15 Minutes with Jesus
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ." — Ephesians 2:4-5 (NABRE)
You are sitting in the midst of Love Himself.
The God who created the universe—who holds every star in place, who knows every hair on your head—is here. And He is not here to judge you, to fix you, or to demand something from you. He is here to give Himself to you.
This is grace.
You have learned that God exists, that He is Trinity—a communion of love. You have seen His covenant plan unfold through history, culminating in Jesus Christ. You have discovered the Church, the sacraments, the Mass. You know about God.
But grace is how you come to know God personally. Grace is not a thing God gives. Grace is God giving Himself. Right now, in this moment, the infinite God is pouring out His divine life toward you—not because you've earned it, not because you deserve it, but simply because He loves you.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux understood this when she wrote:
"It is not because I have been preserved from mortal sin that I lift up my heart to God in trust and love. I feel that even if I had on my conscience every crime one could commit, I would lose nothing of my confidence. Heartbroken with repentance, I would simply throw myself into my Savior's arms."
Can you receive this? Can you let go of the need to earn, to prove, to be worthy—and simply receive?
Today we begin a journey through the theological virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love. But before we can believe, before we can hope, before we can love—we must first receive.
Grace is the foundation.
Without grace, we cannot take a single step toward God. But with grace, everything becomes possible.
St. Augustine, who knew the depths of his own weakness, wrote:
"God does not command the impossible, but in commanding He admonishes you to do what you can, and to ask for what you cannot do, and He helps you so that you can do it."
You are not alone. You have never been alone. God's grace surrounds you, sustains you, and empowers you for everything He calls you to.
Sit quietly with Jesus. Let these questions rest in your heart.
Pray this slowly, from your heart:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am.
I have nothing to offer You but my need. I cannot earn Your love. I cannot deserve Your grace. But I can receive.
Help me to receive.
Open my hands that have been clenched in striving. Open my heart that has been closed in shame. Open my soul to the flood of Your mercy.
I believe that Your grace is enough. I believe that Your love is real. I believe that You are here, right now, giving Yourself to me.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Amen.
Now, set aside this booklet.
You have reflected. You have prayed. But the most important thing is simply to be with Jesus.
He is here—truly present with you in prayer. You don't need words. You don't need to figure anything out. Just rest in His presence. Let Him look at you with love. Speak to Him from your heart—whatever comes naturally. Or simply be still and know that He is God.
Remain here in silence until the bell rings.
When you hear the bell, pray the closing prayer below, then return quietly to the Parish Hall.
This ancient prayer, beloved by St. Ignatius of Loyola, is a perfect way to close your time with Jesus. It asks Christ to sanctify us with His grace—the very gift we have been reflecting on.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.
We do not walk this journey alone. The saints who have gone before us intercede for us. Ask for their prayers:
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for us.
While making the Sign of the Cross, pray:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Lord. I receive Your grace. Amen.
You don't need to feel anything special. You don't need to have had a profound experience. Grace works whether we feel it or not.
Go in peace. The journey continues.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God." — Ephesians 2:8 (NABRE)
15 Minutes with Jesus
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" — John 14:6 (NABRE)
You have been on a journey. You have learned that God exists, that He answers the problem of evil with love. You have encountered the Trinity, traced God's covenant plan, and met Jesus Christ—the Answer Incarnate. You have discovered the Church, Scripture, Tradition, the Mass, the saints.
You know so much more than when you started. And yet—knowing is not the same as believing.
Faith is not pretending to be certain when you're not. Faith is not checking your brain at the door. Faith is responding to a God who has already reached out to you—a God who reveals Himself through Scripture and Tradition, through the Church, through the sacraments—and waits for your response.
St. John Henry Newman described his own journey this way:
"Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."
You can have questions. You can struggle. You can wrestle. That's not the opposite of faith—that's often how faith grows. What matters is that you keep turning toward the One who created you, who loves you, who is calling you to a life in Him.
In our first session, we reflected on grace—God's free gift of Himself. Now we see that faith is our response to that gift.
Grace comes first. Always. God reveals Himself before we seek Him. God loves us before we love Him. God calls us before we answer.
Faith is simply saying yes to what God has already done.
Without grace, we could not believe. But grace has been given. The question now is: Will you believe?
St. Augustine, after years of running from God, finally surrendered:
"Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside... You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness."
