Do You Have the Right Tools in Your Toolbox

Photo by XJKyle1389

Our Dad's Toolbox
As I was preparing a talk on this subject for last month's Joe Catholic gathering, I thought of my Dad and his roll away toolbox. When I was in grade school my Dad was  a machinist, specifically a lathe operator for LTV. I remember him having two roll away toolboxes, one for his home tools and the "Big Red" one he had at work. I got to see the red one when he had his Christmas vacation (I would later learn these were actually plant shut downs).

Dad was very clear that my brother Tony and I were not to get any of the tools out of his toolbox. It had a lock, but Dad never had to lock because we feared what would happen if we sneaked a peak.  When we reached high school Dad declared we were old enough to be entrusted with the use of his tools from the home roll away. He, like many fathers, made it clear we were to return all the tools in the same condition as we received them. Inevitably we each put one away dirty, left one in the rain that got rusty and even lost one. Owning up to those times was not easy, but we learned a lot about responsibility and accountability from those tools.

Our Father's Spiritual Tools 

Our heavenly Father has equipped and entrusted each and every one of us with the necessary spiritual tools to succeed in answering the call to universal holiness, to achieve personal sanctity. Unfortunately, like the boys we once were, we have let them get rusty, failed to sharpen some and even forgotten other spiritual tools.

A-Count-Ability
One of the first things my Dad taught us about the tools is that you had to account for what tools you had and where they belonged. His reasoning was that you cannot know what tools you need for a job if you don't know what you have. Similarly, this is how we need to make an honest assessment of the state of our spiritual toolbox. More precisely this is deeper examination of conscience, one that reflects on our daily use of the spiritual tools our Lord has provided us with. These include the Communion of Saints, prayer, the sacraments and spiritual reading.

Ultimately, this inventory of spiritual tools should be part of our Spiritual Game Plan, what St. Josemaria Escriva called a plan of life. I recommend ordering a copy of Father John McCloskey's pamphlet - Seven Daily Habits of Faithful Catholics, available at CatholiCity.


Spiritual Reading
Do you have a good Catholic Bible in your library? I recommend the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition, published by Ignatius Press.  Along with the Bible, you should have a copy of the complete (GREEN) Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). The CCC is the most comprehensive collection of Catholic teaching; it is what we believe. Blessed John Paul II, in Fidei Depositum, described it as "a sure norm for teaching the faith" and thus "a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion." The cross-reference index and glossary alone make the "green book" worth purchasing.

In addition to the Bible and CCC, you should incorporate some spiritual reading from other sound Catholic writers. You can't go wrong with starting with writings of the saints, classic works like Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales or The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva. If you prefer something modern, I recommend looking at the spiritual reading list on the Joe Catholic homepage (right column).

Prayer
How can you say you are a man of God if you are not actively communicating with Him in prayer?
Scripture says we should pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17). This of course seems impossible for someone other than a cloistered nun or hermit monk. Actually it's not, if we begin to understand that prayer is more than words. When we begin to transform our lives into active prayer then we will begin to realize that we can communicate with God throughout our daily activities.

Can we really love God with our whole hearts, minds and souls when we allow other things in our lives to be more important? That which consumes most of our time is our God (not deliberately, but practically). What is your God? I know I watch too much online TV. If you don't know what is getting in the way of you spending more direct time with the Lord, I recommend a calendar drill in which you log your entire day (a week is preferable) and see how you are spending your time. You will be amazed at how little time you devote to your relationship with God. As we approach Lent, this would be a good time to recalibrate and refocus our lives on Him.

Sacraments
One of the consistent recommendations found in studying the lives of the saints is frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Church teaches that we are only required to go to Confession once a year or when we have committed a mortal sin. Blessed John Paul II went weekly. Dr. Taylor Marshall outlined Seven Reasons to Frequent Confession During Lent (or any other time). I once heard a talk in which the priest described frequent confession as "the rotor router of the soul." Our deacon recently recommended every two weeks. I believe this is also what Scott Hahn recommends in one of his books. I believe we should approach the sacrament in much the same way as physical exercise. If we have not been regularly exercising we should ease into it. I would begin with once a quarter and then build up to once a month and then twice a month or every two weeks. Try it; the grace you will receive will transform you.

We should strive to incorporate Daily Mass into our schedules. In the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex in which I live, we have numerous opportunities to attend daily mass, ranging from 6AM masses to 7PM. This is where a tool like Mass Times comes in handy. Even if your schedule does not permit attending Mass everyday, you could still carve out a few days, starting with Wednesday (because of the Wednesday devotion to St. Joseph), to attend daily Mass. Maybe instead of eating out for lunch, you go to Mass during you lunch break and eat at your desk while you work later. Better yet, you could skip the meal and offer it up.

