CFC Handmaids of the Lord Christian Life Program Manual

CFC HANDMAIDS OF THE LORD
CHRISTIAN LIFE PROGRAM V2.0
TEAM MANUAL
pg. 4
pg. 5
MODULE 1: THE BASIC TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY
pg. 6
TEAM DYNAMICS FOR SESSION 1

DYNAMICS:
1. Service Team Meeting
1.1 Registration and information sheets
1.2 Grouping of participants
1.3 Check equipment, videos, music, lighting, sound
system
1.4 Prayer to take authority
1.5 Pray-over of speakers (Orientation and Session 1)
1.6 Group discussion guides
1.7 Participant’s handout
2. Play romantic love songs, prepare powerpoint slides of lyrics
3. Worship: One song
4. CLP orientation by Team Leader
5. Introduce the speaker; Make powerpoint
6. Speaker to conduct activity: “Love is…”
7. Talk proper
8. Video: “A Love Letter from God”
9. Speaker ends with a prayer.
10. Group discussion. Distribute Participants handout.
11. Video teaser for the next session.
12. Post Session.
12.1 Evaluation for Session 1
12.2 Prepare for Session 2
12.3 Remind Service Team to encode participants in OGD
SPEAKER’S PROFILE
pg. 7
A HOLD Unit Head or up who recognizes with awe and gratitude

her experiences of God’s (Trinitarian) love; she should be able to
clearly relate this profound truth to her audience with joy.
CLP ORIENTATION
Welcome the participants to the CFC: Handmaids of the Lord

Christian Life Program. Before we start, may I introduce myself:
__________________ and with me are the service team:
_______________________________.
Explain the meanings of the acronyms CFC, HOLD and CLP.
Briefly explain what Couples for Christ is.
The Couples for Christ is a family-oriented community that aims

to involve all members of the family into the ministry of families
in the Spirit renewing the face of the earth
pg. 8
The Handmaids of the Lord is a community whose members are

widows, separated or divorced, wives of overseas workers, single
mature women, single mothers and wives whose husbands are not
or is unable to join CFC.
The CLP is divided into 2 modules with a total of 8 sessions. We

will be doing 1 session per week. We will be able to complete the
CLP in 2 months. You might think that 2 months is too long. Just
take it one Saturday at a time.
pg. 9
But do not worry, we will be having fun. We can meet new

friends and most of all we can discover so many new insights
about our faith and the talks will inspire us and strengthen our
faith. Before youknow it, the 2 months will be over.
So friends, let us get started. I would like to introduce our speaker

for today………
pg. 10
SESSION 1: GOD’S LOVE
OVERVIEW OF THE SESSION

ANCHOR VERSE:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have
eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through
him.” John 3:16-17 (NABRE)
GOAL:
To communicate the truth that God loves us and to provide a
better understanding of God’s love
CORE MESSAGE:
God is love. For Christians, the concept of “love” is expressed in
the sacrificial manner by which the Father offered His one and
only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for the forgiveness of
our sins and for our salvation. It is the kind of love that creates,
saves, and sustains.
TENOR: Affirming and enlightening
pg. 11
SESSION 1: GOD’S LOVE

THE EXPANDED TALK OUTLINE
Greet the participants
Today, we will be talking about love. Let us start with an activity.

We will try to define what love is through the “Love is…activity.
I will start a sentence by giving the first few words and then you
finish the sentence by filling in the blanks.
Example: My chair is ______________.
I will flash a slide with the beginning of a sentence and you fill in
the blanks. Just put in the first words that come to your mind. We
don’t have to overthink. Are we ready?
pg. 12
Invite participants to share what they have written. Keep

interaction lively.
Let participants answer the second round. Then let them share
their answer.
Proceed to the 3rd round. Explain the what they can write here
maybe a person, a thing, a place or an activity they love). Let
them share their answer.
Thank the participants for their responses and proceed to the
talk proper with the following connecting statement:
pg. 13
INTRODUCTION
Did you notice or can you recall the songs we heard when we
started? Those were songs that expressed many thoughts,
emotions and sentiments about love. The activity we just finished
was also about love – your ideas and experiences of love. Based
on your responses, we can see that love cannot be defined in a
single and uniform manner. Love has many manifestations. Love
has effects on your life that you cannot ignore and for which you
are either very grateful for or maybe even sorry for.
So, what about love? Love is the reason for our existence because
we were created by God out of love. And God Himself is love.
“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God
abides in him.” (1John. 4:16) Love is a universal feeling. There is
no one in this world who has not received love nor has not given
love. God is the source of that love. In this CLP, we will learn that
God’s love creates, saves, and sustains.
pg. 14
1. God’s Love Creates
a. God is the master creator of all. For five days, God created the
heavens and the earth, the water and the land, the animals and
the
plants, and in Genesis 1: 31 “God looked at everything He
had made and He found it very good.”
pg. 15
b. On the sixth day, God created His greatest masterpiece: man. It

was God’s deliberate act of love to create man and to set him apart
from all of His creations. God so loves man that He created him to
be like Himself – “God created mankind in his image; in the
image of God he created them; male and female he created
them.” (Genesis 1:27) He created them in His image and likeness.
Doing so, God has lovingly infused man with dignity. We mirror
His nature. We represent Him. What an honor! Created out of
God’s love, we, humans, are meant to have a loving relationship
with God, to be in communion with Him.
c. God created man and gave him life. But He did not stop there.
He went on to provide all their needs. God placed the first man
and woman, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, a paradise that
had everything they needed. More significantly, God gave them
free will - the freedom to think, to act and to choose what to do or
not to do.
pg. 16
Unfortunate
ly, in the exercise of his God-given free will, man defied his
Creator. Tempted by the devil, man disobeyed God’s command
not to eat the forbidden fruit in paradise. With this disobedience,
Adam and Eve committed the first sin, the “original sin.”
Since then, man has continued to sin and offend God. Sin drives
us away from God, our creator. However, the Creator’s love for
man has never waned despite his sinfulness.
2. God’s Love Saves

a. The consequence of sin is eternal suffering in the fires of hell.
But there is hope. Because of God’s love, a sinner can be saved
from this situation. God’s love saves; it forgives and redeems.
pg. 17
We see this in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31)

which describes the forgiving and saving love of God. It tells of a
father’s extravagant, lavish and generous love, not just for the
younger prodigal son but for the older jealous son as well (Luke
15:11-31).
In the parable, the younger son demanded and took his inheritance
as if his father had already died. He left home, led a wanton life,
squandered all his fortune, suffered hunger and misery, and ended
as a slave who fed pigs. Destitute, he envied his father’s servants
who were better off in his father’s house. Coming to his senses
and admitting his sins, he decided to return with a firm resolve to
say to his father:
1) “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you,” (Lk 15:18);
2) “I no longer deserve to be called your son,” (Luke 15:19a)
pg. 18
and 3) “Treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” (Luke
15:19b)
On his return, his father, who probably waited for him every
single day, saw him from afar.
The father then ran and rushed to meet him with so much love,
showering him with hugs and kisses (Luke 15:20c). As the son
stammered with his prepared statements, the father asked his
servants to put on his son the best robe, to put a ring on his finger
and sandals on his feet (Luke 15:22-23). This, to restore his
dignity and status as a son and not a slave.
The older son became jealous of the younger brother and refused
to enter the house. He questioned why he, who never abandoned
pg. 19
and had always obeyed his father, was not treated with as much
love and honor.
The father reached out to him and assured him, “My son,
everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31) This parable illustrates
how God passionately loves us. God’s love keeps the faithful ones
like the older son, and saves repenting sinners like the prodigal
son. Can you relate with any of them?
b. When we sin, we damage our relationship with God. But God
is not indifferent or distant from us. Like the father in the
parable, God constantly draws us back to Himself to restore
our failed relationship with Him. How? It was God’s love that
drove Him to send His only Son Jesus Christ to die on the
cross to pay for our sins, to save us from the fires of hell.
c. St. John Paul II tells us that God’s love is expressed in the

offering of His only Son, Jesus.
pg. 20
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might
have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but that the world might be
saved through him.” (John 3:16-17) This is why we call
Jesus Christ our savior, our redeemer. Our God, Jesus Christ,
forgives our sins and restores us to communion with Him.
Jesus saves. We will learn more about Jesus Christ next week.
3. God’s Love Sustains

a. God is the giver of life. And since life came from Him, it is also
through Him that we are sustained in life.
Thus, He gives us the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit
before He ascended to heaven to calm His worried disciples: “The
pg. 21
Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my

name…Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John
14:26-27)
b. Despite Adam and Eve’s disobedience, our loving God
empowers man through the Holy Spirit to enable us to face life
head on. With the Holy Spirit, we can overcome temptations,
wrongdoings, sins and the work of the evil spirits. The Holy Spirit
intercedes for us in our prayers. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and
because of Him and through Him we can share in the love
between the Father, who is Love, and the Son who is Jesus, the
beloved.
c. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God that sustains our Christian
life and makes it flourish. The Holy Spirit leads us to the path of
holiness. How? If we are open to the promptings of the Holy
Spirit, we encounter the voice of God. God, through the Holy
Spirit, counsels us in silence, or shows to us through events and
situations, how we should think, feel, act and behave as good
Christians. The Holy Spirit is God Himself opening our eyes or
jolting us to see temptations and sins for what they really are so
we can avoid falling into them. Through various ways, the Holy
Spirit is God reminding us of the commands and teachings of
Jesus so we will not go astray. The Bible clearly states this in
John 14:26 “…he will teach you everything and remind you of
pg. 22
all that [I] told you…” The Holy Spirit strengthens our resolve to
be good people of God. So the Holy Spirit is God Himself
working within us – sustaining, molding, renewing and recreating
our lives so that we may become the persons that God had
originally intended Adam and Eve to be – sinless and united with
Him.
Friends, let us listen to this video recording. It is a love letter from

God. Listen to the words as if He is speaking directly to you.
VIDEO SHOWING:
CONCLUSION
God’s love is reflected in his creation. God’s love is described in

the parable of the father and his two sons.
pg. 23
But the fullest revelation of God’s love is the sending of His Son,
Jesus, whom you will get to know more in the next session.
Let us all sit down in a prayerful position. Let us prayerfully

thank God for His amazing love. Close your eyes and silently
repeat after me
Prayer:
Dear God in heaven, thank you for Your compassionate and
merciful love. Grant me the grace to
remember at all times, that Your love creates, Your love saves,
and Your love sustains. I invite
You to come into my life. I open myself to your blessings,
forgiveness and graces. I offer to You
the areas in my life that I am asking for Your love to manifest.
Father, grant me the grace to know
and love You more. Today I declare that I am your beloved child.
Amen
pg. 24
A LOVE LETTER FROM GOD

My beloved in whom I delight, -Matthew 12:18
You are precious in my eyes and honored. And I love you. – Isaiah 43:4
I formed your inmost being. I knit you in your mother’s womb.- Psalm 139:13-
14-
You are wonderfully made. - Psalm 139:14
I know you. I Know when you sit and when you stand. I understand
your thoughts from afar … - Psalm 139:9
Come to me You who labor and are burdened. I will give you rest. - Matthew
12:8
I am with you and I will protect you. Wherever you go. I will never
leave you until I have done what I promised you. - Matthew 12:8
Do not fear I am with you. Do not be anxious I am your God. I will
strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right
hand. - Isaiah 41:10
I know well the plans I have in my mind for you … Plans for your
welfare and not for woe. So as to give a future of hope. - Matthew 12:8
pg. 25
When you call me, and come and pray to me …I will listen to you. - Jeremiah
29:12
Remain in Me, as I remain in you. - John 15:4
I gave my only begotten Son to the world so that everyone who believes in Him
might not perish but might have eternal life. This is how much I love you. - John
15:4
Come to know and believe in love I have for you. I am your God who is
Love. Whoever remains in my love remains in me and I in him. - 1 John
4:16
You love because I first love you. - 1 John 4:19
Turn to me and be safe. For I am God; there is no other! - Isaiah 45:22
Behold, I am with you always. - Matthew 28:20
Will you be with me? With age old love I have loved you. - Jeremiah
31:3
Will you love me too?
Love,
Your Heavenly Father
pg. 26
pg. 27
pg. 28

