Holy Days Are Times for Spiritual Renewal
A Religious Day is a Special Opportunity for Connection with God
Apr 9, 2009
Every religion has holy days, special days of religious observation. Many are solemn and present opportunities for deepening faith and for improving conscious contact with God. Islam has Ramadan, Judaism has Hanukkah, Buddhism has Buddha Day - Visakha Puja, Hinduism has Ramanavami, the Baha’i has the Feast of Ridvan.
For Christians, there are several sets of holy days such as Advent or Lent, holy days of obligation, feast days of the saints, and days of special devotion such as Divine Mercy Sunday, Corpus Christi Sunday, or Pentecost Sunday. Holy Week, the time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, is for Christians one of the most important periods for spiritual renewal.
According to the Catholic Catechism, the first precept of the Church is "You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor."
A precept is a reminder that Christian life requires a commitment to prayer and active participation in the liturgy and sacraments, and this precept requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints. (Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, Second Edition, 1994, 2042.)
Spiritual Practices
Holy days present a time to deepen one’s faith, religious practices, and one’s relationship with God. It is a time of transformation to live a holy life consistent with the Will of God. The following practices help to increase that relationship:
- Follow the Ten Commandments. Love God with your whole heart, with your whole mind, and with your whole soul, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Do not lie, cheat, steal, bear false witness, commit adultery, or covet your neighbor’s wife or other property.
- Set aside time to reflect upon forgiveness for both others and for yourself..
- Read the blessed teachings of Jesus. Read the Bible especially the Gospels and Psalms, and spiritual literature from reputable sources.
- Begin a formation of conscience and start to listen to your conscience. Every man is born with a conscience, an inner voice written on the heart which distinguishes between good and evil. However, by ignoring it time and again, man can kill his conscience until it no longer speaks - until it no longer softy whispers as that angel on your shoulder.
- Increase your prayer life. Spend time talking with God rather than taking Him for granted. Pray to seek His Will, and that His Will be done.
- Incorporate fasting and sacrifice into your spiritual disciplines. Both are powerful for improving spiritual life and receptivity to God.
- Learn to carry your cross and burdens without complaint or resentment.
- Visit God in His home. Go to church, the synagogue or mosque.
- Go, and sin no more. Sins are transgressions against either God or man. Reject sin actively and firmly. Reject temptation to sin. Stay away from all vices that can slowly lead into sin and slowly lead into the loss of a soul.
- Serve God daily. Every morning ask God to help develop an open and compassionate heart, and every night reflect upon how God was served that day.
Spiritual Promises
Too many people live in emotional pain and spiritual emptiness. They live in a tunnel of darkness, seemingly with no light at the end.
The way to balance one’s life is by deepening a relationship with God. This means putting aside pride and vanity, but the rewards are great. If one wants joy instead of happiness, fulfillment instead of accomplishment, grace instead of material possessions, love instead of anger and resentment, or an inner wisdom and peace instead of confusion and vexation God will deliver. The most natural thing is to be closer to God and have Him actively in your life. Holy days helps one to place God first in their lives.
Related Reading
Readers may also enjoy Spiritual Practices and Disciplines, along with Miracles Do Happen and Spiritual Warfare - Part I.
 |
