Bishop Philip Egan of the Portsmouth Diocese has been encouraging everyone in the his diocese to adopt and put into practice the ‘six holy habits.’ There’s every reason to adopt these habits in the Westminster diocese too! What are these?

• First, to keep Sunday special, as a family day, by attending Mass, the ‘source and summit’ of the Christian life, supporting your parish community.
• Secondly, to resolve to spend at least five minutes a day in prayer, at whatever time you find best, using the Scriptures, maybe the Gospel of the day.
• Thirdly, to keep Friday as a day of penance in honour of the Lord’s Passion, intentionally serving the poor and needy.
• Fourthly, at least once a fortnight, to pay a private visit to church for a short period of prayer before the Tabernacle.
• Fifthly, to go to Confession once a month or so, like a spiritual check-up when you can personally experience God’s love and mercy.
• And sixthly, to join a small group for formation, prayer and fellowship, where you can share with others your own experience and hear what God is doing in the lives of others.

If we adopt these six holy habits in the right spirit, entrusting ourselves to the Lord and His grace, they offer a practical programme to bring about deep spiritual renewal in ourselves and in our parish communities.

Why not explore in turn each holy habit, reflecting more deeply on what is being asked and assessing how best you might respond?