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Index of Links to and Synopses of Online Teachings by Father John Hampsch, cmf

	The Open Arms of God It would be hard to find a Christian who doesn't know the Lord's Prayer, the "Our Father." But there are many Christians who don't really know Our Father himself! That is, they don't really know him intimately and relate to him in a warm child-to-father relationship. But for those few persons who do relate to the Father seriously and authentically with a true spiritual intimacy, their life is radically different from that of others. They see in God a limitless goodness, and goodness implies kindness, care, and concern.Their trust in the Father's loving providence keeps them serene in the midst of the most harrowing situations in life. (See full teaching)		Prayer of the Heart Most Christians will turn to God in prayer in time of need, whether it be a casual request for a convenient parking slot or the panicked battlefront plea that spawned the slogan, "no atheist in a foxhole." However, our very asking can be defective by limiting our prayer life to petition prayer, neglecting prayer of praise, thanksgiving, worship, adoration, contrition and by not recognizing that the Lord is far more concerned with lavishing on us greater blessings than the things we typically ask for. Pope John Paul emphasizes that for the "fullness" of prayer we must let God be most "fully present" to us. Openness to this divine intimacy is called "Prayer of the Heart.(See full teaching)"
	Boosting Your Love Potential Not all suggested improvements are appreciated by the beneficiaries. Or, as some punster put it, we all have a chance to improve, but some people don't take chances. Yet, we're all in the biggest room in the world the room for improvement. Filtering through the gospel truths is an underlying Christian improvement dynamic sometimes called the "principle of the extra measure," which is a mandate inherent in Christianity that urges us to aspire vigorously and relentlessly to maximum spiritual growth. Jesus' challenge to us is to be "perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48).(See full teaching)		Amazing Grace What precisely is this redoubtable, awesome "living water"? It is the very life of God himself within us, enabling us to "participate in the divine nature" (II Pet. 1:4). It is a kind of extrusion of God's august presence into us, which is spiritually both life-giving and life-sustaining, for it entails "everything we need for both life and godliness" (v. 3). As a "supernatural" gift (one that transcends our human nature) it is not overstated by the epithet "Amazing Grace" the title of the popular hymn by the sailor-turned-clergyman, John Newton.(See full teaching)
	The Art of Loving God The love that Jesus taught transcended even the beautiful phileo kind of love. So another Greek word for love, agape, was adopted to describe God's love, a God "who so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" (John 3:16). It was a love that Paul describes as a "willingness to die for the powerless, for the ungodly, for sinners and for those at enmity with God" (Rom. 5:6-10). Such agape love is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and is God's own love "poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5).(See full teaching)		Coping with Life's Darkest Moments Whether we consider the darkness of world-wide turmoil, or just the turmoil within our own personal or family lives, if we harbor no hope of God shedding his blessed light of love on us in our midnights of trial and adversity, then an incurable malady may develop, as Solomon warned: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). Without the light of hope we miss the the revelation of God's love, and "where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint" (29:18).(See full teaching)
	Nestling in the Hand of God Those who pridefully regard themselves as strong in their faith, without humbly pleading for the grace of perseverance, will find their faith and hence their reliance on the Lord failing in that critical time. In this regard, the words of Paul are sobering: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith" (I Cor. 16:13). "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (10:12).(See full teaching)		Getting to Know Your Guardian Angel Yes, you do indeed have a personal guardian angel. And the full acknowledgement and realization of that truth would utterly transform the life of anyone. Those alone would no longer languish in self pity; those tempted to lust would find it unthinkable to sin in the presence of their heavenly companion; those discouraged or in despair would be re-invigorated.(See full teaching)
	When Loved Ones Turn from God It's hard to find a Christian family today that does not have one or more "black sheep" who have given up church attendance, or perhaps even basic morality, and turned away from God. If you are distraught by such a sad situation in your family, be assured that the situation isn't hopeless; you need not be frustrated when your prayers seem unanswered.(See full teaching)		Getting Excited about the Bible Many people seem to have trouble communicating with God. Not, of course, because of poor communication on God's part, but on ours. God has no trouble understanding us, but we often have great trouble understanding Him. The spiritual life in the fullest sense is a dialogue, not a monologue; it's a two-way communication.(See full teaching)
	Thoughts on the Nativity Intense meditation on the nativity and the relationship between Mary and Jesus. Includes the poem "Vessel of Love."(See full teaching)		Thoughts on the Resurrection Meditation on perseverance in faith and rolling back the stone of the tomb (and the "stones" in life).(See full teaching)