In addition to incorporating daily mass, we should all strive to participate fully in Mass. This means arriving to Mass a few minutes early to give yourself time to get in the right frame of mind and spirit. It also means that during Mass you actively listen to the readings and homily. I recently asked a group of men at a Monday gathering what the theme of the Sunday Gospel was and only a handful knew.

Spiritual Battle
St. Paul urged us to be vigilant because we are engaged in spiritual battle:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12.)

St. Peter warned that we should "[b]e vigilant at all times for your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Would you let an intruder in your home harm your family without defending them with your very life? Then why would you not put your life on the line for their souls!?! We must man up and stand up to fight.

Earlier this month, Defend Us in Battle raised the battle cry:

We, the living, are part of the Church, we are the Church Militant. We are the warriors fighting the powers and principalities set on the destruction of as many souls that they can sink their claws into. We wage battles and war against these evil powers through prayer, fasting, and alms giving. We are at war, for real.

Conversion
Conversion, which means change, starts at home, including our own parish and those we encounter in our daily lives. We MUST begin to take a supernatural, spiritual outlook on our daily lives. If not, then  how are we any different than the rest of society? Do others know you are Christian by the way you live your life or are you an imposter, one who blends in with everybody else?

Introduction to the Devout Life

We recently celebrated the feast day of St. Francis de Sales who is the patron of writers (presumably this would include bloggers). One of the great gifts he has given the Church is his spiritual classic, Introduction to the Devout Life (At the end of the post, I provide additional links for obtaining a copy of the book).

Last month, I recommended Be a Man! by Father Larry Richards as a starting point for implementing consistent, daily, planned spiritual reading. I chose that title because it was written specifically for men of the laity. I have chosen Introduction to the Devout Life (IDL) for the same reason. It was written with the  laity in mind.

St. Francis de Sales was ahead of his time. The idea of the universal call to holiness is common to us now, but the laity of the 16th Century were not privy to this teaching. St. Francis actually addresses this in his Preface:

"But my object is to teach those who are living in towns, at court, in their own households, and whose calling obliges them to a social life, so far as externals are concerned. Such persons are apt to reject all attempt to lead a devout life under the plea of impossibility[.]" (vi)

St. Francis actually wrote that "it is not however, my own choice or wish which brings this Introduction before the public" (vii). He was instead urged by a "devout Religious" to publish the work.

In IDL, de Sales describes devotion as that guide that “not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly” (p. 3). St. Francis de Sales directs a person to ponder Jacob’s Ladder, in order to help a person understand how to progress from simply doing good to doing good carefully, frequently and instinctively. He asserts the two poles of this spiritual ladder are meditative prayer, which seeks God’s love, and the second is the Sacraments, which dispense God’s love. The rungs of the ladder are the virtues and graces by which we ascend to join God’s love or descend to share His love with others in acts of mercy and charity.

St. Francis organized IDL into meditations. The meditations suggested by St. Francis de Sales act as instruments of purification, but are not themselves the purifying agent. Neither does the one who meditates purify himself, but rather the meditations prepare the soul to accept God’s sanctifying grace. When the meditations are obediently performed “they (by God’s Grace) will root out both sin and its affections from your heart (XIII, p. 24). As sin is abandoned and the will of God embraced, we seek to know, love and serve God. The CCC (2706) teaches, “to the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them.” This process stirs us to ask the question, "Lord, what do you want me to do?”

Introduction to the Devout Life - Multiple Formats (Some FREE!)
Online Searchable - Christian Classic Ethereal Library

PDF - CCEL

mp3 - CCEL (Recorded by a volunteer but adequate quality to supplement study.)

eBook - Amazon (Kindle)

Paperback - Aquinas & More

Starting the Year Right with Spiritual Reading

One of the common recommendations in spiritual direction is to incorporate spiritual reading in your daily plan of life. I think it would be a reasonable and attainable goal to read one good, authentic Catholic book per month. This year, I will recommend a different title to read each month. I hope to also squeeze in a few book reviews throughout the year.

I chose Be a Man! by Father Larry Richards as my first recommendation because Father Richards wrote the book specifically for men. Furthermore, the book lays a great foundation for beginning or revitalizing your spiritual game plan. The book is divided into ten manageable chapters that conclude with reflection and action questions.

What are you waiting for? Be a man!

