Saint Alphonsus Parish

1. Trust God 

"I am inclined never to trust my first reaction to an idea or to a proposal that is made to me. I never trust myself in part because my first reaction is usually wrong. I have learned to wait, to trust in the Lord, to ask for his help, so I can discern better and receive guidance." 

Resource:  Novena for Clarity and Novena for Discernment
 

2. Deepen your examination of conscience

"Shame is one of the graces that Saint Ignatius asks for during his confession of his sins before Christ crucified." 

Resources:  Different Examinations of Conscience to prepare for the Sacrament of Penance 
The Daily Examen - a nightly routine from St. Ignatius of Loyola  
 

3. God never tires of offering mercy

“In his mercy, he never tires of stretching out his hand to lift us up, to encourage us to continue our journey, to come back and tell him of our weakness, so that he can grant us his strength.” 
 
We may not all be able to pray the Stations of the Cross, adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament, or pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 PM—but we can all pause briefly, recall His abandonment in agony, and pray: “Jesus, for the sake of Your Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
 

4. Listen and Pray

“I pray the breviary [Liturgy of the Hours] every morning. I like to pray with the psalms. Then, later, I celebrate Mass. I pray the Rosary. What I really prefer is Adoration in the evening, even when I get distracted and think of other things, or even fall asleep praying. In the evening then, between seven and eight o'clock, I stay in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour in adoration. But I pray mentally even when I am waiting at the dentist or at other times of the day.”
 

5. Grow in Virtue

The saints are not unreachable "exceptions of humanity" but ordinary people who worked diligently to grow in virtue.”
 
To grow in virtue, here is a document that lists the seven virtues and their opposing sins. Pray for the virtue that overcomes each sin.

“How good it is for us to pray together. How good it is to encounter one another in this place where we see one another as brothers and sisters, where we realize that we need one another. Today I want to be one with you. I need your support, your closeness. I would like to invite you to pray together, for one another, with one another. That way we can keep helping one another to experience the joy of knowing that Jesus is in our midst, and that Jesus helps us to find solutions to the injustices which He Himself already experienced.”
 
Resources:  Download Echo – a free prayer app; join our St. Alphonsus Prayer Network; Pope Francis’ Five-Finger Prayer for Children.

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