Dear Friends,

As I’m sure you know, I’m not the biggest fan of New Year’s resolutions. That doesn’t mean that I resist change (not all of it, at least) or fail to plan for success. Quite the opposite: I have a plan of life that allows me to adapt and grow according to God’s prompting.

On our parish website I offer a similar, slightly simpler, plan of life (www.olmc.church/grow). Here, you’ll find five basic habits – Sunday Mass, Monthly Confession, Daily Prayer, Serving, and Giving – that are essential practices to catalyze personal spiritual growth. This year, I intend to support and help advance your growth by communicating the importance of our parish plan of life.

Let’s take a moment this week to focus on Daily Prayer.

Prayer is how God enkindles our hearts and keeps the fire of his love burning within us. We are called to pray at all times, but this is only possible if we pray at specific times. The almost universal testimony of the saints (the Church’s spiritual masters) is that we need to pray for at least 30 uninterrupted minutes a day.

It can be a challenge to integrate any good spiritual practice into your life, but especially 30 minutes of daily prayer. So, make yourself a plan. Maybe you start this month with five minutes a day, adding five minutes every month or two until you’re at 30. If you put prayer on your To-Do list, jot it down in your planner, or carve the time out in your calendar, it’s more likely to happen.

As always, our team of Spiritual Mentors is also standing by, expertly equipped to help you flourish in your relationship with God, and eager to give you in-person assistance.

In the Peace of Christ,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