Seminar on God and Prayer - Marriage Prep Virtual Meeting via Zoom - May 1st, 2021

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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 GOD 💘 LIFE 💘 MARRIAGE 💘 FAMILY  💘 PRAYER 💘 GOD

 

👉 https://fathergillespages.blogspot.com/2021/03/beginners-page-how-to-approach-god-how.html

👉 https://abbagilles.blogspot.com/p/catholic-christian-tools.html 

FOR 1 ON 1 with Fr. Gilles - email me:  👉 fathergilles@gmail.com

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INTRO - by Bridget - Who is Father Gilles Surprenant?             (1-2 minutes)

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Father Gilles: This is a SEMINAR / WORKSHOP on: 

 GOD 💘 LIFE 💘 MARRIAGE 💘 FAMILY  💘 PRAYER 💘 GOD

Please join me as we begin with a PRAYER   (1-2 minutes)

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OUR METHOD  (6 minutes)

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AUDIO RECORDING - I make an audio recording of our Open Forum. I record our seminar for my own use; however, if any of you are interested, email me and I will send you a link which will give you exclusive access to this and past recordings.

SEMINAR / WORKSHOP in the ADRAGOGICAL METHOD

WITH GOD... WE ARE ALL BEGINNERS... WE LEARN BEST TOGETHER....

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SEMINAR....

👌 QUESTIONS - 👌 REPORTING - 👌 DIALOGUE - 👌 SHARING BEST PRACTICES

MY CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SEMINAR....

I am your FACILITATOR & RESOURCE PERSON 

Caution: Usefulness of videos and images

There exists a great variety of videos, audio podcasts, images, icons, statues, and other aids to prayer. These only serve to warm up, but the goal of prayer is to pray. Focusing only on material aids is like walking around the pool and maybe putting a toe in, but not actually getting into the pool and getting wet. We need to get wet with God. The gold is you and who you are on the inside. I invite you to join me with this focus on yourself on the inside, which is primarily where we meet God and God meets with us. 

For future reference to resources for prayer: 

MY WEB PAGES

👉 https://fathergillespages.blogspot.com/2021/03/beginners-page-how-to-approach-god-how.html

👉 https://abbagilles.blogspot.com/p/catholic-christian-tools.html 

FOR 1 ON 1 with Fr. Gilles - email me:  👉 fathergilles@gmail.com

CANADIAN CATHOLIC WEB SITES & TV 

https://slmedia.org/ 

https://slmedia.org/more/mass/ 

AMERICAN CATHOLIC WEB SITES & TV 
(American Catholic TV & Websites are more commercialized)

Explaining the Faith - How to Pray 
Are you aware of all the ways in which you can pray? Father Chris explains vocal prayers, meditation, contemplation, the Liturgy of the Hours, and much more. 
NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE DIVINE MERCY, STOCKBRIDGE, MA YouTube Channel

https://www.ewtn.com/tv 

Power of Prayer - Powerful Video   (94 seconds)

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PERSPECTIVE - Victor Frankl's discovery about who survived and who didn't in the Nazi concentration camps - "Man's Search for Meaning" 

= the freedom we have to "choose" our interior attitude to life 

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The 2 SCENARIOS ??                      (2 minutes)

? SCENARIO # 1 - Absence of God = Without God we run the Risk of power politics in love, marriage & family

= entrenching in one's fortress VS one's spouse as an adversary or competitor 

?? SCENARIO # 2 - Presence of God = With God we can open ourselves to Him as the Source of love, marriage & family

= recognizing one another's dignity as coming from God = we can relax and respect one another as companions on our life journey....

👍 We are opting here for Scenario # 2 - We make an act of faith that God is present. We'll begin with a practical experience of prayer. Don't be afraid, it will be non-intrusive. Naturally, you are always free to conduct your own interior prayer.

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A LITTLE BACKGROUND TO PRAYER 

The Dimensions of Prayer... & Obstacles....      (6 minutes)

Prayer is communication with God. Now, God has all the time in the universe. He is not in a hurry. He cannot visit with me if I am full of noise, when I go around in circles and obsess over my thoughts and feelings, when I let my anxiety about many things keep me captive, if I am full of my importance and what I want, or if I carry a bias of contempt for God or his Church, or whenever I am impatient and want results now. These are only some of the obstacles that get in the way of intimacy with God. All these dispositions of temperament and mood are not bad or evil; actually they are launchpads for prayer. Here are some helpful attitudes to keep in mind. God is always glad to help us practice these. 

SILENCE - If we remain plugged into devices all day long we cannot experience silence which we need to notice God "present" and "moving" within us.

PEACE - If we obsess over our thoughts & feelings we end up on a merry-go-round and we risk talking only to ourselves, oblivious to others as well as to God.

HUMILITY - As long as I want MY WAY, and want it NOW, I close the door to others as well as to God, but He respects my freedom, lets me follow my own path, and waits for me to be open and ready.

GRATITUDE - I can let go of any contempt I may feel for God or his Church by calling to mind the many reasons I actually have for being grateful for my life, for everyone, and for everything in my life. Even my trials and challenges provoke growth and resilience. It does me good to recognize God as the Source of all good. 

