by | | 09.22L, Curated Discussion, Monthly Chapter Content
Start your meeting by watching together the Be the Bee episode “Habits” by Steve Christoforou.
Take some time to journal on your own:
- What habits (good or bad) are you currently growing in your life?
- What is one habit you’d like to uproot in your life?
- What is one habit you’d like to cultivate in your life?
Then, as a group or in smaller groups, discuss the following questions:
- What have you found to be effective in uprooting negative habits and cultivating positive habits?
- What do you do when you find yourself struggling to maintain good habits?
- How can your OCF community support one another in cultivating good habits?
On your own, journal and reflect on:
- What is one thing you’ll try this week to uproot a negative habit or cultivate a positive habit?
- If you implemented that change, how would your life look different in one month?
Finally, write an email to yourself with what you have outlined above. Schedule the email to send to your own account on the first day of Advent. Revisit this topic and the personal reflection questions when you get your email. How are you doing with your habits? What do you need to adjust? Is it time to check in with a spiritual guide to evaluate what is working and what is not? After you’ve done this, schedule yourself another email for the beginning of Lent. Any time is a good time to start building Christ-centered habits, and the Church gives us the fasting seasons to focus our energy on reorienting ourselves.
Conclude today’s meeting by praying Psalm 118(119):1-16
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
Thou hast commanded thy precepts
to be kept diligently.
O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping thy statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all thy commandments.
I will praise thee with an upright heart,
when I learn thy righteous ordinances.
I will observe thy statutes;
O forsake me not utterly!
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to thy word.
With my whole heart I seek thee;
let me not wander from thy commandments!
I have laid up thy word in my heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed be thou, O Lord;
teach me thy statutes!
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of thy mouth.
In the way of thy testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on thy precepts,
and fix my eyes on thy ways.
I will delight in thy statutes;
I will not forget thy word.
by | | 09.22L, Guided Discussion, Monthly Chapter Content
What does it mean to build habits that are truly Christ-centered? It means to invite Christ into our everyday lives, no matter how mundane. It means for us to call upon the Holy Spirit so that we grow in our awareness of His presence. A Christ-centered habit is a habit that allows us to recognize God’s activity in the world. St. Gregory the Theologian says simply, “We must remember God more often than we draw breath.”
Becoming aware
It’s easy to go about our day with the sense that we are isolated from God. How and when are you most aware of His presence?
Do you ever feel as if God is not present? What situations elicit that experience for you? What do you do?
What do you think of St. Gregory’s lofty challenge to remember God more often than we breathe? What can you do to actively become more aware of God in your day-to-day life?
Habits that draw us near
There are many ways we can clear our hearts to become more aware of Christ in our lives, and all of them take time, guidance, and repentance. Here is one suggestion we’d love for you to consider:
Sanctify your day with tiny prayers. Sometimes we’re prone to overcomplicate praying. Try instead when you open a book to study to say, “Lord, bless my understanding that I may give glory to You.” Or pray, “Lord have mercy on…” when you get a text message from that person. Or, if you find yourself on a solitary walk across campus, pray the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner) in rhythm with your footsteps.
What other tasks throughout your day could you turn into opportunities to be in conversation with Jesus? What time of day or activity do you think might be most transformed in your life if you were to pray during it?
A reflection from St. Patrick
In the Breastplate of St. Patrick, a morning prayer attributed to the patron of Ireland, St. Patrick makes a conscious effort to acknowledge the presence of God, the angels, and the saints in the world in which he goes about his daily tasks. Pray the following excerpt from the Breastplate. Take your time, and recite each line slowly.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
What stands out to you in this prayer? What will you take into your life this week from St. Patrick’s attitude about the presence of Christ?
by | | 09.22L, Monthly Chapter Content, Video
Fr. Apostolos Hill shares advice on how we can talk to God amid the reality of our busy and loud lives.