DYNAMICS:
1.2 Review grouping of participants; any new participants?
system
1.4 Pray-over of speaker/sharer
3. Recap of last session then introduce speaker
4. Talk proper
5. Video Showing “I Am”
6. Briefing of sharer
7. Reflection: Prepare Reflection Song
9. Post Session.
9.1 Ask Session 3 speaker f she will do the sharing or is
there need to assign a sharer.
9.2 Tech Team to prepare video or powerpoint
presentation featuring HOLD families in fellowship or
doing activities or chores together or bonding together
SPEAKER’S PROFILE
HOLD Unit Head or up who can share on her journey of an
ongoing, life-giving and loving relationship with Jesus. She
considers herself as a friend, a believer and follower of Jesus who
can relate facts and stories about Him.
SHARER’S PROFILE
pg. 29
A HOLD member or CFC wife who can share about how her life
changed for the better when she committed her life to Jesus as her
savior and friend.
SESSION 2 : WHO IS JESUS CHRIST

ANCHOR VERSE:
“Now Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea
Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people
say that I am?’ They said in reply, ‘John the Baptist, others
Elijah, still others one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But
who do you say that I am?’ Peter said to him in reply, ‘You are
the Messiah.’ Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.”
Mark 8:27-30 (NABRE)
GOAL:
To provide a better understanding of Jesus Christ and draw
participants into a loving relationship with Him.
CORE MESSAGE:
“Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27) This was the
question that Jesus posed to Peter. It is the same question that
Jesus asks us today. Who is He in our lives? He is our savior, the
One who forgives our sins, our friend. He is our Lord, who by the
Father’s extravagant love was sent so that we may be reconciled
with God and know His love. Jesus is our model of holiness so we
might grow in faith, hope and love as His Christian followers.
TENOR:
pg. 30
Enlightening
TEAM LEADER’S INTRO

Last session, our speaker (state speaker’s name) we were
reminded about how God loves us. Our sinful nature separates us
from Him. But His love is so great that He want us to seek Him
and forever be united with Him. This is the kind of love so great
that He offered His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment
by dying on the cross for our salvation.
Today, we will know Jesus Christ better: Who He really is, who
He is in our Life and how we can follow Him as good Christians.
Let us start by watching this video.
Our speaker will explain this further. She is --- (Introduce the
speaker)
pg. 31
SESSION 2: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

THE EXPANDED OUTLINE
Greet the participants.
Today, we will be talking about a man who I think everybody

knows. But who really is Jesus Christ? Before we proceed, let us
have an activity called Two Truths and One Lie About Jesus.
ACTIVITY: “Two Truths and One Lie About Jesus”
pg. 32
I will flash 3 description about Jesus. Please identify which of the

3 options is a lie, then tell me how to make it true.
Round 1 - CHOICES:
1. Born in Nazareth
2. Son of a Carpenter
3. Born in a Manger
LIE:
Jesus was born in Nazareth. Jesus of Nazareth, that’s what people
call him, but Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
King Herod. His birth was foretold, even the wise men from the East
came to Bethlehem to give him homage. (Matthew 2:1-2)
pg. 33
TRUTHS:
Son of a Carpenter. Jesus was raised by His adoptive father, Joseph,
who was known to be a carpenter. In Jewish culture, the father trains
his child into his profession and Jesus learned this trade during their
private life in Egypt. (Matthew 2:14)
Born in a manger. She gave birth to her first born son. She
wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger ,because
there was no room for them in any inn in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7). They
went to Bethlehem to register in a census which was required of citizens
of Bethlehem, like Joseph. It was also the time for Mary to give birth
(Luke 2:3-6).
Round 2 - CHOICES:
1. He forgives sins
2. He never gets angry
3. He performs miracles
LIE:
He never gets angry. Did you ever wonder if Jesus also got
angry? Yes He did. In Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus entered the temple
area and saw that the people turned the temple into a market place.
pg. 34
He overturned the tables of the mone y changers and seats of those

selling doves. He said to them, “It is written: ‘My house shall be
a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves.” He
did get angry but it was a righteous anger.
TRUTHS:
He forgives sins. One example is in the healing of a paralytic at
Capernaum, one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels in
Matthew 9:1 –8, Mark 2: 1–12, and Luke 5: 17 –26. When Jesus
saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are
forgiven… know that the Son of man has authority on earth to
forgive sins.”
He performs miracles. The first miracle of Jesus was during the

wedding feast in Cana when Jesus turned water into wine (John
2:1-11). He performed many signs and miracles, he restored the
sight of the blind man (Mark 10:46-52), cleansed the leper (Mark
1:40), healed the paralytic (Mark 2:5), cured a demoniac (Mark
1:21), cured Simon’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29), calmed the
storm at sea (Mark 4:35) and others.
Round 3 - CHOICES:
1. He died on the cross.
pg. 35
2. He resurrected after 3 days.

3. He will never come again.
LIE:
He will never come again. He (Jesus) will come again in glory to
judge the living and the dead. But no one knows the exact time
when Jesus is coming again, not even the angels in heaven except
the Father. (Mark 13:32)
TRUTHS:
He died on the cross. All the four Gospels agreed on the account
of Jesus’ crucifixion that led to his death on the cross. Jesus cried
in a loud voice, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit”
and breathed his last. (Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46,
John 19:30)
He resurrected after 3 days. All four Gospels spoke of Jesus’

resurrection. (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John
20:1-10) This is why in the Nicene Creed or its shorter version,
“The Apostles Creed,” we recite, “Jesus was crucified, died and
was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with
the scripture.”
pg. 36
Round 4 - CHOICES:
1. Jesus is the Son of God.
2. Jesus is fully man, fully God.
3. Jesus is half God and half Man.
LIE:
Jesus is half God and half Man.
No. Jesus is 100% God, fully divine and 100% God.
TRUTHS:
Jesus is fully man, fully God.
Jesus is 100% God, fully divine. In the Nicene Creed, we recite,
“I believe in Jesus Christ, true God and true man. Begotten not
made, consubstantial with the Father.” In Luke 1:35, Jesus is
called as the Son of God; in Matthew 3:17, a voice came from
heaven and said, “This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased.” Jesus is 100% man, fully human. He walked where we
walked, He felt what we felt, He was tempted in every way like
us.
Jesus is the Son of God. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world
that He sent His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in
him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” When Jesus was
baptized by John in the Jordan River, God the Father confirmed
Jesus as His Son. God declared, “This is my beloved Son with
whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
pg. 37
Round 5 - CHOICES:
1. Jesus is our Savior,
2. Jesus is Risen,
3 Jesus is just an ordinary prophet
LIE:
Jesus is just an ordinary prophet. Jesus is no ordinary prophet.
At a young age of 12, even the scholars of the laws and the High
Priests listened to him and were amazed at his wisdom. “He grew
and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God
was upon him.” (Luke 2:40)
TRUTHS:
Jesus is our Savior. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and
said that Mary would bear a son through the Holy Spirit, and He
shall name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their
sins.
Jesus is Risen. We all heard of the resurrection of Jesus in the

Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He appeared to His
disciples a number of times before He ascended to heaven.
pg. 38
Round 6 - CHOICES:
1. He is a lunatic
2. He raises people from the dead
3. He performs miracles
LIE:
He is a lunatic. Jesus is not a lunatic, instead he healed a lunatic
in Matthew 17: 14-16.
TRUTHS:
He raises people from the dead. Jesus raised Lazarus from the
dead (John 11:43-44), Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus
(Matthew 9:25), Jesus raised back to life the only son of a widow
in Naim (Luke 7:14-16). He performs miracles. Another great
miracle of Jesus was the multiplication of the 5 loaves and 2 fish
with which He fed about five thousand people. (John 6:1-14).
That was a good exercise. We know about Jesus. Today we will

know Jesus in a deeper and personal way. Let us proceed with our
topic for today. “Who is Jesus Christ?”
pg. 39
INTRODUCTION
“Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8: 27) This was the
question that Jesus posed to Peter. Who is Jesus Christ, whom
millions claim to be following, whom countless men and women
have given their lives to and been martyred for their faith in Him?
Who is He who won for us our salvation, who restored us to a
relationship with God in order that we can experience a full and
new life?
pg. 40
We will answer these questions: “Who is Jesus Christ?“ first

according to how He is described in history, according to how we
honor Him in our faith, according to how others describe Him.
Then we hope that before we finish, we will be able to answer the
question “Who do you say I am” in a more personal way
according to how He impacts your life.
I. JESUS OF HISTORY AND THE CHRIST OF FAITH
Jesus of History
a. History is full of men and women who claimed that they came
from God.
Jesus is the only person in history whose coming was pre-

announced. The prophecies made in the Old Testament centuries
pg. 41
before Jesus was born point towards Jesus. (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah
9:5, Numbers 24:17) Jesus is an absolutely unique figure in human
history. He struck history with such impact that He split it in two:
“BC” and “AD.” “BC” means “Before Christ.” On the other hand,
“AD” refers to the Latin words “Anno Domini” which is
translated in English as “Year of the Lord.” It refers to the year
when the Lord Jesus appeared on earth. The calendar that we are
familiar with reflects this impact.
b. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of a virgin named Mary. (Luke.

2:1-20)
His foster father, Joseph, was a carpenter. He grew up as a young

carpenter in Nazareth.
pg. 42
For three years, He became an itinerant preacher. He was never

more than 150 kilometers from his home. He had never been to
cities with populations larger than 50,000.
He was not a known scholar or philosopher like Socrates, Plato

and Aristotle. His short ministry attracted only a modest number
of disciples, mainly uneducated fishermen and their relatives.
pg. 43
He showed tenderness, compassion and personal concern;

expressed anger and grief as well. Yet He was an impressive
person who had an influential personality. He was a magnetic
leader and a man of extraordinary authority.
Christ of Faith
c. What did Jesus do and say about himself that, despite His
humble and short human life, created such an impact on
history?
pg. 44
i. Jesus forgave sins. (Mark. 2:5-7) – He claimed that he

could forgive sin, something only God can do. “ When
Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child,
your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes
were sitting there asking themselves, 7 ‘Why does this
man speak that way?[ He is blaspheming. Who but
God alone can forgive sins?’” (See Annex for more
insight)
ii. Jesus claimed to possess all power in heaven and on

earth.– He proclaimed with great conviction that he
had power not just on earth but also in heaven. “Then
Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in
pg. 45
heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew

28:18-19)
iii. Jesus claimed straightforwardly to be God. In John 8:58, Jesus

said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham
came to be, I AM.” In John 10:30, 37-38, Jesus claimed “The
Father and I are one.” – His contemporaries came to the
realization that he was God: Simon Peter (Matthew 16:13-16),
Martha (John 11:27), Nathanael (John 1:49), Thomas (John
20:27-28), the centurion (Matthew 27:54), even the evil spirits
(Matthew 8:29, Mark 1:24, Mark 3:11, Luke 4:41).
II. LIAR, LUNATIC or LORD
pg. 46
a. Jesus’ claim to be God must be either true or false. If false,

then we only have two alternatives. Either he knew it was
false, in which case he would be a liar, or he did not know it
was false, in which case he would be a lunatic.
b. Could Jesus have lied? If he lied, then he would have been
deliberately deceiving his followers. But we need only look at
his person, his words and his work to deduce that he could not
have been a liar. Look at his moral purity, dignity, sound
intellect and air of truth. Consider his character that is so
original, consistent, perfect and high above human greatness.
He carried out a plan of unparalleled beneficence, moral
magnitude and greatness, and sacrificed his own life for it.
Would he die for a lie? The results of his life and teachings
were lives changed for the better, thieves made honest and
spiteful individuals becoming channels of love.
c. Could Jesus have been a lunatic? In Jesus we do not see any
abnormalities or imbalances that usually go along with being
deranged. In fact, his composure and thought process were
amazing to have spoken some of the most profound sayings
ever recorded. Such a man cannot be a lunatic.
If not a liar or a lunatic, the only alternative left to us is that
Jesus did speak the truth.
pg. 47
He was, and is, the Son of God as he claimed He is Lord! This

is why it is important for us to know Him, to follow Him and
to have a relationship with Him. This is why it is important to
be a Christian.
III. KNOWING JESUS AND BECOMING A

CHRISTIAN
a. Jesus’ entire life is salvific, meaning, the purpose of His

entire life is to save and redeem mankind. Sin separated
man from God when Adam and Eve committed the
original sin. Yet, God wants mankind back in His fold, but
without the stain of sin. His only son Jesus Christ has made
this possible. How? In the Old Testament, the Jews offered
animals to be sacrificed and killed in rituals for the
pg. 48
forgiveness of sins and removal of guilt – the Burnt

Offering, the Peace Offering, the Sin Offering. When Jesus
came to earth, His death on the cross became the singular
offering that replaced all the killings in the burnt offerings,
the peace offerings and the sin offerings. God Himself
gave His only Son to be the ultimate sacrifice for the
forgiveness of our sins and the removal of guilt. His
crucifixion and death revealed His true identity: our Savior
and Redeemer.
The cross is the means by which we can truly know Jesus.