PRAISE - God is good. It does me good to recognize God as the Source of all good. By thanking and praising Him in prayer I admit the TRUTH and get into SYNC with God. 

PATIENCE - To encounter God, who remains mysterious, I must be patient, that is, I must seek Him, wait for Him, and live in hopeful anticipation of "the God who comes".

👇 LET US NOW APPLY THESE ATTITUDES 👇 

INSTRUCTIONS 

I'll read the Antiphon and I invite all of you to repeat it. Then one by one we can participate by slowly reading one of the verses. As we wait for someone to read, let the silence be a gift, an opportunity to relax in the presence of God, and to let the words penetrate us with their meaning. We do our little part, and God does his part deep within each of us, bringing his peace. 

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👉 PRAYER EXERCISE # 1 - Psalm 95 (Easter) 👈

- - - - - - 

Antiphon: Christ the Lord is RISEN, ALLELUIA!

- - - - - - 

Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. 
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

- - - - - - 

The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. 
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well. 
He made the sea; it belongs to him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

- - - - - - 

Come, then, let us bow down and worship, 
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker, 
For he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds.

- - - - - - 

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn,
as your fathers did in the wilderness, 
when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, 
although they had seen all of my works.

- - - - - - 

Forty years I endured that generation. 
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways. 
So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.”

- - - - - - 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: 
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever, Amen

- - - - - - 

Antiphon: Christ the Lord is RISEN, ALLELUIA!

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👉 PRAYER EXERCISE # 2 - SILENCE 👈

A HUMBLE GIFT OF SILENCE 
(2 minute instruction + 4 minutes of silence) 

Silence is a good companion to reading lines from the Word of God, the Bible. Here are some simple instructions for a few minutes of silent prayer together. I invite you to give yourself permission to sit for a few minutes, relax, and just breathe. I'll let you know when the time is up after a few minutes; so don't worry about the duration.

Human beings everywhere pray in silence – it's the most natural thing to do. You can close your eyes now or at any point during these brief instructions and relax.   

1)      If you are already familiar with God or Jesus; have a good visit with Him. 

If you are not on familiar terms with God or Jesus, let this be an introduction. He desires a personal relationship with you: He always respects your free will.

2)      You get to decide how open you want to be with the Creator & Saviour….

3)      Sit comfortably, hands resting on knees…  Back & head straight… & relax…

4)      Be still… feel free to adjust your body to relax, be comfortable & alert…

5)      In the silence, notice your interior landscape like a drive in the country…

6)      If all is quiet and peaceful, lovely… focus on a kind image of God or Jesus

7)      If all is not quiet, notice the noise, words, images… this is part of you... just let it go... let yourself enjoy the ride; focus on a kind image of God or Jesus

8)      "God our Creator... here we are... how awesome is your Creation in which we live and move and have our being... thank You. We offer You now a few moments in silence... You are welcome to visit with us within our spirits."

9)      Now you’ll have a few minutes of silence….

 

Resume.... 

PARAMETERS for our OPEN FORUM            (3 minutes)

 ON :

 GOD 👈PRAYER 👉 LIFE - MARRIAGE - FAMILY

SETTING THE STAGE 

FOCUS:  God is all about relationship and personal communication. The whole Bible shows God inviting people to a personal relationship. God reveals Himself in more dramatic ways to people to whom He wants to give a special mission. For most of us God chooses to reveal Himself more gently, in the depths of our being. 

1)      Have you given any thought to what has been your experience of God? your experience of prayer? your experience of spiritual things?

2)      Are you familiar or comfortable with your interior life?

3)      Perhaps you’ve never really thought much about your interior life?

4)      Do you find the thought of your interior life challenging or frightening?

5)      Where are you with regards to your interiority at this point in your life?

6)      Have you and your fiancé shared about your respective interior life?

WE LIVE AS - 👉 INDIVIDUALS - IN OUR 👉 LIFE 

= 👉 INDIVIDUAL PRAYER - FOR OUR 👉 LIFE 

- - - - - - - 

WE LIVE AS - 👉 COUPLES - IN OUR 👉 MARRIAGE 

= 👉 COUPLE PRAYER - FOR OUR 👉 MARRIAGE 

- - - - - - - 

WE LIVE AS - 👉 COMMUNITY - IN OUR 👉 FAMILY 

= 👉 COMMUNITY PRAYER - FOR OUR 👉 FAMILY 

OPEN FORUM ON   

(35-45 minutes)

SHARING OUR EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES,
ISSUES, BEST PRACTICES, QUESTIONS....

Q & A 

OPEN FORUM ON  

 GOD 👈 PRAYER 👉 LIFE - MARRIAGE - FAMILY

 GOD 👈 👉 PRAYER - IS NEEDED IN 3 DIMENSIONS LIKE OUR LIFE

This is your Open Forum.
Please share your best practices, experience, challenges, questions, doubts....  

