 | |||
On Thursday, I reflected a little on the topic of a Rule, or a rule of life; and, the importance of having one at this time. However, it is perhaps useful to set this suggestion in a wider context - namely, that for anyone interested in a serious spiritual life, a serious relationship with God, it is always and everywhere good advice to have a rule.
Any relationship of mutual love begins with a certain spark of attraction. Be it a romantic attraction where two people catch one another's eye and are drawn together; or, that feeling of satisfaction when two people find friendship in the experience of mutual understanding; or, even in the impulsion of the heart that the saint experiences, when catching sight of Christ in the soul of a person in need. True and deep relationships don't emerge spontaneously out of a vacuum, they have an important beginning - and often that beginning is very sweet for both people.
Yet anyone with any experience of relationships knows that they do not, and indeed they cannot, stay like this forever. At a certain point, really quite early on, the relationship has to begin to express itself in ways other than sweet feelings of contentment in each other's presence. If we were to terminate every association with every person who didn't always make us feel contented and happy, then we'd surely find ourselves living at even greater social distance from others than we are today!
Relationships progress by people choosing and committing, consciously or unconsciously, to spend time together, even when at times it may not make us wonderful. Deep relationships are formed when we commit to being together, in spite of each other's faults and failings, in spite of the fights that may sometimes happen, and because of the deeper love for the other that we are beginning to 'experience', but which may not always be 'felt'.
When it comes to relationships with other people, I think most of us have some apprehension of this. Yet, for some reason, we can have difficulty applying it to our relationship with God. We can be very tempted to relate to God as [a] conceptual Being, even though at the very foundation of our Christianity is the Revelation that God is very much personal - even tri-personal!
A Rule of Life, therefore, is nothing other than the spiritual equivalent of choosing to commit to spend time with the Holy Trinity for a certain amount of time everyday, out of a desire to grow into a deeper and more mature relationship with the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. The amount of time will depend on your state-of-life, just a retired married couple might spend more time together than a young working couple. But the important thing is to build the habit of spending that time no matter how it feels!
Just as the initial sparks of romance for young lovers eventually pass, so do the feelings of warmth in prayer for new Christians. This has to be the case - otherwise we would become completely attached to the feelings, and not to God. At this point, we need to rule of life to ensure that we continue to spend time with Him, even though we may not feel like it. The Good News here, though, it that we find ourselves at the threshold of a relationship with the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, that can begin to really, and not superficially, change our lives - and the lives of those around us - forever.
So what might a Rule of Life for a Layperson look like?
Good question, and one to which I cannot give a definitive, uniform answer. The general rule would be to be both generous and realistic. And also, be patient with yourself. As you try to live a rule of life you will begin to learn what works and what does not.
What follows are a suggestions for a busy person and for someone who has more time.
For a busy person
Upon rising (or after washing): Some set or regular prayers commending the day to God (5-10 mins).
Middle of the Day: A short prayer to recall God eg. the Angelus (3 mins).
At some point in the day (find what works for you regularly): Meditation/Quiet Prayer* (20 mins).
At some point in the day (find what works for you regularly): A Decade of the Rosary (5 mins).
End of the Day: Examination of conscience** (5 mins)
For someone with more time
Upon rising (or after washing): Morning Prayer of the Church*** (10 mins).
Middle of the Day: Midday Prayer of the Church*** (5 mins).
At some point in the day (find what works for you regularly): Meditation/Quiet Prayer* (30-60 mins).
At some point in the day (find what works for you regularly): Holy Rosary (20 mins).
Early Evening: Evening Prayer of the Church*** (10 mins)
End of the Day: Night Prayer of the Church*** & Examination of Conscience** (10 mins)
* I will go into this topic in more detail, another day. However, if you like more information, you could have a look at a course I put together some years ago - A Practical Introduction to Intimate Prayer.
** I good, simple examination of conscience would be to look back over the day and find three things for which to thank God, and three for which to say sorry. You may find it helpful to make notes, not least to guide you to a good confession next time.
*** The official prayer of the Church is available in printed form, but is perhaps more helpfully accessed online or through the Apps published by Universalis, since these are able to put the prayers in proper order for each day. In the alternative, Magnificat publish an excellent, shorter version, which is available each month, either as a magazine or as an app.
Image above: St. Benedict delivering his Rule to St. Maurus and other monks of his order France, Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes, 1129
The Opportunity of the Moment
Very many of us today have had our normal routines completely upended, and if you're feeling a little 'at sea', then join the club. However, there is an opportunity here. Psychologically, emotionally and spiritually, it will be important to establish new routines for self-isolating, or working from home, or simply not going out as much as before. As you establish those new routines, there is an obvious chance to build in a little more time for God, than before - which means this could be a really spiritually useful time.
An important tip, however - get up in the morning! And indeed, if you can, try and get up at the same time, each day. This can be hard, if there is 'nothing to get up for'. Why not let the morning praise of God be your reason? Ancient wisdom suggests that praying the bulk of your prayer first thing gives your day a solid spiritual and psychological foundation... which normally necessitates getting up at a proper time... which really relies on going to bed at a proper time. The battle for a solid spiritual life, therefore, often begins the night before.
[Please feel free to get in touch with any more specific questions about this, or any other spiritual topics, you might like addressed, either individually or in a future post.]
No comments:
Post a Comment