God is calling. He is breaking through. Faith is hearing that call and responding.
Sit quietly with Jesus. Let these questions rest in your heart.
Pray this slowly, from your heart:
Lord Jesus, I want to believe.
I bring You my doubts, my questions, my uncertainties. I bring You the parts of me that struggle to trust. I bring You my whole self—not just the parts that feel ready.
You have revealed Yourself to me in ways I'm only beginning to understand. Help me to see. Help me to hear. Help me to respond.
I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief.
Amen.
This ancient prayer expresses the heart of what it means to believe. Pray it slowly, making each phrase your own.
O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because you have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
Amen.
Now, set aside this booklet.
You have reflected. You have prayed. But the most important thing is simply to be with Jesus.
He is here—truly present with you in prayer. You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need perfect faith. Just be with the One who is calling you. Speak to Him from your heart—your doubts, your hopes, your desire to believe. Or simply be still and let Him speak to you.
Remain here in silence until the bell rings.
When you hear the bell, pray the closing prayer below, then return quietly to the Parish Hall.
Ask Christ to deepen your faith as you pray:
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.
We do not walk this journey alone. The saints who have gone before us intercede for us. Ask for their prayers:
Holy Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.
St. John Henry Newman, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for us.
While making the Sign of the Cross, pray:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. Amen.
You have taken another step. Faith grows not by having all the answers, but by continuing to walk toward the One who is the Answer.
Go in peace. The journey continues.
"I do believe, help my unbelief!" — Mark 9:24 (NABRE)
15 Minutes with Jesus
"Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us." — Romans 5:5 (NABRE)
Life is hard. You know this.
You have learned that God exists—and that evil and suffering are real. You have seen how God's answer to suffering is love: truth, justice, and mercy woven together. You have traced His covenant faithfulness through history, even when His people failed Him again and again.
God does not abandon. God keeps His promises. This is the foundation of hope.
And yet—there are days when the weight feels unbearable. Anxiety about the future. Grief over the past. Discouragement in the present. The state of the world. The struggles in your own life. Moments when you wonder if things will ever change.
And yet—you are here. You have not given up. Something in you keeps reaching for the light.
That something is hope.
Hope is not optimism. Optimism says, "Things will probably work out." Hope says, "God is faithful, no matter what happens." Optimism depends on circumstances. Hope depends on God.
Jesus said:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27, NABRE)
St. Padre Pio wrote:
"Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer."
St. Thomas Aquinas defined hope this way:
"Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit."
Notice: hope relies not on our own strength. This is crucial. Hope is not about being strong enough to endure. Hope is about trusting a God who is strong enough to carry us.
We have journeyed through grace—God's free gift of Himself. We have said yes in faith—believing that God is who He says He is. Now hope takes us further.
Hope is faith looking forward.
St. Paul understood this progression when he wrote to the Philippians:
"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6, NABRE)
God has begun something in you. Hope trusts that He will finish it.
Sit quietly with Jesus. Let these questions rest in your heart.
Pray this slowly, from your heart:
Lord Jesus, I am tired.
I am tired of struggling. Tired of waiting. Tired of wondering if things will ever change.
But I come to You because I believe You are faithful. I come to You because Your promises are true. I come to You because You are my only hope.
Anchor my soul in You. When the storms come, hold me fast. When the darkness closes in, be my light. When I am tempted to give up, remind me that You never give up on me.
I place my hope in You alone.
Amen.
This ancient prayer expresses confident trust in God's promises. Pray it slowly, letting each phrase strengthen your heart.
O my God, relying on your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Amen.
Now, set aside this booklet.
You have reflected. You have prayed. But the most important thing is simply to be with Jesus.
He is here—truly present with you in prayer. You don't need to solve your problems right now. You don't need to feel hopeful. Just rest in the presence of the One who holds your future. Speak to Him from your heart—your fears, your weariness, your longing for something more. Or simply be still and let His peace wash over you.
Remain here in silence until the bell rings.
When you hear the bell, pray the closing prayer below, then return quietly to the Parish Hall.
Ask Christ to anchor your hope as you pray:
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.
We do not walk this journey alone. The saints who have gone before us intercede for us. Ask for their prayers:
Holy Mary, Mother of Hope, pray for us.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.
St. Padre Pio, pray for us.
St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for us.
While making the Sign of the Cross, pray:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, I place my hope in You. Amen.
