“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy." -Exodus 31:13
Do you have a daily ritual?
The Lord gives us many examples of rituals in sacred scripture: God instituted the sacrificial covenant ritual with Abram (Gen. 15:8-21); He gave us the ritual of observing the Sabbath (Ex. 8:20); He asked the people of Israel participate in the Passover each year (Ex. 12:27: 1-14); Jesus taught the apostles to pray the Our Father (Mt 6: 9-13); and He instituted the Holy Eucharist (Lk 22: 14 - 20)
We are bombarded by distractions and growing "to-do" lists. God knew that we needed routine in our lives to keep us focused on Him. Rituals help to reserve our mental and spiritual energy for what is most important.
Recently, I took a two-week vacation. My husband and I went on a road trip from Florida to New York and back again. I must admit that being on vacation, I really slacked on my daily routine and I felt a noticeable increase in frustration, agitation, impatience, and lack of peace.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed my vacation but now that I'm back home, I'm working really hard to dust myself off and pick back up on my spiritual routine. Here is a list of a few things that I do my best to practice daily. The nice thing about having rituals/routines is that when you get off track, you can always return to them.
- Rise early
- Praise and thank God upon waking up and say morning prayers: St. Michael, Guardian Angel, Renew Consecration to Jesus through Mary, Cardinal Mercier's Prayer To The Holy Spirit, and Memorare to St. Joseph
- Praise music while getting ready
- Coffee and prayer time with husband
- Morning prayer
- Daily mass (Several times per week, preferably daily)
- When time permits, a short time of adoration after mass and prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
- Daily Angelus at noon
- Litany of Humility prior to beginning work
- Rosary
- Quiet time of meditation with sacred scripture
- Examen
- Gratitude journal
- Plan for tomorrow asking for God's wisdom
Do you have a set of rituals that keep you focused on the Lord? We'd love for you to share them with us in the comments.
Please join us for our Women of Grace Rosary Crusade, when we will take part in one of the most beautiful and powerful spiritual practices that our Catholic Church has given us.
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