November is a time of change, commemoration, and reflection. The Church reminds us to remember and pray for the dead; our liturgical celebrations reflect on the end of time and culminate in the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We are also reminded to be grateful for all that we have and to remember those who have defended (and still do) our country.
As our year winds down and we look forward to a new year, we set goals (resolutions) for ourselves. It is a time to look back and see how we can improve.
Well, as a Catholic Christian, we look forward to a renewed sense of hope as we enter a Spiritual New Year, the penitential season of Advent (but not to the same degree as Lent), one that will hopefully include a renewed sense of personal spiritual growth.
As we enter this preparatory season in a couple of weeks, to commemorate and celebrate the Birth of Christ, we should consider how we could live our faith more devoutly. If we do not nourish our physical bodies, we will get sick or even die. However, how about our souls? How are we strengthening our spiritual body? Without daily nourishment, it will suffer too.
Here are some ideas I came across to begin the Advent Season and beyond:
Exercise More: Body and Soul, what change can you make to honor your body the way God desires you to?
Lose Weight: How about the Weight of our sins? Consider going to confession.
Get Organized: How is your prayer life? Plan each day to spend time with the Lord. Make a plan to incorporate prayer, Scripture reading, and daily Mass.
Save Money/Spend less: Are you generous with your money? Increase almsgiving, your parish offertory, and perform corporal acts of mercy.
Bad Habits: Try to stop one bad habit with God’s help.
Travel More: How about visiting Jesus in adoration?
Practice Active Listening: Listen without interrupting or planning your response to the person in front of you.
Spend more time with family and friends: Celebrate Advent with a pre-Christmas gathering. Stay in touch throughout the coming year by planning activities/reunions.
Live life to the fullest: Be intentional in our relationship with Our Lord and bring as many people with us to heaven as we possibly can.
