I sure do better when I keep things simple.
Thérèse keeps things simple. Two daily disciples mark her daily living.
- Avoid seeking self-satisfaction
- Do everything out of love for God.
It does not matter what your state of life is: laboring tirelessly or underemployed or unemployed, healthy or sick, management or hourly, at home or away. It makes no difference how hard or how humble the work is. Thérèse says there is no form of life that is higher than another so long as what you do you simply do it for God.
- Avoid seeking self-satisfaction
- Do everything out of love for God.
She lives an integrated life, neither divided nor complicated, by relating everything to our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Heeding the example and intercession of Thérèse, we are striving to keep things simple. We are seeking to center everything we are about on the Church’s Prayer – the Holy Sacraments.
For example, we are not as accustomed to speak about Sunday Mass as an obligation as much as how we encounter the Living God together.
In the five years we simply have centered on the Church’s Prayer, our average Sunday Mass attendance as risen over 60%.
Baptisms have increase almost 10 fold. We have experienced nearly the same dramatic increase in couples celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available 30 minutes before all Masses, including weekend Masses. While I do not tally Confessions heard, I can attest to many, many, many people experiencing profound and lasting healing by receiving God’s mercy.
Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday ending with our Holy Hour for Life.
Sacramental preparation and faith formation for all ages seeks simply to facilitate a life-changing encounter with God for everyone. We simply are trying to encounter God.
- Avoid seeking self-satisfaction
- Do everything out of love for God
Our simple focus to encounter Christ Jesus the Lord through the Church’s Prayer has helped us to welcome 100 new households each year the past three years.
