Description
By Rev Fr William Goh
Set of 4 cds
Talk 1: The Mutual Inter-dependence between Friendship with God and Human Friendship.
Communion with God is described as friendship in the gospel. “I call you friends …” (Jn 15:15). How can one grow in friendship with God? In many ways, friendship with God presupposes that one has experienced positive human friendships. We cannot relate with God the Holy Trinity as persons and our fellow human beings if we suffer from a poor self-image. A good self-image and self-acceptance is bolstered by the cultivation of healthy human friendships. This in turn will lead to a more authentic relationship with God. However those who have never experienced genuine human friendships can still, through God’s grace, develop a friendship with God, as love and intimacy are founded on God’s love rather than on the conditional and limited love of human beings.
Talk 2: Friendship with God by Healing our Self-made Image and our Images of God
There is a close link between our God-Image and our spirituality. The way we live our life and our perception of reality is very much determined by our image of God. Many have difficulties relating with God because of false images that originated from childhood, which continue to have a negative influence on their being. Such distorted images of God are not easily wiped out even by right doctrines learned later. To develop authentic friendship with God, we must first learn to know who God truly is. Only in the face of God’s unconditional love and mercy, can we accept ourselves as we are. When we no longer live in slavish fear, we can then grow in grace and in maturity, and live our lives in peace and joy.
Talk 3: Friendship with God through the Prayer of Simplicity
In cultivating a personal relationship with God so that He can be our friend, we can adopt the prayer of simplicity, sometimes also described as the Prayer of Presence. This prayer involves a simple loving gaze on God Himself or some divine aspects of God. This method of prayer goes beyond words and images to a union of mind and heart, so that one becomes more aware of God’s intimate presence, love and affection for us. With this greater awareness of His presence, our lives will be permeated by the spirit of faith, love and simplicity.
Talk 4: Friendship with God the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit
How can we have a friendship with God as we do with human persons? He is neither tangible nor does He engage in conversation with us. We cannot hear, touch or see Him as we can with our fellowmen. Yet, our faith tells us that God is a Personal Reality and not just an impersonal force or a power. Not only is God personal, but within the God-Being, there are three persons, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. A meaningful relationship with God in friendship and in prayer demands that we have a personal relationship with each of the three divine Persons.
