Lately I’m finding it hard to keep up a daily prayer life. This evening someone asked me what my day was like and I responded with the usual get up, go to work, come home, kiss the kids, do some church thing, eat dinner, kiss the kids, go to bed….repeat. As I answered, it dawned on me that while most days I get some quiet time, it’s not enough.
I’ve been inconsistently doing the Liturgy of the Hours. I am currently on day 1, going into day 2 of a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the Cursillo weekend next week. I do have a daily prayer to God for those on my prayer list. But in all reality these are little things. If God is so important, and so valuable to my being…shouldn’t there be more?
I know some are thinking…well you are always “doing” church things and those can be prayer. Yes…but no. I still need, we all still need, personal time with Him who is King. It is the same as when my wife and I are both busy and we look at each other after a couple weeks of doing (like housework, kids, work, events, etc.) and realize our relationship has suffered because we haven’t had time to just “be” together. You know, like sit in the same room, perhaps on the same couch, without distraction or something we must accomplish. This “us” time is critical. It is what makes us “us”. It’s the marriage part. The intimacy part.
Yes, sorry men, marriage isn’t all about sex. And us Catholics do have that part down. So let’s focus on the other part…actually speaking to our wives.
Okay sorry, I’m back… Soap box is put away for now.
Anyway, the God relationship thing. Without some personal time, just He and me, my relationship with Him suffers. Ask yourself, outside of Mass, when do you spend time with Jesus? Either in Adoration, personal prayer, silence, etc.
From 12am (Friday) to 1am I have Adoration at St. Louis. I’m going to simply “be” with God. I will behold Him, the King of the Universe and instead of taking books and books, and Rosary’s, and other such stuff….I’m going to simply Behold Him for a while. I’ll have my journal and write, but mostly I just want to “be”. I want to sit on the couch with God in silence. Words aren’t necessary, and sometimes they are a distraction. He knows my heart. He knows my words. I need to SEE Him more.
I hope you have the opportunity to spend some you time with God. Put away the books, the phone, the ipod, the distractions….and just “Be.”. You’ll be surprised at how present He is, when we pay attention.
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