongue to proclaim you;
a way of life pleasing to you;
patience to wait for you;
and perseverance to look for you.
Grant me: a perfect end, your holy presence.
A blessed resurrection, And life everlasting.
Amen.
a prayer of St Benedict of Nursia (480-547)
This session looks at baptism as the foundational sacrament for discipleship

Signpost
(see page 62). At that time, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to
stir our minds and hearts, to enable us to develop a profound and deep
friendship with Christ. The next session explores the way we look at the
world around us and how we seek the will of God.

my faith journey in christ
Use this space to write down your answer to the following questions (you may
wish to share with others what you have written):
Where have you tried to set aside your own thoughts and tried to make decisions
with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:15)? Do you ever ask yourself: What
would Jesus do in this instance?
I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the Lord has done for us - yes, the many good things he has done...
according to his compassion and his many kindnesses (Isaiah 62:7, NIV).

1. gods gift to us
Hi, my name is Theo (though my parents call me Theodore). My name means
Gods gift but in this passage from the Bible we hear about a gift from God
that comes to all who are baptized. The Holy Spirit! This gift, promised by God
and sent from God the Father and God the Son, transforms each one of us.
From the Bible

When they came together, Jesus gave them this order: Do not leave
Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised.
John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the
Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you
will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to
the ends of the earth.
From the Acts of the Apostles,

chapter 1 verses 1 to 8.
Who does God send to fill us with

power at baptism?
Have a look at the Bible passage

above!
12 Jesus, My Lord
Jesus, himself, is a gift from
God. In ourselves we dont
have the strength to do
everything we want to do.
We often have to rely on
other people to help us - our
parents, our teachers, our
friends.
Jesus promised the gift of

the Holy Spirit once he left
his disciples for heaven. One
name given to the Holy Spirit
is - the ADVOCATE - which
basically means helper.
In order to really and truly follow

Jesus way we need to be open
to the Holy Spirit. If we accept his
help and his power we can achieve
great things.
Can you find these words in the A d v o j u g i p t

search box to the right? b c r e h t a f o t
Advocate Spirit e a b z l m t q f i
Baptized Water n w a t e r p i x n
Father Gift i f p c f d g h z g
f w t a d z e l i f
Let us Pray z y i l n q x n l e
Dear God, please send me your
c x z u s p i r i t
Holy Spirit to help me to follow
Jesus more closely each day. t r e s m t q p r n
Amen. n a d v o c a t e l
Jesus, My Lord 13
Image: Christ and Saints by Giovanni del Biondo (1367)
14 Session two Jesus, My Lord

Restless hearts
session two
Opening Prayers
A: O Lord, you search me and you know me,

you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
B: Before ever a word is on my tongue
you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me,
your hand ever laid upon me.
Too wonderful for me this knowledge,
too high, beyond my reach.
A: To me, how mysterious your thoughts,
the sum of them not to be numbered!
If I count them, they are more than the sand;
to finish, I must be eternal, like you.
B: O search me, God, and know my heart.
O test me and know my thoughts.
See that I follow not the wrong path
and lead me in the path of life eternal.
Jesus, My Lord Session two 15

Introduction to Reading of Scripture
Explore the Scriptures Luke 10:17-22, 25-28

Note: St Luke frequently stresses Jesus concern for minority groups, the oppressed and the
poor. Here we find this concern highlighted in the twofold command to love God and love
neighbour as oneself. Here we also see three more prominent Lucan themes - prayer, the Spirit
and joy. Prior to this passage, Jesus warns that following him can be costly. The next passage
is the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, in your name even the demons submit
to us! He said to them, I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.
See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this,
that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and
the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your
gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one
knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and
anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he said, what must I do to
inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the law? What do you read
there? He answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your
neighbour as yourself. And he said to him, You have given the right answer; do
this, and you will live.
or phrase that has struck you. Pause to think about what others have said then
after a second reading of the passage you may wish to share a further thought.
Reflection
Over the years cinema has opened windows onto new worlds and provided deep
insight into our own. It has been used to shock and upset but also to amuse and
inspire. In recent years animated films have gained a currency among people of
every age, speaking to us about human concerns and resourcefulness.

The combination of childish images and profound messages is a potent one.
Walt Disney, the American animator (d.1966), often spoke of cinemas power and
of his own creative impulse. In the end credits of a recent Disney film, Meet the
Robinsons, he is quoted as having said: Around here we dont look backwards for
very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things,
because were curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
Both St Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine were unconvinced about an intellectual
curiosity that was simply for its own sake. They insisted that we risk an attitude
of arrogance and pride without a clear and direct focus on God. St Bonaventure,
a contemporary of St Thomas Aquinas wrote and preached about the journey of
the mind into God. Such a journey required not pride-filled curiosity but a desire
to inquire, to think and to comprehend what God wants from us. This is not the
preserve of the intellectual or the hermit though they can achieve the same
goal but each one of us, with a certain amount self-discipline, self-emptying
and above all with Gods grace, can hear the voice of the Lord (see Luke 10:21).
Curiosity takes us to new places but we must be ever ready to see, accept and
hold fast what is holy and helpful instead of passing it over for some novelty or
another. We are truly blessed to have the gift of Scripture and the treasure-store
of Revelation with which to aid and inform our search (CCC, 84). When we do
find what the depths of our soul is longing for, our restless heart finds rest (St
Augustine, Confessions, Book 1).
In understanding the love of God and the choice of Jesus to open wide the path
to this same love, through his passion, death and resurrection, we find joy.
The People of God is a disciple People because Pope Francis General

it receives the faith and a missionary People Audience (Jan 2014)
because it transmits the faith. And this is what
Baptism works in us: it gives us Grace and hands
on the faith to us. All of us in the Church are
disciples, and this we are forever, our whole life
long; and we are all missionaries, each in the place
the Lord has assigned to him or her. Everyone: the
littlest one is also a missionary; and the one who
seems to be the greatest is a disciple. We must all
be missionaries and disciples.

Such joy is a gift of the Spirit, indeed as Pope Benedict XVI once said: the Spirit is
joy, the gift in which all the other gifts are included and it belongs to the nature
of joy to be radiant; it must communicate itself (Christmas, 2008).
Having heard the message, we believe. Having come to belief we can call on
him who saves (Romans 10:14). Acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Saviour
is transformative. It is not the end of curiosity in the world around us but a
touchstone as we are tantalised by the mystery of God. It is an invitation to
a deep and long-lasting friendship that spills over into our interactions with
others and into other parts of our life (see Luke 10:27). Acknowledging Jesus as
Lord and Saviour is the means by which we tackle the inevitable challenges and
disappointments of life and the source of joy and authentic love.
Do we display spiritual curiosity seeking to deepen our faith in and

understanding of God?
Are you able to confidently assert that Jesus is the Lord of your life? If so,
what changes, if any, are needed for you to show it?
How might we help others to see our discovery of faith in the way we act?
Ultimately, what is the motivation for what we do? Where have we set
our sights?
Closing Prayers
You may wish to end this session with some different prayers or silent reflection.
O most sweet Lord Jesus,
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels.
May my inmost soul ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life;
may it ever seek Thee, find Thee, speak of Thee,
and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name.
May my mind and my heart be ever fixed on Thee evermore.
Amen.
adapted from a prayer of St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
In this session we explored the idea of curiosity which can be simply for
Signpost
its own sake or, if directed to the wonder and will of God, can be life-
changing. Naturally, it is vital that we discern Gods will for our lives and
vital too to remember we are not alone in this task. Next session we will
look at the ways we are helped in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist.

