- Your Vision/Mission/Values
- Goals, Short and Long Term
- Practices you will undertake in pursuit of the goals
- How you work for balance in your life
- Accountability
Some Rules of Life:
Baptismal promises
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Benedictine Rule
Prefer nothing to the love of Christ
Obedience – Listening for God
Stability – Commitment to one community
Conversatio morum – ongoing conversion of life, fidelity to the Benedictine values
Msgr. Chester Michael's Personal Growth Plan
God is love and we were created in the image and likeness of God. The whole purpose of our existence on earth is to love. This love with be expressed by six relationships of love: love of God, love of other human beings, love of self, love of nature, love of enemies, love of the poor.
Each morning, we should begin the day thanking God for another opportunity to practice love in each of these six areas.
Secondly, we should spend five or ten minutes discerning how we might do a good job today in each of the six areas of love.
Thirdly, we need to petition God to give us the grace and help to fulfill the resolutions of love we have made.
Fourthly, during the day we should fill any free moments with gratitude and love of God and with intercessory prayer for our loved ones and all people in need throughout the world.
Each evening, we should take a few minutes to review the day, thanking God for the grace to have practiced love in each of the six relationships and asking forgiveness for any failures to love.
LOVE OF GOD:
Head – how can I grow in wisdom and knowledge of God today?
Heart – how can I increase my desires and expectations of God?
Hand – what actions can I do today to express my love of God?
LOVE OF OTHER HUMAN BEINGS:
What individuals can I show a special love today?
Is there anyone I need to forgive?
Is there anyone of whom I need to ask forgiveness?
What can I do to reform and help the communities to which I belong?
What are the needs of society which are not being fulfilled?
What God-given talents do I have that might help fulfill these needs?
LOVE OF MYSELF:
What can I do to develop my inner self today?
What part of my unconscious shadow do I need to make conscious?
How can I maintain a good balance today in all my activities?
What can I do to take good care of my body today?
LOVE OF NATURE (earth, environment, creation):
How can I show a love for animals today?
How can I make a wider distribution of food among the "have-nots" of the world?
How can I do a better job of preserving natural resources of earth?
What beauties of God’s creation can I enjoy today?
LOVE OF ENEMIES
Who are my enemies?
How can I love them in a Christ-like way?
"Be you all inclusive as your Heavenly Father is all-inclusive" (Mt 5:48).
LOVE OF THE POOR
The authentic sign of a true Christian
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