The new year for a Catholic
The new year is a good opportunity to renew your faith or to work on your faith. There are quite a few different programmes designed to help renew and or strengthen your faith. Some are made just for men some for women and some for both.
The most popular 2 are Nineveh 90 for men and women and Exodus 90 for men.
https://www.nineveh90.com/ https://exodus90.com/
If you like the idea of doing a programme like either of these two but would like a leaner or more of a beginner’s version, then maybe this programme would be helpful.
I would recommend adding several things to your daily life, for 90 days. But trying this out for 30 days too would be of great help, I think.
1: A small prayer when you first wake.
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 reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
2 A small prayer when you go to bed.
Heavenly Father, thank you that your word enlightens my eyes, purifies my soul, and preserves me for eternal life. As I reach the end of this day, I thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed on me. I ask for forgiveness for the sins I have committed today. I pray that, as I sleep you would restore my strength and empower me for a new day tomorrow. Lord, bless me and keep me, make your face shine upon me. Turn your face towards me and give me peace. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
3: An act of Contrition when you sin. (still go to confession of course)
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
4: Do your daily Rosary (if you do then great keep it up)
All Catholics should try their very hardest to do a daily Rosary. https://novenaprayer.com/rosary-friday/
5: Do ten Novenas for yourself (issues with sins) or anyone you think needs help.
Each Novena lasts Nine days, it is a small prayer each day. https://novenaprayer.com/novena-prayers/
Choose any you want, feel free to look around for ones which speak to you the most.
6: Avoid entertainment and social media, music, television, YouTube etc that does not teach you (any subject) or that is not positive or helps to build your faith.
This means try to concentrate on building your knowledge of the faith learn about the history of the Catholic Church its saints and teachings. Try to learn about new subjects that make you a more rounded person, that might give you new skills, like cooking, budgeting, drawing, editing etc. Expand your knowledge, there is so much to learn about the faith and everything in general. But really take the opportunity to learn about the faith.
I know this one is really hard but please do try, your favourite programme can wait. If you slip up once do not quit this part just keep trying. The key here is to learn and enrich yourself, with positive content.
Social media is a drug, it is as simple as that. Facebook and twitter are cancer, there is nothing they do, that a better system could not do without the additional devastating negative effects they have on people and society. Please stay away from them and all social media unless it is a real life emergency.
7: Get a good night’s rest
Try your best to sleep between 7 to 9 hours a night. This means no screens to distract yourself, stop watching or reading at least 30 minutes before bed if possible 45 minutes.
8: Read the Catechism
The Catechism of the church is one of the most important books ever written.
The Trent Catechism, the Baltimore Catechism, the Catechism of Saint Pius X are especially good.
One free source is http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Another is https://olrfamilycatechism.com/ This one is great and an easy one to use, with videos and quizzes.
If you have recently read the catechism as an adult. Then I would still recommend the website above as a refresher course.
9: Do Physical Exercise
We are all different so please be sensible but honest with yourself. Do not try to remodel yourself. But exercise as to build a foundation that can be a launch pad to remodel if wanted to, learn to stretch your body properly and get the blood circulating. Get your heart beating, racing up and down as often and quickly as you can. If walking on the spot fast is all you can do, then do it. You do not need a gym membership or lots of equipment. Push ups, sit ups, squats etc are fine use any rules, make them hard or easy to start with, whatever you can manage. Doing 20 to 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week to start with then gentle increasing to 40 minutes to 1 hour a day will really help with your fitness.
10: Fasting and Diet
Fast on Fridays of course you can eat fish but no other meats. Eat one full meal, your main meal this should be normal sized. (whatever your usual sized meals are) Then eat 2 half sized meals, with no snacking. This is to show recognition of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross.
Do not drink alcohol and if you do not drink then give up something you eat/drink regularly and enjoy. For the full length of the programme.
Try your best to either maintain your weight or to lose weight if needed. But try to lose weight slowly and gradually. Try to change your eating habits to became healthier, chewing multiple times, eating at fixed times, five a day, balanced diet. etc
Summing Up
If you make a mistake, forget, fail, skip, or cut short a part of it or you cut the length of the program, do not get down on yourself. Either keep going, try again or just try your very hardest during the time you are doing the programme. If you need to adopt parts of this programme than do so but try to make it a challenge for yourself.
Books/Reading
The Bible
The Saints
Prayers
Magisterial Authority by FR Chad Ripperger
Love Unleashes Life: Abortion and the Art of Communicating Truth by Stephanie Gray Connors
Infiltration: The plot to destroy the church from within, by Dr Taylor Marshall
Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism written by Ion Mihai Pacepa and Ronald J Rychlak.
On Human Life (Humanae Vitae) by Pope Paul VI, Mary Eberstadt, Jennifer Fulwiler, James Hitchcock.
The Myth of Hitlers pope, How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis by Rabbi David G. Dalin.
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love by Trent Horn.
Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? By Trent Horn.
Founding of Christendom: 01 (History of Christendom) by Warren H. Carroll.
Hard Sayings, Trent Horn.
The Case for Patriarchy, Timothy J Gordon.
Daily Defense: 365 Days Plus, Jimmy Akin.
A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics, Patrick Madrid.
Films/Videos
A Man for All Seasons (1966) Film
Becket (1964) Film
The Scarlet and the Black (1983) Film
Gunpowder is a 3-part mini-series (BBC/HBO)
Unplanned (2019) Abby Johnson Film
For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada, also known as Cristiada and as Outlaws (2012)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)