What blessings have you received this past week? In other words, what has Christ
done for you?
We boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God... we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because Gods love has
been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:2-5 RSV).

2. what we really want
Hi, Theo here again. Every year I look forward to my birthday. My family
help me to celebrate with a cake and a present. I get cards and greetings
from my friends. It is a really special day. The priest in my parish church
also gets very excited when it is his birthday though he always says to us
that there is something more important than the presents or good wishes
we get. He says that when we follow Jesus we realise what life is really
about!
From the Bible

A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. Teacher, he asked,
what must I do to receive eternal life?
Jesus answered him, What do the Scriptures say?
The man answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and Love your
neighbour as you love yourself.
You are right, Jesus replied; do this and you will live.
From the Good News according to

St Luke, chapter 10 verses 25 to 28.
The Lawyer came up with the

right answer, can you?
What did Jesus agree we must

do in order to get to heaven?
Have a look at the Bible

passage above!
20 Jesus, My Lord
Jesus tells us that we should love l j t i z x u j e s
others as much as we love ourselves!
o e r e l t p r u e
This can be really, really difficult.
t s c r i p t u r e
Sometimes people act in a way that
hurts us, sometimes we can hurt e u k a w b a r c t
people too by the things we say and p s l o v t q r e x
what we do. But loving God and others t d w a l e f i l z
is what Jesus says we must do to get
h k u s w a k a z l
to heaven.
l o v e e y w z q e
When the lawyer asked the question, v w a t k h e a r t
Jesus got the him to give the answer
e s o k h e a r l y
himself. In the same way, Jesus asks
us to work out how to act with others Can you find these words in the
and how to behave but he is always search box above?
ready to help us. In the examples we Life Jesus
read in the Bible and in prayer, Jesus
Love Lawyer
helps us to see the way to the Father.
Scripture Heart
Whenever we make mistakes, Jesus
reminds us that God loves to forgive
those who ask for forgiveness and try
hard to be good.
Let us Pray
Dear God, please help me to
treat those people I meet this
week as well as I would like
them to treat me. Please also
help me to remember you in
everything I do. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 21
Image: The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt (1853-54)
22 Session three Jesus, My Lord

the three foods
session three
Opening prayer
A: O God, you are my God, for you I long;

for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
B: For your love is better than life,

my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
A: On my bed I remember you.

On you I muse through the night
for your have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
Jesus, My Lord Session three 23

Explore the Scriptures Ephesians 1:3-14

Note: St Paul founded the church at Ephesus on his third missionary tour (Acts 18:23-20:1).
The clear theme of this letter is unity. Christ is the unifying force and head of the body, in
him all that divides is swept away. Here St Paul emphasises the point when he writes that this
unity in Christ is the will of the Father. Later in the letter there are practical examples of the
unity Paul describes.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in
love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely
bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he
lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery
of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for
the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things
on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined
according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his
counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might
live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with
the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards
redemption as Gods own people, to the praise of his glory.
Reflection
The picture on page 22, The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, shows
Jesus at an overgrown doorway patiently waiting to be let in. It clearly shows
that we dont have to travel to the ends of the earth to find him but that he is
knocking, not forcing his way in, just a step away. Once that door is open; once
Jesus is in, as our invited guest, we would offer him our time and show our

interest in him and everything about him (see John 14:6). We might even react
like the lovers in the Song of Solomon: when I found the one my heart loves, I
held him and would not let him go (3:4).
Our openness to the knock of God is not reliant simply on our own desire or
our own strength. Nor is our ability to grow in holiness the fruit of our human
capabilities alone. As St Albert the Great says: grace builds on nature the Lord
himself aids the effort we make in getting to know him. The Son desires that we
come to the Father through him (John 14:6), the Spirit intercedes for us according
to the will of God (see Romans 8:27). Once we are open to this relationship the
floodgates of Gods mercy, love and grace are ever more widely opened to us. In
order that we are nourished in this lifetimes work we can look to the three foods
mentioned by Jesus in Scripture.
Scripture itself nourishes us: Satan came and said to Jesus, If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from
the mouth of God (Matthew 4:3-4). In our reading of the Word of God, in our
personal reading and in our attentive listening to preaching we gain insight into
the life and message of Christ; a message we have a stake in spreading.
The Eucharist nourishes us: Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise
him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink
(John 6:53-55). Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith (CCC, 1324; Lumen
Instituting a novena to the Holy Spirit, Pope Pope Leo XIII - Divinum
Leo wrote we ought to pray to and invoke the Illud Munus, 11 (1897)
Holy Spirit, for each one of us greatly needs His
protection and His help:
The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak

in strength, borne down with trouble, prone
to sin, so ought he the more to fly to Him who
is the never-ceasing fount of light, strength,
consolation, and holiness.

Gentium, 11) is the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father raised
from the dead. It is the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ (Ignatius of Antioch)
which gives us life and gives life to those we help find their way to the table of
the Lord.
We are nourished through seeking and doing the will of the Father: The disciples
said to one another, Has anyone brought him something to eat? Jesus said to
them, My food is to do the will of my Father who sent me and to accomplish his
work (John 4:33-34). The will of the Father, the wish for each one of us, is that
we freely look to the Son and believe in him, so that we might have life eternal
(see John 6:40). Once we realise this and believe, we become disciples.
In my prayer do I seek the will of the Father? How might I try to discern the
right way to live especially where I might be tempted to do things the easy
way or the way things used to be?
How often do I give thanks for the gift of the Body and Blood of Christ?
How does the study of and reflection on Scripture feed the rest of my life?
Where do I find time to meditate on and study the Word of God?
Closing Prayers
You may wish to end this session with different prayers or silent reflection.
We stand before you, Holy Spirit,
conscious of our sinfulness,
but aware that we gather in your name.
Come to us, remain with us, and enlighten our hearts.
Give us light and strength to know your will,
to make it our own,
and to live it in our lives.
Amen.
Extract from the prayer used by Pope John XXIII at the opening of the
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
People travel the length and breadth of the world to find happiness. This
Signpost
session reminded us that Jesus is waiting at the door to heart of each

person, waiting for the door to be opened. Once this happens and we let
Christ in, the task of discipleship is ongoing. Next week we look at this
ongoing relationship in terms of courtship and love.