WRAP-UP: Feedback – Questions – Suggestions               (5 minutes)

GO TO CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN TOOLS PAGE

Link to MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEXTS 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Nature Challenge: Top 10 steps

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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Nature Challenge: Top 10 steps

Below are the top 10 ways you can help conserve nature. Pick three and take the Nature Challenge, a personal commitment to make a difference.  Click on each to find out more.

1. Reduce home energy use by 10%.

2. Choose an energy-efficient home and appliance

3. Replace dangerous pesticides with alternatives.

4. Eat meat-free meals one day a week.

5. Buy locally grown and produced food.

6. Choose a fuel-efficient vehicle.

7. Walk, bike, carpool or take transit.

8. Choose a home close to work or school.

9. Support car-free alternatives.

10. Learn more and share with family and friends.

Take the Challenge now!

Learn more:  Read news releases about the Nature Challenge.

Download the Green Guide, a comprehensive look at the 10 steps. 

Download The Science of the Green Challenge.

Nature Challenge

 10 Steps Overview       Save Energy      Choose Energy Stars

 Eliminate Pesticides      Eat Less Meat      Buy Locally 

 Drive Smart      Walk, Bike or Transit      Live Near Work or School 

 Support Alternatives      Get Involved      Overview 

Biodiversity Green Publications 

Link to MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEXTS 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Man and Woman in their "couple identity" have a crying need for "couple time". Each also needs to have from the other approval and support in their own "QUEST"

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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THE HUMAN CONDITION AND OUR "QUEST" 

"Ramblings of a 72-year-old celibate... in the event you may find this helpful....

Every human being - perhaps from the moment of their conception - has embedded within them a "Quest"... which, like a magnetic compass, orients their whole life towards the discovery of answers to "life's great questions"; while at the same time this quest guides them as they strive to "give meaning and purpose to their life" through what they choose to read and learn, through their thoughts and writings, by the ways they choose to relate to others, and through what they choose to say and do. 

There are many uncertainties in this life and on this quest, and we are all in need of approval and support from those whom we love and trust and about whom we care the most. Further, we cannot attain the full deployment of meaning and purpose in our life or on our quest without also approving and supporting the other in their quest. We are never alone. 

KEYS TO INTIMACY WITH GOD AND WITH OTHERS

God the Father sent his Son into the world, taking flesh in Mary and born as Jesus of Nazareth, with Mary's husband Joseph as his foster father and protector; in order to save humanity. Jesus gave us an example of the new life offered to us in Him, as sons and daughters of the Father. This new life is lived in a relationship of intimacy and communion with God and with other human beings, forgiving faults, and living in peace and harmony, accepting to endure whatever sufferings and troubles that come to us in life.

Our common human condition, due to the "original sin", inclines us away from this new life and tends to drag us down into an "old life" bound by fear of death, rebellion against God, unwillingness to trust in God, wariness of others, harboring of resentment over offences, accumulation of material goods, distrust and unwillingness to share, and myriad forms of selfishness, unwillingness to forgive, and preoccupation with oneself. 

In order to resist the "old life" and instead to choose to live the "new life"; we need:

1.  To praise and worship God alone, in family, and in the faith assembly;

2.  To want to be aware of our own thoughts, words, decisions, actions, and behavior;

3.  To seek God from within and turn to Him for help;

4.  With God's help, to know and repent of our faults and repair any harm done;

5.  To seek forgiveness from God and from others;

6.  To seek God in prayer and the Bible and rest in Him, in his love and mercy;

7.  To generously show mercy to others as we have received mercy from God;

8.  To do our best to give witness to God and to come to the help of others.

More specifically, on entering into Marriage, the man and woman need:

1.  Do their best from day to day to "know themselves";

2.  Take interest in the other and seek from day to day to "know their spouse";

3.  Resist the "old life" inclination to take offence and resent the other's faults;

4.  Have compassion on the other for their faults and seek to support them;

5.  Commit daily to repent one's own faults and make efforts to become better; 

6.  Be ever ready to forgive the other and to ask forgiveness as needed;

7.  Daily to take responsibility for myself and care for my own needs; 

8.  To daily express love for one's spouse, support them, and supply their needs;

9.  To be on the watch for reasons to be grateful and express gratitude to the other;

10.  Pray constantly, that is, ever seeking to live in the presence and love of God;

11.  Live ever in communion with one's spouse, whether nearby or at a distance;

12.  Rest in God so as to take delight constantly in one's spouse and appreciate them.

What about our "Life Quest"?

1.  Ponder your own life history, successes, and struggles: what do you seek?

2.  In light of what you seek, what is your true "quest"?

3.  Bring your needs, what you seek, and your "quest" to God in prayer daily.

4.  If you are married, what does your spouse need and seek?
5.  In light of what your spouse needs and seeks, what is your spouse's "quest"?

6.  Bring your spouse's needs, what they seek, and their "quest" to God daily.

7.  How can you and your spouse support one another in your needs and quests?

8.  How can you accompany your spouse in being self-critical about their quest?

9.  Seek the advice of wise, admirable, and proven individuals.

10.  Let God guide you in his Word and in prayer and "edit" your quest. 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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