Dec. 31, 2012
Happy New Year's Eve! Despite a major gap since my last entry, I am resuming this blog. Is it a New Year's resolution? Not really. I'm a writer, and the blog seems to be the venue of the day for writing. Besides, living the Christian life in today's world is such a challenge that writing about it is cathartic.
In this Year of Faith, which just began, the Catholic Bishops of the United States have called for a nationwide effort to advance a movement for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty through prayer, penance, and sacrifice. Catholics across the nation are being encouraged to pray for rebuilding a culture favorable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty.
The bishops have asked families to pray a daily Rosary - yes daily - to fast and abstain from meat on Fridays and to participate in a monthly Eucharistic holy hour at their parishes. So I talked to the kids about what part of that they thought we could actually commit to for a YEAR, given the demands of homework, housework, and extracurricular activities including basketball, Boy Scouts, youth group, etc.
Here is our version of this plan, altered to take our time constraints into account: a daily decade of the Rosary, abstaining from meat on Fridays and some kind of participation Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, yet to be determined. Neither child is 14 yet, so fasting is not required, and they are both growing so much they really need to eat.
I could definitely fast on Fridays although I'm sure it would make me grouchy. And meatless Fridays were part of our life when we were homeschooling. I have simply gotten lazy and just cook whatever is available on Fridays or pick up a pizza at Little Caesars. The daily decade of the Rosary? Something else that used to be part of our lives when we homeschooled and had so much TIME.
So, this movement by the Bishops is actually making me re-set my priorities on prayer and my focus on God, rather than just getting through the day. I see it as a good thing.
What about you, readers? How will you live the Year of Faith? As you can see, my family doesn't feel completely up to the challenge, but any increase in prayer is a good thing. It would encourage me to hear what you plan to do, and it would make me more accountable to meeting my goals, as well. Happy New Year!
