Prayer...a Relationship

(Photo taken from Grandma's garden)

Prayer Routine...what is it at our house? It has started as baby steps over the years. Prayer IS our relationship with God. I'm not the only one who thinks so. In The Catechism of the Catholic Church taken from part four, section one "Prayer in the Christian Life" section 2558:

"This mystery (prayer) , then requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer."

It has taken us many years as a family to come to a prayer routine. But, foremost, Mom and Dad are called to individual prayer. I love the SOAP prayer. While you are doing your housework...dishes, vacuuming, etc you can pray. It is one of Saint Benedict's Rules "Ora et Labora"...pray and work.


This is what our prayer life as a family looks like. It will be SO different for every family. This is what helps us work together and play together. It is the very core of life.



Early morning:
-a spiritual reading like The Catechism of the Catholic Church or Following of Christ
-Divine Chaplet on CD while kid's are rising and I am emptying dishwasher...
-Rosary with family before Dad goes to work
-evening prayers and parental blessing for children...

I try to attend at least one daily mass a week.

And we attend a cenacle Rosary on Thurs. afternoons with other homeschooled children at our parish church.

-Just started the Saint Anne Chaplet. (Inspired by Aussieannie.) It is lovely, short and quick. I've never had a saint devotion like this. I've said lots of novenas but it is so nice to have Saint Anne to go to!

None of this was planned. It is something that gradually happened and when the question at 4Real Forum was asked, "What does your prayer life look like?" It got me to thinking. When the kids were smaller I would pray the rosary when I nursed! We started out with only a decade of the Rosary a day. We did that for a LONG time. The Holy Spirit is so good about guiding each individual's prayer life if we only ask.

Now that I look back over the years, we HAVE taken baby steps in our prayer life...

What we did this morning:

Prayed the Rosary in Latin. My children prefer this!

We read from Following Christ by Gerard Groote. This such a beautiful book as it reads like proverbs (my children said).

Today's reflection:

Book Two/ Part One /Chapter III:

Of a Good Peaceful Man

First be contented yourself; and then you will be able to make others contented. A peace-loving man is of greater service to others than a learned man. A peace disturber turns good into evil; and readily believes what is evil. But a peaceful man draws good from everything. He who is truly in peace thinks no evil of anyone; but he who is discontented and wrathful is tormented with divers suspicions; he has no rest nor suffers others to have rest. He often says what he ought not to say; and omits important and omits important things he ought to do. He calls attention to what others ought to do, and neglects what he himself is obliged to do. Therefore, have an earnest zeal for your own self first; and then you may rightly exercise your zeal on your neighbor...If you wish others to bear with you than bear with others. (1-11)

This week's exercise: BE A PEACEFUL MAN