Make it a Routine...not a Rote Thing

In my last post, I mentioned that I had fallen off the prayer wagon during vacation. I maybe read the daily reading once and made some quick notes. I don't think I said my daily prayers at all. I could tell, toward the end of the trip, old feelings coming back. The feelings of jealousy, and righteousness. It's so easy to stay in the routine when you're able to stay in your little bubble, but life is meant to live. Unless you're called to religious life, it's impossible to stay there in your safe little bubble.

I jumped back into my routine today; I gave myself a few days to try to slide into it by going to daily mass. I relied on my dogs to wake me up in time; they're fantastic alarm clocks, but they require a routine as well. When that routine is messed up, they're not so reliable. I barely made it in time for the Rosary before Mass on Monday & Tuesday; Wednesday the dogs decided to sleep in a bit so I rolled in just after the opening prayer. My dad sits in the 2nd pew, so everybody knew I was late. One lady asked me if I got caught in traffic, but I had to 'fess up and tell her that I lived in the other direction from church and just overslept. 

Today's reading (Jer 2:1-3,7-8, 12-13)seemed to really reach out and grab me. When I'm "feeling" it, it's like I'm in a honeymoon; I can't get enough of  God and His word. This I hit "dry periods". It's hard to get back in the swing of things like daily prayer & reading/reflecting. 

I picked up A Catholic Woman's Book of Days (Amy Welborn) this morning after I said morning prayers and read the readings. It was a total fluke; I've only picked up the book once since I bought it at the end of May. I turned to today, and was astonished at what it said. The topic was having rituals/routines, and applying that to your prayer life. In the last paragraph Mrs. Welborn says,

...For me at least, setting my prayer times and settling into ancient ritual keeps me on the right course, even when my feelings tempt me to skip prayer for today. More important, the tried and tested habits of old give me a safe place from which to enter into the mystery.

Whoa! That's exactly the way I feel. Isn't it amazing when God gives you just what you need to hear, whether it's to help you out or for affirmation? 

Make prayer a routine , not a rote thing!