Religion and Spirituality: What's the Difference?

I had to deal with the question of what my religious practice and my spiritual practice are and how I combine them.

My experience with spirituality begins with my religious upbringing. My practice of faith is Roman Catholic, and it gave me the foundation to develop my Faith and Spiritual practice.

When I connected with Archangel Gabriel (I talked about it in a previous blog), I struggled with the concept and gift I had with the Divine. As I was taught, that is seen as negative. However, with the canonizations of the Saints, ordinary people like myself were open to following something they could not see or understand. I am not comparing myself to a Saint, but that is how I was told to be proud of my ability and not to be ashamed. 

Religion has a dogma and rituals one follows. There is more or less a set of rules for familiarity and structure. 

Spirituality is a personal choice that incorporates and applies a belief system to daily life. It acts like a moral compass for how one may lead one's life to serve a higher purpose. 

What spirituality offers is that it is applied to your belief system, and you let the other stuff go. I am a practicing Catholic, and I can't entirely agree with all of its teachings. I apply what feels good to me and let the other stuff go. 

A message from Archangel Michael

"My children, the angels are all non-denominational; where you can be religious or spiritual, it does not matter. The angels have shown up in many forms across religious beliefs, as this is some of the foundation of some churches. As previously mentioned earlier, Archangel Gabriel is the one who informed Mary, Mother of God, that she is pregnant with God's child. Mary and Jesus are both considered Ascended Masters. The Angels are talked about worldwide and can be omnipresent for all who call upon us for assistance, and no priority takes precedence over another. If this is something that you may struggle with, it is okay. That is the beauty of free will. You get to decide what works best for you. There is no judgment, just LOVE. Blessings."

          - Archangel Michael