Where have I taken time to get to know Christ? What time have I spent with him?
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will
seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,
declares the Lord (Jeremiah 29:12-14, NIV).

3. God gives us food
My friends are always hungry. When they have packed lunch for school
they always eat their sandwiches at breaktime and dont have much food
left for lunch! God knows what is good for us and freely gives us what we
need - our daily bread. Sometimes we forget to ask for it though.
From the Bible

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our
union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in
the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already
chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy
and without fault before him.
Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he
would make us his children - this was his pleasure and purpose. Let us
praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear
Son!
From St Pauls letter to the Ephesians,
What did God decide to do for

us because of his great love?

passage above!
28 Jesus, My Lord
St Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus (you say this like Eh-fis-us) talks
about Gods love for all of us. This is something that got St Paul really excited.
He was so happy when he realised that God had sent Jesus to be our friend.
He realised that Jesus is with us to help us be happy and holy.
We can meet Jesus in a number of ways. Jesus talks of three foods in the Bible:
he says we get stronger in faith when we read the Bible, when we receive his
Body and Blood in the Eucharist (I made my First Holy Communion last year!)
and when we try to understand what God wants us to do and be.
Can you find these words in the search box below?

Blessing Blessed
Grace Holy
Gift Food
g x m b l h o l y t
i r n t d g f d t i
f z a d b t g r a m
t o m c l f s s t h
d e s s e l b h s i
o h t o s i c c d s
o t i b s g e d h d
f c f o i o s o g i
h g c h n o m p l x
t h o l g i f m y z
Let us Pray
Dear God, help me to see Jesus in
the world around me and to love
you as he does. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 29
Image: The Wedding at Cana - 14th century Fresco from the Visoki Decani monastery, Kosovo
30 Session four Jesus, My Lord

seeking Christ
session four
Opening prayer
A: O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.
B: Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.
A: Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.
B: Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.
A: The earth has yielded its fruit

for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Jesus, My Lord Session four 31

Let us pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and
infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring
of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.
St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)
Explore the Scriptures John 2:1-11

Note: In his account of Christs earthly ministry, St John recounts the wedding of Cana. Just as
our faith is nurtured in community, Jesus performed his first miracle at this wedding feast and
his disciples believed. Prompting this miracle, Mary, his mother interceded on behalf of the
host and asked for Jesus help as she does for each one of us.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus
was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the
wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. And Jesus
said to her, Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet
come. His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. Now standing
there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding
twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, Fill the jars with water. And they
filled them up to the brim. He said to them, Now draw some out, and take it to
the chief steward. So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had
become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who
had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him,
Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests
have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now. Jesus did this,
the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples
believed in him.
Reflection
In Session One, we read of the tendency for young people to socialise in groups.
Yet, the popular press often has columns of Personals adverts placed by people
seeking companionship. Perhaps over time some people have found themselves
alone, the world quite impersonal, their connections with family and friends long
since faded away. There are a myriad of on-line forums and websites offering
(usually for a fee) to make electronic-introductions, to connect people who are
similarly interested in beginning a new relationship. For whatever reason, people

have consciously decided to actively seek a companion. Some may even be
looking for that someone with whom they might enter into marriage.
Holy Scripture refers often to marriage. In fact, as we have just read, Christ
began his earthly ministry at a wedding feast. As was the Jewish custom at that
time, the bride and groom would have previously been betrothed and at that
time separately immersed in a pool of water as a spiritual cleansing. They would
then have returned to their respective parents homes for perhaps a year or even
longer to make all manner of preparations for their married life. As we know
from our reading of the parable of the ten bridesmaids (Matthew 25), they would
not have known the day nor the hour when the groom would call for his bride.
Then, the relationship was consummated with the total gift of persons to one
another. Sometime later, friends and family gathered at the grooms home to
mark the joyous event. It was at this celebration that Jesus performed his first
miracle and, as we are told, the disciples believed in him.
The bride and groom living in Jesus time who would have quite likely had an
arranged marriage and precious little time spent together beforehand. Today,
however, people are able to consciously seek out their life partner and get to
know them well before making a life changing decision to spend the rest of ones
life with that particular person. They have time to build a bond of trust with
which they can confidently face the unknown together.
Pope John XXIII -

Prayer to the Holy Spirit (1961)
Divine Spirit, renew your wonders in our

time, as though for a new Pentecost, and
grant that the holy church, preserving
unanimous and continuous prayer, together
with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and also
under the guidance of St Peter, may increase
the reign of the Divine Saviour, the reign of
truth and justice, the reign of love and peace.
Amen

In a manner of speaking, the decision to accept Jesus call to discipleship can be
compared to a courtship. At whatever point we are at on our journey of faith,
whatever our state in life - married, single, ordained - the Holy Spirit is there to
help each one of us in consciously deciding to seek Christ as an intimate friend.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can get to know Jesus through reading Holy
Scripture. We can spend time with him in prayer and before the tabernacle.
We can share in his life through the sacraments; seeking forgiveness for those
times that we turned away and nourishment from his Body and Blood in the
celebration of Holy Eucharist. Very importantly, we can begin to see his presence
in our lives each and every day. United in Christ, we are never alone.
Only in seeking Christ can we grow closer to him and in doing so prepare
ourselves to make that life-changing commitment to become a disciple.
How can we develop a close, intimate relationship with the Lord?

What are we wedded to that quite often gets in the way of our relationships
with Christ and with others?
What miracles or signs have helped you to believe?
Closing Prayers
You may wish to end this session with different prayers or silent reflection.
O Christ, with You we have been raised,
help us set our hearts on things above,
where You are seated at the right hand of God.
Help us to set our minds on things above,
not on earthly things below.
For we have died, and our lives are now hidden in God.
When You appear, O Christ, our life,
it is our prayer, our hope, that we share in Your great glory.
Amen.
adapted from Colossians 3:1
This session looked at how we develop a personal relationship with Christ

Signpost
which was established at our baptism. It also highlighted the role of the
Holy Spirit in making the most of this conscious decision. Next session is
on the theme of the gifts and graces given to us by the same Spirit who,
we have read, is always ready to help us.

Use this space to write down your answer to the following question (you may wish
to share with others what you have written):
If you have turned away from our loving God, have you sought his mercy and
forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? When have you felt Gods mercy?
Though you have not seen him, you love him; even though you do not see him now,
you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are
receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9, RSV).

