Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean to build your life on Christ? What sorts of things do this entail doing or not doing? What does a life built on Christ look like?
2. What are some instances where you or people you know failed to make Christ the foundation? What was the result of this?
3. How does reading the lives of the saints help us to understand more concretely how to build our lives on Christ?
4. Have you ever asked yourself the question: “Why am I here?”  The Baltimore Catechism says that God created us “to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him in this life, so that we can be happy with Him in the life to come.”   Why is it important to know the purpose of your life?
5. Many people today are unable to articulate any thought-out answer to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” What are some of the individual and societal effects of people not knowing their true purpose?
6. How do the lives of those who seek to know, love and serve God differ from those who seek other things in life? What are some specific and concrete things we can do to grow in the three areas of knowing, loving and serving God?
7. God’s plan for every man is that he gets to heaven. Is this your primary goal in life, or do you find yourself pursuing other more worldly goals, such as pleasure, wealth, fame, or success? How can we better commit ourselves to becoming a saint and getting to heaven above all else?
8. The saints are holy, which means they practice “heroic virtue.” Do you seek to practice the virtues—such as courage, justice, and hope—in your own life? What does it mean to practice these virtues in a “heroic” way?
9. What can a man do to make sure that he is motivated by love when it comes to fulfilling his duties (to his wife, family, employer, neighbor, or God) and keeping God’s laws?
10. We are called to discipline ourselves to a life of prayer, examination of conscience, reading Scripture, attending Mass, going to confession, and building fraternity with other men of faith.   Does this level of discipline seem realistic for you to attain in your own life? How many of these disciplines do you presently practice faithfully?
11. Which aspects of these disciplines would you find most difficult or challenging, and why?
12. What concrete steps can you take to “build up” to this level and rhythm of attention to prayer and the interior life?
13. Why is it difficult for some men to admit they are ultimately powerless and in need of God’s strength and guidance?
14. So often people focus on the things that they feel are going wrong in life, rather than everything that is going right. How does one start to look at the things of life with gratitude, rather than seeing only the negative aspects or taking things for granted?
15. How do we grow in trust of God? How do we begin to live our lives so that God is truly the foundation of everything we do?

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Please know that we continue to pray for you and your families.  We ask that you please pray for the Catholic Church in Calgary and Canada, and for St. Mary’s University.

We look forward to seeing you at our MHL events this season!