Foundations of Spirituality

Written By James Pereira

Following Jesus in a way that is deeply restorative, transformative, and abundant starts with correcting some of the false assumptions prevalent in our culture about discipleship.

ARTICLES

PRACTICES

  • Many Christians do have moments of intentional community (e.g. small group, Bible study, fellowship events etc.) that usually look something like this:

    • Check in on how we’re doing in the spiritual life

    • Look at some aspect of the spiritual life

    • Resolve to live out that aspect individually and to hold one another accountable

    While there’s nothing wrong with this structure per se, it still assumes the spiritual life is something we do on our own, with occasional support from others. In this practice, we want to invite you to try something different: take up a spiritual discipline communally.

    There are many disciplines in the Christian tradition that lend themselves well to community. Even though some disciplines are by nature done in solitude, we are never disconnected from the communion of believers in our walk with God. To help you, we’ve put together a list of ideas:

    Communal Disciplines

    Please note - we’re not saying you have to start a small group or do anything on a large scale just yet. The invitation here is simply to see your walk with God as something shared with the Church.

  • Many of us are unaware of “Liturgical time,” or the rhythms that have guided the life of the Church for millennia.

    For that reason, this practice is to start developing an awareness of the Liturgical year.

    To make this easier, we recommend subscribing to a digital calendar from The Little Rose Shop that has all the feasts, fasts, and Liturgical events of the year laid out for you. Each day has a brief description of the saint or feast and some ideas for commemoration. You can add it to your Google Calendar (or digital calendar of choice) here:

    Calendar

  • Because contemplation is a more passive practice, it can feel extremely difficult in a world marked by constant activity. Our best advice for you if you don’t already spend time in contemplative prayer is this:

    Start with just 5 minutes of uninterrupted silence with God.

    You don’t need to fill that space with anything - just set your attention on God and receiving His love. Inevitably, you will get distracted, and that’s okay. Just continue to turn your attention back to Him. If the time runs out and you’ve spent very little time focused on God, that’s okay. Try again tomorrow.

    Contemplation is a slow work, but commitment to it over time is both deeply transformative and deeply healing.

  • How do we put into practice something as intangible as “let the Holy Spirit do whatever He wants?”

    Yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit is largely responsive - something we do in the moment. That said, there’s a beautiful practice of surrendering in times of intentional prayer that can help prepare our hearts for when those moments arise. This practice is to: pray the Litany of Trust

    We recommend you pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit down in the silence and work through the prayer slowly. You can find the free PDF right here.

  • Our practice for evangelization is to: examine your life to see where you might be giving a false witness to the Gospel

    For some, this might be a difficult exercise. It’s important to emphasize that we’re not looking for perfection, but trying to see if there’s any way we’re interacting with the world that is inconsistent with the faith we profess.

    Living a double life is one of the biggest hindrances to the Gospel, even if that “double life” is an unwillingness to be honest about your convictions around people who don’t share them.

    Side Note: Being honest about your faith does not mean clobbering people over the head with the fact that you are a Christian. There’s a happy middle ground where we don’t shy away from our beliefs but also bring them up in the right time and place.

    If anything comes up in your examination, consider taking one piece at a time and partnering with the Holy Spirit to more closely align that area of your life with the Gospel.

  • As a helpful start for a practical approach to discipleship, we recommend you try keeping a Sabbath day this week.

    Sabbath keeping doesn’t need to be complicated - set aside some time this coming Sunday to devote yourself to resting in God’s presence. A healthy Sabbath should include some individual time of restoration and some time in community, as well as time spent in prayer and time doing things that bring you delight.

    The goal here is not just to stop working on Sunday - it’s to give yourself fully to rest, delight, and worship.

