Calling all married Catholic fathers!

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Calling all Catholic men, husbands and fathers, and full time workers. How do you pray? Do you have a morning prayer routine? How long do you pray, what daily devotions do you do? What prayers do you say. I have kids, a wife and work full time, I am having a hard time either finding time for prayer or for my family. I feel like if I do one I am cheating the other out of my time. I also need help with evening prayers, same questions. Thanks.
 
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Logan:
Calling all Catholic men, husbands and fathers, and full time workers. How do you pray? Do you have a morning prayer routine? How long do you pray, what daily devotions do you do? What prayers do you say. I have kids, a wife and work full time, I am having a hard time either finding time for prayer or for my family. I feel like if I do one I am cheating the other out of my time. I also need help with evening prayers, same questions. Thanks.
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Its tough I know but time spent with God is time well spent. I have a wife, 3 kids, and a career. What I do is 20 decades of the rosary, 2 divine mercy, 1 St. Michael Chaplet, and about 7 Novenas, as well as praying the Hours, and some personal prayers. How do I do this well that is the challenge. I stopped watching television except on a limited basis. I’ll pray at night in my office and I will get up really early at 4:30am so I can do my rosary,Chaplets, and devotions at that time. Something has to be sacrificed whether it is less sleep, or less TV whatever but God will give you the answer you need and the proper prayer format for your lifestyle. Just remember to pray each day even if its only a few minutes. If you have a commute to work turn that radio off and pray, that is a good time. If your in a traffic jam(its amazing how quick they clear up when you start praying) I’ll keep you in my prayers.
God Bless!
 
I’m married with a one year old daughter. I start my day by getting up about a half our earlier than I have to and reading the LOTH. I recite a Rosary on my way to work along with a personal Litany of Saints and morning prayers. As work allows, I try to do day prayer from the LOTH and always stop at noon for an Angelus. At night I recite a Rosary as I rock my daughter to sleep. It gives us quiet time together and makes for a calm and peaceful end of the day.

Never think of slow traffic as a hinderance, think of it as extra time to pray!

Ora et Labora,
 
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Michael038:
Its tough I know but time spent with God is time well spent. I have a wife, 3 kids, and a career. What I do is 20 decades of the rosary, 2 divine mercy, 1 St. Michael Chaplet, and about 7 Novenas, as well as praying the Hours, and some personal prayers. How do I do this well that is the challenge. I stopped watching television except on a limited basis. I’ll pray at night in my office and I will get up really early at 4:30am so I can do my rosary,Chaplets, and devotions at that time. Something has to be sacrificed whether it is less sleep, or less TV whatever but God will give you the answer you need and the proper prayer format for your lifestyle. Just remember to pray each day even if its only a few minutes. If you have a commute to work turn that radio off and pray, that is a good time. If your in a traffic jam(its amazing how quick they clear up when you start praying) I’ll keep you in my prayers.
God Bless!
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Wow, that’s a lot. I’m not sure I could manage all that. Thanks for the idea’s.
 
Married and 4 kids:

I read the daily mass readings in the morning before I leave for work, and say the rosary most times while I’m driving.

Bed time prayers with kids

If I don’t get to the rosary while driving, I say it in the evening after most of the kids are in bed. Once in a great while I get one of the kids to say a rosary with me.

Am working on family rosaries on Saturday mornings.

I’ve read prayer is like excercise. Start small and increase in increments. Set a goal and keep your eye on it. It won’t happen all at once, but with effort and God’s grace, you’ll have a little miracle to look back on in a year or so.
 
Peace be with you.

I commute to work on the Light Rail,(Narrowgage RR, Trolley) I walk one mile to the station. On the way, I pray for the people on my prayer list. On the train, I read from a note book my favorite religious quotes and prayers. After my first transfer I pray the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy.When I finish that, I start reading what ever religious book I’m into that day. This week I’ve been reading Ecclesia de Eucharistia. I pray the Rosary during my lunch break. On my commute home, I just pray or read some more, what ever moves me. I always ask GOD to bless the people around me and send up prayer for other people on the Light Rail.

Oh, I always bless my self with Holy Water and ask my Guardian Angle to protect me from secular danger and from the evil one before I leave my apartment. This works for me and I do feel that I’ve been blessed …
 
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Logan:
Wow, that’s a lot. I’m not sure I could manage all that. Thanks for the idea’s.
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Your Welcome! Just do what is on your heart! I’ll be praying for you.
God Bless!
 
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Michael038:
Your Welcome! Just do what is on your heart! I’ll be praying for you.
God Bless!
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Thanks, for the prayers, I can always use them.
 
Michael,

Wow that is a lot, God bless,

My routine:

I get up and read just a chapter in the bible and the reading and reflection for the day “One bread One body booklet”, then on the way to work I pray the rosary (only 5 decades), I then usually flip on catholic radio.

I am fortunate, as I have a choice of 4 churches and many noon Masses which I try to attend one in downtown Cincinnati. I usually then also listen to catholic radio on the way home, and I am always reading some kind of catholic book.
 
Logan,
My advice is start small but make a commitment. I started with a rosary on my commute on the train in and now I pray the office of readings and Morning Prayer on the train in and Evening Prayer on the train home.
It is definately tough to arrange for time for prayer but a solid relationship with our Lord it is the firm foundation that strengthens all facets of our life.
If there is a Perpetual Adoration Chapel you might want to stop there for a small prayer on your way to or from work. I started with a quick stop on my walk home from work and now I commit to an hour every week after my children are in bed.
The other thing I do is to try to take the kids (I have three a 7, 4 1/2 and a 2 year old) to Saturday morning Mass when I can it gives my wife a chance to sleep in while giving some time for my relationship with God.

