Are you struggling to put God at the center of your life? Then I invite you to commit to the Heroic Minute.
What is the Heroic Minute?
The Heroic Minute is being disciplined in the very first moment of our day.
It is not hitting the snooze button, but immediately getting up.
It is not grabbing our phones first thing in the morning, but falling to our knees.
It is putting first things first, at the very start of each day.
As Catholics, we believe more than just what our eyes can see and our ears can hear…
We believe that our entire lives are caught up in a greater spiritual battle.
St. Josemaria Escriva, famous for both founding Opus Dei and being very practical in the ways of virtue, recognized that the very moment we wake up each morning we face the very first spiritual battle of our day.
The question is… do we conquer it?
Do we immediately rise at our scheduled time? Or do we hit snooze 2 or 3 times before rising?
Do we immediately drop to our knees in prayer upon waking? Or do we first grab our phones to check our notifications?
This moment is what St. Josemaria Escriva called the Heroic Minute.
These are his exact words:
“The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and… up! The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body” (The Way, no. 206).
4 Steps to the Heroic Minute
Practically speaking, there are four steps to living out the Heroic Minute each day:
Step 1: Choose and commit to a consistent wake time.
The heroic minute is about cultivating discipline. Consider choosing a consistent wake time that you can keep to all 7 days of the week.
Step 2: Wake up each morning at your chosen fixed time without hesitation.
Meaning, no hitting the snooze button and no laying around in bed. As soon as your alarm goes off, get up.
Step 3: Pray immediately upon waking up.
Once you get up, don’t look at your phone. Instead, go straight to your knees and pray.
You can pray a variety of prayers, but at the very least pray a morning offering, make a short act of thanksgiving, and briefly reflect on the day ahead, asking the Lord to help you to be faithful in all that you will do.
Also, a small practice I’ve personally found helpful is to make the name of “Jesus” the very first word that comes out of my mouth upon waking up. This has helped me better center my heart on my purpose for waking each morning. And is something you may consider trying.
Step 4: Begin your day.
It’s that simple.
Why the Heroic Minute is So Powerful
By changing the way we wake up each morning, putting first things, first, we have the opportunity to change our entire lives.
In fact, the Church teaches that our spiritual lives involve a constant spiritual battle against three forces: (1) the world, (2) the flesh, and (3) the devil.
And the Heroic Minute enables us to conquer the world, the flesh, and the devil all at once.
By not hitting “snooze” we conquer our flesh. By not grabbing our phones, but beginning with prayer, we conquer the world. And by giving God this first moment of our day, we conquer the devil.
Though changing the way we wake up in the morning is a small change, it is one that can pay great dividends for the rest of our daily lives.
It can be the beginning of properly ordering our lives around the Lord. And the beginning of conquering the other, more difficult, spiritual battles in our lives.
So, get started.
Want to learn more from the practical spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva..?
Grab the book in which he speaks about the heroic minute!
Grab his book here –> The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva
In it, he not only speaks about the heroic minute, but has 999 quick and practical points that will help you grow in your spiritual life:
Before you go…
Another powerful discipline to cultivate in your spiritual life is the habit of praying the Rosary.
If you haven’t started praying the Rosary regularly yet, check out the Top 10 Reasons to Pray the Rosary here. In this article I also share specific steps to develop the habit of praying the Rosary daily.
In this FREE guide, you’ll discover:
>> The 12 habits practiced by the saints to grow in holiness
>> What virtues are and why they matter in the pursuit of holiness
>> How focusing on one habit a month can transform your spiritual life
This guide breaks down the path to sainthood into 12 attainable habits you can start growing today. Learn from the saints and transform your spiritual life!