Only when we fully realize the magnitude of Jesus’
sacrifice on the cross can we begin to truly know Jesus.
But Jesus’ death on the cross would have been
meaningless without His resurrection. It is the most
conclusive proof that Jesus is Lord and God. (John. 20:26-
29)
pg. 49
b. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, invites us to love,

repent, forgive and celebrate, confident that He is involved
in our daily struggles.
When we truly know Jesus, when we take him as our Lord

and God, when we develop a personal relationship with
Him, then we become truly Christians.
pg. 50
“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he

is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you;
he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who
provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let
you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed
the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your heart
your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to
stifle.” – St. John Paul II
c. What does it mean to be a Christian?
pg. 51
i. For some people, Christianity is a mere religious system,

a mere moral, social or humanitarian system, or an escape
from the realities of life. But the truth is that Christianity is
a relationship initiated by God, through Jesus Christ, out of
his mercy and love for us.
ii. To be a Christian means having a loving personal

relationship with Jesus Christ. We become followers of
Christ. We become transformed. We take on a new
identity, one that is identified with Christ, hence
“Christians.” We become His disciples.
pg. 52
iii. Being Christ’s disciple means living in faith, hope and

charity (CCC 1813)
● A Christian is a person of faith. (Hebrews 11:1) A true
Christian is one who believes and has faith in Jesus Christ.
He freely and boldly expresses his faith in Him to other
people so that they may also believe.
● A Christian is a person of hope. (Romans 8:24-25) Hope
is an attitude of confident expectation. A true Christian is
one who lives full of hope, trusting that the will of God
will happen and His plan will come to completion.
● A Christian is a person of love. (John 13:35) Love for
one another is what distinguishes the disciples of Jesus. A
true Christian is one who loves his family, friends,
neighbors, fellowmen, strangers and enemies alike as
Christ loves.
Friends, I will now call a sister who will share about how her life
was turned around for the better when she committed her life to
Jesus as her savior and friend. She became a person of faith, hope
and love. Let us welcome Sister ________.
CONCLUSION
pg. 53
Jesus now raises the same question to you: “Who do you say that I
am?”
He is inviting you to be His friend and to be in a close and loving
relationship with Him. Will you accept Him as your Lord and
Savior? Will you take him as your dear friend, savior and
redeemer?
“The Lord knows those who are His.” (2 Timothy 2:19a) He is
waiting for you to embrace Him with all your heart, and for you to
be called His, an authentic Christian.
pg. 54
ANNEX
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR STUDY
FOR THE USE OF THE SPEAKER
1. In reference to “Jesus forgave sins”
C.S. Lewis, in his book “Mere Christianity,” gives the most
compelling commentary on these verses:
“Jesus’ claim to forgive sins, any sin, is really so preposterous or
comic unless he is God himself. One can understand how a man
can forgive offenses against himself. You step on my toe and I
forgive you. You steal my money and I forgive you. But what do you
make of a man, himself unrobed and unhurt, who announces that he
forgives you for stepping on somebody else’s toes and stealing
somebody else’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description
we can make of such a man. He forgives sin without consulting the
people adversely affected by the offenses. This makes sense only if
he really is God whose very laws were violated by the offenses…”
4. On Christ’s Divinity and Humanity
Pope Leo I stated it very clearly, “It is as dangerous an evil to

deny the truth of the human nature of Christ as to refuse to
believe that his glory is equal to that of the Father.”
5. On the full Identity of Jesus
Father Raymond Brown states it very elegantly in his book An

Introduction to New Testament Christology that the issue of the
full identity of Jesus is ultimately a question of the love of God
for human beings. He says: “If Jesus is not ‘true God of true
God.’ then we do not know God in human terms. Even if Jesus
pg. 55
were the most perfect creature far above all others, he could
tell us only at second hand about God who really remains
almost as distant as the Unmoved Mover of Aristotle. Only if
Jesus is truly God do we know what God is like, for in Jesus we
see God translated into terms that we can understand. A God
who sent a marvelous creature as our Savior could be
described as loving, but that love would have cost God nothing
in a personal way. Only if Jesus is truly God do we know that
God’s love was so real that it reached the point of personal
self-giving.
Unless we understand that Jesus was also truly human with no

exception but sin, we cannot comprehend the depth of God’s
love. If Jesus’ knowledge is limited, as indicated prima facie in
the biblical evidence, then one understands that God loved us
to the point of self-subjection to our most agonizing infirmities.
A Jesus who walked through the world with unlimited
knowledge, knowing exactly what the morrow would bring,
knowing with certainty that three days after his death his
Father would raise him up, would be a Jesus who could arouse
our admiration, but a Jesus still far from us. He would be a
Jesus far from a humankind that can only hope in the future
that must face the supreme uncertainty of death with faith but
without knowledge of what is beyond. On the other hand, a
Jesus for whom the detailed future had elements of mystery,
dread, and hope as it has for us and yet, at the same time, a
Jesus who would say, “Not my will but yours” – this would be
a Jesus who could effectively teach us how to live, for this
Jesus would have gone through life’s trials. Then his saying,
“No one can have greater love than this: to lay down his life
for those he loves” (John 15:13), would be truly persuasive,
for we would know that he laid down his life with all the agony
pg. 56
with which we lay ours down. We would know that for him the
loss of life was, as it is for us, the loss of a great possession, a
possession that is outranked only by love.
Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Being God, we can pray
to him and ask him to heal us, to bless us, to protect us, to
forgive us, and to provide for all our needs. But being also
human, we can have a very personal relationship with him.
Having walked on earth and suffered, Jesus is acutely
conscious of the difficulties, frustrations, uncertainties, and
fears that we all experience. Being human, he feels our
feelings, he suffers our pains and he understands our
loneliness. Being human, he can be passionately involved in
our lives
pg. 57
pg. 58

DYNAMICS:
1.2 Make final grouping and facilitator assignment
system
1.4 Pray-over of speaker (and sharer if sharer is not the
speaker
1.5 Reflection. Prepare reflection music and powerpoint of
discussion guide
3. Recap of Session 2
4. Introduce speaker. Speaker will be the one to call the sharer
(in case speaker is not the sharer)
5. Talk proper
6. Reflection: Prepare Reflection Song and powerpoint of
discussion guide.
7. Group discussion.
8. Distribute Participants handout.
9. Team Leader will explain one-on-one sessions with
facilitators.
10. Post Session
10.1 Facilitators to schedule one on one with participants
10.2 Walk thru on how to do the one-one-one after session 3
10.3 Remind facilitators to follow up examination of
conscience of participants and encourage them to go to
confession
10.4 Remind Tech Team on Video of HOLD families
pg. 59
SESSION 3 : REPENTANCE AND FAITH
ANCHOR VERSE:
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 (NABRE)
GOAL:
To lead people to repent for their sins and turn to a renewed faith
in Jesus Christ.
CORE MESSAGE: The only proper response to all that God has
done for us is repentance and faith. “Repent, and believe in the
gospel” is precisely what Jesus calls for from the beginning of His
ministry. Repentance and faith go together. It is a double-action
response. But repentance is not just being sorry for sin because of
adverse consequences. It is also not dependent on feelings. True
repentance is metanoia, a change of mind, a change in direction.
Repentance is turning away from sin and evil and surrendering to
Jesus as Lord of our life. And if Jesus is Lord, there is no room for
being lukewarm. True repentance requires honesty, to admit that a
sin is a sin; and humility, to admit that we are weak and we need
help. True repentance requires faith in God.
pg. 60
Faith is not a feeling or wishful thinking or a blind leap. “Faith is

the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not
seen.” Hebrews 11:1. It is man’s response to God. It is belief in
the gospel, a personal act and decision. Most of all, faith is a pure
gift from God. The result of repentance and faith is a promise of
salvation from sin and death, and at a personal level, freedom
from fear of death. Jesus sounded the call to repentance and faith
two thousand years ago. It is the same call to us today. Like the
Blessed Virgin Mary, let us have complete faith in God and say,
“May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
TENOR: Enlightening and moving
SPEAKER’S PROFILE
A HOLD unit head or up who had a Spirit-driven transformation,
from a life away from God to a life filled with God’s presence and
love through repentance and faith. She shall communicate this
transformation in light of God’s powerful mercy and abundant
second chances.
TEAM LEADER INTRO
Last session, we learned more about who Jesus really is. That He
is not a distant God but the only begotten Son of God who He sent
to bring us back to the Fathers Embrace. He is our Redeemer, our
Lord and Savior. We were also invited to have a more intimate
relationship with Him as we grow in faith, hope and love. But for
us to be able to do this, we need to follow Him as our model for
holiness. We are called to be Christians. But for us to be able to
fully become followers of Christ, we need to do our part. Today,
pg. 61
we will listen to a talk that will bring us closer to holiness. Our

topic for today is Repentance and Faith. Our speaker for today is
a _________________.
SESSION 3: REPENTANCE AND FAITH
Greet the participants.
INTRODUCTION
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 (NABRE)
God loves us. And the love of God is most clearly revealed in the
sending of the Son that we may have life eternal. This Son is our
Lord, Jesus Christ, who has done so much for us. Now it is time
for us to respond. Our proper response is repentance and faith.
Repentance and faith go together. It is a double-action response.
We cannot just have one without the other. We need to believe in
Him and in His plans and promises. To simply believe without
doing anything to reform our lives to become pleasing to God is
also inadequate. Faith needs to be manifested in our way of life.
pg. 62
Faith necessarily needs to be connected to morality. In other

words, faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-17)
I. WHAT IS REPENTANCE?
1. In Greek, the word for true repentance is metanoia, which is
literally translated as a change of mind.
● Repentance refers to a change in direction. It is not just a

simple confession of wrongdoing. Neither is it being sorry
for sin because of the fear of the adverse consequences of
sin (punishment, etc.). We should not confuse sorrow for
sin with sorrow for the consequences of sin. Fear of the
possible punishment may serve as our first step towards
true repentance; but to be truly repentant, we must hate sin
itself because it offends God.
pg. 63
● It is a significant change in the way we live our lives:

dropping an old set of ideals and values by which we live
our lives and adopting new ones.
● Repentance affects the way we think and act, our
attitudes, motives, thought and behavior.
11. It means when we are with Christ, we turn away from sin, evil
and wrongdoing.
It means asking God for forgiveness and availing of the

