5 Ways to Do Spiritual Spring Cleaning for the Divorced Catholic

I don't know about you, but I'm done with winter.

For a Midwesterner like myself, I have been dreaming ofopening my windows and ditching my heavy winter coat sooner rather than later.I am ready for no more freezing temperatures and faulty weather reportspredicting the next great “snowpocalypse.”

I get so excited for spring-cleaning every year; a weirdtrait I have inherited from my mom.

I make lists, gather all the supplies, and probably get a little too excited at the smell of lavender-scented Pine Sol. I love taking the time to clean up my apartment from the long, cold winter drudgery and freshen up life as I look forward to the warmer months in spring and summer.

While it is important to do spring-cleaning in our physical space, it is equally important to do in our spiritual lives.

As a Catholic woman who went through a divorce, I know in the aftermath of my new life I needed a spiritual and emotional makeover.

With spring (hopefully!) right around the corner, I wanted to offer some helpful ways to do a spiritual spring-cleaning if you are navigating life as a divorced Catholic.

1. Join a support group.

When I knew I was going to be filing for divorce, one of the first things I did was ask my counselor for recommendations for a support group. While I hoped to find a Catholic group, there were no parishes nearby that offered any type of Catholic support group for divorced people. I found and attended Divorce Care at a nearby non-denominational church. Overall, it was a great fit and I found a lot of tools and resources to help me heal. If your local parish does not have anything, find out if there is a Divorce Care group nearby in your community.

2. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

I personally found my devotion to this prayer deepened in the months after my divorce was finalized. For me, this opened up my heart to begin praying to ask Jesus for the desire to forgive my former husband, as well as begin to forgive myself and take personal ownership for what I did wrong in the marriage.

In many ways, I think this is the perfect devotion for helping the hearts of divorced Catholics heal. I know that was the case for me. We all need more of the mercy of Jesus in our lives, and I cannot begin to share with you the deep work Jesus did with my heart as I prayed this prayer like never before.

The Divine Mercy novena begins on Good Friday and ends on the vigil of the feast of Divine Mercy. Maybe this is the year for you to grow closer to Jesus through forgiveness and mercy.

3. Try a new prayer practice.

We do not have to wait until next Lent to try new things in our spiritual lives. Doing a spiritual version of spring-cleaning can take many different ways. Maybe you want to learn about new saints or want to begin to pray the Rosary more frequently. Perhaps you want to go to Eucharistic Adoration on a more often, learn a new prayer, or begin praying a daily Examen as you start your day.

It does not really matter what the new prayer practice is, but just try something new! Sometimes spicing things up with a new prayer routine or practice can be just the thing to connect with God in a new, deeper way.

4. Join a small group or Bible study at your parish.

Contact your local parish to see if there are any new small groups or Bible studies forming. It can be a simple, easy way to meet and connect with other folks from your parish. If your parish does not have any upcoming offerings, search at parishes near you.

You can make some new connections and spend time growing in your faith and personal relationship with Jesus. Maybe it feels a bit intimidating to do that on your own. Invite another friend to go with you.

5. Consider finding a spiritual director.

I have been seeing a spiritual director for about four or five years now. The laywoman I currently see has been meeting with me for about two years. I find this to be one of the most life-giving spiritual practices of my life.

I find it very helpful andencouraging to bring the last month of my prayer and spiritual life to anoutside observer. I like having someone to bounce things off, to challenge mewhen I need it, or offer a new perspective on different life experiences.

If you do not know where to start,ask your pastor, deacon, or Pastoral Associate if they have anyrecommendations. You could also contact your local diocesan seminary to see ifthey have lists for local spiritual directors.

Regardless of where the current season of life finds you, our spiritual lives always need a re-fresh.

What other things would you add as helpful spiritual spring cleaning ideas?