Stretch your soul in ten minutes a day

It’s a new year, and time to get cracking on those resolutions. In addition to those vows to exercise regularly, eat better, save money, get organized, and call Mom more often, make room on your list for one more improvement: spiritual growth.

We know what you’re thinking: This year, you’ll start every day by attending Mass or saying the rosary, or participating in Morning Prayer. Or maybe you just want to get to Confession or adoration more often. Or you think you’re finally ready to take that eight-day retreat. Whoa—not so fast! Some of you (those who quit smoking cold turkey thanks to a previous New Year’s resolution) might manage to make good on those goals, but the rest of us would be wise to take some spiritual baby steps.

Instead of resolving to become a mystic by December only to abandon your promise before March, take a look at our 2009 spiritual fitness guide, a list of practices that will stretch your soul in less than 10 minutes a day. We promise that if you adopt any one of them, you’ll be in better spiritual shape at the end of this year than you were at the beginning.

BIG GOAL

Daily Mass
Daily Mass seems to perfectly meet our recommended daily allowance of the spiritual good stuff: readings and prayers, homily, the Eucharist. But it’s not always possible to fit it in between the demands of daily life, and sometimes it’s just not an option for those who lack good health or transportation.

FIRST, TRY

Daily scripture readings
Two of our favorite daily scripture resources are Bible Diary and Daily Gospel (both from Claretian Publications). The 2009 Daily Gospel is a compact volume that includes each day’s gospel reading, a short reflection, plus the first reading citation. These are also available online at bible.claret.org/resources.html.

The U.S. bishops’ website, usccb.org/nab, offers podcasts of the daily Mass readings, and dailygospel.org e-mails you the gospel reading each morning. Also worth a visit is sacredspace.ie, a website run by the Irish Jesuits that guides you through the daily gospel reading with some additional material.

The Bible Diary offers some practical pointers for how best to encounter and pray with the daily readings: “Write down your reflections and realizations, your resolutions, little dialogues with yourself. . . . When you look back and read them all over, you will begin to see and discover more about yourself.”

OR TRY

Lectio divina
Take a cue from the monastics, and try lectio divina (Latin for “sacred reading”), their time-tested way to engage scripture. While any part of scripture is fair game, people often focus on one of the daily readings.

“In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word or phrase that is God’s word for us this day,” writes Father Luke Dysinger, O.S.B. After finding the word or phrase, “memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas.” The final two steps of lectio are to speak to God and then rest in God’s embrace. Check out the Irish Dominicans’ website (goodnews.ie/lectio.shtml) for an introduction to lectio divina.

BIG GOAL

Spiritual direction
This doesn’t necessarily sound like a difficult exercise since spiritual direction usually only happens once a month for an hour or so. But trouble finding the right spiritual director and keeping some semblance of continuity might stop you from moving ahead.

FIRST, TRY

The daily examen
Instead of just ditching this worthwhile goal, start on your own. Jesuits use the general examination of conscience—also called the examen—as part of their spiritual path.

The five basic steps as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola are: 1. Give thanks to God for favors received; 2. Ask for the grace to know your sins; 3. Examine how you have lived this day; 4. Ask forgiveness for any faults; 5. Resolve to amend with the grace of God.

Plan on taking 10 minutes at the end of each day to do the examen. The website jesuit.org says it doesn’t matter how long one takes, but that “the important thing is to open oneself to recognizing and responding to God’s movement in your heart.”

OR TRY

Journaling
Whether you prefer putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, journaling can help you focus on finding God in the everyday events of life. In Journaling as a Spiritual Practice (IVP), Helen Cepero assists both new and experienced journalers in paying attention to one’s own life through writing. Finding the right time, place, and manner of reflecting on the past, assessing the present, and looking forward to the future can help you work through struggles, find healing, and be mindful of God’s activity in and around you.