A Woman at Prayer
1. “There are two ways of waking up in the morning. One is to say, ‘Good morning, God,’ and the other is to say, ‘Good God, morning’!” (Venerable Fulton Sheen)
Begin every morning with a positive, grateful attitude. Give God your first cheerful greeting.
2. “Wherever you go, there you are.” (Thomas à Kempis)
Practice being truly present. When you go to the adoration chapel, be present to Jesus; focus on praying, rather than thinking about work or your long to-do list. Be present to your family. When you are at home, focus on being present to your spouse and kids, rather than allowing the Internet or your smart phone to detract from your conversations and play time.
3. “The measure of love is to love without measure.” (St. Francis de Sales)
The simple truth is that if you are a better lover—a better lover of God, a better lover to your family, a better lover to your friends, a better lover of your enemies—at the end of Lent than you were at its beginning, you’ve had a pretty successful Lent.
4. “Do not be afraid of Confession! When one is in line to go to Confession, one feels all these things, even shame, but then when one finishes Confession one leaves free, grand, beautiful, forgiven, candid, happy. This is the beauty of Confession!” (Pope Francis)
Lent is a penitential season. Take advantage of Confession frequently. If there is an opportunity to feel free, grand, beautiful, forgiven, candid, and happy during Lent, who wouldn’t take it?
5. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” (Jesus Christ)
Stress less and trust more. Pick one thing in your life that is making you particularly anxious and give up worrying about it during Lent. Your spiritual life will benefit dramatically.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI likens Lent to a long retreat. Don’t leave the retreat the same person you were at the start of it. Retreats are meant to change us. Let these wise words remind you of the simple ways you can turn an ordinary 40 days into an extraordinary Lenten retreat.
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