5 Ways to Stay Spiritually Engaged at Home

1. Build a home altar or shrine.
Setting aside a sacred space in your home encourages your family to pray. Candles, a crucifix, a Bible, holy water, and your favorite sacred icons and images can all be placed around a small table to uplift the soul to God.

2. Participate in the Mass.
While Mass may be suspended in many places, Catholics can still participate in the Holy Mass via livestream and worship as if they are actually there. During this time, Ascension will be livestreaming Sunday Mass celebrated by Fr. Mike Schmitz at 10 AM on YouTube and celebrated by Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia at 11 AM on both YouTube and Facebook.

3. Pray a daily family Rosary.
Set aside 20 to 30 minutes each day to gather around your home altar as a family and to pray the Most Holy Rosary for a swift end to the pandemic, for all those afflicted, for all healthcare workers, for the souls of the faithful departed, and any intentions you and your family may have.

4. Gain a plenary indulgence every day of COVID-19.
The Church grants a plenary indulgence to all those who are suffering from the coronavirus, to healthcare workers who are treating those affected, and to all the lay faithful.

In order to obtain the plenary indulgence, Catholics must have the will to fulfill the usual conditions as soon as possible and do one of the following spiritual acts:
For those suffering from the coronavirus & healthcare workers treating them: 

• Attend Mass (even if this is only possible through video streaming).
• Pray the Rosary.
• Pray the Stations of the Cross.
• If Mass, Rosary, or Stations of the Cross is not possible, pray the Apostles’ Creed, an Our Father, and a Hail Mary.

For the rest of the lay faithful: 

• Visit the Blessed Sacrament.
• Read the Bible for at least half an hour.
• Pray the Rosary.
• Pray the Stations of the Cross.
• Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. 

The spiritual act must be offered for the following intentions: the end of the pandemic, relief for those afflicted, and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to himself.

5. Study God’s Word.
Start a virtual small group, continue your existing small group via video chat, or study Scripture on your own with The Great Adventure Catholic Bible. By studying God’s Word and pondering it in our hearts, we will grow in our faith and fall in love with Scripture.