Pope Benedict XVI
- The Holy Father asks the Faithful to learn or review our Faith’s teachings. Though the Summa Theologica may be on the top of your personal list, consider reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Can’t remember to read it? Try this really awesome free application from Flocknote that will send you snippets daily and cover the entire catechism within the Year of Faith.
- Attend a conference on the Faith. If there was ever an excuse to attend that one Catholic conference you always wanted, then this is the year. “Honey, do you really think you should take a couple of days to go hear Scott Hahn, Jennifer Fulwiler, Peter Kreeft, Kate Wicker, Patrick Coffin, Teresa Tomeo, Mark Shea, and Hallie Lord?” My response would be “Dear, I am only taking orders to learn my Faith from the Vicar of Christ.”
- Commit to sharing your Faith, a.k.a. Evangelize. Our Confirmation has granted us the grace to be a witness to Christ, even to the point of martyrdom. Maybe we can consider stepping our efforts up a notch. Here are some ideas: invite a close friend to Mass, pray for the conversion of an office mate, or offer a small sacrifice for your priest to continue praying the Liturgy according to our Faith’s teachings. Want to go undercover? Carry religious medals or those small ring Rosaries and leave them in places to be found by others.
- Have a favorite book that helped you learn the Faith? How about buying a few copies and passing them out to those you know are questioning their Faith or to those outside our Faith? How about leaving a few copies at your parish for your pastor to pass out?
- Share an article. Simple as pushing the “Share” button. You wouldn’t believe how many times I found out that another friend shares common beliefs simply by seeing a post on their Facebook wall.
- Cardinal Dolan mentioned that the Sacrament of the Year is Confession. This sacrament continues to offer healing and invigorates, vivifies, and rejuvenates my own faith. Try going at least once a month.
- Our Red Hats continue to warn us of the perils of secularism and its grip on our culture. Know the culture. Cardinal Wuerl recently said we are facing a “tsunami of secularism.” There are plenty of great online resources available to get another person’s perspective of cultural matters. I like National Catholic Register, Public Discourse, Crisis Magazine, Catholic Vote, and The Imaginative Conservative to name a few. What are some you would recommend?
- Stop drinking coffee. “What do you mean, ‘Stop drinking coffee?’” Ok, well not really. Hold off on the Starbucks and order a yearly subscription to a good Catholic publication like First Things, Catholic Digest, or the Register. Switching from Starbucks to generic roast will save you the money to do so. Better yet, order from Mystic Monk and find somewhere else to save a few bucks for your subscription.
- Write a post. Over here at Ignitum Today, we publish guest posts. Maybe you could share how you bring your faith into the workplace or how you evangelize the culture around you.
- You already go to Mass on Sunday, can you make it another day of the week? Wake up early, take half a lunch hour, or eat supper a little later to make it to a daily Mass. Can’t get to Mass? Maybe you can swing by the Lord and visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
Of course, this is not some official and complete list. How do you plan on deepening your faith during this year? If you could pick one, what is the single practice that enriches your own faith the most?
16 thoughts on “10 Practices for the Year of Faith”
Here is a version of the daily Catechism for the Year of Faith that includes supplemental reading from Church Fathers, Papal Documents etc –
http://t.co/pkqK8BMP
Also, try to get involved with a cause through your parish. Your faith will grow in a very meaningful way if you can help out with a crisis pregnancy center or a soup kitchen.
Do you have any suggestions for books that might influence lapsed Catholics to return home? Both my husband’s and my family no longer practice. I would say they are “spiritual” in that I think all of them believe in a Divinity but don’t believe in the Church. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Karyn – “Rome sweet home” by Scott Hahn is a good one. “Surprised by Truth” by Patrick Madrid is another excellent choice.
Karyn, I see John’s recommendation and raise him. Prayer for their conversion is also important and the your own personal example of holiness.
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I also am holding out for the private audience with the Vicar of Christ, but don’t think you have to diss those other poor schmucks! Nice List.
Ty, Oh no, I wasn’t dissing any speakers! My marching order from the Vicar is to continue learning the Faith, the conferences are good ways to do so! Perhaps, we ought to call the Vatican and see if the Pope is available to speak at a Men’s Conference in Texas!
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Great suggestions for the year of faith. Check out the Truth and Charity Forum as well for a great publication. I like this article on the Truth and Charity Forum about the Eucharist and Eucharistic call to give public witness to our faith. http://www.truthandcharityforum.org/the-eucharist-and-pro-life-witness-whats-the-connection/
Thanks Cindy for adding another great site. Just like the word “Mass”, we are sent into the world to bring Christ into every place.
1) Way before the world conquered the Church, the Church conquered the world. Vatican II has caused a lot of trouble since 1965 and the CCC is based on Vatican II. Instead, read the Catechism of Pope St Pius X.
2) Pray the rosary every day, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries. All the great Saints got to be Great Saints by meditating on the Passion of Our Lord.
3) Wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel because, “Whosever shall die wearing this garment, will not suffer eternal fire.”
4) Buy a case books called, “The Secret of the Rosary” and distribute them to parishioners. Our Lady promised salvation to those who promote the rosary.
5) Make the Five First Saturdays devotion in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady revealed at Fatima, that God wished this devotion to be established throughout the world. Our Lady further promised that those who embraced this devotion (which includes going to confession) a high place in Heaven!
6,7,8,9) Attend a Traditional Latin Mass Community (not SSPX) to find out what living the Catholic Faith was like the first 1965 years. The difference is like night and day.
10) Drop by the Adoration Chapel in your area, make a Spiritual Communion and pray for priests. Tell Our Lord that you will never work on Sunday again or take the name of God in vain.
Templar, Thanks for the list. I have appreciated a number of different liturgies, my preference is stick by the red and black. I tend to get lost in my mind when too many liberties are taken with added words or gestures. I haven’t read or seen a “Catechism of Pope St. Pius X” but I do have to admit that really like the CCC and the Second Vatican II documents and I am really excited to see what this Year of Faith turns out for the two!
The ancient liturgy of the Church has a completely different spirituality than the new liturgy. Only the Traditional Latin Mass allows the faithful to experience the transcendent that the soul craves. Revelation, silence, reverence and transcendence, the Latin Mass is the great heirloom passed down from the Apostles. No gimmicks. No simplistic repetitions. The Traditional Latin Mass is the real deal.
Templar, I can appreciate your choice for the Latin Mass. No doubt about it, it is a beautiful liturgy. I, myself, love the Latin. I do think that there are numerous liturgies that are equally valid.
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