Sacrament of Reconciliation, i.e. going to a priest for
confession. We need to renounce sins. Sins, whether big or
small, are totally incompatible with a relationship with God.
Examples of big or serious sins are:
- involvement in cults such as Freemasonry and New Age;
pg. 64
- practicing the occult such as witchcraft, fortune telling, and

séances;
- sexual wrongdoing such as sex outside marriage, adultery,
active homosexuality;
- murder,
- abortion,
- rape,
- kidnapping,
- theft, robbery, corruption;
- drunkenness, drug pushing and drug abuse.
12. It means surrendering our lives to Jesus as our Lord. If we

accept Jesus as Lord, then there is no room for being
lukewarm. (Revelation 3:15-16) We cannot be halfhearted
when approaching God for forgiveness. Repentance becomes
complete only under the Lordship of Jesus.
pg. 65
4. There are two essential characteristics of true repentance:

honesty
and humility.
a. When we ask God for forgiveness, we must be honest

enough
to admit that we made a mistake. If it is a sin, we must be
honest enough to admit that it is a sin.
● If we are practicing artificial birth control, which we

know is not allowed by the Church, we must be honest
enough to admit that it is a sin and resolve to correct the
situation.
● If we are not properly married in Church, we must be
honest enough to admit that it is against the teaching of the
Church and we should not rationalize the situation.
pg. 66
● If we are carrying on an affair, we must admit that it is

seriously wrong and cut it off immediately.
b. When we come to God to say how sorry we are for our
mistakes, we also should be humble enough to ask Him for
help so that we can change.
● We must admit our weakness and not expect that we are

capable of changing only through our own efforts.
● We must also be humble enough to seek the help of
others,
our parish priest or our elders in CFC HOLD.
True repentance requires faith in God.
II. WHAT IS FAITH?
pg. 67
1. “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of

things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 Faith is not just a feeling or
wishful thinking. Faith is man’s response to God, who reveals
Himself and gives Himself to man, at the same time bringing man
a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning in
life. (CCC 154-155)
2. Faith is a grace from God. It is not something that we can earn

or acquire by ourselves. It is a pure gift from God.
3. Faith is belief in the Gospel, which is the good news of
salvation in Jesus Christ. Faith is belief in both the messenger,
Jesus, and in the message that He brings. It means not just
believing with our minds (an intellectual belief) that Jesus is the
Savior, but believing in our hearts that He came to be our personal
Savior.
4. Faith is a personal act and decision. It has several aspects:
(Revelation 3:20)
● It is a definite act – we must open the door if Jesus is to
come into our lives.
pg. 68
● It is an individual act – we need to decide on our own to

open the door. No one can decide for us.
● It is a deliberate act – we do not have to wait for a
supernatural light to flash upon us from heaven or an
emotional experience to overtake us. We already know that
Jesus came into this world and died for our sins. He is now
standing outside the door of our hearts, knocking. The next
move is ours.
● It is an urgent act – the future is uncertain and time is
passing by.
● It is an indispensable act – it is part of our double-action
response. It is the step needed to receive all that God had
promised. Faith is relying on all that God had said.
Repentance and faith is the double-action response to God’s love.

Indeed, we cannot have one without the other.
III. REWARDS OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH
pg. 69
1. The reward of repentance and faith is forgiveness and salvation.

(Acts 16:31)
2. At a personal level, one reward of true repentance and profound
faith is freedom from fear of death. If indeed we believe that death
is nothing but a passage from a life of fleeting joy on earth to a life
of eternal happiness in heaven, then we should not fear it. We are
unable to overcome our fear because we have not fully repented
and our faith is weak.
CONCLUSION
Jesus sounded the call to repentance and faith two thousand years
ago. It is the same call to us today. We are called to turn away
from sin and to accept Jesus as Lord.
pg. 70
Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us have complete faith in God
and say, “May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke
1:38
Prepare for reflection. Let the music ministry play instrumental

reflection music, or let the technical team play canned
instrumental music for reflection.
REFECTION:
Will you accept the call to repent and believe in Jesus?

(wait for their reply)
pg. 71
Let us have a moment of reflection. In a prayerful mood, let us

put ourselves in the presence of our Lord and Savior and ask
forgiveness for our shortcomings.
Pause for 1 minute
Let us reflect on the areas of our life that we need to change and
lift them up to the Lord.
Pause a few seconds
Let us recognize that we are weak and we need the grace of God
to help us through this time of change. We need the strength and
grace of God to see us through.
Pause a few seconds
Let us also resolve to grow in faith. Ask God to increase our faith.
Let us offer to God our commitment to do our best to repent and
believe that He is here to be our Lord and Saviour, and hope in the
promise that He will always be there for us.
End with a short prayer of thanksgiving and commitment.
Glory be…
TEAM LEADER’S SUMMARY
SUMMARY OF MODULE 1
Congratulations, we have just finished the 3 sessions of the first Module.
How amazing it is to know that God loves us so much. He is our loving
Father. Our sinful nature separated us from Him, yet He made a beautiful
gesture of inviting us to reconnect with Him. He gave us His Son to be
the Way for us to go back in the holy presence of God.
We learned more deeply about Jesus, He allows us to know the Father
better. He died on the cross to redeem us, to take the punishment of sin
for us. He is our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend. He gives us
pg. 72
the example how to be holy. And He is inviting us to repent our sins and
believe in the Good News of Salvation. He wants us to follow Him
because He is the Way. And it is only by following Him that we will
know the truth because He is the Truth. And as Christians following Him,
we are invited to live a holy life…and experience the fulness of life.
The Session this afternoon invites us to Repent and Believe. The
reflection we just had is giving us the first steps that we need to do, which
is to review our life and look at the aspects of our life that we need to
change. Which spect of our faith that we need to improve on.
So far sisters, the sessions on Module 1 is a story of the offer of God to be
with Him. He needs our response sisters.
Anytime next week, your facilitator will call you for a one-on-one
meeting. Maybe there are areas in your life you are not yet comfortable
sharing to your discussion group, this is the time that you and your
facilitator can talk in a more private way. If you think you are not ready
to share your situation or experiences, it is okay, your facilitator will not
force you too. Just use your one-on-one time as bonding moments with
your facilitator. This is also a chance for you and your facilitator to know
each other better. Always remember that your facilitator is like a big
sister to you.
So after your group discussion, you can agree with your facilitator on the
date and time of your one-on-one.
pg. 73
pg. 74

DYNAMICS:
1.1 Quick checking on how the one-on-ones went with
each facilitator
system
1.3 Pray-over of speaker and sharer
2. Worship: Two songs. Include service team to say
thanksgiving prayer and petitions (not participants yet)
3. Recap of Session 3 and introduce new session
4. Introduce speaker
5. Talk proper
8. Announcement before closing: Participants must bring their
family picture next session
9. For post session: Make sure that video or powerpoint
presentation featuring HOLD families is ready for next session
SPEAKER’S PROFILE
The speaker is a HOLD unit head or up who can explain the
Christian ideals of loving God and neighbor without sounding
preachy or boastful, but inspiring our participants to respond to
God’s invitation.
SHARER’S PROFILE
pg. 75
The sharer is a HOLD or CFC sister who can testify to her faith
journey in learning to love God and neighbor.
SESSION 4 : THE CHRISTIAN IDEALS:
LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBOR

ANCHOR VERSE:
Jesus summed up the whole law in these two greatest
commandments: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all
your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the
greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You
shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the
prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew
22:37-40 (NABRE)
GOAL:
To explain the meaning of the Christian ideals of loving God and
loving neighbor, and inspire participants to practice it.
CORE MESSAGE:
Loving God and loving neighbor form the inseparable core of the
Christian life. These two go together. Loving God with our all
heart, mind, soul and strength is our highest ideal. This is the first
and greatest commandment. But we cannot love God without
loving our neighbor. We love our neighbor not only as we love
ourselves, but as God loves us.
TENOR: Inspiring
pg. 76
TEAM LEADER INTRO

Hello Sisters, I am sure all of you had a beautiful bonding moment
with your facilitator, right? How did it go? Sisters, I hope you
will continue to have strong bond with your facilitator. You can
consider her as your friend, or your Ate.
Another important thing I want to ask you about is our action
point after last week’s session. I don’t want to be pushy but I do
hope that you already did a good examination of conscience. We
still have a long way ahead of us and we will be with you all the
way.
We are now starting the second phase of our CLP. From Session
1 until Session 3 last week, we had Module 1 where we talk about
the Basic Truths About Christianity. The previous session Talks
about God’s love and how He shows this love to us.
Today will be the beginning of a new phase in our Christian Life
Program. In Module 2, our sessions will be on How to live an
Authentic and Spirit-led Christian Life.
This will be about our response to God’s immense love for us
beginning with Repentance and Faith. Today we will proceed
with another way of showing our response to God’s love for us.
These are called Christian Ideals: Loving God and Neighbor. To
give us an in-depth discussion on the topic, let us welcome _____
pg. 77
SESSION 4:
THE CHRISTIAN IDEALS:
LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBOR
INTRODUCTION
Loving God and loving neighbor form the inseparable core of the
Christian life. These two go together. Loving God is our highest
pg. 78
ideal, the first and greatest commandment. But we cannot love

God without loving our neighbor. We love our neighbor not only
as we love ourselves, but as God loves us.
I. LOVING GOD
When one of the scribes asked Jesus which is the first of all
commandments, He replied,
“The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord
alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength.” Mark 12:29-30
pg. 79
1. Loving God with all our heart
To love God with all our heart means to be totally committed

to Him. It is a commitment to seek the Lord first and foremost.
It is a decision to put God first, to be loyal to Him, to place His
will and interest above our own.
pg. 80
How do we put the Lord first and foremost in our lives? By

deciding to obey Him. “If you love me, you will keep my
commandments.” John 14:15 Furthermore, we need to
develop a personal relationship with Him that is alive and
dynamic, as His daughters. We should spend time daily
praying to God, talking and listening to Him, and reading the
Bible. We should show our devotion to Him by our fervent
participation in the Eucharist, and coming to Him in
confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation).
2. Loving God with all our mind and soul
We love God with all our mind and soul by keeping our mind
clean and holy, free from evil and impure thoughts, from
pg. 81
uncharitable thoughts, from suspicions that damage

relationships, from doubts about our faith and God’s promises,
and from worries knowing that God will take care of us.
Our decisions and choices must be guided by God’s Word and

not by the ways of the world.
We should be preoccupied with how we can be holy and not

how we can amass wealth or attain high status in society; with
how we can please God and not how we can please people or
gain their praises or become popular.
We can love God with all our mind and soul by protecting and
preserving our mind from unholy influences so that God can
use us for His purposes.
● We should be very discerning in the use of television,
internet and other media that can influence our minds,
exposing us to information and images not consistent
with
Christian living.
● We should fill our mind with thoughts of God by
reading
pg. 82
the Bible and other Catholic literature which can help

form
our Christian mind.
We can love God with all our mind and soul by using our
mind for God’s purpose. We should always think of ways to
serve God’s purpose in our business, family, peer group, etc.
God must be in our daily activities.
3. Loving God with all our strength
pg. 83
Loving God with all our strength means giving God all our
resources: time, talent, and treasure, as what we call “ours” is
not really ours but His.
We do not own our time, we merely manage it. Thus, we must

seek God’s direction on how we can spend it generously for
His purposes like doing Christian service, visiting the sick,
serving the parish, feeding the hungry and many more.
We should use our talents to glorify God.
● If you are a singer, you must ask yourself, do I use my

voice to praise and glorify God? If you are a painter, you
must ask yourself, does my work portray the goodness and
greatness of God? If you are a physician, you must ask
yourself, do I have the same compassion and love of Christ
for the sick, the suffering and the dying?
● In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus teaches us that if we

do not use our God-given talents for the kingdom of God,
then whatever talents we have will be taken away and
given to those who will use them rightfully. (Matthew
25:28-30)
Loving God with all our strength means having the right attitude
toward our treasure, our wealth and material possessions.
The right attitude is believing that everything belongs to God. He
created everything. There is nothing in heaven and on earth that
does not belong to God. What this means is that we are mere
stewards of what belongs to God. Therefore, we must use these
resources wisely, unselfishly and in accordance with the plan of
God, who is the rightful owner.
pg. 84
God asks for our treasure, wealth and possessions not because He
needs them, but in order to see the disposition of our hearts. God
asks us to return to Him what is His so that He might pour out
even more blessings upon us. He asks us to give tithes and alms.
(Matthew 6:21, Malachi 3:10)
Our perfect models for loving God are Jesus and Mary.
● Because of His love for the Father, Jesus dedicated
Himself to accomplishing His mission (John 4:34), was
obedient unto death (Luke 22:42), and constantly sought
the Father’s will (Mark 1:35).
● Because of her love for God, Mary gave her fiat: “May
it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
She gave her eternal “Yes” to God in everything, from the
Annunciation up to the foot of the cross.
pg. 85
II. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR

1. Loving our neighbor is not an option. It is God’s
commandment.
And Jesus commanded us to love others not only as we love

ourselves but as He loves us: “I give you a new
commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so
you also should love one another.” John 13:34
2. Jesus showed the example of Christian love when He washed

the feet of His disciples. When He finished, He told His
disciples to do likewise. John 13:12-15.
 The feet that Jesus washed were the feet of men who
had spent most of the day walking long, crowded,
dusty roads. They were very dirty feet. In the Jewish
culture of Jesus’ time, the servant washed the feet of
the guests. But Jesus took a towel and a basin of water
and washed them Himself.
pg. 86
 What Jesus is teaching is that we should be servants to

one another. Loving others as Jesus loves means
serving others.
3. The full depth of the meaning of Jesus’ teaching on loving our

neighbor is revealed in the Parable of the Good Samaritan
(Luke 10:29-37).
The story begins with a lawyer among the crowd wanting to

test Jesus by asking: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit
eternal life?” Jesus responded with a question, “What is
written in the Law?”
The lawyer answered by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and

Leviticus 19:18, respectively,
“Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your
whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your
whole strength” and, “Take no revenge and cherish no
grudge against your own people. You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.”
pg. 87
The lawyer goes on, “Who is my neighbor?” So, Jesus

related the parable to them.
A man fell victim to bandits as he was travelling the winding

and treacherous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was
stripped of his clothing, beaten and left half dead along the
road. First a priest then a Levite passed by, but they both
avoided the traveler. A third man came along. “He
approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds
and bandaged him, lifted him up on his own animal, took
him to an inn and cared for him.” Luke 10:34 This third
man, who was moved with compassion to help the traveler,
was a Samaritan.
The crowd who was listening to the story thought that this
third man must be a Jewish layman who would help the
victim. But wait! What was he saying? A Samaritan helping a
Jew? But this is impossible! The Jews and the Samaritans
hated and despised each other. Jews considered the Samaritans
as their pagan enemies, who were not worthy to be called
“people.”! How could a Samaritan do any good? And to a Jew
at that?
pg. 88
At the end of the story, Jesus asked the lawyer: “Which of

these three was neighbor to the victim?” The lawyer was left
with no option. He had to say the Samaritan. But being a Jew
who bitterly hated the Samaritans, he could not utter the word
“Samaritan”. So he answered, “The one who treated him with
mercy.” And to this Jesus replied, “Go and do likewise”. (Note
to speaker: see historical note-Annex 1)
Jesus took pains describing in great detail the Samaritan’s

specific actions to help the victim. He approached the victim.
He poured oil and wine and bandaged him. And then he lifted
him up, took him to an inn where he continued to care for him.
This conveys the message that being a neighbor entails doing
things for others and not merely wishing them well.
“Who is my neighbor?” Indeed in the story, the Samaritan was

neighbor to the traveler.
The neighbor can be an enemy, a person who needs

forgiveness, compassion, care and love. This person can be a
friend, a relative, a bystander, a stranger; it is anybody and
everybody.
The responsibility of being a neighbor is upon us. The

perspective is not to ask others but to ask ourselves:
pg. 89
Am I being a neighbor to others? Am I being compassionate

and loving to others?
4. Characteristics of Christian Love
In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes the

characteristics of Christian love and how to love others. “Love
is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it
is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own
interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over
injury, and it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices
with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, and endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
pg. 90
a. To love others is to be patient. We should be slow to anger.

We should give ample allowance for the shortcoming of
others.
b. To love others is to be kind. We should avoid an attitude of
criticism. We should have a posture and speech that is
upbuilding and encouraging.
c. To love others is not to be jealous. We should not covet
what others have or begrudge another for possessing
something we do not have.
d. d. To love others is not to be pompous or inflated. We

should be humble and think not of our own importance.
We should be conscious of our own unworthiness rather
than our merit.
pg. 91
e. To love others is not to be rude. We should accord honor

and respect to one another, praise them if they do well and
console them if they do badly.
f. To love others is not to be self-seeking. We should not
focus on having our rights met but focus rather on our
duties to others.
g. To love others is not to be quick-tempered. We should

master our emotions and feelings, slow to frown but quick
to smile.
h. To love others is not to brood over injury. We should not
hold grudges or resentments but rather be forgiving and
understanding of the weakness of others.
i. To love others is not to rejoice over wrongdoing. We
should always seek the good in others, even with people
that we find difficult to deal with.
pg. 92
j. To love others is to rejoice in the truth. We should always

be sincere and honest and tell the truth to one another.
k. To love others is to have forbearance. We should patiently
and humbly bear insults, injuries and disappointments
without taking counter action.
l. To love others is to have trust and to believe in the best
about other people. We should have a positive attitude
towards others, always seeking their good side.
m. To love others is to have hope. We should have a positive

attitude towards life and other people and remain joyful
and peaceful under any circumstance.
pg. 93
n. To love others is to have endurance. We should develop an

ability to bear things, not with passive resignation but with
a triumphant attitude.
We are able to assume the characteristics of Christian love

if we can honestly substitute the word “I” for the word
“love” in St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians
(ask the participants to read together loudly the cited
verses but substitute “I” for “love”).
I am patient, I am kind. I am not jealous, I am not

pompous, I am not inflated, I am not rude. I do not seek
my own interests, I am not quick-tempered, I do not brood
over injury, and I do not rejoice over wrongdoing but I
rejoice with the truth. I bear all things, believe all things,
hope all things, and endure all things.
CONCLUSION
pg. 94
Loving God and loving neighbor have been likened to the

vertical and the horizontal parts of the cross. One directs us
upward to God, while the other directs us horizontally
toward our fellowmen.
But we cannot love God with all our heart, mind and
strength by merely deciding to do so. What will make it
possible is the power of the Holy Spirit.
And loving our neighbor is not an easy task. In fact, it is

impossible without God’s grace. But God will give it
freely and generously if we sincerely ask for it.
Jesus said that we should love one another as He loves us.

He loves us regardless of who we are. He does not care if
we are rich or poor, educated or not, Samaritan or Jew. He
died for all of us. He is “neighbor” to us all.
pg. 95
ANNEX 1:
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE FOR STUDY ONLY
AND NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE TALK
FOR THE USE OF THE SPEAKER
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Jews and the Samaritans hated and despised each

other for many generations. It all started after the death of
Solomon in 922 BC. Israel was divided into two, the
kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judea in
the south. In 721 BC the Assyrians occupied the northern
kingdom. Then in 857 BC, the Babylonians conquered the
southern kingdom of Judea. But in 529 BC, the Persian
emperor Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and allowed the
exiled Jews to return to Judea.
In the meantime, the northern kingdom remained under

Assyrian occupation. The Assyrians, who were pagans,
intermarried with the native population, including the
Samaritans. And these intermarriages went on for many
generations. Thus in the eyes of the Jews who had returned
from exile in Babylon and who considered themselves as
the only faithful interpreters of Israel’s religious traditions,
pg. 96
the Samaritans were half-breeds and half-pagans. As a

result, the Samaritans were prevented from worshiping in
the Temple of Jerusalem. The Samaritans, therefore, built
their own temple on Mt. Gerisim. Then around 6-9 AD, a
group of Samaritans defiled the Temple court in Jerusalem
by strewing it with human bones. This action led to further
division and even more bitter hostility between the Jews
and the Samaritans. This hostility and hatred between Jews
and Samaritans were so intense that we read in the book of
Sirach 50:25: “My whole being loathes two nations, the
third is not even a people.” Those who live in Seir and
Philistia, and the degenerate folk who dwell in Shechem.
Mt. Seir is in the territory of the Edomites. The Edomites
and the Philistines were enemies of the Jews. Shechem is a
city in Samaria. As stated in the book of Sirach, the Jews
did not even want to call the Samaritans “people” (the third
is not even a people…the degenerate folk who dwell in
Shechem). The Jews hated the Samaritans more intensely
than the Edomites and the Philistines, whom they had
fought with regularly in their long history.
pg. 97
pg. 98
pg. 99

DYNAMICS:
system
1.2 Pray-over of speaker and sharers
1.3 Prepare Group discussion guides & participants
handout
1.4 Gathering song: “Living Together, Growing
Together”
2. Worship: Two songs.
Team Leader encourages participants to join the service team
in thanksgiving prayer and petitions (not necessarily all
participants)
4. Show video of HOLD families
5. Alternate activity where participants show their family
bonding pictures and call 2 volunteers to describe it in 2 or 3
sentences.
6. Introduce speaker
7. Talk proper with sharing
10. Post-session:
10.1 Instruct facilitators to have the second one-on-one with
participants taking note of concerns, issues, aspirations
and petitions that the participant wants to be included
in the prayer. Encourage participants to have a good
confession if she has not done this after Talk 3.
Remind participants about Talk 3 especially about
involvement in occult practices and having amulets and
pg. 100
trinkets such as habak, crystal trinkets nga pangpa-

swerte
10.2 Remind facilitators of things to bring for the pray-over
altar, bring prayer partners
10.3 Remind Team to be spiritually prepared for next
session. Enjoin all chapter members to offer mass and
prayer for the success of the Pray-over session
SPEAKER’S PROFILE
The speaker is a HOLD unit head or up who is a strong, Spirit-filled
Christian witness in building a home centered on Christ. Being a member
of a family, she strives to make it a truly Christian family. Preferably, she
has members of her family who are also members/leaders of the CFC and
its Family Ministries for a stronger and more relevant witnessing.
SHARER’S PROFILE
There are two sharers: a child of a HOLD member and a HOLD
member. They will share about their life as a family, how they
deepen their faith, and highlight how God moves faithfully and
powerfully in their imperfect family circumstances. Video sharing
of the child sharer can be shown if the child cannot come.
SESSION 5 : CFC HOLD AND THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY

ANCHOR VERSE:
“If it is displeasing to you to serve the Lord, choose today whom
you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River
pg. 101
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua
24:15 NABRE
GOAL:
To stress the importance of the Christian family, and to give
practical advice for building up a strong Christian family
CORE MESSAGE:
In God’s plan, the Christian family is a community of life and
love. It has a mission to guard, reveal and communicate love.
However, God has lost His central place in the family as it is
under serious attack on many fronts. Many have redefined both
marriage and family and this has caused great confusion in our
society and in the world today. Let us fulfill our mission by being
present in our own families through three simple yet enriching
ways: eating together, praying constantly and loving each other
unconditionally.
TENOR: Inspiring
TEAM LEADERS INTRO

Last week we talked about loving God and neighbor as our basic
ideals as Christians. God instructed us to love our neighbor not
only as ourselves but to love them as God loves us.
But our closest neighbors are members of our family. How do we
show Christian love for members of our family? We will talk
about this today. The Couples for Christ Handmaids of the Lord
puts a great importance for us to nurture the Christian family as a
community of love and love.
pg. 102
Our session today is special because the topic is close to our heart.
Especially because most of us are mothers or daughters. Our
speaker will give us insights about how we can ply a central role
in fulfilling God’s plan for families.
Let us welcome _____
SESSION 5: CFC HOLD AND THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY

INTRODUCTION
Love begets love, and it begins in the family. The family is life’s
first school. In a bigger and general sense, the family is the
building block of society, of the Church, and is the cradle of every
vocation.
As an institution, the family is under serious attack in many fronts.
Marriages are being broken and the traditional definition of family
is being challenged. Many have redefined both marriage and
family that has caused great confusion in our society and in the
world today. In almost all countries, except in the Philippines and
in the Vatican City, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church,
divorce is legal. In many countries, abortion and same-sex unions
are accepted and legalized.
pg. 103
But our model to protect our family from these worldly realities is
Joshua. He did not conform to what other people’s choices.
Rather, He commits His family to serving the Lord.
Note: This is an alternate activity in case the team does not have a
video of families of HOLD doing bonding activities together. If
this activity needs to be done, the speaker will instruct the
participants to draw or illustrate activities that their family do
together. Call 2 volunteers to explain the drawing.
I. GOD’S PLAN FOR THE FAMILY
pg. 104
In the beginning, God intended the family to be beautiful. Now,

the family is imperfect, yet it remains a beautiful gift from God.
Pope Francis affirms this in Amoris Laetitia (2016): “I thank God

that many families, which are far from considering themselves
perfect, live in love, fulfill their calling and keep moving forward,
even if they fall many times along the way (AL 57). Pope Francis
also points out that there is no such thing as an ideal family. The
world is made up of families with different realities and situations,
different “joys, hopes and problems.”
pg. 105
1. God has intended the family for the transmission of

life.
In God’s plan, the Christian family is a community of

life and love. It has a mission to guard, reveal and
communicate love. Each family is the home of God,
and its members belong to God. Parents must regard
their children as children of God and respect them as
human persons. As partners in God’s continuing
creation, the parents’ main task is to propagate and
nurture life, and through God’s grace, mold their
children in His image. It was meant to be so from the
very beginning (Gen 1:27-28, Gen 2:18-24). It made
sense therefore that God created humans as male and
female, with their physiology so formed as to enable
them to increase, multiply, and fill the earth. God
intended man and woman to be one, not independent
individuals producing babies, but husband and wife
raising a family.
pg. 106
2. The family is a place for teaching children and

training leaders.
The family is a place to transmit wisdom and values of

life.
The overall education of children is a “most serious

duty” and at the same time a “primary right” of
parents. This is not just a task nor a burden, but an
essential and inalienable right that parents are called to
defend and of which no one may deprive them of.
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education

of their children. They bear witness to this
responsibility first by creating a home where
tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and
disinterested service are the rule.” Teaching is not
formal, but rather comes in the everyday activities in
the home. The spiritual formation of their children is
also their primary responsibility.
How about single mature women? What about aunts and
grandmothers? They are members of a family, too. Do they
pg. 107
have the same primary responsibility over the children in

their household? Not primary, perhaps, unless they are
acting as the legal guardians or default caretakers in case
the children’s parents are at work or abroad. But having
children in a household or in an extended family can be
taken as a shared responsibility. They can also share in
their training or education by being role models, sources of
correct information and advice, when asked. Of course,
they must defer to the preferences of the parents. They are
not there to take the place of the parents nor to shoulder
their responsibilities, but they can be a loving support for
both the parents and the children in the family.
In households of single parents, separated mothers, wives

of overseas workers, as well as those with extended
families living with them or nearby, adults within this
family community should be a reliable and loving support
system. As much as possible, they should strive to be
united in their values as a family and as Christians. This is
especially important when it comes to raising children with
good moral values or in relating well with and supporting
all the members of the family, young and old alike. The
family is the “school of humanity,” where joys and trials,
deep love and relationships are experienced, and, where
woundedness can be healed. It is of utmost importance to
help children grow in maturity through an outpouring of
love, discipline and education in virtues.
pg. 108
3. The family is a domestic church.
“In all families the Good News needs to resound, in good

times and in bad, as a source of light along the way”
Husband and wife, father and mother, both “cooperate
with the love of God the Creator, and are, in a certain
sense, his interpreters”. Parents, especially the fathers, are
to be the priests in their families. They present God to their
families—by their example of a living Christianity and by
diligently teaching Scripture. They present their families to
God through family prayer and by blessing the children. In
a household where the father is not present or cannot
shoulder this responsibility, this role can be taken by the
mother or another capable family member. With modern
technology, fathers who are not physically present (e.g.,
OFWs) can continue exercising their roles as such with
their wives supporting them.
pg. 109
“The family, like the Church, ought to be a place where

the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel
radiates. In a family which is conscious of this mission, all
the members evangelize and are evangelized.
The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their

children, but from their children they can themselves
receive the same Gospel as deeply lived by them. As such a
family becomes the evangelizer of many other families,
and of the neighborhood of which it forms part.”
pg. 110
II. WHY GOD’S PLAN FOR FAMILIES IS NOT

HAPPENING
1. God has lost His central place in the family.
Parents no longer bring up their children in the discipline and

instruction of the Lord. Many parents themselves are not
interested or knowledgeable in spiritual matters. They look
more and more to psychology as a source of wisdom for
raising their children.
Husbands and wives do not follow God’s order for them.
There is confusion of roles. Their commitment is shaky. They
cannot be depended on, and they become insecure. Even the
influence of extended families, though still present, is not
strong either in assisting in the spiritual formation of the
members of the family. Oftentimes, the spiritual formation of
the adults in the extended families is also inadequate. There is
too much importance given to acquiring material possessions
and having an easy and comfortable life.
2. The family itself is losing its importance.

The pace of modern life has become very fast, making it
difficult for lasting relationships to develop. The culture of
pg. 111
busyness, where we fill our schedules with too many activities,

takes us away from the essential. The responsibility of
educating children starts in the home. However, even at an
early age, this has been increasingly shifted to daycare centers
and then to schools. Now, more parents feel the need for
double-income households to cope up with expenses and this
takes away from time with their children. The little time they
have left for bonding have been set aside to pursue individual
interests.
Marriages are being broken – separations and divorces are

now easier to obtain. The traditional definition of family is
being challenged (e.g. same-sex marriages, long-distance
marriages and live-in relationships). There has been a great
rise in the number of broken or single-parent families. In many
cases, the children are left to the care of grandparents, aunts
and uncles, or left to fend for themselves. The throwaway
culture is evident even in the way we deal with each other.
Pope Francis says in Amoris Laetitia, “We treat relationships
the way we treat material objects and the environment:
everything is disposable; everyone uses and throws away,
takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop. Then,
goodbye.”
3. The family is under attack by evil forces. (1 Pet 5:8)
Marriage and family life have always been under attack, but
threats in the recent years have reached extraordinary heights.
The devil wants to break up the family and promotes many

things to undermine the family, such as secularism (taking
God out of the picture in everyday life including educational
pg. 112
systems and government), relativism (belief that there is no

absolute truth, and that truth is subjective), and spreading
indifference, among others. Pope Francis notes that rampant
individualism makes it difficult today for a person to give
oneself generously to another. In fact, many young adults are
focused on career-driven lives opting to indulge instead in
fleeting relationships or live-in partnerships or if married
deciding to postpone having children.
III. WHAT CAN WE DO?
St. John Paul II exhorts families: “Family, become what you

are.” It is imperative that as a family, we decide to make God the
center of our family life. People will know that we are Christians
by the love in our hearts expressed in our homes.
pg. 113
1. Eat
Pope Francis reminds us: “A family that hardly ever eats

together, or that does not talk but watches television, or looks
at the smartphone, is a ‘barely familial’ family. When children
are engrossed with a computer at the table, or a mobile phone,
and do not talk to each other, this is not a family, it is like a
boarding house.”
Eating is a symbol of togetherness. At the table, we talk and

listen to one another. We nourish our relationships in table
fellowship with the members of our family.
2. Pray
Consecrate our family to God. Pray as a family. Fr. Patrick

Peyton reminds us: “The family that prays together, stays
together.” Pray the rosary as a family. Pray over your
children. Pray for healing of family members. Intercede for
each other’s needs. Celebrate the Holy Mass by attending
regularly together as a family. This does not only apply to
young families but also to families with adult children. This is
one way we pass on our Catholic faith to them. Encourage
each member of the family to serve the Lord in a community
like the CFC and its Family Ministries or perhaps in the parish.
pg. 114
3. Love
Create opportunities for love to flourish. Make time for the

task of building a strong family. The Lord’s presence dwells in
real and concrete families, with all their daily troubles,
struggles, joys and hopes.
Let us examine our daily life to ensure that our family has
enough quality time together. Be ready to reduce other
activities, if necessary. Plan regular family recreations,
vacations and other activities. Let us know, understand and
fulfil our role as the pastor, provider and protector of our
family. Fathers should model themselves after St. Joseph, and
his example of spiritual fatherhood to Jesus and his steady
parental presence. Mothers, whether biological or from the
heart, should look to Mother Mary for inspiration to be
constant nurturers and life-givers in their homes. They should
be the light of their homes with unconditional love in all
aspects of family life.
CONCLUSION
pg. 115
Every family, despite its weaknesses, can become a light in the

darkness of the world. We look to the Holy Family for
inspiration. Can you imagine how Jesus, Mary and Joseph
lived in Nazareth back then? They can teach us the meaning of
family life and the beauty of simple and peaceful living; a
family life with a sense of what is sacred. We can learn from
the way they related with each other in total love, as we strive
to make our home the perfect place for preparing our young
ones for their important roles in society. Yes, the family has a
basic, fundamental and incomparable role in building an
orderly society. (Amoris Laetitia, 66)
SHARER(S) (Introduced by speaker)
(a) Child of a HOLD member (Video sharing in case child

sharer will not be able to join)
(b) HOLD member or leader.
PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY (
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor

of true love. To You we turn with trust.
pg. 116
Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be

places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the
Gospel and small domestic churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience

violence, rejection and division. May all who have been hurt
or scandalized find in You ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the

sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in
God’s plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayers. Amen.
pg. 117
pg. 118
pg. 119

DYNAMICS:
I.1. Prayer to Take Authority, Consecrate place for the
Pray-over session
I.2. Check equipment, videos, music, lighting, sound
system
I.3. Pray-over of speaker
I.4. Prepare Group discussion guides & participants
handout
2. Worship: Two songs. Thanksgiving prayer and petitions
4. Show Pentecost video
5. Introduce Speaker
6. Talk proper -
7. Play reflection song on speaker’s cue
10. Individual Pray-over session
11. Speaker gives Mini Talk and exhortation on vocal prayer
12. Full worship. Service Team joins speaker in front during
worship
Note: for online CLP, there will only be a general pray-over.
No individual pray-over of prticipants, no mini-talk, no Full
worship.
(recommended to hold this as a face to face session. In case a
participant is from another province/country, then explain to
her that she may have an individual pray-over session once she
is in town)
13. Post session
pg. 120
SPEAKER’S PROFILE
A HOLD Chapter Head or up, who by her experience of fullness

of life in, through and by the Holy Spirit, can explain with clarity
and inspiration what it means to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
SESSION 6 : EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
ANCHOR VERSE:
“But you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes
upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (NABRE)
GOAL:
To lead people to understand and to have an utmost desire for a
fuller release in them of the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
CORE MESSAGE:
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Holy Trinity, “…the
Lord, the giver of life.” It is the Holy Spirit who unites us with
God, gives us a new nature and empowers us to be witnesses of
Jesus to the ends of the earth. There are different charismatic gifts
from the Holy Spirit. One of the charismatic gifts is the gift of
tongues, which is a gift of praise. It is a means to enrich our prayer
life. There will be laying-on of hands to pray with and for
pg. 121
participants, specifically about their concerns and the gifts they

wish to receive. We hope for a fuller release of the Holy Spirit
through this pray-over.
TENOR: Empowering and Encouraging.