4. getting to know Jesus
Have you ever had a power cut at your house? One moment the lights are
on and your music is playing, perhaps you are watching telly, and next
everything is dark and very, quiet (it wont be dark if the electricity turns
off during the day!). The couple at the wedding in Cana were having fun
with their friends and family when the wine ran out - that was when Jesus
stepped in after his mum asked him to help out.
From the Bible

There was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus mother was
there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When the wine
had run out, Jesus mother said to him, They are out of wine.
Jesus said to the servants, Fill these jars with water. They filled them to the
brim, and then he told them, Now draw some water out and take it to the
man in charge of the feast. They took him the water, which now had turned
into wine.
Jesus performed this first miracle in Cana in Galilee; there he revealed his
glory, and his disciples believed in him.
From the Good News according to St John,

chapter 2 verses 1 to 11
Who noticed that the wine had

run out and what did Jesus do
about it?

passage above!
36 Jesus, My Lord
The man and women who were c a n t o s p r v r
getting married probably didnt see
r e w a t x m n o t
each other much before their wedding
day. Nowadays people spend a lot of w a m t p s a b t y
time getting to know each other before r e n i w y r y r b
getting married. They get to know what c a e x e a y t a y
the other person likes, what makes s d d s d b t b m r
them laugh, what makes them scared.
c w e d d e x e t e
They meet each others friends and
family and try to build a picture of what s a r s i y y g r t
they are like. s r n r n z c a n x
r s r a g m d d p x
Jesus wants to get to know us and he
wants us to get to know him. We can
Can you find these words in the
only really do this by spending time search box above?
with him. By praying, by loving others,
Mary Water
by reading about his life, we get to
know him and, through him, we get Wedding Wine
to know the Father. We can ask Mary Cana
for her help in getting to know her son
better too.
Let us Pray
Dear God, help me to
understand what a good
friend I have in Jesus. Please
help me to get to know him,
and you better and better
each day. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 37
Image: The Red Vineyards near Arles by Vincent Van Gogh (1888)
38 Session five Jesus, My Lord

called and gifted
session five
Opening prayer
A: Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons shall be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
B: Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
A: The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
B: He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.
A: Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Jesus, My Lord Session five 39

Let us go forward in peace, our eyes upon heaven, the only one goal of our labours.
St Thrse of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Explore the Scriptures 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Note: Writing to the Corinthians at a time when they were struggling to establish Christian
communities, St Paul reminds them of the gift of the Holy Spirit given to each of us at
Baptism. In turn, the Holy Spirit gives gifts or helps to do Gods will. St Paul uses the
analogy of a body with different parts to describe our collaboration in Christ.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be
uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led
astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that
no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says Let Jesus be cursed! and no one
can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties
of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is
the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the
Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge
according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to
another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various
kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are
activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just
as the Spirit chooses.
Reflection
In the past decade or so thousands of Catholics have participated in Called and
Gifted workshops. During these workshops, participants are invited to reflect on
their personal vocation and the gifts and talents made available to each person
to build the kingdom of God.
While the word vocation may immediately bring to mind priests and
consecrated religious men and women, we all, in fact, have a vocation. By
our baptism, we are changed. We are united in Christ; we have put on Christ

(Galatians 3:27) and are called to live as Christ in this world (Galatians 2:19-
20). Pope Francis often speaks of our vocation as Christians; an honour that is
not just a label. Over and over again, he explains that it is a lifestyle, a way of
living. It entails letting Christ enter our lives, into our inmost depths, not just on
Sunday mornings but each and every day (e.g. Angelus, 25 August 2013).
While Baptism initiates this special relationship, our loving God quietly awaits
our response, our love, our heartfelt desire to enter into the life long process of
ever deepening this intimate friendship. Our vocation to a state in life, whether
as a priest, consecrated religious, married or single, requires a conscious decision
and commitment. In a similar way, our Christian vocation calls us to consciously
decide to align our hearts and minds with Christ and to offer our very selves for
his work.
As we have just read in St Pauls Letter to the Corinthians, each one of us receives
the Holy Spirit. We may be most familiar with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
(wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the
Lord) received at Baptism and strengthened with the sacrament of Confirmation
(CCC, 1830 & 1831). However, St Paul is not speaking of these gifts that direct
and sustain the moral life of Christians but special graces known as charisms
(from the Greek Charis meaning grace or free gift) that are given to each of us at
Baptism in various measure not for ones own benefit but for the common good.
By these gifts the Holy Spirit makes us fit and ready to undertake the various
tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the
Church (Lumen Gentium, 12).
Pope John Paul II - Since Christians are reclothed in Christ Jesus

Christifideles Laici, 16 and refreshed by his Spirit, they are holy. They
and 17 (1988) therefore have the ability to manifest this
holiness and the responsibility to bear witness
to it in all that they do... The unity of life of the
lay faithful is of the greatest importance: indeed
they must be sanctified in everyday professional
and social life. Therefore, to respond to their
vocation, the lay faithful must see their daily
activities as an occasion to join themselves to
God, fulfil his will, serve other people and lead
them to communion with God in Christ.

The Holy Spirit has hidden within each of us various gifts that enable us to be
a channel for his love, his instrument for the work of building Gods kingdom
(Ephesians 4). While Holy Scripture does not set out a complete listing of these
supernatural graces, St Paul makes note of wisdom, teaching, healing, prophecy
to mention but a few. It is when we have surrendered our personal wants and
desires in order to follow Christ as his disciples that these spiritual gifts begin
to emerge. It is when we discover our smallest effort in the vineyard of the
Lord bears great fruit. Our life is transformed as well as those around us. We are
evangelizing.
What ways might the Holy Spirit be working through each of us? How might
we be an instrument of Gods love for others?
Discerning a charism is a process requiring time and opportunities to see its
unusual and effective results. How can we begin to ascertain what might be
our particular gifts?
If you feel comfortable, perhaps you might wish to suggest the gifts that you
might see in other members of the group.
Closing Prayers
O my Divine Saviour, transform me into Yourself.
May my hands be the hands of Jesus.
May my tongue be the tongue of Jesus...
Grant that I may live but in You and for You,
and that I may truly say with St Paul:
I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me
Amen.
Attributed to St Jean-Gabriel Perboyre,
missionary to China (1802-1840)
This session explored the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us at Baptism and
Signpost
strengthened in Confirmation. It also suggested that we take seriously

the task of discerning the gifts we have and how they might be used in
support of the Church and the building of the Kingdom. Next week, the
last of this booklet, we look at the sharing of our faith in Christ Jesus.

Use this space to write down your answer to the following question (you may wish
to share with others what you have written):
What place does the Holy Spirit have in how you go about each day?
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the
wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives (Colossians 1:9, NIV).

5. gifts from heaven above
I really like looking out of my window at night time. I live in the middle of the
town and can see lights from the windows in other buildings (I cant see the
stars very well unless we go into the countryside). There are thousands of
people in our town and each one of them is different. We all have different
talents and gifts and need to use them to make life better for everyone.
From the Bible

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are
different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for
their particular service. The Spirits presence is shown in some way in each
person for the good of all... It is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as
he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person.
From St Pauls first letter to the Corinthians,
What does the Spirit give to us and why?

