Grace Thompson
Holiness is a universal call to all Christians, and Catholics can strive to be holier by deepening their relationship with God and inviting Jesus Christ into their lives. While it may seem challenging to emulate the saints and martyrs, especially those of the early Church, Catholics can take several steps to grow in holiness. These include cultivating a desire for holiness, surrendering one's life to Jesus, and participating in daily Mass and frequent Confession. Additionally, Catholics can avoid distractions like television and focus on prayer, studying Church history, and reading the writings of the saints.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Desire holiness | Say "yes" to being holy |
| Surrender your life to Jesus | Seek God with all your heart |
| Pray | Begin each day with prayer |
| Read the Bible | |
| Go to Mass | Attend daily Mass in addition to Sunday Mass |
| Go to Confession | Go at least once per month |
| Study the history of the Catholic Church | Read about Luther's Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Cristeros counter-revolution in Mexico |
| Read the writings of the saints | Read "The Soul of the Apostolate", "The Imitation of Christ", "Interior Castles", "The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius", "Dark Night of the Soul", "The Classics of Catholic Spirituality", and "Spiritual Advice from the Saints" |
| Get rid of distractions | Get rid of your television |
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What You'll Learn
Pray daily
Praying daily is one of the most important habits a Catholic can build. Pope Francis emphasised the importance of daily prayer during a papal audience in February 2021, stating:
> It is in the present that we encounter Him, not yesterday or tomorrow, but today.
Daily prayer can take many forms, from simple prayers to more complex rituals. One of the most well-known Catholic daily prayer traditions is the Rosary, which is a series of prayers repeated around the structure of a pair of Rosary beads. The Rosary includes the Apostle's Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. It can be prayed once a week, once a day or multiple times a day.
Another form of daily prayer is the Liturgy of the Hours, which includes Morning Prayer/Lauds and Evening Prayer/Vespers. Some Catholics also include Night Prayer/Compline in their daily routine. At 3:00 pm every day, the hour at which Christ died, one might pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, or a prayer of their own creation.
Daily prayer does not need to be complicated or complex. Simple words can shape our prayer life each day. As St. John Damascene said:
> Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.
Praying each day can be life-changing, helping us to discern wisely and surrender fully in moments of uncertainty. Through prayer and holy friends, we can discover God's will for our lives.
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Study the Bible
Studying the Bible is an important step in the journey of becoming holier as a Catholic. The Bible is a source of nourishment and guidance for Catholics, and studying it can help to deepen one's relationship with God. Here are some ways to incorporate the study of the Bible into your spiritual practice:
Read the Bible Daily: Consistency is key when it comes to studying the Bible. Make it a habit to read a portion of the Bible every day. You can start with a few verses or a chapter and gradually increase the amount you read as you develop your biblical knowledge. Create a comfortable and quiet space for your daily reading, where you can reflect and meditate on the teachings without distractions.
Join a Bible Study Group: Consider joining a Bible study group within your parish or community. This provides an opportunity for collective learning and discussion, allowing you to benefit from the insights and interpretations of others. It also helps to keep you accountable and committed to regular study.
Use Study Guides and Commentaries: There are numerous resources available to help you understand the Bible, including study guides, commentaries, and devotional materials. These resources can provide historical context, explain difficult passages, and offer different interpretations. Some popular Catholic resources include the "Classics of Catholic Spirituality" and the "Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius".
Meditate on the Teachings: As you read the Bible, take time to meditate on the teachings and how they apply to your life. Scripture meditation involves slowly reading and reflecting on a passage, considering its meaning and relevance to your personal experiences. This practice can help you internalize the teachings and apply them to your daily life, gradually transforming your thoughts and actions.
Pray for Guidance: Before you begin your study, pray for guidance and understanding. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind and heart, helping you to comprehend the Scriptures and apply them to your life in a meaningful way. This practice aligns your study with divine guidance and opens your heart to the message of the Bible.
By incorporating these practices into your spiritual routine, you will develop a deeper understanding of the Bible and strengthen your relationship with God, ultimately supporting your journey towards holiness as a Catholic.
