Today, as the shepherd entrusted with the care of your souls, I come to you with a solemn and urgent message. I extend to you the blessing that flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I invite you to enter a quiet space within your heart, where the presence of God waits patiently, longing for your attention.

I speak to you today because of my deep love for the Church. I speak because I am deeply concerned for the souls of her children. We live in an age marked by profound moral confusion, where what was once sacred is now dismissed, and what was once recognized as dangerous is presented as freedom.

In this atmosphere, the Church is tested—not only from the outside but from within. Many hearts have grown weary, indifferent, and numb to the holiness that God once ignited in them. And so, I ask you to listen, not with suspicion, but with trust formed by years of walking with God. The truth is not always comfortable, but it is the only path that frees the human soul.

Today, I invite you to look deeply into your own hearts. What have we allowed to grow there? What have we been storing and treasuring? It is time for us to awaken and return to the truth, which can only be found in Christ.

Here are the 10 things that Catholics must stop doing immediately if we are to preserve our faith in its purity and power:

1. Stop Living the Faith as a Habit

Many of us have allowed our faith to become a routine rather than a living flame. We attend Mass out of habit, recite prayers out of obligation, and engage in religious rituals mechanically. This is a dangerous path. Faith must be lived with passion, devotion, and an ever-deepening relationship with Christ. Faith is not about performing actions; it is about the transformation of the heart.

2. Stop Relying on External Rituals Without Internal Conversion

Rituals, gestures, and outward forms of worship are important, but they cannot replace true conversion. The Church teaches us that the soul must be transformed, not merely through external rituals but by opening the heart to God’s grace. If our actions in the Church are not matched by a sincere, ongoing transformation of the heart, they become empty.

3. Stop Treating Prayer as a Duty, Not an Encounter

Prayer is not a mere obligation to fulfill; it is an opportunity to encounter the living God. Many pray with their lips but not with their hearts. We must stop reducing prayer to a mechanical task and begin to approach God in prayer as one would approach a loving Father—listening, speaking, and being present in His presence. Prayer is meant to change us, not just be a formula we recite.

4. Stop Defining Sin According to the World’s Standards

The world has tried to rename sin for generations. What the world calls “confidence,” God calls “pride.” What it calls “freedom,” God calls “impurity.” What the world praises as “self-expression,” heaven condemns as “selfishness.” We must stop conforming our understanding of morality to the world’s ever-shifting standards and return to the timeless truths of Scripture. What God has called sin must be called sin, no matter how the world tries to redefine it.

5. Stop Ignoring the Sacraments’ Power

The sacraments are not just rituals; they are channels of divine grace. Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, and the other sacraments are meant to bring us closer to God and transform our lives. Yet, too often, we treat them as routine or take them for granted. The sacraments are gifts from God, and we must approach them with the reverence and awe they deserve. They are not mere symbols—they are real encounters with God’s grace.

6. Stop Neglecting the Call to Holiness

Holiness is not a lofty ideal for only a few chosen people—it is the call of every Christian. We are called to be saints, to live lives of purity, love, and service. We must stop thinking that holiness is an optional part of the Christian life. It is the very essence of what it means to follow Christ. We must reject mediocrity and strive for holiness in all we do.

7. Stop Embracing Worldly Success Over Spiritual Success

In our modern world, there is a temptation to prioritize worldly success—money, power, fame—over spiritual growth. But the Gospel teaches us that true success lies in service to God and others. We must stop seeking success according to the world’s standards and begin to seek it according to God’s. True success is found in loving God, serving others, and following Christ’s example.

8. Stop Turning a Blind Eye to the Poor and Needy

The Church has always called her members to care for the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the oppressed. Yet, in many parts of the world, Christians have become numb to the suffering around them. We cannot call ourselves disciples of Christ if we ignore the needs of our brothers and sisters. We must stop living in complacency and start actively loving and serving those in need.

9. Stop Allowing Division to Rule the Church

The Church is the body of Christ, and we are called to be one in Him. However, division has crept into our communities, separating us along lines of politics, ideology, and personal disagreements. We must stop allowing these divisions to rule over us. We must focus on what unites us—the love of Christ—and work toward reconciliation, healing, and unity within the Church.

10. Stop Neglecting the Need for Evangelization

Christ commands us to go into all the world and make disciples. Yet, many Catholics today have neglected the call to evangelize. We must stop being content with our own faith and start actively sharing it with others. The Gospel is meant to be proclaimed, not hidden. We are called to be a light in the world, to bring the message of Christ to those who do not yet know Him.