Have a look at the Bible passage above!
44 Jesus, My Lord
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his disciples (that means he promised the
Spirit to us too). This Spirit gives us gifts. The gifts he gives are different to
different people and they are given so that we can help others and help
others understand that God wants happiness for each of us. What gifts do
you think you have that you can use to help others?
Can you find these words in the search box below?
Service Good Let us Pray
Serving Spirit Dear God, help me to use the gifts
and talents you have given me to
Gift God
help others. Amen.
h m o o t i r i p s
o z b g i f t s z p
s o n o d s t v r i
g l i o r y e p j s
w t b d s c o r k l
o p n c i r o e p o
s e r v i n g f z g
o d r e s l g o d w
r e i h s j c n r v
s v t i y g i f p i
Jesus, My Lord 45
Image: Jesus Multiplies the Loaves by Bndite de la Roncire (jesusmafa.com)
46 Session six Jesus, My Lord

feeding the hungry
session six
Opening prayer
A: Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
B: A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
A: Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.
B: O rescue me, God, my helper,

and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
A: For in sacrifice you take no delight,

burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit,
a humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
Jesus, My Lord Session six 47


Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ
beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me.
attributed to St Patrick (c.387 493 or c.460)
Explore the Scriptures Matthew 14:13-21

Note: This passage from Matthews account of the Good News follows the beheading of John
the Baptist. The death of his cousin must have affected Jesus greatly but despite his sorrow
he healed the sick and spoke to the crowds. This feeding narrative mirrors the others in Mark
6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15. In Johns account of the Good News, where there is no
institution of the Eucharist instead the washing of the feet this passage is clearly visible as
a Eucharistic text. The subsequent passage features Jesus walking on water.
Now when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been killed, he withdrew from
there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it,
they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great
crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, This is a deserted
place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into
the villages and buy food for themselves. Jesus said to them, They need not go
away; you give them something to eat. They replied, We have nothing here but
five loaves and two fish. And he said, Bring them here to me. Then he ordered
the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he
looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the
disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled;
and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Reflection
The Scripture passage we have just read is familiar to us all. It is often referred
to as the miracle of loaves and fishes and our focus lands squarely on the items

of food shared out. A more useful description might be the feeding of the
multitude, here the focus shifts more on the nourishment of the crowd and leads
us to ask what they are really hungering after. It is clear that they did not follow
Jesus all the way to that deserted place to have supper. They went for healing,
they went for Him.
Throughout the Bible, we read of the unfailing mercy and compassion of

God, great in his faithfulness (see Lamentations 3:21-22). Innumerable are
the people over the centuries that knew the power of Gods mercy and the
love shown by him to his people. Jesus, the Christ, shows the path, is the path
of this reconciliation. We, as disciples of the Lord, are in turn agents of this
reconciliation, ambassadors of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:19-20). While the
feeding of the multitude can clearly be seen in a Eucharistic way it is also a clear
example of Jesus mandate to the disciples to carry on his healing, nourishing,
love-filled work.
Here, it is interesting that Jesus initially makes no move to satisfy the crowds
physical hunger himself once the disciples ask him to send the gathered men,
women and children away. Instead he tells the twelve to do the feeding: you
give them something to eat. In the end it is the disciples who distribute what
Jesus has blessed and broken, once the crowds were sated it is the disciples who
take baskets to reap what was sown.
We are reminded, often, that Christ has no hands, no feet on earth but ours.
Just as Jesus commanded the disciples to feed the people (Luke 10:1-23) we are
Pope Paul VI - Marialis the figure of the Blessed Virgin offers the
Cultis, 37 (1974)
men and women of our time the perfect
model of the disciple of the Lord: the disciple
who builds up the earthly and temporal city
while being a diligent pilgrim towards the
heavenly and eternal city; the disciple who
works for that justice which sets free the op-
pressed and for that charity which assists the
needy; but above all, the disciple who is the
active witness of that love which builds up
Christ in peoples hearts.

called, by virtue of our baptismal vocation and our Christian belief, to aid people
in their search for what will truly satisfy their inmost desires (see Isaiah 55:2 and
John 6:27). This help we can provide relies on our willingness to be graced by
Christ. Grafted to the vine (John 15:4) we, as individuals and as a community of
missionary disciples, will bear much fruit and rejoice (Evangelii Gaudium, 24).
What are people thirsting for and hungering after today?

How might we bring what is needed to others and in what ways do we seek
Christs blessing on this work?
Do you consider yourself an imitation of Christ in the world?
Where have we been aware of Gods mercy in our lives and have we ever
talked about it to others?
Closing Prayers
Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know,
to love what I ought to love,
to praise what delights thee most,
to value what is precious in thy sight,
to hate what is offensive to thee.
Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes,
nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men;
but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual,
and above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of thy will.
Amen.
St Thomas a Kempis (13801471)

author of The Imitation of Christ - a manual for Christian discipleship
This session is, unfortunately, the last of this booklet. Here, we focused on
Signpost
the role the disciples played in the feeding of the multitude - distributing
that which was blessed by Jesus. We have a similar role in the world
today; to distribute his message and make him known. Please consider
meeting as a group on a regular basis and look out for our next resource.

How does your lifestyle communicate the love of Christ in your life? Where do you
openly identify with Christ and tell others about your faith in the Risen Lord?
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his
own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he
goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know
his voice. (John 10:2-4, RSV).

6. talking about jesus
Did I already mention that my friends are always hungry? At church they
are the first to the plate of biscuits and always try to go back for seconds.
They say that is because they need the energy to run around. Jesus knows
that people are hungry and thirsty but not just for ordinary food and drink.
He knows that we need to know God in order to be happy and satisfied.
From the Bible

That evening his disciples came to him and said, It is already very late, and
this is a lonely place. Send the people away and let them go to the villages
to buy food for themselves.
They dont have to leave, answered Jesus. You yourselves give them
something to eat!
All we have here are five loaves and two fish, they replied.
Then bring them here to me, Jesus said. He ordered the people to sit
down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up
to heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to
the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Everyone ate and
had enough.
From the Good News according to St Matthew, chapter 14 verses 15 to 20.
What did the disciples have to feed the big crowds?

