‘Tis the season for reviewing the old year. How did you advance towards God this year? Do you remember those blog posts that really struck you at the time, or have you forgotten them? Here are some reminders of how you can grow closer to Christ, taken from my blog posts over the past year.
1. Read the Gospels
If you want to advance towards God, you must learn to love Him. Read what He revealed about Himself. Need more motivation to read Scripture?
Here are 10 Reasons Catholics should read the Bible.
2. Stop making excuses for missing prayer
You’re not going to grow closer to Christ if you aren’t willing to make sacrifices to spend time with Him.
Read 7 Ways to make time for prayer.
3. Ponder God’s Word in your heart
This follows from #s 1 and 2. It’s a particularly Carmelite way of honoring Mary.
See Mary pondered all these things–do you?
4. Choose to become a saint
St. Thomas Aquinas told his sister that the way to become a saint is to will it.
See the details: Can you become a saint by sheer will power?
5. Holiness begins right now
You can only serve God in the present. Stop putting it off.
Read You can be holy today.
6. Don’t be afraid of God’s judgment
God wants you to love Him, not be afraid of Him. Here’s how.
God, Mr. Darcy, and St. Therese
7. The best thing you can do for the world is love God
Distraught about the state of your family, the Church, the nation? You can do something about it.
See Save our country. Be a saint.
8. Cultivate silence
Is too much noise or are too many possessions keeping you far from Christ?
To hear God, be silent.
9. Learn to trust God
Are you anxious? Angry?Struggling? Stuck in a rut?
Try these 3 ways to increase your trust in God.
10. Give away your merits
Instead of measuring yourself against the saints and getting depressed, you can be like them through this simple practice.
Give God your widow’s mite.
Connie Rossini
Share with us: What was your greatest spiritual inspiration, insight, or lesson of 2013?
Loyd McIntire
Thank you for this article. I’m going to take it to 2014 with me so I can review it throughout the year.
Connie Rossini
You’re welcome, Loyd. I hope the New Year will bring many more helps for your growth.
melanie jean juneau
AMEN, So be it in my life
Connie Rossini
🙂
Manny
All very good advice. I really must cultivate silence more. It’s hard at home and it’s hard at work. I don’t know how to find it for any extended amount of time.
Connie Rossini
Silence is a hard one. We have to work on interior silence, since we aren’t living in a monastery or hermitage. If I clear the clutter out of my heart, then I’ll be able to “hear” God’s will for me more fully. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.