If you've read the profile of me in the sidebar you may have noticed that I'm Catholic. What does that have to do with weight loss, you ask? That's what I'm going to discuss this morning.
My buddy Mary over at Ketovangelist* is always talking about getting your head straight in order for this WOL to work. Don't get me wrong, it works regardless so long as you follow the guidelines. But the difference between short term losses with inconsistent yo-yo dieting and long-term success with lifestyle changes seems to be largely mental.
Personally, I battle daily with my mind. I look up and see it's noon and my mind tells me I need to eat RIGHT NOW, even if I'm not particularly hungry. I realize it's been four or five hours since my last meal and my brain tells me it's been too long and I need to eat. I have a particularly trying day and I begin thinking about food to make myself feel better. Hubby and I get the kids to bed in the evening and sit down to hang out and chat together and I feel like I need a snack because that's what we've always done.
This is all mental mess. This is not my body telling me I'm hungry, this is not me starving, this is a matter of breaking habits and destructive ways of thinking.
I'm sure you're still wondering what faith has to do with all this.
For me, faith has been and is a HUGE game changer in my life. Before I found Catholicism, converted, and really began devoutly practicing that faith I did the same things in my personal life as I do with food. I yo-yo'd between what I knew to be right and what I selfishly wanted to do instead. That's not saying I'm perfect now. I still make mistakes and need forgiveness and repentance. But with my faith I can see the way forward more clearly and I have that extra unseen hand helping me along the way.
As I opened my email this morning and saw my Sacred Heart novena reminder, I realized that I need to include my health journey into my faith journey if I really want to get my mind and soul straight and make this WOL permanent. Today, and going forward, I'm going to share this with you guys. If this is not your thing, well skip over these kinds of posts and get right to the keto stuff. You won't offend me, either way. But if faith is important to you then maybe my attempts to try and connect my mind, body, and soul into one consistent WOL will help you.
On to the churchin'!
I want to start my day the right way with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be:
Pater Noster
qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos
dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. - Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,
- Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
-
You may see me pray in Latin from time to time, so don't freak out. Latin is the official language of the Church and I believe it is a good practice to include it as often as we can in our prayers. The Church is to be Universal and when I pray in Latin I feel like I'm connected to my brothers and sisters in the past, present, and future. It's a matter of continuance.
Anyway.....
For those who don't know, a novena is a series of nine consecutive prayers. We usually say these prayers for nine days leading up to an important Church feast day or solemnity. The novena to the Sacred Heart leads us to the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart on June 12.**
If you're not Catholic, no worries. Most of the prayers in this novena will not be objectionable to Protestant sensibilities, and you're welcome to skip over the Hail Mary and the Hail, Holy Queen if you like. Sometimes I will post novenas that lead up to the feast days of certain saints, and Protestants may want to skip over those, which is fine. Even if you don't pray those novenas it think it's helpful to learn about the saints because they were all people of extraordinary faith who lived lives of sanctity. Being able to know about and see these souls as examples of faithful service to Christ, having these ordinary people as examples to show my kids, and being able to learn about Church history all at the same time is pretty awesome, IMO. Your mileage may vary.
My intention for this novena, aside from some other, personal requests, is for the strength, courage, will power, and perseverance to make my new, healthy WOL permanent. I need all the help I can get, and there is no better help than that of the Divine.
On to the Novena:
Day 1:
Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena Prayers
O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.”
Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of…
(Mention your Intention Here)
Our Father… who art in heaven, hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary… full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of…
(Mention your Intention Here)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be to the Father…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of…
(Mention your Intention Here)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be to the Father…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
Amen.
— St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/novena-to-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus/#ixzz3c0k8QRRQ
* Mary's articles can be found here:
http://www.ketovangelist.com/author/mary/
** more info on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be found here:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Sacred_Heart
You may see me pray in Latin from time to time, so don't freak out. Latin is the official language of the Church and I believe it is a good practice to include it as often as we can in our prayers. The Church is to be Universal and when I pray in Latin I feel like I'm connected to my brothers and sisters in the past, present, and future. It's a matter of continuance.
Amen! The mind is a powerful thing and so is prayer!!
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