Feasts of October

Dear friends, I joined John Morales earlier this week on Morning Air to talk about how to get into the habit of preparing liturgically each month. And this month, in October, we have some truly wonderful saints’ days and of course the focus of the Holy Rosary. Listen to the conversation here, starting around 15:00. Enjoy!

A spiritual habit: preparing for each month's liturgical celebrations

In just a matter of days, it will be October. And, it occurred to me to wonder - what special saints’ or feast days are coming up? Are there any holy days of obligations that I should make room for in my calendar?

A good place to start is with a website like Catholic Culture. Here’s their page for October. While there aren’t any holy days of obligation (though there is immediately after; November 1 is All Saints Day), there are lots of good saints’ days to be aware of: St. Therese, St. Luke, St. John Paul II, and so on. It is also the month of the Holy Rosary, and the Pope’s prayer intentions for October are for the synod.

So, what’s the point? The point is what I want to drive home in just about all the speaking and writing that I do: that the faith is more than just going to Mass on Sunday. To be Catholic is to bring the faith into your daily life in all aspects, and integrate celebration, memorial, and prayer every day. Not because you’re “obligated,” but because you’re part of something larger than yourself. And, because it’s good for you. The Church is wonderfully ordered toward what makes makes humans happy, and the rhythms of liturgical life build that for you, without really any work on your part other than paying attention or showing up.

So when you, for example, gather your family for a French feast on St. Therese’s feast day, you’re doing something that will lead to happiness and a life well lived; greater closeness and purpose. Or in October you may pray the rosary more often or with your family, or read Luke’s gospel for the first time. These are beautiful, small ways to honor the Church, and your identity as a child of God, throughout your life.

I will be on Relevant Radio this coming Tuesday, 10/3 at 7:10 am eastern to discuss all this and more. You can find your radio station here, listen on the app, or livestream the conversation in a web browser or your computer or mobile device here.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and holy October!

A conversation about accepting God's blessings in our lives

Dear friends, a few years ago I wrote an article called Accepting God’s Blessing in Your Life. This concept has been on my mind recently, and earlier this week I spoke with John Morales on Morning Air about it.

You can listen to the audio here.

While we talked mostly about the concept of acedia and how social media in particular has broken up our ability to engage with life and have relationships, one thing I realize I did not say more about is the idea of the expansiveness of God’s love. The sheer size of it. So, all that we get from God is a gift, and then, very often, what he wants to give us is far beyond our comprehension. It may be years, if not much longer, until we even see that. Or never! So, that is one thing to keep in mind if you are resistant to where God is taking your life, or what he is trying to give you. Our minds and understanding are really quite small. But that’s okay! Remember God’s generosity is not like human generosity. It is much, much bigger.

I also emphasized in the talk that experiencing spiritual sloth or listlessness, doubt, a lack of engagement in life, and a despair at the power of prayer, and so on, is not a reason for shame. Not at all. It’s become a sort of recurring thing in my recent Morning Air appearances, that the world we live in now is truly bizarre. In many ways, it is downright anti-human. So to try to engage in a world where people do not make eye contact, or phone calls, or even often real friendships, is disorienting for us all. The sort of acedia we experience now is, I would wager, worse than at any time in human history. At least in the middle ages they didn’t have Twitter.

The answer to acedia is just to move - physical action of some sort. Here are a few physical things you can to do get out of the rut:

• Clean something. Go scrub your toilet. Admire your handiwork and maybe move on to clean another thing.

• Cook or bake something new. Or even just try out a new smoothie or cappuccino recipe.

• Similarly, make a piece of art of some sort. Get a coloring book, write your name in fancy cursive, stick your fingers in some paint, squish some play-dough.

• Go for a walk. The benefits are numerous, on both the physical and mental levels. Admire God’s natural handiwork, and take a picture to show someone else.

• Call someone you love and ask them how their day is.

• Adoration! It is a sign of hope to show up at the adoration chapel. It also takes effort. You may feel unsure or unworthy. Thankfully, Jesus is thrilled to have you there.

• Keep praying. Ask God to be with you in your disbelief. Ask for as long as it takes.