Today is a very exciting day, Sisters. This is the highlight of our
CLP. In Session 1, we got to know of the love of God, our
heavenly Father. Then we know who Jesus Christ, the Son, who
is our Redeemer, Lord and Savior in Session 2.
Today, our speaker will re-introduce us to the Holy Spirit, the
third person in the Holy Trinity, who is “…the Lord, the giver of
life.”
As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will experience the
fullness of life living an authentic and Spirit-led life.
Our speaker for this session is __________....
Before we start, let us watch this video….
Play Pentecost video
We too will be renewed, transformed and empowered by the Holy

Spirit, Sisters…. This is the day that the Lord has made!
pg. 122
Let us now welcome our speaker _______.
SESSION 6: EMPOWERED BY TH HOLY SPIRIT

PART 1
INTRODUCTION
Life in the Holy Spirit is the life that God wants for all of us. It
is the very same life that our loving Father wanted for his
Apostles and disciples. And why is this so? The years spent by
the Apostles and disciples with Jesus Christ were not enough
to transform them or embolden them. In fact, we recall that
they went into hiding after Jesus Christ was crucified. The big
change came on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended
pg. 123
upon them in tongues of fire, invigorating them and

empowering them to speak the word of God in many
languages. Three thousand were baptized and converted that
day.
This Pentecost experience of early Christians can also happen

to all of us. We will experience the same vigor and dynamism
in our faith once we are able to understand fully how the Holy
Spirit works in our Christian life. The Holy Spirit enables us to
have a deeper relationship with God, to love Him even more
and to experience Him in the many ways that He brings us to
Himself. Sadly, however, a lot of us do not know the Holy
Spirit today the way we know God the Father and the Son,
Jesus Christ.
Much of Christianity today looks weak and lifeless. It lacks

the power and effectiveness of what the early Christians had in
their daily lives.
pg. 124
The early Christian movement was dynamic, strong and

attractive.
The source of power was the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Acts,
we see the Holy Spirit acting among the Christians, guiding
them, speaking to them and empowering them through His
gifts to bring unbelievers to faith in God.
I. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
1. The Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person in the Holy

Trinity.
pg. 125
“To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess that the Holy

Spirit is one of the persons of the Holy Trinity,
consubstantial with the Father and the Son: ‘With the
Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.’” (CCC
685)
“Holy Spirit” is the proper name of the one whom we

adore and glorify with the Father and the Son. (CCC 691)
The Church teaches us that although there is only one God,
yet, somehow, there are three Persons in God. The Father
is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, yet we do
not speak of three Gods, but only one God with the same
nature, substance, and being. This is what consubstantial
means.
Even though the Three Persons are One God, they are
distinct: for the Father has no origin, He came from no
one. But the Son is begotten, He comes from the Father
alone. The Holy Spirit comes or proceeds from both the
Father and the Son. These different relations of origin tell
us there are three distinct Persons, who have one and the
same divine nature.
pg. 126
2. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and Giver of Life.
We profess our faith in the Holy Spirit in the Nicene Creed

as we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver
of life.”
In a General Audience, St. John Paul II said that, “In the

history of salvation, life always appears as linked to God’s
Spirit.” He added that man became a living being
through the divine breath. The divine breath is the Holy
Spirit.
pg. 127
Genesis 2:7 tells us, “Then the Lord God formed man of
dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living being.”
In particular, St John Paul II explained that the Holy Spirit

manifested His life-giving power in the incarnation of
Jesus. “Now this is how the birth of Jesus came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but
before they lived together, she was found with child
through the holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18)
pg. 128
3. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete.
“I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another

Paraclete to be with you forever, …” (John 14:16)
pg. 129
The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, which means the “one

called alongside” us to help, exhort and encourage us.
He strengthens us as we fight temptations, as we endure

trials and as we oppose the accusations of the devil.
He teaches, leads, guides and helps us make decisions.
He intercedes and prays for us. “In the same way the
Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not
pg. 130
know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself

intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” (Romans 8:26)
When we have the Holy Spirit in us,
● We have union with God “For through him we both have

access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:18). And we
experience a new relationship with Him as Father that is deep and
personal. “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we
are children of God, …” (Romans 8:16).
● We receive a spiritual power to live the Christian life. This has
two dimensions.
1. The Inward Dimension.
pg. 131
This enables us to put off our old nature of sin and put on a
new nature of righteousness and holiness.
“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things
have passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2
Corinthians 5:17)
“I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not
gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these
are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what
you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not
under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery,
hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of
selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I
warned you before, that those who do such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against
such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:16-23)
2. The Outward Dimension.
We are emboldened to serve as Jesus’ witnesses. “But you

will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
For us Christians, this will not be the first time we will receive the
Holy Spirit. We already received the Holy Spirit during our
Baptism and Confirmation. Rather, what we will experience is a
pg. 132
fuller release of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives by

asking God the Father in faith. (Luke 11:9-13)
II. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. The Holy Spirit has blessed the Church with so many gifts.
Among these are the hierarchical gifts that are conferred to the
clergy through the Sacrament of ordination, and the
charismatic gifts that are freely distributed by the Holy Spirit
to those who ask. They are both essential to the Church.
B. Hierarchical gifts ensure the continuing work of salvation of

Christ. These were first bestowed on the apostles and passed
on to their successors. These gifts are related to the
pg. 133
Sacraments and priestly authority. For example, the priests

can turn bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ in
the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. They can absolve sins.
They can solemnize the union of a couple in a Church
wedding.
Charismatic gifts enable the faithful to evangelize, discern the

signs of times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel.
They are gifts not meant only for ourselves but for us to use in
bringing the good news (the Gospel) and God’s love to the
world.
C. In the Couples for Christ community, however, we specifically

ask for the nine (9) charismatic gifts. These charismatic gifts
are introduced by St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians
(1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-11). These gifts may be divided into
pg. 134
3 groups: two teaching gifts: word of wisdom and word of

knowledge; three sign gifts: faith, healing and miracles; and
four revelational gifts: prophecy, discernment of spirits,
tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
The nine (9) charismatic gifts:
1. Word of Wisdom - concerned with the best way to live.

God’s guidance on how to live as a Christian.
2. Word of Knowledge - more of doctrinal teaching. Speak

an understanding of the truth of the mystery of Christ.
pg. 135
3. Faith - The charismatic gift of faith seems to be a special

gift of prayer. Praying with God-given confidence, which
produces extraordinary results. It’s knowing that what one
asks for will be given. Mark 11:23-24.
4. Healing – the Holy Spirit can manifest this special gift

through any believer so He can then heal someone of any
kind of disease, illness, or sickness.
pg. 136
5. Miracles - supernatural activity from Him. (E.g. Jesus

turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana, Jesus
feeding 5000 people by multiplying 5 loaves of bread and
two fish, God parting the Red Sea for Moses and the
children of Israel).
6. Prophecy - the gift by which God speaks through a person

a message to an individual or a whole community.
7. Discernment of spirits - the gift by which a person can tell

whether in a situation what is at work is the Holy Spirit, an
evil spirit, or just man’s own spirit. A kind of a vision or
a sense.
pg. 137
8. Tongues – a gift of praise that is meant to enrich our

prayer life.
9. Interpretation of Tongues - does not refer to the abilities of

an interpreter of languages. The one who exercises this gift
does not even understand the tongues. What is spoken in
tongues may not even be an actual language. Like in
prophecy, there is an urge to speak words. What is spoken
is an accurate interpretation.
pg. 138
D. We give special mention to the gift of tongues. We should all

desire and ask for the gift of tongues.
Tongues is a gift of praise. Desire and ask for the gift of

tongues. Ask for it in faith. Once you receive it, it can have
great consequences in your spiritual life, especially in your
prayer and worship.
Cooperate with God’s Spirit and yield to the leading and

prompting of the Spirit by speaking out. Begin by just praising
God in your own words. You may repeatedly say “Alleluia” or
even utter meaningless sounds (e.g., la-la-la-la). The Holy
Spirit will form these sounds into tongues. Do not analyze the
sounds or focus on the experience. Just focus on the Lord and
offer to Him your utterances as prayers of praise. Resist the
temptation to think that it is just you and not the Holy Spirit
forming the sounds.
pg. 139
The gift of tongues is a common experience when we receive

the Holy Spirit, just like the experience of the disciples
described in Acts. But unlike the other spiritual gifts, ‘tongues’
is a gift that may not immediately manifest, and it is okay. We
will not expect nor force ourselves to have it for it is only the
Holy Spirit that will have a say whether we can have the gift
of tongues or not. Once we receive it, it can have great
consequences in our spiritual life, especially in our prayer and
worship
III. ENKINDLING THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

AND HIS GIFTS
pg. 140
In a pray-over session we will pray for a fuller release in

you of the power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. Your
facilitators will lay hands on you to pray for you,
specifically about your concerns and the gifts that you
want to be manifested in your life. This pray-over is
basically between you and God.
We enkindle the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit when:
● We strengthen our prayer life by being faithful to

a regular prayer time. We study the Sacred
Scriptures which are God’s words to us
pg. 141
● We render whole-hearted service to God and

others. ● We actively participate in our respective
parishes.
This is not a baptism, not even a second baptism. We should

refrain from using the term “baptism” to avoid confusion and
misunderstanding. This is a prayer session for the fuller release of
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Different things will happen to different people. Do not seek a

particular kind of experience. Just turn to the Lord and receive the
new life of the Holy Spirit from Him.
CONCLUSION
God offers each of us a new life in the Holy Spirit. It is the true
Christian life. And God desires it for all.
pg. 142
Thus we need to be open to it, better yet, desire it with all our
heart. And have faith that we will receive it, because God has so
promised.
Sisters, let us look forward with excitement to this new life,

experiencing our own “Pentecost” and allowing God’s wonders to
happen in our lives.
Let us pause for a moment of reflection.
Breakout for Group Discussion
After Group Discussion, go back to plenary. Speaker will resume

with Part 2
PART 2
GUIDELINES FOR THE PRAY-OVER
I. FOR AN ONLINE CLP:

(if CLP is online, Hide slides for Physical CLP)
pg. 143
After the group discussion, the speaker will proceed as

follows:
1. Mention that the following will be done when a physical
gathering is already allowed.
● Explanation on the pray-over
● Commitment to Christ
● Individual pray-over
● Mini talk / exhortation on vocal prayer
● Full Worship
These can be done together with the Dedication Ceremony

and the Lord’s Day (conducted only on Saturday
evenings). Details about when this will happen will be
given by the Team Leader.
3. In the meantime, there will be a general pray-over, which will

be led by the speaker.
II. FOR A CLP WITH PHYSICAL GATHERING:
(if CLP is Physical gathering, hide slides for online CLP)
A. EXPLANATION ON THE PRAY- OVER
pg. 144
1. Before the pray-over

Explain the procedure and what will happen during the
pray over session
 It will start with an opening prayer

 We will sing “Create in Me”
 We will have a general prayer, then proceed to
 Commitment to Christ. - explain that this is the
same commitment we had during our baptism with
our parents acting as our proxy
 Then we will invoke the Holy Spirit to pour out His
power on us
2. During the pray-over

 Wait for your turn to be prayed-over
 While waiting, you can either pray or silently listen
to or join the singing of hymns
 Somebody will pick you up; She will escort you
to the pray-over area
 Once there, your facilitator will give you
instructions to sit down. She will do the pray-
over. Just be open to the Holy Spirit as he pours
down His power on you. Be receptive…you may
pg. 145
join her in the praising. (Remember what I told

you… repeatedly utter Alleluia Lord Jesus or
Sweet Jesus or Abba Father)
 We will lay our hands on you and pray with you.
But it is basically between you and God. We are
just instruments. You have to ask God to give you
what He promised. And in faith expect it to
happen!
Right attitudes during the pray over session:
a) Relax. The more relaxed you are, the easier it is to

receive God’s gifts. Open your hands and place them on
your lap with palms facing upward. It is harder to receive
something in a clenched fist than in a relaxed and open
hand.
b) Do not be afraid. The Lord is here with us, and he loves

you very much. He wants you to experience His love in a
new way.
c) Do not be concerned about how you might act as you

respond to the promptings of the Spirit.
pg. 146
● Do not entertain thoughts that you might look or sound

foolish if you begin to praise God in a new way, raising
your hands or speaking in tongues. Remember, Angels
sing praises to the Lord unceasingly.
● Nobody will laugh at you. Instead, we will rejoice and

be glad with you. We love and care for you.
3. After the pray-over
 You will be escorted back to your seat. Just continue,

praying or praising God silently or you may join the
singing.
 Wait for everyone to be prayed-over.
 Maintain an atmosphere of prayer and reverence and
refrain from doing anything that will disturb those
being prayed over.
 We will have some closing remarks and then we will
all end the session together.
10 minutes break for participants to prepare themselves for

the pray-over….
THE PRAY-OVER SESSION PROPER
pg. 147
Note: the following opening prayer is just a sample. The

speaker is encouraged to listen to the guidance of the Holy
Spirit as she prays.
We will begin our pray-over session. Please let us maintain a
prayerful silence throughout the session.
Let us all acknowledge the presence of the Lord in our midst and
give Him due honor. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to guide us as
we approach this beautiful day that He has made for us as we all
stand up and sing Let the Fire Fall.
Music Ministry leads the singing….
We may sit down and bow our heads as we continue to pray…
Lord God, we come into your presence.
We acknowledge that you are the Lord of Light and it is your
desire to bring us to your Light.
Thank you for today is the day that you have set to change our
hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. We thirst for you Lord. Thank
you for giving our thirst the satisfaction so that we may be made
complete in You Lord.
We ask for anointing all of us in the service team, O Lord, that we
may be worthy instruments to minister to our sisters.
We thank you Lord for your invitation for our sisters present here
today to be empowered by the Holy Spirit using the gifts they
have received during their baptism. Grant us the humility of heart
that we may receive you Lord with all our heart. Take away all
obstacles that will hinder us from receiving your Power. Renew
us Lord, change our hearts O lord and forgive us of all our sins.
Create in us a new heart O Lord.
pg. 148
Music Ministry sings “Create in Me”

Let us all stand as we renew our Commitment to Christ
Proceed with Commitment to Christ Prayer
Thank you Lord for your invitation so that our sisters present here
today will be emboldened by the power of your Holy Spirit and
may they be empowered through your guidance to resolve to
change their lives and obey the will of the Father to be holy as the
Father is holy, to strive to know You, love You and serve You
with all their heart…with all their mind… and with all their
strength and to love their neighbors as themselves. We ask you O
Lord to open their eyes to see Your glory and open their hearts to
welcome You once more into their hearts, into their lives. This we
pray in the Holy and Mighty name of Your Son, who reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
Music Ministry starts singing songs for the pray-over.

