Prayer Time for Moms
by Lisa Hendey
I thank Melody for inviting me to post here today at her
blog on the topic of quiet prayer times for moms. The truth of the matter for
most Catholic moms is that regardless of our good intentions, all too often our
prayer lives take a back seat to the busyness of caring for our families. We
may ensure that our families say grace before meals, that our children have
prayed before their bedtimes, and even that they are receiving religious
education in school, in the parish and at home. And yet, many of us feel a
nagging dissatisfaction with the amount of time we
ourselves are able to spend in prayer.
I wish I had a perfect “one stop shopping” solution for this
age-old quandary. The truth is, I too often struggle with my prayer life. For
this reason, I’ve learned to cling to some precious routines in my own daily
schedule that keep me in an ongoing conversation with the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the communion of saints, and the God who loves me so greatly. I thought I’d
share just a few of the ways I prioritize prayer in my life in the hopes that
they might be of support and encouragement to you in your daily adventures.
For as long as I can remember, it’s been part of my
spiritual discipline to rise at least fifteen minutes before the rest of my
family for morning prayer. For me this time includes reading the daily
scriptures (available online at http://www.usccb.org),
reading about the life of a saint (typically the saint who is being celebrated
on that day of the liturgical calendar (check http://saints.sqpn.com)
for great resources, and working my way (very slowly) through a stack of
devotional books a page at a time.
Our family ritual of “car prayer” time used to happen in the
car on the way to school. Once my boys hit the driving age, it began to happen
in the garage before they left. Along with my prayers recited with the boys are silent prayers for their protection and
the care of my wonderful husband. Honestly, almost every time I find myself in
the car alone, the quiet time will prompt me to take a few quiet moments in
prayer. This may include praying the Rosary, reciting Novena prayers or simply
taking time in precious silence – an all too limited commodity in my life.
Another favorite aspect of my prayer life is seeking the
intercession of the communion of saints through formal novena prayers (nine day
series of prayers for a particular intention) or simply “conversation” with
these holy men and women who have gone before us. When a particular issue
arises in my life or in the life of a loved one, I often do research and
beseech the intercession of a saint or blessed for that intention.
So many of the canonized saints who have gone before us
lived lives every bit as full and busy as those we face today. In them, we find
role models of sanctity who show us that our busy days, our work, and our time
spent in the service of others can indeed become our prayer. I love the words
of one of my favorite saints, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, who said, “What
must we do to become saints? Nothing extraordinary – only that which we do
every day – only do it for the love of God.” For moms, we have ample
opportunity each day to offer our work, our service to our loved ones, and even
our unexpected trials as a sign of our love for God.
No comments:
Post a Comment