Spiritual Work-Out

I'm grateful that many of you seem to find this blog helpful in some way! It certainly is helpful for me to process all that the Lord is doing in my life through journaling and blogging. I'm so glad it can be a tool of ministry and sharing!

So lots of things are going on in these next couple weeks- lots to pray about. Lots of spiritual "work" to do. I can't go into too much detail, there's some family stuff, personal stuff, but if you could just say a pray for some of my many intentions, that would certainly be helpful! We've also got the Inauguration and Pro-Life March here in DC next week, so those are big prayer intentions as well!

To begin a new tagent and address the topic of this blog post I want to start by sharing a little bit of my new daily routine. I know I shared my routine with you when I was in the convent, and then I struggled with finding a routine for a while. But now I usually start my days with a trip to the gym, daily Mass, and a half hour of prayer before work. I definitely find it is easier to keep my spiritual commitments when I am keeping my physical ones and vice versa. That mind, body, spirit thing is no coincidence!

And as it is the new year, the gym is often more crowded these first weeks. I've been lucky enough to still get my bike in spin class, but we have to sign up and stuff now- we'll see how long that lasts!

But are our Churches as packed with new-year's-resolutions-people as the gym? I will say, my friends and I went to Christ in the City- a monthly holy hour for young adults in DC- last week and it was pretty full of people which was great! I pray that people continue to attend! Just as much as I hope we keep our resolutions for our health and bodies.

Just like going to the gym and losing weight, committing to our spiritual life is a work out! One of my roommates really likes to watch the Biggest Loser and I know that it is a pretty popular show among many. The big question viewers wonder- will they stick with it when they get 'sent home'? Will the contestants make the life changes they need to stay in shape?

Anybody will say it is ridiculous and impossible to lose weight and keep it off if we don't break our bad habits or change our lifestyles. If we say we want to lose weight, but keep eating junk food and don't put in hours of exercise- we know it isn't realistic to think we can just drop the pounds miraculously!

So why do people seem to think, then, that we can offer up one prayer or go to one Mass and we are "good"? Why can't we see to stay spiritually healthy we need to put in hours of prayer, cut out the bad things and habits in our lives, and do more than just go through the motions?

If someone just walked into a gym, stared at all the equipment and just sat there doing nothing but still expected to lose weight, people would think they were crazy. But yet people come into Mass sit there and do nothing but go through the motions every day and expect God to work miracles, and they get frustrated when they don't "feel anything" in Church. Isn't this equally as crazy to think?

We need to put in the work! Feel the burn! :) Put in the time and actually try hard!

I think the problem is many don't know where to start. We will hire personal trainers to show us how to use machines, but we won't go to Confession to ask a priest for help!

So in the midst of these new year's resolutions, I pray that we all make one to make the most of our spiritual work-outs or even start a new spiritual routine of our own if we don't have one yet. Just like the Biggest Loser- it's never too late to start! And there are plenty of people to help you! You just have to put in the work.

Thanks, guys, for your prayers and for reading!
Peace,
Julia