Your Prayer Schedule?

[morostheos]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' date='06 January 2010 - 01:33 PM' timestamp='1262799236' post='2030922']
I'm finding, whilst at home, that time doesn't seem to be much of a factor as to whether or not I pray regularly. At school I have a fairly consistent prayer life that, at it's bare minimum, includes daily Mass and a holy hour. Despite being an extremely busy college student.

But when I'm home, when I have all the time in the world, I find that I hardly pray at all. Most days it's [i]either[/i] Mass or a holy hour. Sometimes neither. I don't even get in the LOTH most days. Laziness, I suppose. There's no real excuse.
[/quote]

I find the same thing - the more free time I have, the harder it is for me to get my prayers done. Strange, isn't it?

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='morostheos' date='07 January 2010 - 09:01 AM' timestamp='1262815271' post='2031130']
I find the same thing - the more free time I have, the harder it is for me to get my prayers done. Strange, isn't it?
[/quote]


That is why a schedule is so important, even on days off! I usually pray the night before I go to sleep, that God will help me get up in the morning to get to 7am Mass. If I can get there, then everything seems to fall into place a little easier after that. I can stay for Adoration after Mass, and pray the Office, and the whole day just seems to fit into a routine better from that point on.

I would highly recommend trying to get up at the same time every day, with perhaps a day of rest (like the Lord God!) to sleep in, but even on the rest day, to have a set routine for saying prayers. Nothing helps like getting into a habit!

[Sister Rose Therese]

Oh, I completely forgot about the prayer groups! How could I do that?! I did participate a few prayer groups regularly.
Yes, praying in community is very important to your spiritual life. Besides the increased effectiveness of praying with others, the others is the group provide encouragement, someone to be accountable to, sometimes a little admonition. They also give you a way to practice charity, patience...

And, yes, having a schedule is very important. It takes discipline to make time for prayer. And you know how it is... when you start slacking on the discipline in one area, everything else seems to slide down that slippery slope with it.

I can't remember who said this to me but... "If you want something to get done, give it to the busiest person."

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='Sister Rose Therese' date='07 January 2010 - 10:48 AM' timestamp='1262875706' post='2031728']
I can't remember who said this to me but... "If you want something to get done, give it to the busiest person."
[/quote]

That explains a few things...

[Starets]

Our Horarium for weekdays:

3:40AM Rise
4:AM Vigils, then breakfast
5:45AM Lauds, followed immediately by Mass and breakfast for guests
7:50 Work Meeting, then private study
8:45 Terce, followed by work meeting for guests, followed by work
1:PM Sext, followed by lunch, then personal time or [s]naptime[/s] Horizontal Lectio
3:30 None
4PM to 5PM Lectio
5:20PM Silent Prayer in Church
5:50PM Vespers, followed by supper
7:10PM Chapter Meeting
7:30PM Compline, followed by Grand Silence

[stlmom]

Horizontal Lectio, is that a Benedictine specialty?

[melporcristo]

[quote name='nunsense' date='06 January 2010 - 03:52 PM' timestamp='1262818360' post='2031186']
That is why a schedule is so important, even on days off! I usually pray the night before I go to sleep, that God will help me get up in the morning to get to 7am Mass. If I can get there, then everything seems to fall into place a little easier after that. I can stay for Adoration after Mass, and pray the Office, and the whole day just seems to fit into a routine better from that point on.

I would highly recommend trying to get up at the same time every day, with perhaps a day of rest (like the Lord God!) to sleep in, but even on the rest day, to have a set routine for saying prayers. Nothing helps like getting into a habit!
[/quote]



TOTALLY agreed. But I'm not saying I have such a set schedule that follow it to a minute, but after my 2nd year teaching, I noticed my room mate always had an agenda book with her. I kind of made fun of her with it but when I kept forgetting things, I realized how important it is to have one. For a while, after morning prayer, I used to go over my agenda of things I had to do that day and go over them with Christ. That might be something I have to do again since this is the 3rd time I've been late for something like daily Mass or work. EEk! But good thing Our Lord understands!

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='Staretz' date='07 January 2010 - 12:17 PM' timestamp='1262884626' post='2031794']
Our Horarium for weekdays:

3:40AM Rise
4:AM Vigils, then breakfast
5:45AM Lauds, followed immediately by Mass and breakfast for guests
7:50 Work Meeting, then private study
8:45 Terce, followed by work meeting for guests, followed by work
1:PM Sext, followed by lunch, then personal time or [s]naptime[/s] Horizontal Lectio
3:30 None
4PM to 5PM Lectio
5:20PM Silent Prayer in Church
5:50PM Vespers, followed by supper
7:10PM Chapter Meeting
7:30PM Compline, followed by Grand Silence
[/quote]

Strange question, but do you eat at all between 5 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.? It just seems like a looong stretch between meals...

[Starets]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' date='08 January 2010 - 05:39 PM' timestamp='1262993947' post='2032710']
Strange question, but do you eat at all between 5 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.? It just seems like a looong stretch between meals...
[/quote]
We can get a piece of fruit from the kitchen if we want to and besides some people wait till after mass to have brekky

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='Staretz' date='08 January 2010 - 07:07 PM' timestamp='1262995665' post='2032717']
We can get a piece of fruit from the kitchen if we want to and besides some people wait till after mass to have brekky
[/quote]

Ahh, claro. Thanks!

[BarbTherese]

As a layperson (private vows and specific lifestyle with direction) living alone, I found that going by the clock prayerwise would not work for me. It is an entirely different situation, and meant to be so, in say monastic life where duties for the day can be spread over a few people and the whole way of life is structured around prayer and it is generally accepted that this does apply.

I break my day into:
Rising
Beginning duties for the day
Break during the day
Ending duties for the day
Bedding down for the night

Fridays - Chaplet of Mercy
Saturdays - Rosary
Sundays - Lectio
Adoration is a bus trip away plus a bit of a walk and I will be fitting this in whenever I can. I have only recently shifted to this residence, meaning new parish etc.

And a particular prayer time (including time for private prayer) marks the beginning of each of the above, except for getting up or rising, when I pray The Morning Offering and read the Gospel with Gospel Meditation after rising.
I am a student at college part time and on days I am at college, I need to vary the above, which I do. Also sometimes appointments during the day or some other factor asks that the above be varied.

I can always, however, when my own standard prayer times just will not work, unite myself with The Prayer of The Church and our monastics who pray with and also on our behalf. Doctrine of The Mystical Body of Christ. When out and about and waiting at bus stops and travelling (I dont have a vehicle) I use the Little Office of Our Lady which is quite compact and fits easily into my bag, and always have a Rosary in my bag. Generally I use "Prayers from The Divine Office" rather than the 4 volume Divine Office.

After the Morning Offering and Gospel and Meditation, I set up my "To Be Done" list for the day. For me, this To Be Done list helps me free my mind from distractions about the day as I know I have written down what I simply must do and when (if a "when" applies).
And days always crop up when my whole setup goes completely south and up a creek.

Barb

Edited January 10, 2010 by BarbaraTherese