My Daily Spiritual Workout

Anyone serious about staying in physical shape must workout often. We all know that spending time daily exercising our bodies, we are better prepared to participate in our favorite activity. It could be it basketball, skiing, physical labor; any task that requires stamina and fitness. When we don't get the exercise we need, the task is more difficult if not impossible; at least performing on the level that we expect. Working out once a week or less is not enough to keep our body "in-shape".

Why is it then that we go to Mass once a week (or less) and expect our spiritual health to be "in-shape" for any circumstance we come across. On Sunday we receive a dose of prayer and reflection at the Holy Mass that is presumed to be enough to make it though the next six days. But what happens on Wednesday when your colleague asks you to do something unethical? Or when you find yourself on Friday wanting to repeat that off-color joke you got in email? Was Sunday's exercise enough to guide us to the right decision?

I don't care who you are and how strong your convictions may be. A spiritual work-out once a week does not keep us defended against the temptations of this modern world!

The best Catholic Professionals that I know have a daily practice of prayer and reflection that has become an integral part of their lives. These are people that we all know. They always seem to have the right ethical answer or carry themselves in an upright manner. How do you think they get like that? Are they just made more holy than we are by God? No, they have to work their minds, just as the high level athletes we know must work their bodies.

Try spending 15-30 minutes a day in a quiet spot, alone with God, just as most of us do with the Y. Ever since I began doing this myself, the world (and my problems with it) gets much smaller and more manageable. I began by just reading the daily Scriptures for Mass offered by the Catholic Church. You can set up a bookmark at http://www.usccb.org/nab/ . Along with the readings there are video and written reflections from multiple sources. There are so many more resources on the web you can find. Please comment with your favorite. Another one for me is Universalis.com that provides the Daily Office for priests and religious around the world.

This time every morning that I spend with our Lord has become something that I long for. The morning ritual prepares me for the day in a way that no physical workout could.

Many of you get up extra early to get to the gym or get that run in before work. Why not try the same for your mind and spirit? They will last longer than your body.

In Christ

The Catholic Professional