7 Habits for a Catholic Lifestyle

two young people are sitting together with a cup of coffee or tea and laughing. A dog is sitting nearby.

7 Habits for a Catholic Lifestyle!

or "Seven tips to get closer to God"

If your faith does not shape your life, it is not true faith, because what a person truly believes is shown by how they live. But faith is not the only decisive factor: who we are and how we act depends largely on our habits. In this post, I want to introduce you to seven good routines that will help you get closer to Jesus and grow holistically in your spiritual life.

###1. Prioritize the Holy Mass The Holy Mass is not everything, but without the Holy Mass, everything is nothing! Why? Because it is the highest form of worship of God and at the same time offers the possibility of the deepest union with Him. Through Communion, the Body of Christ that we are allowed to receive, we have communion not only with Jesus but also with all those who belong to Him (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:17). One cannot live as a Catholic without going to Holy Mass at least on Sunday (one of the 168 hours of the week). Do you find the Holy Mass difficult and find much of it mysterious and dull? Then take a quiet moment to watch this legendary catechesis by Fr. Mike Schmitz about the Holy Mass – I am sure it will help you.

###2. Give God Space in the Morning Of course, not everyone is a morning person, but everyone starts their day eventually, somehow... For a Christian, it is recommended to start every day in the awareness of God's presence. Therefore, I want to encourage you, as the first act of the day after the first (!) ring of the alarm clock, to make the Sign of the Cross and begin the new day in the name of the Triune God. It is also highly recommended to set your alarm five minutes earlier than necessary and in this way gain five minutes of "quality time" with God every morning. In these, you can either contemplate the Daily Gospel and/or discuss your day with God and ask Him for His blessing.

###3. Fit for Service Sport is neither murder nor superfluous for a Catholic – quite the opposite: We know by faith that our body (with soul AND BODY) is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is neither vanity nor a waste of time to ensure that one stays physically fit. Through regular intense training, we strengthen our willpower and are psychologically more balanced – two indispensable prerequisites for someone who wants to help others effectively: "God gave you body and soul – train them both!" And one more insider tip from a monk: You enter into prayer more easily if you give yourself a solid workout every now and then, than if you spend the whole day only in the chapel and at your desk.

###4. RAL RAL is my personal abbreviation for "random act of love" – an unplanned spontaneous act of charity; something that goes beyond mere fulfillment of duty. During my daily review in the evening, I always ask myself: Was there a RAL in my actions today? If it is true that love for God is measured by love for one's neighbor, as St. Therese of Lisieux said, then daily lived charity is a high priority that must not be lost sight of.

###5. Without Church, No Jesus! Being a Christian is not an ego trip, but a community project. We do not follow Jesus alone, but in a community – the Church. Without it, you would have neither access to the sacraments nor access to the Bible – without Church, no Jesus. Both belong together inseparably. But the Church is essentially a community of those who follow Christ. Through baptism, we belong to Christ. His Body and Blood, which we receive in the Holy Mass, make us as it were brothers and sisters in blood. We Christians therefore belong together, and thus it is not only nice, but simply appropriate, that we spend free time together from time to time. I want to encourage you to speak with a Christian friend at least once a week, to do something together, and in doing so, to bring up Jesus and the faith in some way. Furthermore, GoCath can help you find events in your area to get in touch with other believing Christians.

###6. More Than a Feeling Faith also involves feelings, but it can neither be reduced to them, nor is the content of the Catholic faith subjective. We do not simply believe whatever feels good at the moment, but we believe in the One who created the world and revealed Himself to us humans. We can grasp and deepen this truth about God, His action in history, and the way to Him through reason. To say, "I follow Jesus, but I am not interested in His teaching," is therefore a dead end. Therefore, you should also take at least a little time to constantly deepen your faith, whether through books, YouTube, or podcasts.

###7. Once a Month in the Car Wash Just as a car should be washed at least once a month, so too our soul should be cleansed at least once a month. The free all-inclusive complete program for this is called: Confession. It is not free because it is useless, but because it is priceless. In Confession, we receive God's forgiveness for all our sins. Yes, confessing takes courage (especially if you haven't been in a long time), but it is always worth it. Just as a regular honest and open discussion is necessary with a partner, it is decisive for our relationship with God that we come to Him again and again with our mistakes. He does not accuse us, but He sets us free. He does not hold it against us, but lifts us up again and again when we have fallen. Confessing is beautiful!

Cistercian monk sitting with a book in his hand leaning against a tree. In the background, the entrance to the monastery church at Stift Heiligenkreuz in the Wiener Wald can be seen

(Author: Fr. Wilhelm Mauser OCist, Stift Heiligenkreuz) January 2025