If you are not on fire for Jesus, it will be difficult to convince your kids (or anyone else) to be.
As I continue to grow on my journey of faith. It’s imperative for me to bring The Faith alive to my children. In order to do that, I must be on my own faith journey towards Christ.
A lukewarm faith riddled with misconceptions about who God is, and what we believe, causes many of us to fall away from our faith in our youth and young adult lives.
Passing our faith along to our kids is a wonderful calling and can help keep them on the right path, but it cannot happen if we don’t know Jesus first. To truly convince our children of God’s love, we must also be on our own journey to grow in grace.
We need to mature in our faith—each of us. Let’s grow together.
If you’re unsure where to start, here are five simple ways to get the ball rolling.
Go to confession. If you guessed I was going to throw confession at you. You are correct. We need to heal and be freed of our sins to move forward.
God is never failing and unchanging so he always loves us.
Often times it is us who cannot love ourselves. Whatever sins you have, as horrible as you think they are, God already knows them and He loves you anyway. Like any relationship, you have to make an EFFORT to mend things, so go to confession.
Prepare for confession. Yep, I’m still harping on Confession because it’s that important. Before you go to Confession, prepare to make a good Confession. DO NOT go to Confession after not having gone since you were a kid, and try to recall all your sins in the Confession line. You will probably be an anxiety-riddled, incoherent mess when you get to the priest and you will not make a good Confession.
Most of us are nervous about Confession so we put it off, but preparing for Confession will make it so much easier. Use a Confession guide to help you get into your sins and ensure you are emptying the tank. Writing down your Confession as a love letter or apology to the Father is helpful. You can look it over beforehand, or even read it during your Confession. Make a good Confession so you don’t just receive absolution, you FEEL the weight of those sins being removed.
Spend time with the Lord. Going to adoration might seem daunting but rip off the Band-Aid and do it.
In the midst of life’s constant motion and chaos, it can feel wrong to pause—but taking time to sit quietly with the Lord in adoration is anything but. It’s a moment of profound healing and peace, offering the reset our hearts need to move forward with our day. Adoration also strengthens us against sin by redirecting our focus to Jesus, grounding us in His love and guidance.
There is no right way to adore the Lord. Do what you feel enables you to connect with Him. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet or Rosary, read an adoration guide. If life is particularly overwhelming, tell Jesus what you’re struggling with, and ask him to give you the grace to persevere.
No matter what you do to feel more connected with the Lord, just make sure you show up. He always shows up for us, doesn’t he?
Celebrate Feast Days. A quick Google search or even a church calendar will put you up to speed on the Feast Days of Saints.
There are major Solemnities that require us to attend Mass, and then there are smaller Feast Day celebrations that don’t. My current focus is to incorporate these special days into our daily lives through prayer and meaningful activities with my kids.
Celebrating every Feast Day of the Saints would be nearly impossible since there are so many. However, even incorporating just a few at a time helps establish a habit, allowing the Church’s history to become part of our own daily rhythm.
By learning about the lives of those who lived the Faith so well, we make our own faith more tangible and real.
Pray. This may seem simple but sometimes it’s not. Do you pray when you are worried, overwhelmed, or frightened? When faced with a challenging situation, my instinct is to take matters into my own hands and work on finding a solution. Rarely do I immediately come to the Lord with my problem. Constant prayer throughout the day is a largely overlooked part of our faith.
The Saints constantly talked to God.
They had an open and ongoing communication stream. Imagine how much stronger your everyday relationships are when you communicate with the other person. That’s what we must do to strengthen that relationship with God.
You’ve likely heard the phrase, “Pray on it. Pray over it. Pray through it.” It’s not just a clever saying—it’s a meaningful practice we are called to live out every day.
Bonus Tip
Go to mass. Going to mass is the epitome of our faith. Partaking in the Eucharist (while in a state of grace, of course) and commemorating Christ’s ultimate sacrifice is an unparalleled gift.
The more you attend mass, the closer you will get to Jesus. He is present on the altar. The Eucharist IS the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Share in it. Often.
That’s it. If you’re struggling with your faith or feel stagnant, try these. Practice them all often.
The Catholic Faith is a treasure trove of history, tradition, and endless opportunities to grow in understanding.