The Church has constantly sought innovative yet faithful ways to bring the beauty and truth of Catholicism to the world. With the health care battles raging in D.C., that mission is especially vital today. Here are five ways you can bring your Catholic faith into your health care and continue the lifelong mission of building up the culture of life.

1. Think bigger!

In his 1993 World Youth Day message, Pope St. John Paul II urged young people to “not be afraid to go out into the streets and public places” to share the gospel of life. We might normally not think of health care as an area which can be touched and influenced by Catholicism and the New Evangelization, but it is! St. Paul’s analogy of the Church as a body becomes real when we begin seeing the members of the Body of Christ as physical bodies who have real pain — and that we, in union with the Divine Physician, can help heal them through true health care.

2. Prioritize total health.

We believe authentic health care needs to focus on more than just bodily health. A Catholic approach focuses on total health and wellbeing — that of the body, mind and spirit. Put aside time for mental and spiritual growth in your daily routine, and give equal priority to those areas as you would to a daily workout. Meditation, reading the Scriptures, journaling and frequenting the sacraments — the ultimate sources of spiritual health — are great ways to do this.

3. Re-evaluate your health care plan.

Besides often being outrageously expensive, many of the major insurance options support life-ending and morally objectionable procedures that go against Catholic teaching, like abortion and contraception. During this health care Open Enrollment period, take a look at your own health care plan to see how your insurance company treats these issues and search for options that aren’t just “neutral,” but which support pro-life and family values.

4. Be in the know.

Keep up to date about current policies and legislation which protect human life and religious liberty, like The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and The Conscience Protection Act of 2017. Being aware of legislative efforts can help you inform others about the impact these laws have on living the faith and help you take action yourself.

5. Join a Catholic health care community.

More and more Catholics are joining health sharing communities where they can live and practice their faith in health care. Consider joining CMF CURO, the first Catholic health care ministry that that seeks to build up Catholic community, advance the mission of the New Evangelization and create a culture of health care that is fully alive!

To find out more about CMF CURO, visit them online or visit them on Facebook.