Spiritual Boot Camp

It was just after 7 on Tuesday morning. My spiritual director sat across from me at the table near the window. "I love the McDonald's dollar menu." I think as I take a sip of my morning brew.

"Let's begin with confession." I lowered my voice to a whisper as we started confession in the middle of the noisy restaurant.

"Very good," he says, when I finish, "Let's say a Hail Mary together for your penance and then I want to talk to you about things you need to start doing."

...and that's when Spiritual boot camp started.

I will write more on this later. But a teaser is this: the most vigorous, intense (for me), wrapping your day in prayer-life that I've ever encountered while NOT on a retreat AND while still trying to maintain an active social life, full-time job and workout 5 times a week. In a day, I was asked not to change one thing, but a lifestyle. I thought it'd be impossible, but so far, God's grace is sustaining, and though I don't get everyday perfect, I'm certainly getting closer and closer. I thought number 10 would be the hardest, but I already have a priest and a regular holy hour time. Schweet.

For those of you interested in what Spiritual bootcamp looks like, here is the spiritual diet my priest has me on:

1. Begin every day with Divine Office (Morning Prayer)
2. End every day with Divine Office (Night Prayer)
3. Pray 1 chaplet of the rosary everyday
4. Become a member of the legion of Mary (they typically meet 30 minutes, once a week, usually on Sundays)
5. Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays (this ranges from giving up meat to more extreme bread&water fasts...i'm more inclined towards the meat variety)
6. Go to Mass as often as possible, preferable everyday
7. Make a good confession once a week
8. Attend weekly, a prayer group of some sort where you are surrounded by young women who are living sacramental lives and hold you accountable
9. Invest, really invest in true friendships with those women
10. Make a holy hour, in the presence of a priest, once a week