Sisters start escorting participants for the individual pray-
over.
Inform the speaker once all participants have been prayed
over.
pg. 149
CLOSING EXHORTATION
1. Different people have different experiences.
a. Feeling is not the important thing. Rather, look for the

new ways that God is at work in you and respond to it (e.g.
a new desire for prayer, for Scripture, etc.).
b. If you did not speak in tongues, do not worry about it.

Do not equate receiving the Holy Spirit only with
receiving the gift of tongues.
c. In your prayer time this week, give plenty of time to

praise and thanksgiving. Do this aloud, if you can, without
disturbing others. And continue to be open to the Lord
forming your praise into tongues.
2. Be aware that Satan can tempt you to doubt.
a. Satan is seeking to rob everyone of God’s gift. For him

the next best thing to keeping you from getting it is to keep
you from using it.
pg. 150
b. Do not let feelings of doubt bother you. Just remember

the fact that God promised it and that you asked for it.
3. Do not expect all your problems to go away all at once, though

many will. The Holy Spirit will make a big change in you, and
you will see it. But not everything will change. Some things will
take a while to get worked out. But now you have a new power to
use in working them out.
4. Be faithful to a regular time of daily prayer. Spend a good

portion of your prayer time in praise and thanksgiving in your own
words. Pray in tongues every day.
5. What just happened is only a beginning.
6. Let us now learn about vocal prayer.
MINI TALK / EXHORTATION ON VOCAL PRAYER

Note to the speaker: The following mini talk will explain to the
participants what vocal prayer is. At the same time it should
be used by the speaker as an exhortation to lift the hearts of
the participants to God and to lead them to rejoice, thank and
praise God vibrantly with singing, shouting, clapping, etc.
during the full worship that follows immediately.)
pg. 151
A. Today we want to introduce to you all another way of

praying from what we are used to. Typically, most
Christians today are only used to quieter ways of praying,
e.g. in silence or just one person praying out loud.
Singing is one exception to the quieter approach most
people take.
B. The Bible shows other ways that are more varied,

expressive and demonstrative for prayer and worship.
1. We can learn from how the Israelites, God’s chosen

people, praised God.
a. Psalm 95:1-2. Singing and crying out.

Come let us sing for joy to the Lord
Let us shout to the Rock of salvation
Let us come before Him giving thanks
And extol Him with music and song
b. Psalm 81:2-4. Singing, shouting, and playing

instruments.
Shout for joy to God our defender
Sing praise to God
Start the music and beat the tambourines
pg. 152
Play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres

Blow the trumpet
c. Psalm 150:3-6. Playing instruments and making a

loud noise.
Praise God in His temple
Praise his strength in heaven
Praise Him for the mighty things he has done
(loving us, saving us, Protection, providence)
Praise his supreme greatness.
(good, strong, wonderful, majestic, faithful, savior,
shepherd, prince of peace, counselor, God, Father,
Messiah, Firm Foundation)
Praise him with trumpets

Praise him with harps and lyres
Praise him with drums and dancing
Praise him with harps and flutes
Praise him with cymbals
2. In these passages, the Lord is being acclaimed like a

king
with shouts, songs, playing of instruments and dancing.
When a king entered his throne room or appeared before

an assembly of his people, all would stand and acclaim
him with shouts and songs to express their love and
loyalty, like, “Long live the king!”
3. This is a good way to worship the Lord.
pg. 153
4. The angels and saints in heaven worship God in the

same way. (Revelation 19:1, 4-6)
C. A key element of this type of prayer is simultaneous praising.

This is when people praise God in a loud voice and all at the same
time.
1. We praise God by acclaiming who He is.

Our God, our Creator, Our Father,
Our Divine Providence
Our Savior, Our redeemer. Our Justification
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life
He is our King, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords
2. We praise Him because of His attributes

He is good, He is generous, He is kind and merciful
He is glorious, majestic, everlasting
He is wonderful, compassionate, loving
3. We thank Him for what He has done for us

Thank you for your love
Thank you for taking care of us
Thank you for your generosity
4. We want to exalt Him

I exalt you
I exalt Your Holy Name
I magnify your greatness
I lift your name on High
Jesus taught us to pray this way in “The Lord’s Prayer”
First part - praise and thanksgiving
pg. 154
Second part - petition
This type of prayer can help us enter into the throne room of God,
where we can truly feel His presence in our midst. We are brought
into the presence of God.
This type of prayer also allows us to worship actively as a
community, in a way that is enjoyable, inspiring and faith
building.
D. We are going to do some vocal prayer in a short while.

This is the worship culture of the Couples for Christ.
At first it may seem strange or chaotic. But it is neither. Or to
others, it might be a turn off. Please just be open to it. It is new
and will take some getting used to. After a few times doing it, it
will feel much more natural and you will be able to see its
benefits.
1. First we will sing a song of praise.

2. Then we will all praise the Lord simultaneously for a few
seconds
3. We will sing a second song followed by another round of
simultaneous praising
4. Then we will sing a worship song, speaking directly to our
Lord who is present in our midst. After the song, we will sing
our praises to Him in a singsong manner. (the Psalms instruct
us to sing our praises to the Lord).
(The speaker can do a sample singing of praises)
5. Then we can have prayers of thanksgiving or petition, like we
have been doing up to this point.
pg. 155
It may be a turn off. Please be open to it. Later, you will see
its benefits. You can see how it can bring you closer to the
Lord and be one with Him.
So Sisters… are we ready to worship the Lord?

Remember: we are coming before the Great King of the universe,
our King who loves us and who sent His Son to die for us and rise
from the dead. Let us acclaim our King and worship Him
FULL WORSHIP, with singing and praying in tongues (to be led
by the speaker)
pg. 156

DYNAMICS:
1;1 Check equipment, videos, music, lighting, sound system
1.2 Pray-over of speaker/sharer
2. Full Worship
3. Recap of last session then introduce speaker
4. Activity: The Hub of My Life
5. Talk proper
6. Briefing of sharer
7. HOLD Primer Video
8. Reflection: Prepare Reflection Song
pg. 157
10. Announcements for Session 8

11. Post Session.
SPEAKER’S PROFILE:
A HOLD Unit head or up who continuously grows in the faith
recognizing that it is brought about by the fuller release of the
Holy Spirit in her life and with the assistance of the tools for
Christian growth.
SHARER’S PROFILE:
A HOLD sister who can testify on the value of these Christian
tools necessary for deepening one’s faith.
SESSION 7 : GROWING IN THE SPIRIT
ANCHOR VERSE:
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians
5:25 (NABRE)
GOAL:
To teach the basic tools needed for our growth and maturity as
Christians.
pg. 158
CORE MESSAGE:
The Christian life can be pictured as a wheel that has three
components: the outer rim, the hub, and the spokes. The outer rim
represents the daily Christian life; the hub, our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the spokes, the tools through which the Holy Spirit is
transmitted from the hub to the outer rim. There are five spokes
which correspond to the five tools that we can make use of to
grow in the Holy Spirit: Prayer and Word, Witnessing and
Fellowship, and the Sacraments. Our prayer must be faithful, led
by the Holy Spirit, and centered on Jesus. We study the Word to
know more about God by reading the Scriptures and Christian
publications, and attending teachings. We witness by living out
our Christian life and by serving, making ourselves and our
resources—time, talent, and treasure—available for God’s work.
Fellowship is the expression of the spiritual reality that we are
brothers and sisters belonging to one family and doing things
together. The sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, are the
most important means to grow in the Spirit. If we are faithful in
using these tools, we will grow in the Holy Spirit and be more
blessed in our family life.
TENOR: Enlightening

Sisters, at last we are nearing the end of our Christian Life
Program. But I think you know by now that it is getting more
exciting. Last meeting we renewed our commitment to our Lord
Jesus Christ and we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let
pg. 159
us nourish this new life in the Spirit so that we will be more aware
of how the Holy Spirit works in us.
As Christians, we need to continuously grow and enjoy the
fullness of life. This can be made possible if we grow in the
Spirit. Today we will learn how to live and grow in the Spirit.
Our speaker for this session is ________.
pg. 160

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CFC HANDMAIDS OF THE LORD

CHRISTIAN LIFE PROGRAM V2.0

MODULE 1: THE BASIC TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY

TEAM DYNAMICS FOR SESSION 1

A HOLD Unit Head or up who recognizes with awe and gratitude

Welcome the participants to the CFC: Handmaids of the Lord

The Couples for Christ is a family-oriented community that aims

The Handmaids of the Lord is a community whose members are

The CLP is divided into 2 modules with a total of 8 sessions. We

But do not worry, we will be having fun. We can meet new

So friends, let us get started. I would like to introduce our speaker

SESSION 1: GOD’S LOVE

OVERVIEW OF THE SESSION

SESSION 1: GOD’S LOVE

Today, we will be talking about love. Let us start with an activity.

Invite participants to share what they have written. Keep

1. God’s Love Creates

b. On the sixth day, God created His greatest masterpiece: man. It

2. God’s Love Saves

We see this in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31)

c. St. John Paul II tells us that God’s love is expressed in the

3. God’s Love Sustains

Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my

Friends, let us listen to this video recording. It is a love letter from

God’s love is reflected in his creation. God’s love is described in

Let us all sit down in a prayerful position. Let us prayerfully

A LOVE LETTER FROM GOD

TEAM DYNAMICS FOR SESSION 2

SESSION 2 : WHO IS JESUS CHRIST

OVERVIEW OF THE SESSION

TEAM LEADER’S INTRO

SESSION 2: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

Today, we will be talking about a man who I think everybody

I will flash 3 description about Jesus. Please identify which of the

He overturned the tables of the mone y changers and seats of those

He performs miracles. The first miracle of Jesus was during the

2. He resurrected after 3 days.

He resurrected after 3 days. All four Gospels spoke of Jesus’

Jesus is Risen. We all heard of the resurrection of Jesus in the

That was a good exercise. We know about Jesus. Today we will

We will answer these questions: “Who is Jesus Christ?“ first

Jesus is the only person in history whose coming was pre-

b. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of a virgin named Mary. (Luke.

His foster father, Joseph, was a carpenter. He grew up as a young

For three years, He became an itinerant preacher. He was never

He was not a known scholar or philosopher like Socrates, Plato

He showed tenderness, compassion and personal concern;

i. Jesus forgave sins. (Mark. 2:5-7) – He claimed that he

ii. Jesus claimed to possess all power in heaven and on

heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew

iii. Jesus claimed straightforwardly to be God. In John 8:58, Jesus

II. LIAR, LUNATIC or LORD

a. Jesus’ claim to be God must be either true or false. If false,

He was, and is, the Son of God as he claimed He is Lord! This

III. KNOWING JESUS AND BECOMING A

a. Jesus’ entire life is salvific, meaning, the purpose of His

forgiveness of sins and removal of guilt – the Burnt

The cross is the means by which we can truly know Jesus.

b. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, invites us to love,

When we truly know Jesus, when we take him as our Lord

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he

c. What does it mean to be a Christian?

i. For some people, Christianity is a mere religious system,