Prayer - Pray every day. Prayer is our connection back to our home. The times that we struggle and are stressed are the times that we need to pray the most. Also, don’t just stick to one type of prayer. Explore all the ways to communicate with the Lord. Journal, Scriptures, Song, Meditation, The Rosary, Praying with friends. These are just some of the ways to explore prayer. When you don’t feel like praying, pray more. When you can’t hear God's voice, listen more. Each prayer brings us into a closer connection with God.
Prayer is a battle...against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God." -Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2726
Love - God is love, and if we are the body of Christ we must also be love. Love with all your heart and never stop. God does not require that we like everyone, but He does require that we love everyone. We are called to even love those who don’t love us back. In fact, those are the people we are called to love the most. So, pray for those who hurt you and show the world what true love means!
We also must realize that only God can give us true and self-giving love; perfect love. This is what we should be striving to receive as women in life. We cannot settle for anything less in our lasting relationships with others. In all relationships, let us be loved as the Lord loves us.
Humility - Jesus Christ came to this earth with the most humble of hearts. He never asked for anything, and yet He willingly died for our sins. As Catholics, we are called to be humble in all that we do. We are called to a life of service for everyone and we are to always think of others before ourselves. To have a humble heart is not to serve because we have to; it is to serve because we find Christ's love in that service. A truly humble heart will give true joy and true love.
Humility is a form of courage. It is courage to say, “I am not going to fall into the traps of the world. I am going to give of myself for others and not feel the need to reap any glory” But we cannot only say we are humble. We must DO.
Surrender - The Lord knows exactly what He wants for us. He has given each of us a plan for our lives, but we can only receive this plan if we let Him into every part of ourselves. It is not enough just to say you are open to all God has for us; we must come to the realization that Jesus Christ is the one and only source of love and truth. Only God can bring you through all the struggles in life. There are times in each of our lives when we have no idea how we will survive and at times we even become mad at God for that, but each of these crosses will make us stronger. Only God can lift these crosses. Also, never let fear get in the way. Fear is nothing but a lie that tries to keep us from God. There is nothing to be afraid of in faith. God is with us always.
To surrender to the Lord is to let Him love you, and isn’t that what everyone should want?
Patience - So many times I want to know the answers to all the questions I have, but most of the time God has His own time for these things. As humans we have become used to not having to wait, but God is all knowing and He has a perfect time for everything. Every worry or question or longing we have, we should lift up to God. Be at rest in knowing that He has the answer even before we ask the question. God's timing is perfect. So it's our job to let God turn our plans from ordinary to extraordinary.
Boldness - Be bold. Don’t be afraid to show your faith to everyone. In being bold you don’t have to do huge things to make a difference in the lives of a large group. It could be as simple as praying before eating lunch with some friends. We are called to be leaders and witness to everyone around. Do not be afraid. The best way to gain faith is to give it away. The way I see it, is that if your faith is the most amazing and beautiful part of your life, why not share it with everyone? The Lord is walking with you always to give you that strength and courage.
Pain is Necessary - Uniting our suffering with those of Christ will bring us true glory. All the struggles we go though, all the times we are tempted, are to make us stronger. Faith is not always going to be easy. There will be struggles, but it is in overcoming that struggle that we are saved.