Have a look at the Bible passage above!
52 Jesus, My Lord
f t i l n h m h f e
i l p f g m u l q p
We know from reading the Gospels h a p u x n f m n h
that people didnt follow Jesus just i l o n g f z o f p
to get dinner! They followed him
q n w r n c r o w d
because he was so very close to God
e h y q x m y b h w
the Father and he could help them
with their troubles. People brought l p l g n i l a e h
their sick friends and relatives to him e n p l f z m f z e
and Jesus healed them. People asked x h e l p h l e h l
questions and Jesus had the answers l f n j l i n m x t
(often told in stories where you have
to think yourself to get the meaning). Can you find these words in the
search box above?
Today we are followers of Jesus, his
disciples, and it is our job to get to Healing Enough
know Jesus really well and to help Help Crowd
others to know him too. Hungry
Let us Pray
Dear God, help me to keep
my eyes open to see what
people need. Help me to
keep listening for people
asking for my help. Most
of all, dear God, please
help me to show others
how good you are by being
good myself. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 53
Daily Prayer: Sunday to Saturday
The Office is... the prayer of the whole People of God Pope Paul VI, The Hymn of Praise, 1
The daily prayers on the following pages are drawn from the Divine Office (Liturgy of the
Hours). Together with the Mass, the Office constitutes the official public prayer life of the
Church. It is celebrated in both the Eastern and Western Churches. The Office is intended to
be read communally but here we invite you to use it as a personal daily prayer.
Image: Apparition of the Virgin to St Bernard by Filippino Lippi (1480)
54 Jesus, My Lord
Sunday - Jesus, my lord
Introduction Glory be
O God, come to our aid. Lord, make haste
to help us. Antiphon
Christ the Lord is a priest for ever according
Glory be to the Father and to the Son to the order of Melchizedek.
and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world Reading 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
without end. Amen. (Alleluia) But we must always give thanks to God for
omit Alleluias during Lent you, brothers and sisters beloved by the
Lord, because God chose you as the first
Suggested Hymns fruits for salvation through sanctification
O Lord You are the centre of my life by the Spirit and through belief in the
(Celebration for Everyone 543; Laudate 423) truth. For this purpose he called you
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven through our proclamation of the good
(CFE 602; L 807) news, so that you may obtain the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Antiphon
Christ the Lord is a priest for ever according Short Responsory
to the order of Melchizedek. R Great is our Lord; great is his might.
V His wisdom can never be measured. R
Psalmody Canticle 1 Peter 2:21-24 Glory be R
Christ suffered for you,
leaving you an example Benedictus/Magnificat Antiphon
that you should follow in his steps. All authority in heaven and earth has been
given to me, says the Lord.
He committed no sin;
no guile was found on his lips. Benedictus (if said in the morning)
When he was reviled, or Magnificat (if said in the evening) -
he did not revile in return. see inside back cover for these prayers
When he suffered, Pray for the Church, the world and your
he did not threaten; own personal intercessions
but he trusted to him Our Father
who judges justly.
Concluding prayer
He himself bore our sins
Almighty, ever-living God,
in his body on the tree,
it is your will to unite the whole universe
that we might die to sin
under your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
and live in righteousness.
Grant freedom to the whole of creation
By his wounds you have been healed. and let it praise you for ever.
Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 55
Monday - you hear me, O Lord
Introduction Glory be...
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the
Glory be to the Father and to the Son morning your hear me.
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world Reading Romans 8:35-37
without end. Amen. (Alleluia) Who will separate us from the love of
omit Alleluias during Lent Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
Suggested Hymns
peril, or sword? As it is written,
From heaven you came (CFE 187; L 749)
For your sake we are being killed all day
Lord of all hopefulness
long; we are accounted as sheep to be
(CFE 386; L 969; Hymns Old & New 329)
slaughtered.
Antiphon No, in all these things we are more than
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the conquerors through him who loved us.
morning your hear me.
Short Responsory
Psalmody Psalm 5 R Praise and glory to you, O blessed Trinity.
To my words give ear, O Lord, V To you be thanksgiving for ever. R
give heed to my groaning. Glory be R
Attend to the sound of my cries,
my King and my God. Benedictus/Magnificat Antiphon
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. My spirit exults in the Lord God, my saviour
In the morning you hear me;
Benedictus (if said in the morning)
in the morning I offer you my prayer,
or Magnificat (if said in the evening) -
watching and waiting.
see inside back cover for these prayers
But I through the greatness of your love
have access to your house. Pray for the Church, the world and your
I bow down before your holy temple, own personal intercessions
filled with awe. Our Father
Lead me, Lord, in your justice,
Concluding prayer
because of those who lie in wait;
God our Father,
make clear your way before me.
help us to believe in you and worship you,
All those you protect shall be glad as the true faith teaches:
and ring out their joy. three persons, eternal in glory,
You shelter them; in you they rejoice, one God, infinite in majesty.
those who love your name. Amen.
56 Jesus, My Lord
Tuesday - Gifted in the spirit
Introduction Reading 1 Peter 4:10-11
O God, come to our aid. Lord, make haste Like good stewards of the manifold grace
to help us. of God, serve one another with whatever
gift each of you has received. Whoever
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
speaks must do so as one speaking the very
words of God; whoever serves must do so
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world
with the strength that God supplies, so that
without end. Amen. (Alleluia)
omit Alleluias during Lent
God may be glorified in all things through
Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and
Suggested Hymns the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Breathe on me, breath of God
Short Responsory
(CFE 98; L 302)
R The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole
world. Alleluia.
Antiphon
V It is he who holds all things in being and
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He sent
understands every word that is spoken. R
me to bring Good News to the poor.
Glory be R
Psalmody Psalm 84 (85) Benedictus/Magnificat Antiphon
I will hear what the Lord God has to say, The Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples
a voice that speaks of peace, in the form of fire and gave to them his
peace for his people and his friends special gifts; he sent them into the world
and those who turn to him in their hearts. to proclaim that whoever believes and is
His help is near for those who fear him baptized will be saved.
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Benedictus (if said in the morning)
Mercy and faithfulness have met; or Magnificat (if said in the evening) -
justice and peace have embraced. see inside back cover for these prayers
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven. Pray for the Church, the world and your
own personal intercessions
The Lord will make us prosper Our Father
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him Concluding prayer
and peace shall follow his steps. Lord God,
you sanctify your Church in every race
Glory be... and nation.
Pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on us
Antiphon and fulfil now in the hearts of your faithful
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He sent what you accomplished when the Gospel
me to bring Good News to the poor. was first preached on earth.
Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 57
Wednesday - Merciful lord
Introduction Antiphon
O God, come to our aid. Lord, make haste Lord, heal my soul for I have sinned against
to help us. you.
Reading 1 Peter 5:5-7
Clothe yourselves with humility in your
dealings with one another, for
God opposes the proud, but gives grace to
the humble.
Suggested Hymns Humble yourselves therefore under the
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt
(CFE 143; L 934) you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on
Love divine, all loves excelling him, because he cares for you.
(CFE 398; L 801)
Short responsory
Antiphon R In the morning let me know your love.
Lord, heal my soul for I have sinned against V Make me know the way I should walk. R
you. Glory be R
Psalmody Psalm 27(26) Benedictus/Magnificat Antiphon
O Lord, hear my voice when I call; My soul magnifies the Lord, since God has
have mercy and answer. had regard for my humble state.
Of you my heart has spoken:
Seek his face. Benedictus (if said in the morning)
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; see inside back cover for these prayers
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger; Pray for the Church, the world and your
you have been my help. own personal intercessions
Our Father
Do not abandon or forsake me,
O God my help! Concluding prayer
