How to Keep Going: Three Steps

How to Keep Going – The Morning Offering

As mentioned last week my approach about how to “keep going” is not bound by or to COVID19. It is for always. As St John of Arc said a long time ago: I was born for this time; I am not afraid; God is with me.

The fist part of our needed plan to keep going is the way we start the day. We all know the saying “the wong side of the bed.” You and I want to get out of the bed “on the right side” which is not the right or left but with a proper attitude. This is where I begin because it is where the day begins. 

Getting up on the “right side of the bed” beings with three steps:

            Getting up immediately – this is the “Heroic Minute” of the day. Why immediately? It is the first victory of the day and it sets the pace. For some people this is easy while for others it is like climbing Mount Everest. Suffice it to say that we need to overcome ourselves in the first moments when the alarm goes off or you know it is time to get up. 

            The second thing to do is make the Morning Offering. If you can get on your knees and thank God for waking up and the day ahead. Do this whether you feel great or not so great. This doesn’t need to be very long. It can be a spontaneous prayer or one that is a set vocal prayer. Here is an example: 

            O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in thanksgiving for your favors, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

            Whatever form this offering takes the important thing is to actually pray it. It is like setting the trajectory of your day. 

Saint John Mary Vianney taught: “All that we do without offering it to God is wasted.” 

Finally – to highlight the importance of staring the day in this way I will give a teaching from no less than the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father.

The third thing I would recommend to “keep going” is to Make Your Bed. Ya – make your bed. You might think I’m being too picky or too chore oriented or “whatever is negative” but there it is a good way to start your day. If you want to watch a very good talk on “Making Your Bed” I encourage you to watch this YouTube Video. 

So, whether we are in the Pandemic or not it is important to know that you can begin you day in such a way that it keeps you going and will set your day in a trajectory towards God. It doesn’t mean that everything will go great or even well but it does mean that you will have a solid foundation upon which you can face whatever comes your way. You and I are not alone so we need to start the day in this knowledge and recall it throughout the day. How we do that will be the subject of future writing. 

To Recap – 3 things: HM, MO and MB and off you go. Do it every day no matter what. 

Fr Hamilton