One last note before I get back to my family duties (It's been a rough night - our three youngest are down with the flu). Having initially been attracted to the LC/RC through what they saw was a fervent expression of orthodox Catholicism, many readers are wondering where they can meet their spiritual needs outside of the LC/RC movement. I assume you already pray the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Here are some other suggestions:
- Check out your local parish. A lot has changed, for the better, in the last 20 years,
- Spend more time with your family, caring for the spiritual needs of one's spouse and children.
- For guys, the Knights of Columbus are always recruiting.
- Many graces are attributed to those who pray this prayer to St. Joseph daily.
- Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- Take five or ten minutes each day to meditate upon one of St. Ignatius of Loyola's rules for spiritual discernment, starting with the first and working your way down.
- Read St. Thomas Aquinas's Catena Aurea, which is the Angelic Doctor's compilation of hundreds of quotations from Church Fathers, ordered as verse-by-verse commentary on the Four Gospels.
- For daily spiritual meditation according to the readings at Mass, check out Francis Fernadez's In Conversation with God. Originally written for Opus Dei, the series has since been adopted by several Catholics and Catholic movements with little or no connection St. Escriva or the movement he founded.
- Spend some time in Eucharistic adoration.
I'd also recommend "Magnificat"--it makes morning and evening prayer easy, and has GREAT meditations.
Also, read Augustine's Confessions! It's a great account of one man's search for the Truth, and a classic of Western Civ. to boot.
If your local parish is bad, see what else is offered in your diocese. But, be careful what you define as 'Bad." Many perfectly orthodox parishes have crummy music or old, polyester vestments. Look for Eucharistic Adoration and you can't go wrong......