Why Study Acts?

SESSION 1

(Why Study Acts?)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O, God, who did instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing Prayer:

Lord, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit the first Christians turned the world upside down for love of you. By that same Spirit may we have the courage to live lives of missionary discipleship in order to share the gospel and transform our world for the glory of your name. Amen. St. Luke, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Pope St. John Paul II, RedemptorisMissio (Mission of the Redeemer)
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Address to Catechists and Religion Teachers, Jubilee of Catechists (December 2000)
Pope Blessed Paul VI, EvangeliNuntiandi (Evangelization in the Modern World)

Memory Verse:

“These men who have turned the world upside down.” -- Acts 17:6

SESSION 2

(Clothed with Power)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Almighty God, you clothe your faithful with the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to your love and glory in all that we do. May we be ever mindful of the gift of your Spirit, and in your power resist evil and proclaim the gospel through our words and deeds. We ask this in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

CCC 731, 1237, 1303
Pope Leo XIII, DivinumIlludMunus (On the Holy Spirit)
Pope St. John Paul II, Dominum et Vivificantem (On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World)

Memory Verse:

“But you shall 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

SESSION 3

(Proclaiming the Kerygma)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you poured out your Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost, inaugurating the new age of the Church. You inspired St. Peter with a zeal to proclaim your truth to the crowd that gathered. Through his words and the power of the Holy Spirit, 3,000 were converted that day. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified, died, and risen from the dead: give us the special grace of the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim the Gospel. Give us zeal for souls, so that we long for people to come to know you in a deep and personal way. We ask that you banish our fears and anxieties so that we can step out in faith and courage as St. Peter did in front of those many thousands of his countrymen. We ask this in your holy name. Amen. St. Peter, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Pope Francis, EvangeliiGaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)
Pope Blessed Paul VI, EvangeliiNutiandi (Evangelization in the Modern World)
Pope St. John Paul II, RedemptorisMissio (Mission of the Redeemer)

Memory Verse:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” -- Acts 2:42

SESSION 4

(Signs and Wonders)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you continually call us to deeper faith and trust in you. Please send us a renewal of the anointing of your Holy Spirit, and fill us with a hold boldness to do your work and proclaim your name. May we never forget that everything we accomplish is by your power and not ours, and may our every word and deed bring glory to you. Amen. Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Part Four: Christian Prayer in The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2558-2865)
Gallagher, Timothy, OMV, The Discernment of Spirits: A Reader’s Guide: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living. The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2013.
Kreeft, Peter. Part Four: Questions about Demons in Angels (and Demons). San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995
Neal Lozano, Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance. Chosen Books, 2010

Memory Verse:

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” -- Acts 4:13

SESSION 5

(How Jesus Makes an Evangelist)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you have called us to be missionary disciples to carry your name before the whole world, just like St. Philip, the Ethiopian eunuch, St. Paul, and St. Cornelius the centurion. Teach us to always seek and obey your will. Fill us with a deeper love for every member of your Body, the Church. And strengthen us in the face of suffering that we may persevere to the glory of your name. Amen. St. Philip, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Gorman, Michael J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2004. (Especially Chapter 1; “Paul’s World(s),” Chapter 2; “Paul’s Resume,” and Chapter 5; “Paul’s Spirituality”)
Weddell, Sherry A. Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012.

Memory Verse:

“The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and lover that are in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 1:14

SESSION 6

(Sacraments and the Spirit)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

(A Prayer to the Holy Spirit prayed by Pope St. John Paul II from his childhood)

Holy Spirit, I ask you for the gift of Wisdom to better know You and Your divine perfections, for the gift of Understanding to clearly discern the spirit of the mysteries of the holy faith, for the gift of Counsel that I may live according to the principles of this faith, for the gift of Knowledge that I may look for counsel in You and that I may always find it in You, for the gift of Fortitude that no fear or earthly preoccupations would ever separate me from You, for the gift of Piety that I may always serve Your Majesty with a filial love, for the gift of Fear of the Lord that I may dread sin, which offends You, O my God. Amen. Holy Apostles, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Paragraphs on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: CCC 1212-1415)
Pope St. John Paul II, Dominum et Vivificantem (On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World)

Memory Verse:

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” – Romans 6:4

SESSION 7

(Leadership in the Church)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord, every person on this earth is called to proclaim your name. Within your Church, you have given each of us a particular calling. Please give us the courage and perseverance to answer that call. Help us to know you, to love you and to serve you in this world, to share your light with all those around us and to glorify you in all things until we stand before you on the last day. Amen. Sts. Timothy and Titus, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 901-913, “Priest, Prophet, and King”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1536-1600, “The Sacrament of Holy Orders”
Pope St. John Paul II: Apostolic Exhortation ChristifidelesLaici (On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World)
Rev. Robert Barron, “Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture”

Memory Verse:

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” – 2 Corinthians 2:14

SESSION 8

(Charism of the Spirit)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Lord God, through your love and generosity, you continue to bless your Church by distributing great and beautiful gifts among us. Despite our unworthiness, you continue to cherish your sons and daughters, lavishing us with gifts so that we may share your generosity with the world. Grant that we may look to your love and kindness as a guide, never thinking of ourselves, but putting our brothers and sisters first. Help us to build your Kingdom on earth, freely and generously sharing the gifts you have uniquely chosen for each of us, as you have so freely and generously dispensed them for the benefit of your Body, the Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Augustine, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 799-801
Luis Martinez, True Devotion to the Holy Spirit (Sophia Institute Press, 2008)

Memory Verse:

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

SESSION 9

(Joy in Persecution)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

For Further Reading:

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus, “The Apostles and the Early Church,” This Rock magazine, April 2007, Volume 18, Number 4
Eusebius of Caesarea, The History of the Martyrs in Palestine
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2471-2474

Memory Verse:

“They have conquered him [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” – Revelation 12:11

SESSION 10

(The Belly of the Beast)

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Closing Prayer:

Lord God, in your great mercy, you sent St. Paul out to seek the lost sheep. Answering your call, he went out into the world to share the saving message of Christ crucified. Help us to prayerfully reflect on what his travels mean for us as Christians today. Like St. Paul, may we have the courage to hold fast to the Gospel without hesitation or compromise, no matter the cost. Grant us the humility to answer your call to share the Gospel in our thoughts, words, and deeds, always spreading the message of your mercy, especially to those whose hearts dwell furthest from you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Paul, pray for us.

For Further Reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 861-863
Pope Benedict XVI, Saint Paul (Ignatius Press, 2009)
Mitch Pacwa, St. Paul: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008)

Memory Verse:

“He is not far from each one of us, for ‘in him we live and move and have our being.’”

– Acts 17: 27-28