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Email a FriendPosted by Angela on Monday, Jul 25, 2011 9:35 AM (EDT):
Thank you, Danielle!
It is helpful to have a specific way of making one’s life a prayer.
Finding Baby Jesus at Home
He's closer than you think
Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Monday, July 25, 2011 9:12 AM
Here’s a thought my sister shared on her blog that really spoke to me this week. In light of our conversations about finding time/making time/praying for time for prayer, I thought it might be helpful to some here as well.
Many of us moms have heard the phrase “your whole life is a prayer!” and some of us might even have begun to suspect that it’s a cop out.
Well, it sure can be, but I think these words really elucidate what’s meant by that idea. If you are in constant thought about Jesus and your relationship with him, everything you do will be a prayer. It’s an ideal to strive for.
“We know by faith that Christ is in our own family. It is he whom we foster in our children. When you tell your child a story, when you play a game with your little son, you tell a story, you play a game with the Christ Child ...
A woman too weary for articulate prayer will find that for her the best of all prayer is the unspoken act of faith in Christ in her children. When she knows that she is setting the table, baking the cake for the Christ Child, her soul will be at rest ...
Awareness of the presence of the Divine child draws us off from every distracting and destructive preoccupation, such as self-pity, anxiety, irritability, the morbidity which leads us to dwell more upon our own sinfulness than upon the beauty of God. In the wonder of this awareness, we are able to accept the humiliation of being ourselves.”
—Caryll Houselander, selection taken from this month’s Magnificat
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Posted by Ginny Kubitz Moyer on Monday, Jul 25, 2011 10:07 AM (EDT):
Along these lines, let me share something that a very wise mother once told me. She talked about consecrating household tasks for a particular intention—every time I wipe the kids’ highchair trays, I’m consecrating it to _________. That way, you are praying constantly. I really loved that idea, especially for the household tasks that I hate. 
Posted by Margaret in Minnesota on Monday, Jul 25, 2011 10:20 AM (EDT):
Really, Ginny? There are household tasks that you HATE?
[grin]
Off to launder my bathroom curtains now. It’s only been…oh…years? 
Posted by Kate on Monday, Jul 25, 2011 3:24 PM (EDT):
Just as monks hear the church bells and drop whatever they are doing to pray, so are the interruptions in our day from our children opportunities for prayer, if we answer then lovingly.
If we aren’t finding time for ‘formal’ prayer in the day, putting prayer cards in places that you frequent can help. I have the morning offering prayer on my dresser and I say it every morning before doing anything else. It takes 15 seconds and begins my day by offering everything to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I also have the Mothers’ Manual by Francis Coomes, S.J. next to my computer. The prayers are powerful.
Discipline is crucial to adding prayer to our days as well. Sometimes I have felt like I have no time for prayer, but looking back on my day, I have had time for leisurely activities. Although there is nothing wrong with leisure, think how much more of an offering it is to Christ when you choose to spend time with him instead of something that seems more fun at that time. First things first! I have promised myself that when I get on the computer, I am not allowed to do anything until I read the mass readings for the day. You can bookmark the USCCB website with that day’s readings.
Posted by lynn on Wednesday, Jul 27, 2011 4:54 PM (EDT):
I love this.
I also have to plug the tremendously so worth it experience of forcing yourself to get up at least 30
Minutes before kids get up - with coffee in hand, prayer book, and the calendar/ to do list . I find that precious few minutes w the good Lord to be invaluable to starring the day centered and ready to go.
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