What can we do to be inspired, and inspire others to love Christ

The first step I love to tell people is to seek the Holy Spirit’s help for guidance.

St. Catherine of Sienna once said, “Be who God meant you to be and set the world on fire… ” God wants each of us to be more “me” than you, and with that, we are invited to go deeper into prayer and union with God’s will. The Lord is asking the Body of Christ to rise and see that we can make a difference in our prayers, love, service, and living out our calling. If we can share our inspirations, and be a real-life example of living the Gospel, we can be a light to others. 

You can’t give what you don’t have.

This is the best advice my mother shared with me while growing up. If you don’t pray, your kids will not pray. If you don’t go to Mass, your kids will not go to Mass. Instead, when we lovingly serve others, the fruits of this act will blossom in years to come. More and more our culture is focused on an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. What I have found is that the reward of our Christian service is out of this world. When you need it most, someone will pop into your life and be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on, a hand to help you up, or the encouragement to keep on living your faith. Don’t get intimidated by the Goliaths in your life, but rather, take baby steps and live your faith; don’t just talk about it. 

For many of us, we might be like, “I can barely take a shower each day or take care of myself, how can I really make a difference?” This attitude is very understandable, but we know that “with Christ, we can do all things,” and when we start to take a step forward to do these deeds of love, we will allow the Lord to pull us out of “our perspective and start to see the Lord’s view. When we gain a top-down, aerial view of our life, and the state of our soul, we will see that our actions bring so much glory to God, and we can live our faith in those dark times. A Rosary prayed when you “don’t feel like it” includes the gift of self-sacrifice; however, a Rosary not said, is one less prayer prayed. Set realistic goals and seek to make progress. 

Beware of Social Fatigue:

Since we have all been mask-wearing, I have noticed new social fatigue. We don’t chat, smile, and we are more apt to ignore than respond. Now is the time to focus on our manners and seek to do a better job at responding, not reacting to the situations around you. A better method begins with a pause, a thought, maybe a prayer, and a response. The response might be a kind word, a nice gesture or a warm greeting.  Do you look at your children when they talk, when do you have screen-free time? How often do we forget to thank and notice the people who serve us in the grocery store and gas station? Do we allow our phones to distract us in these moments of interaction and train our children to do the same? 

A little effort goes a long way.

Take small steps towards the Lord and He will bless you! You need to think of yourself as a rock climber. Work together, with the Lord to accomplish the task that is at hand. No task should be done without prayer. We can pray more, listen to worship music while you cook dinner, and recite brief aspirations during the day… I have found that even my Alexa can play Praise and Worship music. 

Stress is a recipe for anxiety and depression.

Don’t turn stress into a force of destruction but an opportunity for growth. St. Padre Pio once said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Prayer is first, next we ask God for the Grace to be full of hope, and finally, we shouldn’t worry. But if you do, maybe you should shift your prayers from loads of intentions to a lot more praise and worship!

Pray with your family-

 Family Prayer- Come one, we can do it! We cannot stress enough the importance of the Family prayer and receiving the sacraments when they are offered. Insert short story on my “I have never been consistent in anything except- going to Mass (or honoring the Lord’s day). This simple act year in and year out makes a big difference!

Be Inspired- Be Transformed – I love to read Matthew 17: 1 “after the transfiguration the disciples heard God the Father proclaim: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”” When the disciples heard this, they were very much afraid; Jesus said, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” So let us rise up and not be afraid. As St. John Paul II frequently repeated, “Be not afraid.”