You Know What Normal Is When... . | A Three Minute Lenten Retreat

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  1. ... you do not dress and behave like you are a character in a fantasy movie or a TV show.
  2. ... your hair isn't blue or green or pink or half-blue-and-half-pink, i.e., your hair is its natural color and the only message you're sending is that you have more important things on your mind than wasting time and effort by drawing attention to yourself and attempting to make a political and/or social statement by dying your hair some ridiculous shade of 'look at me... I'm an activist and I demand that you accept every behavior no matter how destructive and debilitating said behavior is.'
  3. ... you don't have a septum nose piercing that makes you look like a human bovine.
  4. ... you don't do toxic empathy.
  5. ... you don't bully (gaslight) others by weaponizing a sense of self righteousness to enforce an imagined moral superiority.
  6. ... you show respect for others by treating them as you wish to be treated... even when they behave like juvenile delinquents.
  7. ... you can laugh at life's absurdities.
  8. ... you show goodwill toward those who don't deserve it.
  9. ... you don't take a mental health day away from work or school just because you're tangled up in your own little world and feeling sorry for yourself.
  10. ... you acknowledge that human beings exist as two complementary biological kinds, as XX (female) and XY (male).
  11. ... you are not a germaphobe.
  12. ... you don't go insane just because someone disagrees with you.
  13. ... you don't do woke.
  14. ... you don't vandalize other people's property.
  15. ... you acknowledge that parents are the first educators of their children.
  16. ... you think children should be protected from ideologues who want to inject young people with cross-sex hormones.
  17. ... you acknowledge that conception results in a unique human being and that human life should be protected from conception until natural death.
  18. ... you are definitely not a socialist.
  19. ... you don't spend every spare waking moment on social media.
  20. ... you take ownership for your actions and you don't blame others for your own stupid actions.
  21. ... you value real conversations.
  22. ... you do not lie to yourself and you are honest with others.
  23. ... you are not afraid to say 'hello' and to acknowledge another person who may be down on his luck.
  24. ... you examine your conscience on a daily basis because you are a faithful Catholic, a disciple of Jesus Christ, and - because you are called to holiness in Christ - you acknowledge that you are commanded by the Holy Gospel to love God, His Church and your neighbour daily.
  25. ... you pray that God's will be done.
In the ✠ Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, I trust in Thee.
Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, I love Thee.
Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, I am sorry for my sins.
Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, grant me Thy grace so that I may grow in charity.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me.
Holy Angels of God, watch over me.
Saints of God, intercede for me and for those whom I love.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory be...

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