You are not alone. You have never been alone. The God who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.
Go in peace. The journey continues.
"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope." — Jeremiah 29:11 (NABRE)
15 Minutes with Jesus
"God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." — 1 John 4:16 (NABRE)
You have traveled far—not just today, but throughout your entire OCIA journey.
You learned that God exists and that the solution to evil and suffering is love. You discovered that love is not a feeling but a reality that binds truth, justice, and mercy together. You met the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—an eternal communion of love. You traced God's covenant plan, saw it fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and found it alive in the Church, the Mass, the sacraments.
Everything you have learned has been pointing here. To love.
Today you began with grace—the overwhelming gift of God pouring out His very life toward you. You responded with faith—saying yes to a God who reveals Himself. You anchored yourself in hope—trusting that God will complete what He has begun.
Now you arrive at the destination: Love.
But here is the beautiful truth—love is not just the destination. Love has been with you all along. Grace is love reaching out. Faith is love received. Hope is love trusted. And now, love calls you to remain.
St. John understood this when he wrote:
"In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10, NABRE)
Love begins with God. Always. You are not here to earn God's love. You are here to receive it, to rest in it, and to let it transform you.
St. Paul wrote that faith, hope, and love abide—but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Why is love the greatest?
Because love is who God is. Not just what God does—who God is. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are an eternal communion of self-giving love. And this love—this very love—has been pursuing you your entire life. Before you knew His name. Before you walked through the doors of this parish. Before you took your first breath. God's love was there.
St. Augustine captured this beautifully:
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."
The restlessness you have felt—the longing, the searching, the ache for something more—that is your heart seeking the love it was made for. And that love is here. That love is now. That love is Jesus, present before you.
But God does not call you simply to receive His love. He calls you to become His love in the world.
The prophet Micah asked what the Lord requires of us. The answer echoes through the ages:
"You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NABRE)
This is your calling. This is why you are here. Not just to know about God's love, but to be God's love—to bear truth in a world drowning in lies, to do justice where injustice reigns, to love mercy when the world demands vengeance, and to walk humbly with your God every step of the way.
Jesus gave everything for you. Now He invites you to give your whole life to Him.
St. John of the Cross wrote:
"In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone."
Not on how much we knew. Not on how much we accomplished. Not on how impressive our faith appeared. On love. Only love.
Look around you. The world is dark. But you—you—are called to be light.
Jesus said:
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14, NABRE)
You are the next generation that brings light into the darkness. You are the ones who will carry the faith forward. You are the hands and feet of Christ in a world that desperately needs to see His love made visible.
This is not a burden. This is a gift. This is the adventure you were made for.
Sit quietly with Jesus. Let these questions rest in your heart.
Pray this slowly, from your heart:
Lord Jesus, You are Love.
You loved me before I knew You. You loved me when I ran from You. You love me now, in all my weakness and failure.
I give You my whole life. Not part of it. Not the easy parts. All of it. As You gave Yourself completely for me, I give myself completely to You.
Make me Your love in the world. Send me to bear truth where there are lies. Send me to do justice where there is oppression. Send me to love mercy where there is cruelty. Teach me to walk humbly with You every day.
I am Yours. Use me. Send me. I am ready.
"You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
Amen.
This ancient prayer expresses the heart of charity—loving God above all and neighbor for God's sake. Pray it slowly, letting each phrase become your own.
O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all my love.
I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you.
I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
Amen.
Now, set aside this booklet.
You have reflected. You have prayed. But the most important thing is simply to be with Jesus—Love Himself.
He is here—truly present with you in prayer. You don't need to do anything. You don't need to prove anything. Just rest in the arms of the Jesus who loves you more than you can imagine. Speak to Him from your heart—your gratitude, your surrender, your desire to love as He loves. Or simply be still and receive His love.
Remain here in silence until the bell rings.
When you hear the bell, pray the closing prayer below, then return quietly to the Parish Hall.
Ask Christ to fill you with His love as you pray:
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.
We do not walk this journey alone. The saints who have gone before us intercede for us. Ask for their prayers:
Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for us.
While making the Sign of the Cross, pray:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help me to love as You love. Amen.
You have received grace. You have said yes in faith. You have anchored yourself in hope. Now go and love—for love is why you were made.
Go in peace. The journey continues—and love leads the way.
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." — 1 John 4:7 (NABRE)