Don’t let faith practices become too routine

With the coming of the month of September, the schedules for all of us change to the extent that a more regular routine becomes the daily norm. In one sense, this is good since during the summer time many took vacations as a break from the usual routine and were able to rest and rejuvenate body and spirit. In another sense, returning to a regular routine is not so good when it concerns our lives of faith.
 
What I mean is that our daily life of faith and our reverent practice of our faith in prayer, good works of mercy and real sacrifices should never become routine, that is to say, we should never take our faith for granted. We all know or should know that true faith is God’s gift to us with which we are to live our lives so as to get to heaven. If we take it for granted, meaning if we just have it but do not nourish it, then we run the terrible risk of losing this precious gift.
 
We are several months removed from our last Lenten season, but do you remember what you committed yourself to do during that holy time? If you made the effort to get to daily Mass and/or faithfully pray every morning and night, if you made the concerted effort to practice the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy as you were able, and if you chose a specific act of penance to perform every day of Lent and kept to that, then consider doing all of this again now that your routine has changed and become more regular.
 
It is not that difficult to do; what is more difficult to do is to persevere in this every day. All of our parishes have ample times for Sunday Masses and regular confessions; many have periods of time every week for Exposition and Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  So many of our parishes have very good Catholic outreach efforts to the poor and needy and they are always welcoming of those who wish to volunteer some of their time to assist in these works of charity. 
 
Besides being faithful to our Sunday Mass obligation and to regular confession each month, in September we celebrate the wonderful Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14.  Make the sacrifice to attend and participate at Holy Mass on this day and thank Our Lord Jesus for His Sacrifice which saved us from our sins and which we could not have done for ourselves. There are several beautiful feasts which the Church celebrates during September and I encourage you to be at Mass for all of them, but if you cannot do that, at least set aside the time to be at Mass on Sept. 14. Meditate on the Crucifix. Ask yourself if you would freely do this for someone else. If you do this then you will understand a bit better why the Church celebrates this Feast and, better, you will understand how much Jesus loves you.