Are you looking for a practical guide to living your Catholic
faith more fully? Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith and
Get to Heaven by Patti Maguire Armstrong is packed with good ideas.
Armstrong was inspired to write this book by her 92 year old father. As she
states, his “witness of quiet perseverance . . . has earned my dad a reputation
for holiness.”
Don’t we all wish we had that reputation? The small steps we
take each day can lead to a lifetime of holiness. “Just do the little things,
and God will let you know if he has more for you to do and give you the grace
to do it when the time comes. . . . Holy hacks are easy and creative ideas to
do more for the love of God and neighbor in ways that fit into your life.”
Armstrong offers some general holy hacks for living a holy
life, but she also offers them for particular situations or areas of our lives.
Some of these include holy hacks for humility, relationships, spiritual
protection, avoiding gossip, evangelizing, and for special seasons of the year
such as lent and Christmas. Each section includes an introduction describing
some of the challenges regarding that area and then includes several short
ideas on how to work for holiness in that area.
At my Catholic mom’s group recently, we read and discussed
the “Hacks for Holy Relationship.” We found much to discuss about both the
challenges inherent in some of the ideas as well as ways we try to implement some
of these suggestions in our lives. It was a very fruitful conversation so while
this book does not offer specific discussion questions, it can certainly be
used for group reading and conversation.
Whether you use the book on your own or with others, Holy Hacks
is full of suggestions of ways to live your Catholic faith and improve your
relationship with God and others. While no one could possible implement all of
the suggestions, there are sure to be some that speak to you and the particular
areas you need to work on in your spiritual life. The way to holiness is paved
with small steps and Holy Hacks can
be a great aid on your spiritual journey.
