by Fr Richard Heilman | November 9, 2017 12:21 AM
Here’s a scenario for gaining a plenary indulgence today …
[1](A more detailed explanation is available HERE[2])
CONDITIONS
First, I have the conditions in place:
1) I’m in a state of grace.
2) I’ve gone to Confession within 20 days (before or after today).
3) Going to Mass and receiving Communion today.
4) I prayed an Our Father and a Hail Mary for the pope’s intentions.
5) I have not let any sin(s) defeat me, by hanging on to it. In other words, at my last confession, I made my confession with a truly “contrite” spirit … meaning, I did NOT confess my sins, while saying to myself something like, “… even though I know I will do this again” or, “… even though I am confessing that I am angry with this person, I am not letting go of that anger.”
DOING THE WORK
Okay, now that the conditions (above) are in place … now I simply need to choose which of the four activities the Church allows on any given day for gaining a plenary indulgence. I call these the “Big Four:”
*Adoring the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half hour
*Devoutly reading Sacred Scripture for at least one half hour
*Devoutly performing the Stations of the Cross (only at approved Stations)
*Reciting the Rosary with members of the family, or in a church, oratory, religious community, or pious association
In order to gain a plenary indulgence today, I chose to pray the rosary before the Blessed Sacrament.
HOLY ALLIANCE
Now I simply choose a Holy Soul. I chose Andy Delaney
Now I simply choose a saint to pray with me for Andy Delaney. I chose St. Andrew
So, after I have prayed the rosary with St. Joseph for Andy, I went from a “force of one” (just me) to a “force of three” (St. Andrew, Andy and me).
That’s just after Day One. If I add two every day (recruited Saint and grateful Holy Soul), inside of five months, I will have a Battalion of 300+ (Saints and Holy Souls) in my own Holy Alliance.
STEALTH EVANGELIZATION
Now I simply ask my Holy Alliance to pray with me a Divine Mercy Chaplet for someone I know who is in need of conversion, or simply someone I want to pray for to receive more grace in their life. (in the photo above, Mary Smith is a fictitious name)
JOURNALING
You can get your own blank journal to use, or you could use my Field Manual[3] or Field Journal[4] as seen HERE[2]. But, it is also real simple just to keep a journal right on your computer, as seen in the photo above.
TO SUM UP
So, there you have it … I gained a plenary indulgence for Andy Delaney today, with the help of St. Andrew and my Holy Alliance. And, I asked God, with my Holy Alliance, to grant more grace for Mary Smith.
I am developing my spiritual muscles, because I am doing these “acts of obedience.” This is “Resistance Training,” because I am choosing to do it the Church’s way which is God’s way, while “resisting” my desire to “do it my way.” At the same time, I am becoming a “force to be reckoned with” as I grow in God’s grace, and grow my Holy Alliance.
It was not hard at all!!!
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