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Surrender to Jesus
Surrendering to Jesus is about inviting him into your life and deepening your relationship with him. This is a process of ongoing commitment, requiring sincerity, diligence, and sacrifice.
To surrender to Jesus, you must first recognise that you cannot simply "add Jesus to your life" and share control with him. He requires all of you, all the time. This means letting go of your old self and placing him first. You can do this by starting and ending your day with prayer, speaking to Christ and asking him to lead you. Pray for his will to be done and offer everything to him.
You can also follow the example of Mary, the Blessed Mother, who inspires us to trust God and surrender to his will. Say a daily Rosary to invoke her help. Educate yourself by studying the Bible, the Catechism, or a short meditation each day.
Another way to surrender to Jesus is through the Eucharist. Seek out the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist by attending daily Mass and spending quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration.
Finally, you can pray the Surrender Novena to Jesus, a nine-day prayer that can help strengthen your faith in God.
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Go to confession regularly
Going to confession regularly is an important part of Catholic life. While it is not a duty, receiving the Lord in the Eucharist is a privilege, and confession is a direct, personal encounter with the risen Christ. It is a chance to unburden yourself of moral guilt and free yourself from sin.
It is recommended to go to confession regularly, perhaps once a month. However, this is not a strict rule, and it is not a mortal sin to miss confession during the Easter season. The important thing is to have the intention to go to confession regularly and to go as soon as possible when you have committed a mortal sin. If you are unable to find a confession, you can recite the Act of Perfect Contrition and perform penance or acts of charity until you can go to confession.
Before going to confession, it is a good idea to spend a few minutes praying for God's help and guidance, and examining your conscience. You can reflect on an Examination of Conscience, which is a list of ways to love God and your neighbour, and ways you may have failed through sin. This will help you to be honest with yourself and with God during confession. You can also write down any sins you have committed to remember them, but you should not spend too long trying to recall every small sin.
During confession, you should experience pardon and peace, not agitation and anxiety. You will encounter the merciful, forgiving Christ, and receive grace by expressing sorrow for your past and present sins. Present sinfulness refers to the inclination towards sin that all humans have, such as impatience, pride, or a lack of faith in God's forgiveness.
After confession, you can be at peace with Christ and with one another, having turned away from sin and towards God's forgiveness and love.
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Avoid secular distractions
Distractions are a common occurrence in prayer, and they can prevent us from giving our full attention to God. While distractions are an interior battle, they can be managed through certain practices and a change in perspective.
Firstly, it is important to find the right place and posture for prayer. A quiet environment with the right amount of lighting can aid in focus. Posture also plays a role, as being too comfortable may lead to drowsiness, while being too uncomfortable may cause further distractions.
Additionally, preparing oneself mentally before prayer is crucial. Spending a few minutes in calming silence, placing oneself in the presence of God, can help settle the mind and enhance focus. St. Francis of Assisi practised a similar method. Before entering a church or praying, he would ask worldly and frivolous thoughts to stay at the door until he returned, allowing him to pray with complete devotion.
Understanding the nature of prayer can also help tackle distractions. Prayer is not just a mundane exercise but a conversation with God, as described by Saint Teresa of Avila. She suggests closing our eyes at the beginning of prayer to "open wider the eyes of the soul," reducing the impact of distractions.
Furthermore, distractions can be viewed as opportunities to strengthen our relationship with God. They reveal our attachments and, through humble awareness, can awaken our preferential love for Him. Instead of hunting down distractions, we can turn inward and offer our hearts to be purified, choosing to serve God rather than our wandering thoughts.
By cooperating with grace, distractions can become a routine spiritual exercise that draws us closer to Christ. While it is important to manage distractions, it is also essential to remember that God hears distracted prayers and understands our struggles.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics can deepen their relationship with God by praying and reading the Bible daily. Pope Francis suggests welcoming each new day with prayer, so that problems are no longer seen as obstacles but as opportunities to encounter God.
Catholics can grow in holiness by participating in Mass and going to Confession frequently. Reading the writings of the saints and studying the history of the Catholic Church are also recommended.
The first step to becoming holy is to desire holiness and surrender your life to Jesus. Mother Teresa said that we must expect that we will become holy.
