or a blind spirit does not realize the time so particular - not to call it another way - that we are living. Nowadays, we can not afford to be just Catholic Sunday, and even if the football match does not interfere with the time to go to Mass.
They are very difficult times and it will be worse if we choose not to return our gaze, our heart to Christ. We need to be like the first Christians who had a latent presence of God. If they ate, if they drank or did anything, they did everything for the glory of God.
To have a presence of God is simpler than it seems because although, if I suggest living concrete acts of piety, living in the presence of God means that everything we do give it away, we offer it and we do it thinking that God is really present with each of us accompanying us while we do our part.
Having that conscience, our heart and our hundredth place in what we do, it is almost impossible to carry out a bad job because nobody in your 5 senses will give you dirty or mediocre jobs, badly made to God.
In addition, as this presence in sanctifying grace lives all our work, all our work acquires supernatural merit and makes us "ready for heaven", so that in the moment God calls us to his presence we go with our basket full of good works . No job is small when it comes out of a big love like the one you and I have for God.
I share some practices of piety that I learned from my mother and that she in turn learned from her.
My mother was a woman very committed to her faith, she was a Franciscan Tertiary, besides having an extraordinary formation that she transmitted to me.
I know that for the moment the list will seem long and almost impossible to complete every day. Begin little by little until you achieve it.
Remember that it is not a matter of "fulfilling to fulfill", but of making these practices a means to reach the heart of God, better yet, that He reaches ours. If you can have with you - in your wallet, for example - some stamps of Jesus and the Virgin and take a look at them whenever you can. These are human tools that also help us to be in the presence of God
Heroic minute. Actually, it would be the second heroic because it's hard to get up from bed to the first, as soon as the alarm clock rings. Nothing 5 minutes more. Ugh, this one as I suffered when practicing it! Then I learned that every time I made it, being strong in my will and getting out of bed in the second I listened to that awful sound of "pi pi pi pi", my day was like an ordinary thread of how simple I was to meet everything else. In fact, for many years my alarm was my mom and in the morning the whole house was heard: "Heroic minute, up, up, up! The demon at the head is telling you to leave Misa and Rosario and continue to sleep. " With those words anyone leaves the bed! The heroic minute is not only for the lift, but for everything that we propose and that must be fulfilled in time like going to bed at the same time, pray, work, etc.
Offer of works. As soon as you open the eye that your first thought is to God, to give thanks for a new opportunity to live and entrust your day to your heart. Prefer to do it and tell him with all your heart that you have dawned to serve him. From that moment everything is consecrated to God: work, pain, joy, tears, laughter ... everything. Always remember to invoke the Blessed Virgin and your Angel Custos.
Mental prayer. Many call it meditation and it is none other than raising our spirit to God, talking, talking to Him. Try to separate 30 minutes in the morning and another 30 in the afternoon for this love quote. If you just start with this practice of piety you can start with 10 minutes and increase it. You do not need anything extraordinary to do it. Perhaps you can get hold of a good spiritual book until you see that there is no need for anything else to talk to God. Also a simple prayer like this, St. Josemaría recommended, is enough to put you in his presence and begin your conversation of love: "By the sign of the Holy Cross ... My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me; I adore you with deep reverence; I ask forgiveness of my sins and grace to make fruitful this time of prayer. Immaculate Mother of God, St. Joseph, my father and lord, Guardian Angel, intercede for me. " You can finish with this one: "I thank you, my God, for the good intentions, affections and inspirations you have communicated to me in this meditation. My Mother, Immaculate, St. Joseph my Father and Lord, Angel of my Guard, intercede for me. "
Mass, Communion, Thanksgiving. To this day people are amazed if people go to Mass every day, so do not worry about giving explanations. They do not understand that we do not go to Mass because we feel good, but in need of God and, above all, gratitude. The Mass should be the center and root of our inner life. Let's make our whole day spin around this one. We do not go to Mass every day if we have time. No. To go to this banquet we make the time, we reserve that space for God. By receiving Christ the Eucharist daily, we Christify ourselves. It is as if we receive a transfusion of the very blood of Jesus. That is, our blood is transformed into His blood. Simply wonderful! At the end of the Holy Mass let us try not to go flying. Let us rest for about 10 minutes to worship God, to thank Him because He deigned to invite us to this sacrifice, to make reparation and, of course, to ask Him. God loves that his children are beggars and, above all, grateful.
Spiritual reading. Invest 10 minutes a day in reading a good spiritual book that will help you grow in God's dignity and love.
Reading the Bible, preferably the New Testament. 5 minutes that we invest in knowing more about the life of Jesus we will grow in love of God.
Angelus or Regina Coelli. Set an alarm at 12 noon to raise a prayer to our Mother. If you can not pray these prayers because you are on a meeting or whatever, take your thoughts to Her and simply say, "I love you, Mother."
Prayer of the Rosary. Recite the mysteries that touch the day. Get into them, live with them. The remaining 15 mysteries only meditate on them.
Chaplet of Mercy. Put your alarm and just at 3.00 PM rule.
Visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Go to your nearest Church and give a visitadita to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. With your words tell him that you went to tell him that you love him. If you do not have a way to get around, take your thoughts and heart to the Oratory that you like and stand in the presence of God. You can also pray this simple prayer while you visit: "Long live the Blessed Sacrament! Long live and loved by all! Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory (three times). Long live the Blessed Sacrament! Long live and loved by all! Spiritual communion. I wish, Lord, to receive you with that purity, humility and devotion with which your Most Holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervor of the saints. "
Match test. At night meditate on how your day was, what you did well, what you did wrong and what you can do tomorrow better. Make a concrete purpose so that tomorrow you will be better than today.
Pray three Hail Mary to ask for purity to the Virgin. At night, pray to the Virgin asking for the virtue of purity, of chastity for you and all your own. Besides that, give thanks for your day.
Sprinkle holy water on your bed before bed. The idea is to be protected from any stinging of the enemy. Remember that holy water is not an amulet, it is a sacramental.
