We get it. You already have a to-do list that is long. This list isn’t meant to guilt you into an impossible regimen on top of your already crammed day.
The goal is to start incorporating one or two of these things into your day and then keep working until these actions become a natural part of who you are. Make them essential healthy habits – like brushing your teeth – so that you don’t even have to think twice about getting them done.
Below is a powerful talk in which Fr. Larry Richards speaks about eternity. He uses a word picture to help us put our minds around the amount of time we will spend there. Please, please take a moment to listen to this clip. If you’re in a hurry, fast forward to the 1:50 point to start and stop at 3:30. Take a few minutes out of your day now to inspire you to live for eternity.
After hearing that talk, I’ve been more inspired to align my days here on Earth to match what I want my days in eternity to look like. In light of eternity, a few things on my to-do list don’t seem quite so important. Let your lifestyle reflect your hope of spending eternity with God the Father.
1. Start the day with prayer, your Bible, and a talk with your Mother
It sounds so simple, yet I don’t understand why some days I can’t seem to “fit” in prayer. Our days need to be centred around this habit. Make a date of it. Set your cell phone alarm to a time when you can pray and don’t leave God stranded. Mornings are best, but if it doesn’t work for you find a time that does. Pull out your Bible and read a line or two. The daily Mass readings are a great place to start. A goal for every Catholic is to say the rosary every day, but some of us are in a season of life when this isn’t possible. If you can’t do a rosary, start with at least a Hail Mary and work up to a decade or a chaplet.
“Prayer is nothing else than union with God. When the heart is pure and united with God it is consoled and filled with sweetness; it is dazzled by a marvelous light.” – St. John Vianney
2. Smile, Use your Manners, Be kind, Give out hugs
Have you heard the old Hymn, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love…”? It’s not necessarily true today. Christians have become just as rude and inconsiderate as everyone else, sometimes even more so! Let’s reclaim our Christian love by smiling, letting others go first in line or helping old ladies cross the street.
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” – Blessed Mother Teresa
3. Go on Social Media (i.e., communicate!), call a friend, visit a friend
Yes, I know we have a bunch of posts about how social media is overused, but go ahead, use it! However, use it in a way that glorifies God. Share a scripture with a friend. Check in on an old classmate. Daily connect with people to build relationships. (Don’t stop there though, make it a weekly goal to get together in person with a friend or family member.)
“Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
