“Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Eph 6:18
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains prayer as a constant and never-ending action of our daily life. “Against our dullness and laziness, the battle of prayer is that of humble, trusting and persevering love.” It goes on to detail three important points on prayer: It is always possible to pray, Prayer is a vital necessity, and Prayer and Christian life are inseparable. (CCC 2742-2745)
In my busy life as a wife and mother of three young children, these words fill me with encouragement. I often climb to lofty heights with my goals for prayer. Thankfully, I usually get knocked back down and realize that the beauty of a healthy prayer life lies in simplicity. By offering my whole day with all its tiny tedious details and works, I grow stronger in love with Jesus. It is only through constant communication that I will be able to come to know Him, and love Him to serve Him as He made me to do.
Apart from the continuous short and quick prayers throughout the day, (I know there’s a name for those!) my Magnificat has been an incredible prayer aid. It is a great accomplishment if I can read through the Morning Prayer for the day and even better if I can find refreshment in the middle of the day through the day’s Mass readings. A perfect day would end with reflection on the beautiful and peaceful Evening Prayers.
Personal prayer time is vital to my everyday function. I live for His grace and I’ll take even the tiniest droplet of it to strengthen me in my vocation. Yet I’m sure I grow in virtue the most when I pray with my children and as a family. It takes patience and charity to teach a child that we are asking Mary to pray for us at the hour of our death not of our “choo-choo trains”. And boy oh boy, does it take a lot of fortitude to make it through daily Mass not to mention a full Sunday Mass!
My most favorite prayer tool is the Rosary; a form of prayer that I have known since I was very young. My mom attended her parish Rosary group devoutly and taught me to pray the Rosary when trying to fall asleep at night. The Hail Mary is my default prayer in almost all situations as I know that when she said accepted the job of mother of God she also said became my mother and prayer envoy. I’d love to sit down and pray a whole Rosary each day but for now must content myself and be filled praying one decade at a time. Perhaps I will arrive at the Holy Queen by the time I close my eyes for the night.
Ahhhh, prayer. And its many (sometimes self created) obstacles. I like to get up early before anyone else is up and pray morning prayer. Oh how I love the liturgy of the hours. There are also many prayers in my Mother Love book I’ve grown to really like. Anyways, that is my ideal way to start the day. It happens that way sometimes.
A lot of times I try to pray the Rosary when I am laying with Gemma at bedtime. It is a focused time I can pray, and also sometimes (sometimes) it helps quiet and focus my impatience if it is a particularly un-easy night.
I think you’ll like this quote, Fr. Michael Linnebur had it in one of his homilies at St. Francis, and I think about it often especially when I am really frustrated with how things are going. It is St. John Eudes, and it reads, “You can advance farther in grace in one hour during a time of affliction than in many days during a time of consolation.” I like to think that if I handle the tumultuous times – the meltdowns, the tantrums, the girl who won’t sleep or eat – with grace, or at least attempt to (and even that is often a long shot) than it is a way of offering up my day as a prayer of sorts. Again, this is the ideal for which I strive. Getting there, on the other hand…
Kudos, my friend, I enjoy reading your writings. You really do have a gift.
I love that quote! Thank you so much. Wow, you’ve made me realize there are so many moments that go by that I’ve wasted in frivolous anger and child-like whining that I could have spent growing in grace through prayer! Sometimes it is hard to begin with prayer, or to pray in those times lke you say. But when I do, it is so worth it!
Thank you so much for your kind words, I’ve enjoyed writing but it is incredibly helpful to hear your encouragement!