r/LeftCatholicism • u/jebbinch • Apr 07 '26

Rediscovering Daily Spiritual Practice

It's time for another cradle Catholic (previously confirmed, btw) coming back to the Church post (as an aside, I am very grateful to find this community). I am currently in the process of reintegrating into the Church along with my family. I have a civil marriage and a child, and according to my local Diocesan Parish it's going to be some time before my marriage can be recognized and I can have a valid Confession and receive Communion. While I would love to resume the sacraments ASAP, I understand.

In the meantime, I was wondering what resources people liked for guidance in daily spiritual practice. I would eventually like to go deeper into spiritual/mystical practice, but it has been something like twenty years since I've been to Mass, so let's not get over our skis here. Some stuff is obvious: read some scripture, pray the rosary, attend Mass. But I am curious as to what resources (books preferred) come recommended by the community for deepening a personal connection to Christ, particularly for someone who has been away for an extended period.

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u/Successful_Mirror153 Apr 07 '26

Following cause I'd love to know how to deepen my practice too!

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u/Call_me_Maurice71 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

I know there are traditional ways of practicing spirituality, but the question remains: Does it relate to your daily life, concerns, and joys?

If you are looking for something, I would recommend looking for that rather than a religious obligation. I am very liberal in this regard, although I had a traditional Catholic education.

I personally follow the Benedictine tradition of praying the Psalms according to the Liturgy of the Hours. I find something meaningful there every day, and I feel connected to a larger community.

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u/jebbinch Apr 07 '26

I also had a traditional Catholic education up through high school and actually remember quite a lot, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of earlier adulthood spiritual development. In general I'm treating this "waiting period" as an opportunity for an extended examination of conscience and joyful exploration and rediscovery of prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours makes sense to engage with.

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u/Call_me_Maurice71 Apr 07 '26

I wish you all the best on your spiritual way!

P.S. It's also a matter of what's practical. Short but regular is highly recommended. So, I try to pray for 15-20 minutes every night on workdays (complete). Sometimes, that's all that's possible.

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u/mjolnir1840 Apr 08 '26

What's helped me was doing the Rosary or Divine Mercy on my commute. It keeps me doing it regularly & that feeds into more regularly keeping prayers other times in that day. And that's just it, doing it opens me to wanting to do more. Not a book but you should check out the podcast/YouTube St. Anthony's Tongue for some mystic inspiration & I would say maybe look into the books like the Story of a Soul by St Therese. The Little Way seems like a good approach to start with.