“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” St. John Henry Newman
Why hello there,
Fancy seeing you here😊 Sometimes it’s wild to me that people actually read my posts. Hopefully, they give you something to ponder and inspiration in growing closer to God through little steps each day. All I can ask is that the Holy Spirit works through my thoughts in some way or another.
But anyway, lately, I’ve felt like I could be a lot better. There is so much imperfection in my soul, so many ways I put in half the effort. By trait, I’m not a perfectionist (if you can’t tell by my occasional spelling errors), and I think this filters into my spiritual life to some degree.
Sometimes it feels like I can never do enough, and that I will never reach perfection. That I will never feel true sorrow for my sins or be able to give up all that I hold onto in my little clenched fists. But I know it all comes with time, with work, and with a whole lot of prayer. So, my prayer of late has been this:
Make me perfect as you are perfect, Lord.
Cleanse me of all my sins and unholy desires. That I may only desire you, O Lord
Dear Lord, show me where I fall short.
And these, my dear friends, are dangerous prayers. Because perfection hurts. Letting go of sins is like pulling out teeth. Truth is humbling.
And throughout these prayers, I’ve felt God calling me to up my game. Lent may be over, but our call to holiness doesn’t end on Easter Sunday. So here are 11 ways to continue growing after Lent. Some of these are things I feel God is calling me to add to my life, and others are things I already do that have impacted me.
My goal is to add in a new habit each month. Gotta take things slow to be effective.
1)A Nightly Examination of Conscience
End each day by prayerfully reviewing your thoughts, words, and actions. Where did you see God’s hand? Where did you fall short? What grace did you receive, and what opportunities did you miss? I haven’t been great at this, but I’m trying to make it more of a habit. Use the acronym BAKER for a concrete examination. For a detailed explanation, check out this article.
- B-Blessings
- A-Ask
- K-Kill
- E-Embrace
- R-Resolution
“Let us examine and probe our ways, and return to the Lord.” — Lamentations 3:40
“He who does not progress, loses ground.” — St. Teresa of Ávila
2) Pray A Daily Rosary
This is a habit I used to have but have fallen off in the last semester. I used to dread the rosary before I made it a daily habit, but now it brings such peace. I love asking for the intercession of our Mother and placing my requests like a bouquet of roses in her loving care. I’m going to start a 54-day rosary novena for a special intention to get back on track with the rosary.
“The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” — St. Padre Pio
“To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.” — St. John Paul II
3) Confession Twice a Month
Regular confession keeps your soul clean and softens your heart to God’s grace. It brings spiritual clarity and protects against habits of sin. Ever since I started making confession a priority, I’ve been able to intentionally root out sin. I’ve seen several dear friends go to confession for the first time in many years, and they have all seen such fruit as well. So if it’s been a while, now’s your time.
“God makes no distinction; He promised mercy to all and granted His priests the authority to forgive without any exception.” -St. Ambrose
4) A Morning Offering Before Anything Else
Before checking your phone or diving into to-dos, offer your day to God. This moment of surrender frames everything you do as a prayer and aligns your heart with a Heavenly focus from the start. I’ve found this to be a very sweet part of my day as it gives me grounding and has made my connection with God stronger.
“O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day…” — Traditional Morning Offering
“Whatever you do… do it for the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31
5) Reading the Gospel with Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is a gentle, prayerful way to meet Christ in Scripture. It’s not about how much you read or how much you know, but about slowing down to let the Word of God work within us. Sometimes, we just read scripture to say we read it, but the purpose is to let it speak to us. Check out this article for a more on praying Lectio Divina!
“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” — St. Jerome
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” — 1 Samuel 3:10
6) Fasting for the Conversion of Friends and Family
Fasting is an offering of love. When you give something up with a pure intention, God multiplies it. Your sacrifices, joined to Christ’s, can help soften hearts and bring others closer to the truth. I’ve been thinking lately about how little worldly things matter in the light of the salvation of friends. How can I not take seriously the weight of their souls?
“Some demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting.” — Mark 9:29
“Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, kindles the true light of chastity.” -St. Thomas Aquinas
7) Ask the Holy Spirit to Bless Every Activity
Invite the Holy Spirit into the little things—your studies, your work, hard conversations, and especially your time in prayer. This turns the ordinary into something sacred. When the Spirit leads, even the mundane parts of your life become fruitful.
“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.” —St. Augustine
8) Get to Mass at Least Five Minutes Early
Give yourself time to transition from the noise of life into the presence of our Precious Lord. Prepare your heart, pray for your intentions, and reflect on the sacrifice that is about to occur. This has always been difficult for early morning masses, but I’ve come to realize that 5 extra minutes of sleep actually don’t make much of a difference.
“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe
9) Taking Back Sundays for God
How often do Sundays seem to morph into every other day? Take time on Sundays to fully rest. Spend extra time in prayer and in good Christian community. Choose activities that fill your cup and bring glory to God. The Lord gave us all these good and beautiful things, which we so often forget to truly enjoy.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8
10) Silence in the Car Before Mass
The radio station buttons in my car got jumbled and it’s not worth pulling up music on my phone for the four-minute drive to church, so I’ve spent that time in silence and reflection. I love it now, and once I fix my radio stations, this is a habit I will be keeping. After all, I think we allow our lives to get too noisy sometimes. This is a small way I can fight back.
“In silence and hope shall your strength be.” — Isaiah 30:15
“Silence is the guardian of the heart’s peace and the soul’s purity.” -Saint Peter Julian Eymard
11) Tithing Each Time a Paycheck Comes In
What a good reminder that our income is a gift from God, who is our provider. Taking the time each week or month to intentionally donate molds our heart to be generous and reminds us that nothing of this earth is ours. Check out this interview with my dad on his tithing journey as things to think about when tithing.
“God has no need of your money, but the poor have. You give it to the poor, and God receives it.”
-Saint Augustine
So yes, Lent is over, but our journey is not. I pray that these holy habits may give you concrete things to work on so that you may never fall into complacency but continue to grow and add to your own holy habits. If your not already following on Pinterest and Instagram, stay updated on weekly challenges and Catholic girl inspirations!
Comment below holy habits that have made a difference in your own routine, or ones you hope to add!
Praying for you always,
Xoxo
Rory😊
What are your thoughts?