How To Become A Good Christians

Do you want to be a really good Christian? The first of
your battles will be to enter
into and remain in the state of
grace, to avoid any mortal sin.
And, then, because you want
to love God above all things, you will also try not to commit
venial sins. The practice of some acts of
piety throughout the day will
help you to have a
divine contemplative life in
the midst of the daily routine.
The habitual performance of these acts will also be the
foundation for growing in
Christian virtues. Most
important is to be consistent in
your daily schedule, in your
spiritual game plan, so that you will live as a child of God. Daily •Get up at a fixed time, as early as possible. Eight hours of
sleep should be enough. More
than this or less than six hours
of sleep may is usually not
healthy. •Offer your day to God through the intercession of our Lady. •Work with order and intensity during the day as a
way of serving God. Set goals
and establish priorities in order
to develop a practical schedule.
Sanctifying ordinary work is
the goal of our life. •Try to attend Mass, receiving holy Communion, as often as
possible. This is the best
sacrifice we can offer to God.
Prepare yourself for the Mass
by spending some time in
prayer. •Spend some time in mental prayer before the Blessed
Sacrament (15 minutes, if
possible). •Pray the Angelus at noontime. (During Eastertime,
we say the Regina Cæli
instead.) •Pray the Rosary, if possible, with your family, offering each
decade for a specific intention. •Do some other spiritual reading. Start with the New
Testament or some well-
known spiritual book. Ten to
fifteen minutes is sufficient. •Make a short examination of conscience at the end of the
day before going to bed. Two
or three minutes is enough.
Follow these steps: Humble
yourself in the presence of God.
Tell him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Ask for
light to acknowledge your
defects and virtues and to see
the dangers and opportunities
of the day. Ask for repentance,
amendment, and encouragement. Weekly •Center all activities around the holy Mass on Sunday, the
Lord's day. It is also a family
day-for rest and spiritual
growth. •If you do not receive Holy Communion every day, receive
at least on Sundays and holy
days of obligation. •Saturday is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Honor her and say some
special prayer, such as the Hail
Holy Queen. Monthly •Go to Confession at least once a month. It is the sacrament of
joy. Pope John Paul II says:
"God is always the one who is
principally offended by sin-'I
have sinned against You'-and
God alone can forgive. He does so through the ministry of the
priest in the sacrament of
Penance, which is the ordinary
way of obtaining forgiveness
and remission of mortal sins.
Every mortal sin must always be stated with its determining
circumstances in an individual
confession."16 •Seek and follow the spiritual guidance of a wise, prudent,
and knowledgeable priest. •Spend a few hours in recollection, best done before
the Blessed Sacrament.
Consider how you are directing
your life toward God. Yearly •Spend two or three days each year in silence, speaking with
God only. A few days of retreat
are necessary for the soul in
the same way that the body
needs a vacation. It is a yearly
opportunity for conversion. Always •Stay in the presence of God: be aware that he is always
close to you. Try to please him
in everything as a child tries to
please his/her parents. •Thank God for the graces that he constantly gives you. •Do everything for the love of God: this is purity of intention.
Always purify your intention.
Make acts of contrition and
atonement for your sins and
sins of others. •Try to live as you would like to die. We shall die as we have
lived.