Tuesday Tech Talk: The Better Part

Today's Tuesday Tech Talk is a review of a Catholic iPhone app - The Better Part. The app is based on the book by the same name. The app and the book are written by Father John Bartunek, L.C., who is also a primary contributor to the Catholic Spiritual Direction blog.

The application is a vehicle to transmit portions of the book on a daily basis to it user. What this means is that the app becomes a tool for daily prayer and scripture study. Father Bartunek organizes the reflection by gospel readings. You have the choice of reading through a gospel or following the gospel reading of the daily liturgy.

Father Bartunek frames the daily prayer and reflections into four categories. First, is Christ is Lord. These sections tend to focus on the context of the gospel reading while focusing specifically at the totality of Christ's life as our savior.

The second section is entitled, Christ the Teacher. This focuses on the underlying message and teaching Christ is sharing in the passage. The third section is Christ the Friend. In this section, Father Bartunek focuses on the personal relationship Christ is developing with us through the story of his life with his disciples. The fourth section is entitled Chris is My Life and generally consist of prayers drawing us into the scripture and asking our Lord for guidance in understanding what we have just read.

Father Bartunek concludes the reflection with a series of questions that can be used for private meditation or part of a small faith group sharing. Throughout the app, you are provided with a "+" sign which pulls up an outline of prompts to help you meditate on the reading. The Meditation Guide includes the 4 C's: Concentrate, Consider, Converse and Commit. Each of these has a few sentences to help you move deeper into your meditative journey, towards Christ.

I actually prefer the app to the book because I can carry this around when I travel. Furthermore, the type is easier to read than the one in the book. I recommend you add this to your Catholic Toolbox.

The Way: A Spiritual Guide

In the summer of 2003 I attended a Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat. Following the retreat, each CRHP team undergoes about a six-month period of spiritual formation. The Holy Spirit picked me to lead our team of men as lay director. God did not choose me because I had any special leadership qualities; there were certainly men more worthy than me. No, He chose me because I required the most work.

Each week leading up to the formation sessions, I would nervously comb through the CRHP handbook and surf the net for supporting resources. The more I learned, the more I discovered how little I knew about my Catholic faith. A funny thing happened along the way. As I did my research, I kept stumbling across the writings of St. Josemaría, in particular points from The Way.

The book consists of 999 spiritual points, which when read reflectively, are like mini-retreats. The book is organized into forty-six short chapters that cover a wide range of spiritual topics. Some include character, cheerfulness, formation, interior struggle and perseverance. The book also has a subject index and a scriptural reference index.

You can choose to read one point daily or read a chapter at a time. You should read the book as a spiritual guide; it’s not meant to be read like a novel. Sometimes, when I read a point, it is as if St. Josemaría was speaking to me as my spiritual director. The overall message of the book is that we are all children of God who are called to be holy in our everyday, ordinary lives.

The book is widely available at Catholic books stores, mainstream books stores and all of their website stores. You can also access it online at EscrivaWorks.

Spiritual Plan of Life

As we bring in the new year, many of us set out to fulfill new resolutions. Some of us are determined that this will be the year we quit smoking. Or perhaps some of us plan on losing the extra weight we have been carrying for too long. Still others make plans of self-improvement, like taking a continuing education course to increase their work and marketability in the workplace. All of these are admirable goals, but how many of us actually make spiritual goals - conscious decisions to improve our relationship with Jesus Christ?

Here is a list of things you can do throughout the year to fortify your relationship with our Lord:

• Begin with a morning offering; courageous moment; arise immediately and offer the day to our Lord (Here are some links to a few traditional Morning Offering Prayers) 
• Daily Prayer - ACTS (Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving & Supplication) pick a time and place for at least 15 minutes devoted to silent prayer 
• Spiritual Reading - 3 minutes a day from scripture ( I recommend you begin with the daily readings) and 12 additional minutes from other sources (See list of recommended books) 
• Pray the Rosary
• Pray before each meal and openly demonstrate the Sign of the Cross 
• Attend Daily Mass (when possible; see - www.masstimes.org) 
• Invocations or short prayers throughout the day 
• Frequent Confession (start with once every 3-4 months and build up to once a month) 
• End the day with an Examination of Conscience

Like any new plan you should consider your determination to implement the changes in your life. You may be better served to start with a few of the recommendations and build yourself up to doing more. The goal is NOT to create a check list of things you are doing, but to increase your relationship with Christ. We are the Church Militant engaged in what St. Paul calls Spiritual Warfare. These are some of the spiritual weapons we have available to us as we make our way in our daily lives in pursuit of holiness.