Though father and mother forsake me, Lord God,
the Lord will receive me. whose name is holy
and whose mercy is proclaimed in every
I am sure I shall see the Lords goodness generation:
in the land of the living. receive your peoples prayer,
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. and let them sing your greatness with
Hope in the Lord! never-ending praise.
Glory be... Amen.
58 Jesus, My Lord
Thursday - Almighty God
O God, come to our aid. Lord, make haste Anyone who follows me will not be walking
to help us. in the dark; he will have the light of life.
Reading Colossians 1:9-11
We have not ceased praying for you and
asking that you may be filled with the
knowledge of Gods will in all spiritual
wisdom and understanding, so that you
Suggested Hymns may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully
Walk with me, oh my Lord pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in
(CFE 765; L 966; HON 582) every good work and as you grow in the
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder knowledge of God. May you be made
(CFE 568; L 721) strong with all the strength that comes
from his glorious power, and may you
Antiphon
be prepared to endure everything with
Anyone who follows me will not be walking
patience.
in the dark; he will have the light of life.
Short Responsory
Psalmody Canticle Habakkuk 3:1-19
R Blessed be the Lord from age to age.
Lord, I have heard of your fame,
V He alone has wrought marvellous works. R
I stand in awe at your deeds.
Glory be R
Do them again in our days and make
them known.
Benedictus/Magnificat Antiphon
In spite of your anger, have compassion.
Show the power of your arm, Lord; put
God comes forth from Teman, down the proud and exalt the lowly.
the Holy One comes from Mount Paran.
His splendour covers the sky Benedictus (if said in the morning)
and his glory fills the earth. or Magnificat (if said in the evening) -
His brilliance is like the light; see inside back cover for these prayers
rays flash forth from his hands;
there his power lies hidden. Pray for the Church, the world and your
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord
Our Father...
and exult in God my saviour.
The Lord my God is my strength.
Concluding prayer
He makes me leap like the deer.
We beseech your mercy, Lord,
He guides me to grace on the heights.
keep our hearts always engaged on you,
Glory be... and grant us the light of eternal life. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 59
Friday - Mary, the disciples queen
O God, come to our aid. Lord, make haste Christ is the Son of Mary: come, let us
to help us. adore him, alleluia.
Reading Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my
whole being shall exult in my God; for
he has clothed me with the garments of
salvation, he has covered me with the robe
Suggested Hymns of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks
Holy Virgin, by Gods decree himself with a garland, and as a bride
(CFE 263; L 366) adorns herself with her jewels.
Tell out my soul (CFE 684; L 880)
Short Responsory
Antiphon R Hail Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with
Christ is the Son of Mary: come, let us you.
adore him, alleluia. V Blessed is the fruit of your womb. R
Glory be R
Psalmody Psalm 112(113)
Praise, O servants of the Lord, Benedictus/Magnificat Antiphon
praise the name of the Lord! Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed
May the name of the Lord be blessed that all those things that were said to you
both now and for evermore! by the Lord will be fulfilled.
From the rising of the sun to its setting Benedictus (if said in the morning)
praised be the name of the Lord! or Magnificat (if said in the evening) -
High above all nations is the Lord, see inside back cover for these prayers
above the heavens his glory.
Pray for the Church, the world and your
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
Our Father
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth? Concluding prayer
Come to help us in our weakness,
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
God of mercy,
from their misery he raises the poor
and as we celebrate the memory of the
to set them in the company of princes,
Mother of God,
yes, with the princes of his people.
may we rise from our sins by the help of
To the childless wife he gives a home
her prayer.
and gladdens her heart with children.
Through Christ our Lord.
Glory be Amen.
60 Jesus, My Lord
Saturday - proclamation
Introduction Glory be
It is not you who will be speaking; the
Glory be to the Father and to the son and to Spirit of your Father will be speaking in
the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is you, alleluia.
now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Reading 2 Peter 1:19-21
Amen. (Alleluia)
omit Alleluias during Lent So we have the prophetic message more
Suggested Hymns fully confirmed. You will do well to be
Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a
(CFE 416; L 200) dark place, until the day dawns and the
He who would valiant be (CFE 248; 862) morning star rises in your hearts. First
of all you must understand this, that no
Antiphon prophecy of scripture is a matter of ones
It is not you who will be speaking; the own interpretation, because no prophecy
Spirit of your Father will be speaking in ever came by human will, but men and
you, alleluia. women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke
from God.
Psalmody Canticle Ephesians 1:3-10 Short Responsory
Blessed be the God and Father R Your word, O Lord, will endure for ever.
of our Lord Jesus Christ, V Your truth will last from age to age. R
who has blessed us in Christ Glory be R
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him Antiphon
before the world began Let us serve the Lord in holiness all our days
to be holy and blameless in his sight. Benedictus (if said in the morning)
He destined us in love see inside back cover for these prayers
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, Pray for the Church, the world and your
to the praise of his glorious grace own personal intercessions
freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Our Father
God has made known to us Concluding prayer
in all wisdom and insight, the mystery of Almighty God,
his will, according to his purpose, which he may we, inspired with a new courage by
set forth in Christ. the example of your saints,
A plan for the fullness in time, take up our cross without flinching.
to unite all things in him. Amen.
Jesus, My Lord 61
What is a disciple?
While the disciples we read about in Holy Scripture may quickly come to mind, do
we really consider ourselves disciples? Have we ever stopped to consider what is
a disciple? What is discipleship? How does it relate to my life in the twenty-first
century?
The word disciple is derived from the Latin discipulus and is closely connected to
docere meaning to teach and dicere to learn. There are many synonyms for the
word including among others: student, learner, apprentice, understudy, follower,
believer. All of which suggest relationship, the very essence of our Christian faith.
Through baptism, we called into relationship with our Triune God.
With the graces bestowed upon each of us by the Holy Spirit, we are have the
opportunity to grow closer to our Christ, our Master, our Teacher, to be his student,
his follower - his disciple. It is by choosing to follow Christ that we will reach the
loving embrace of our Father in heaven.
What is discipleship?
Discipleship is a conscious decision to ask our Lords forgiveness for those times
when we have turned away and to ardently desire to develop a deep personal
relationship with Christ, to get to know him intimately through Scripture and the
Sacraments.
It is by knowing Christ and sensing his love that we feel impelled to share it with
others to be missionary disciples.
62 Jesus, My Lord
Further reading
Church documents
There are many Church documents which can help us understand our shared task
to be missionary disciples. These are available from the Vatican website [www.
vatican.va] or to buy in hard copy from the Catholic Truth Society. For example:
Pope Benedict XVI, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), 2005
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), 2013
Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi (Evangelization in the Modern World), 1975
Blessed John Paul II:
Redemptoris Missio (The Mission of the Redeemer), 1979
Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millennium), 2001
Ecclesia in Europa (The Church in Europe), 2003
General Directory for Catechesis, 1997
Other Resources
Russell Shaw (2013) The Vocation of the Laity, Chartwell Press
Leroy Eims (1978) The Lost Art of Disciple Making, Zondervan Publishing House
Sherry Weddell (1998) The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, Third Edition, The
Siena Institute Press
Matthew Kelly (2012) The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic: How Engaging 1%
of Catholics Could Change the World, Beacon Publishing
Sherry Weddell (2012) Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and
Following Jesus, Our Sunday Visitor
Cardinal Donald Wuerl (2013) New Evangelization: Passing on the Catholic Faith
Today, Our Sunday Visitor
Radiating Christ (2012) WRCDT [http://issuu.com/rcwestminster/docs/
radiatingchrist]
Come, Follow Me (2014) WRCDT [http://issuu.com/exploringfaith/docs/
comefollowme]
Jesus, My Lord 63
exploring
faith
Some other booklets in the exploring faith group sharing series
Hail Mary, Full of Grace (published autumn 2010)