I will keep you in my prayers and please pray for me.

Good Luck and God Bless
 
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Pbuschur:
Michael,

Wow that is a lot, God bless,

My routine:

I get up and read just a chapter in the bible and the reading and reflection for the day “One bread One body booklet”, then on the way to work I pray the rosary (only 5 decades), I then usually flip on catholic radio.

I am fortunate, as I have a choice of 4 churches and many noon Masses which I try to attend one in downtown Cincinnati. I usually then also listen to catholic radio on the way home, and I am always reading some kind of catholic book.
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Your very blessed to have Catholic Radio availiable. I’m praying for it to come to my town soon.
 
Michael,

Yes we are blessed, if is very nice to have this available - although the signal strength is weak. Before it was available, or maybe before I was aware it was available- I would download programs from EWTN audio onto CD, and then listen in the car during commute times - in many ways this was better as you could concentrate on a whole series, and rewind , and not be dependant on departure time, etc.

It defintely made for a quicker commute, and you kind of look forward to traffic jams.

But it did require a little extra effort, to get the download, when I did not have a CD to listen to, it made for a much more difficult commute.

An option worth considering, Pray for me!, and I for you!
 
Hi Logan -

Married, 4 kids.

Here’s my 2cents to add to what others have already said.
  1. The practice of prayer is like exercise as others have said. Find time whenever you can and God will multiply time for you when He sees the desire in your heart. Finding time will be hard at first but practice builds the virtue of perserverence . . . which you’ll surely need in a life of prayer.
Many good ideas have been mentioned: prayer time in the morning and evening when the kids are asleep, rosary while driving to and from work etc. One thing I would add to this that has been a tremendous help to me is spending time at Adoration during my lunch hour at work. This, more than anything else, feeds and sustains my prayer life.
  1. Recognize that there are numerous opportunities for prayer outside these “formal” set aside times. We can pray in the silence of our hearts in the midst of all our daily activities . . . while at work, doing chores on the weekend, at our kids soccer games etc. Just a quick “Hello God” in the silence of our hearts is powerful prayer.
Practice this (which is hard at first) and before you know it you’ll be living the gospel message to “pray always.” Soon to you’ll see how interior prayer is and that God is truly within us. Again, with practice, this will give you a whole new meaning to the gospel message of the Kingdom of God because you’ll see you’re actually living it 🙂

Hope this helps some . . .
Dave.
 
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Logan:
Calling all Catholic men, husbands and fathers, and full time workers. How do you pray? Do you have a morning prayer routine? How long do you pray, what daily devotions do you do? What prayers do you say. I have kids, a wife and work full time, I am having a hard time either finding time for prayer or for my family. I feel like if I do one I am cheating the other out of my time. I also need help with evening prayers, same questions. Thanks.
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I married with two teenagers. Although my offer is not always accepted, and our crazy schedules dont’ always allow for it, I try to ask my wife and kids to pray with me after I come home from work. It’s very uplifting to pray the rosary together as a family.

For the most part, I go to daily Mass, schedule permitting. And you know, I’ve found that my schedule permits if I make the effort and schedule it. I told my boss I’d be in an hour later but stay and hour later, so that I can go to daily Mass, unless I have to be in early for some meeting. He looked at me and said, “You go daily??” It was a good evangelization moment. If I can’t go at 7am at my parish, I go at 6pm at another parish. I’ve gotten to where I feel as though I’ve missed something special if I don’t get to daily Mass. After enough repetition, it becomes habitual.

I also say either a rosary or a chaplet of divine mercy in the car on the way to work.
 
Thanks again everyone, we have Catholic radio too, I am lucky that I can listen to it while I work.
 
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Pbuschur:
Michael,

Yes we are blessed, if is very nice to have this available - although the signal strength is weak. Before it was available, or maybe before I was aware it was available- I would download programs from EWTN audio onto CD, and then listen in the car during commute times - in many ways this was better as you could concentrate on a whole series, and rewind , and not be dependant on departure time, etc.

It defintely made for a quicker commute, and you kind of look forward to traffic jams.

But it did require a little extra effort, to get the download, when I did not have a CD to listen to, it made for a much more difficult commute.

An option worth considering, Pray for me!, and I for you!
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Thats a great idea! I’ll have to start doing thiese downloads.
Thanks
 
I have three little ones also and one on the way (due 21st Nov). I am up at 5.45am, leave home at 6.20am and reach the Carmelite Convent in Dublin at 6.50am. Morning Prayer at 7am, Mass at 7.30am and then off to school for 8.15am.

It is a big struggle to get up so early but indeed it is very much worth it.

Difficult to find time at night for personal prayer but I do have bed time prayers with my two girls and then night prayer time with Michael who will make he First Communion in May '06.

I dedicate my early mornings to prayer and time with the Lord.
 
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Logan:
I am having a hard time either finding time for prayer or for my family. I feel like if I do one I am cheating the other out of my time.
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FWIW, let me tell you how I acquired the habit of praying throughout the day: after a few years, I noticed a small parish on my way to work, so I decided that stopping there daily to say some basic prayers, such the Our Father, the Hail Mary would be a good opportunity. It didn’t take long for me to add the Holy Rosary while driving, saying prayers for the members of my family when waking up, thanking for a good day and praying for the deceased relatives when retiring myself to bed every day (for more details about my prayer experiences, see my blog).

But perhaps the most important aspect is to abide by the routine you yourself set.

HTH

:blessyou:
 
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