Looking to make 2017 a spiritual turning point in your timeline of faith? Here are a few ideas. But first some tips:
- Make it do-able. If you never go to adoration, don’t try and make 2017 the year you do an hour of adoration every day. And if you don’t read books, don’t try to do a book-a-day.
- Make it a habit, or routine. Don’t try to do 17 times a year, make it a deadline of the end of the month. Not every-other day, make it daily or weekly.
- Schedule it. Just like a meeting, or volley ball practice, put it in your schedule . . . like actually put it in your calendar.
- Get some accountability. Have someone else do it with you. Sign-up for it at church. Tell people that you are doing it. Post something on social media about it.
- Then be a person of your word and follow through.
First one: Give the Pope a pizza:
Just kidding. Or am I?
Okay. Let’s go:
- Read the whole Catechism in 2017. Actually, let’s read the Compendium to the Catechism by getting a little bit each day. http://flocknote.com/catechism (hear Matthew Warner talk about it in this podcast)
- Start a daily prayer routine.
- Follow Catholics on Social Media. Priests, bishops, news outlets, and ministries, are all great ways of making your social media time more holy.
- If you already have a daily prayer routine, add something to it. Maybe something from this list.
- Go to confession more often. If you don’t already go monthly, try it in 2017. Every month you have a deadline (no pun intended). Get to confession before time runs out!
- Journal your thoughts and prayers.
- Go to a Bible study. If you can’t find one, start one.
- Learn about and be inspired by all of the Popes. Get an email almost daily about the Popes. http://flocknote.com/popes (another Matthew Warner project we talked about in this podcast)
- Make time for silence. Find a quiet place in your home, in your car, at work, or outside.
- Make a holy hour each week. Either find an adoration chapel, or just sit in a quiet church. Maybe Thursday after work, or Friday during lunch. Maybe sign-up for an hour at a chapel so you have a responsibility to be there.
- Learn more about the Saints. You can get a Saint of the Day email from Franciscan Media. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/source/saint-of-the-day
- Read Catholic books. If you listen to the Kyle Heimann Show podcast, you’ve probably heard about 100 or so books to help you grow in your faith. Start with one. Here is one of my favorites: http://amzn.to/2iZHHZM
- Help out with CCD or youth group. Teach a class, lead a small group, make a meal, offer to make phone calls inviting kids to a retreat. There is literally endless ways to get involved. And I think it is theologically impossible to help minister to young people and not be inspired in your faith.
- Watch Catholic movies. There are many movies about the saints, documentaries on Popes, and even great short films that will help you in your faith.
- Listen to Catholic music. First of all, we won’t get good Catholic music unless we support Catholic musicians. Secondly, the music we listen to influences us. For example, check out The Vigil Project (from episode 114 of the podcast).
- Read the whole Bible in 2017. This might seem like a huge commitment, but there are some tricks to make it manageable. http://brandonvogt.com/how-to-easily-read-the-whole-bible
- Listen to Redeemer Radio (Stream it live now) or get caught up on the podcasts. There are so many amazing Catholics that can help explain and challenge your faith, you can’t help but grow closer to God.
Tell us what you are going to do for 2017.
What’s that? Pope can’t hear you. Better tell us in the comment section.