SIMPLE40 - DAY 16 - Give the Best of Yourself
- Katie Donahue
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Pursuing conversion of heart and life calls us to seek God and avoid sin every single day. This is not accomplished through grand gestures, but through quiet fidelity, growing in virtue, performing our daily duties well, and treating each person who crosses our path with love, respect, and dignity. It also means persevering. When motivation is low and discouragement creeps in, even one small virtuous step in the direction of God bears tremendous fruit.
The Church reminds us:
A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions. The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God. ~CCC 1803
Choosing what is right does become easier over time. Repeated acts of goodness shape the heart. But interior conversion is not measured by constant success. The path to holiness is rarely linear. It is made up of steps forward and steps backward. We will sin. We will fail. Yet holiness is found in the getting back up...in repentance, humility, and renewed effort.
God is infinitely merciful and patient with us. Let us learn to be patient with ourselves and with others.
If I am honest, this Lent has felt hard. And I know many of you feel that too. The enemy seems near...tempting, distracting, discouraging. He does not want prayer. He does not want sacrifice. He certainly does not want perseverance. Reject the lie that you cannot “do Lent well.” You can. You are. Faithfulness looks different for each of us. The baby steps you are taking toward interior simplicity and conversion are deeply pleasing to God.
Keep moving forward.
When you stumble, get up. When you fall, rise again. If you remain stagnant or give up, nothing changes. Growth requires movement. To discover what God can do in you, you must attempt what feels beyond you. Grace meets you there.
And when discouragement tries to settle in, anchor your mind here:
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ~Philippians 4:8
Today, choose one small, concrete act of virtue. Then tomorrow, choose again.
spiritual
The most powerful way to make strides in conversion of your life is to frequent the sacrament of Reconciliation. While you are on your knees, confessing your sins, Jesus is right there pouring out His mercy and grace upon you to rescue you from yourself and your weaknesses. Go to confession this weekend! Here are 2 examen's for you: 1) I am keeping this link from yesterday for St. Benedict's Examen for your reference. St. Benedict Examination of Conscience
2) Here is one for your kids from USCCB:
When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to my generosity. ~Jesus' words to St. Faustina
self Our words are windows into our inner world and opportunities for harmony.
Once you have listened inwardly, the next step toward Shalom is how you use your speech. Pope Leo XIV makes a profound invitation this Lent: to “disarm our language”, to refrain from words that hurt, judge, or divide, and to let speech become a tool for hope and peace.
This is not just etiquette, it is self-understanding in action. Your words reflect your values, your fears, your priorities, your temperament, and your level of inner peace. When you choose gentle and respectful words, you are practicing internal harmony made visible, which is shalom flowing outward.
Reflection Questions:
Do your words build up or break down?
When you feel tension, what kind of language do you lean toward?
How does what you say and the tone you use reflect your inner peace - or lack of it?
Weekend Speech Challenge – 40 Minutes of Intentional Conversation
This weekend, carve out 40 minutes to enter meaningful conversation with someone. Let your focus be listening more than speaking and speaking only what brings clarity, honesty, and peace. Let your speech reflect shalom, striving for understanding over argument and unity over division.
Weekend Prayer for Shalom
God of peace and truth,
Teach us to listen...
to You,
to others,
and to our own hearts.
Help our words carry kindness and respect,
so that what we say builds life, peace, and understanding.
Let our speech be a reflection of Your peace - Shalom - in the world.
Amen.
service
The SIMPLE40 challenge given at the beginning of Lent was to complete at least 40 acts of service. Take a look at these suggested ways to serve and see what you can do this weekend. (This picture shows only 50. Click the download below to see all 100.)
simple recipe
LODGE BREAD CHOP SALAD REMAKE We normally have some kind of homemade pizza on Saturdays, but today I am finally making this salad that my daughter just knows I will love. It is healthy, crunchy, and full of bright flavor.
Thank you for following along. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed weekend! If you are enjoying SIMPLE40, please share with a friend. Click the link to sign up! SIMPLE40
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