Six group sessions for faith-sharing which explore what the Scriptures
and the Church say about Mary - the immaculately conceived, sinless,
ever-virgin, mother of Christ, assumed into heaven.
978-0-9563514-4-9 1.50 where sold
Teach Us to Pray (published autumn 2013)

Six group sessions for faith-sharing which explore, the call to spread the
Good News of Jesus Christ and the idea of faith in todays world.
978-0-9570793-7-3 1.50 where sold
Amazing Grace (published Lent 2013)

Six group sessions for faith-sharing exploring the call to continuing
conversion and the mercy and love shown by God to his children.
978-0-9570793-6-6 1.50 where sold
Come, Follow Me (published Lent 2014)

Six group sessions for faith-sharing which explore, the joy of spreading
the good news of Jesus Christ.
978-0-9927584-0-0 1.50 where sold
Each of the previous resources in the exploring faith series can be

downloaded and viewed by visiting the Diocese of Westminsters
website or can be purchased from our bookstore. If you have a QR
reader simply scan the code (right) and you will be directed to the
relevant webpage (www.rcdow.org.uk/bookstore).
exploring faith booklets are produced, under licence, by houseonrock.co.uk
64 Jesus, My Lord
The Song of Zechariah (Benedictus) The Song of Mary (Magnificat)
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
he has come to his people and set them free. my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, for he has looked with favour on his
born of the house of his servant David. lowly servant,
and from this day all generations will call
Through the holy prophets he promised me blessed.
of old
that he would save us from our enemies, The Almighty has done great things for me:
from the hands of all who hate us. holy is his Name.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers He has mercy on those who fear him
and to remember his holy covenant. in every generation.
This was the oath he swore to our father He has shown the strength of his arm,
Abraham: he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
to set us free from the hand of our enemies, He has cast down the mighty from their
free to worship him without fear, thrones,
holy and righteous in his sight and has lifted up the lowly.
all the days of our life. He has filled the hungry with good things,
and has sent the rich away empty.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet
of the Most High He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for you will go before the Lord to prepare for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
his way, the promise he made to our fathers,
to give his people knowledge of salvation to Abraham and his children for ever.
by forgiving them their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet on the road of peace.
The Benedictus can be found in the first chapter of Lukes gospel (Luke 1:68-79). You can
also find the Magnificat in Lukes account, earlier in chapter one (Luke 1:46-55).
Jesus, my
Lord
From the Diocese of Westminsters exploringfaith series
Jesus, My Lord contains six group sessions for faith-sharing
which explore what difference acknowledging Jesus as Lord
and Saviour has for our daily lives.
Jesus, My Lord contains a number of prayers and reflections

as well as a scheme of daily prayer based on the Divine
Office. New to this booklet are pages dedicated to helping
parents share the theme with their children.
Other booklets and information on faith-sharing can be

accessed online via the Diocese of Westminster website
rcdow.org.uk following the links for small groups.
HOUSEONROCK
9 780992 758417
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Nihil Obstat: Father Terry Tastard, Censor

Writing Team: Dr Mark Nash and Mrs Margaret Wickware

Produced by House on Rock Ltd (www.houseonrock.co.uk) in association with

exploring booklets are published by WRCDT.

Copyright 2014, Diocese of Westminster, Archbishops House, Ambrosden

The Diocese of Westminster is committed to a sustainable future for our

Front cover: The Crucified Christ (c.1437-1446) by Fra Angelico (c.1395-1455)

About this book with 3

1. Life in the Spirit 6

3. The Three Foods 22

5. Called and Gifted 38

6. Feeding the Hungry 46

How do small groups work?

Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Jesus, My Lord is the Diocese of Westminsters faith-sharing resource on what

6 Session One Jesus, My Lord

A: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

Jesus, My Lord Session One 7

Introduction to the Scripture reading

8 Session One Jesus, My Lord

This lack of time invested in developing relationships might seem to contradict

I would like to invite everyone to renew Pope Benedict XVI Final

Jesus, My Lord Session One 9

Have you previously considered yourself a disciple?

This session looks at baptism as the foundational sacrament for discipleship

10 Session One Jesus, My Lord

Jesus, My Lord Session One 11

From the Bible

From the Acts of the Apostles,

Who does God send to fill us with

Have a look at the Bible passage

Jesus promised the gift of

In order to really and truly follow

Can you find these words in the A d v o j u g i p t

14 Session two Jesus, My Lord

A: O Lord, you search me and you know me,

Jesus, My Lord Session two 15

Explore the Scriptures Luke 10:17-22, 25-28

16 Session two Jesus, My Lord

The People of God is a disciple People because Pope Francis General

Jesus, My Lord Session two 17

Do we display spiritual curiosity seeking to deepen our faith in and

18 Session two Jesus, My Lord

Jesus, My Lord Session two 19

From the Bible

From the Good News according to

The Lawyer came up with the

What did Jesus agree we must

Have a look at the Bible

22 Session three Jesus, My Lord

A: O God, you are my God, for you I long;

B: For your love is better than life,

A: On my bed I remember you.

Jesus, My Lord Session three 23

Explore the Scriptures Ephesians 1:3-14

24 Session three Jesus, My Lord

The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak

Jesus, My Lord Session three 25

session reminded us that Jesus is waiting at the door to heart of each

26 Session three Jesus, My Lord

Jesus, My Lord Session three 27

From the Bible

What did God decide to do for