  • Given that the Sacrament we interact with most frequently is the Eucharist, our encouragement for shifting to a Sacramental worldview will centre on it. We want to move from receiving the Eucharist just for its tangible effects to receiving the Eucharist in two distinct movements:

    1 - Believing in faith that the Eucharist is a profound Source of grace

    2 - Receiving the Eucharist as Summit of my communion with God and others

    How you work out these movements in your life is up to you, but for the first we recommend reminding yourself at the next Mass you attend that God will do something in you through the Eucharist, even if you don’t perceive it. You might consider making an Act of Faith in the Eucharist (in the prayers section of this page) before going up to receive.

    For the second, we think it can be helpful to broaden our definition of what it means to prepare for Mass. The most common way we prepare is to go to Confession, so that we’re not in a state of sin before receiving. However, if the Eucharist is meant to be the summit of our communion with God, shouldn’t we want to prepare by drawing close to God in prayer? And not just to pray for certain intentions (while that is important), or even to hear God tell us something — but to draw joy and comfort from simply being with Him. Hopefully, this will remind us of our longing for God, and help us remember how amazing the Eucharist is.

    It’s also a great practice to reflect on and review your relationships before going to Mass. This way, you can make sure that there’s no one you need to reconcile with before affirming your Communion with them through the Eucharist.

    These practices, while simple, can open us up to even more profound experiences of the Mass and put us in touch with the objective reality occurring in the reception of Holy Communion.

PODCAST

PRAYERS

  • Most Holy Trinity,

    in the perfection of your love enlighten and come into the depths of my weaknesses.

    Reveal to me the ways I allow daily chaos and rigidness to create gaps in my unity with you, Jesus.

    As you reveal these Lord, help me to not feel overwhelmed by my weaknesses.

    Rather, place in me a steady conviction to take the next small step closer to You.

    Lord, lift this burden of spiritual exhaustion

    and replace it with the delight and peace of your presence.

    Amen.

  • Lord, thank you for the gift of your Kingdom.

    A Kingdom not built on the strength of one person, but upon the communion of many. Thank you for redeeming us, not only to have a personal relationship with you, but also to belong to a family, a body of believers, a Church—with whom we can live out this abundant life together.

    Help us, Lord, to move beyond ourselves and to embrace the beauty and challenge of living out our faith in community. Holy Spirit, teach us to support one another, to pray together, and to experience the life of the Son through the rhythms of the liturgical year.

    May we be intentional in sharing our joys and burdens, and being reflections of the love and unity you desire for your people. Transform us, Lord, as we grow in communion with you and with each other, so that we may be a light to the world and glorify your Most Holy name.

    We are grateful for where and among whom you have placed us. Amen.

  • Where I am fearful to release control, Jesus, be my strength

    Where my heart is closed, Jesus, be my strength

    Where the burdens are too heavy, Jesus, be my strength

    Where I struggle to trust that you are enough, Jesus, be my strength

    Where I am self reliant, Jesus, be my strength

  • Inhale: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God

    Exhale: Have mercy on me a sinner

  • Inhale: Come Holy Spirit

    Exhale: Do whatever you want to

  • Lord, as I strive to share and witness Your Gospel, grant me the gift of self-knowledge. Help me to be attentive to the movements of my heart and the ways You are working in my life today. Reveal to me, Lord, any ways in which my witness falls short of the truth of the Gospel.

    Jesus, show me what lies beneath these inconsistencies. Is it fear, pride, or a wound that still needs healing? Give me the grace to surrender it into your hands, trusting that You desire to transform me so that I may reflect Your love more fully.

  • Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

    Amen.

  • Lord Jesus, I believe that the Eucharist is a real encounter with you. Even when I don’t see or feel it, I trust that you are working in me and drawing me closer to you.

    With every step I take towards your Most Holy Sacrament, open my heart more and more to your love. Prepare me to receive you and be united with you today.

    Increase in me a deep desire for you today and always - that nothing may taste as sweet as long as I am here on earth.

    Jesus, you are MY source and MY summit. I believe Lord, help my unbelief!

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James Pereira