Your faith this time last year compared to now

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Greenfields

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How do you feel your spiritual life is compared to this time last year ?
How would you like to improve it at the moment?
 
I’m still the same old sinner on this hopeful path to perpetual grace and perfection in the afterlife.
 
I can’t even.
I’m just happy I have enough faith to keep getting up in the morning putting one foot in front of the other. Last year might as well be 10 years ago.
 
I went through a somewhat traumatic experience a while back and it has given my prayers more focus
 
I had so much going on this time last year with family issues, my own relationship that I relied so much on praying and peoples prayers and felt a lot closer.That went on for quite a few months .Now I’m not in such a good routine and need more structure for reading and praying.
Hardship certainly brings me closer, but being grateful and just loving should also …perhaps it takes a different effort and approach when life is less stressful and prayer not as spontaneous.
 
🤔

This time last year I was so disillusioned with my faith that I had stopped praying and studying in favor of dispair and anxiety. My health was declining rapidly.

Thank God for Catholicism! I finally accepted the truth, and I have resumed praying and studying. I can feel God’s grace over my life, and I am changing for the better.

I have a long way to go, but with God nothing is impossible!
 
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I’m in year three of the Diaconate. Last year I was on a spiritual high- we had finished a year of discernment and retreats and then started the academics with Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament. Both classes were fantastic. Now, while the classes I take are still beneficial, the academics have proven to be just that- not much spiritual growth but a process that needs to be completed for ordination. I have three more academic classes and then our “practical” classes kick in. Everyone I have talked with said those classes bring back the spiritual high that is missing in the academic side of things. I’m just plugging along until then and looking for those “ah-ha!” moments when they appear. I am lucky, though, because I work with special needs high school kids for a job- and see the face of God in them everyday. That helps big time.
 
I’ve been Catholic since Easter Vigil 2017. I feel I am growing in learning the faith, understanding the faith. Working on a more consistent prayer life and how to incorporate the different Catholic prayers. Really need help with Marian Devotion - not that I don’t believe it, but it’s that I’m not comfortable with it. It’s still pretty new to me. I would say my confidence as a Catholic is much stronger. It’s all really good!
 
I was listening to Journey Home last week and heard the guest say something really profound that I had not thought about.

He said that if we are truly Christian we should love Jesus the way Mary loved Jesus. AND, if we are Christians we should also love Mary like Jesus loved Mary.

That was a lightbulb moment. How can our Christian walk ever be complete without love for Mary?
 
Hmmmm. I would like to say that it is better, but I have only reason to confess more frequently. I have been blessed with much suffering and am begging for the grace to not only embrace, but also enjoy suffering for love of God.

I fail daily at this. I find it is far easier to look and sound like a Saint than to feel like one. My life is rather precarious and I am slowly coming to grips with the fact that my decline will be slow and painful.

Yet, even that is a grace, as it has begun the purgation process. I will most certainly never have the spiritual ecstasies of the great Saints, but I have indeed been blessed in that regard.
 
Last July I was facing Major Issue #1, an ongoing problem of over a year which caused me much anguish and pushed me into the arms of God.
Last October Major Issue #2 hit us like a ton of bricks, and I was clinging to God by my fingernails.
Then in January was a major family death that pushed me into a Very Dark Place where I stayed for four months.
In April and May I had some major personal spiritual breakthroughs. I got renewed strength and was no longer in the Dark Place.
Abruptly at the end of May, Major Issue #1 resolved. Out of the blue. No hints along the way.
By the total grace of God I remembered to return thanks for this healing.
I’m still dealing with Major Issue #2, and it’s a cross, but I’m dealing better now than I was a year ago at this time.
 
I wasn’t even going to Mass 12 months ago.

In contrast, nowdays, I go 2-3 times per week to Mass, I attend to almost all lectures about church history and life of saints that priests do, I go to spiritual retreats and pilgrimages, I read spiritual books and I became CAF member : )
 
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This time last year I was unhappy at my church My whole family attended the Baptist Church, but 4 out of 5 of us did not feel ‘right’. We still loved our Lord, but had distanced ourselves from church activity. My husband, my 2 youngest children (13 and 10) and I, now attend Mass every week at our local parish. We are starting RCIA in September. My faith is strong. I pray every day, attend Mass every week and feel part of God’s family once again.
 
Thank you so much (name removed by moderator). I do feel like I am ‘Coming Home’ . God bless you.
 
mrsdizzyd said:
That was a lightbulb moment. How can our Christian walk ever be complete without love for Mary?
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I heard that, too. I have the head knowledge, I’m just praying and waiting for my heart to catch up. Blessings, @mrsdizzyd.
 
Greenfields said:
How do you feel your spiritual life is compared to this time last year ?
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Probably about the same, but more informed. This is fine with me, as I have discovered with age that the more I know, the more I’m aware that I don’t know. So I continue to pursue the carrot which is not only out of reach but getting further and further ahead, even though I keep moving at a good pace. 🙂
 
It’s a journey, and like all journeys, things are added and things are disposed of. It is an interesting journey.
 
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