Everyday "schedule"

[Peter1704]

Can you give me advise how to spend the day living as a good catholic? My problem: I like to make big plans for prayer, bible reading etc. But after some days I give up. How do you spend the day? When do you pray (what prayer?), when do you read the bible, the lectio divina etc.? Etc. I don’t mean a big Programm like at Opus Dei where the members have even to pray even driving their car for getting done their daily compulsory program. But I mean rather a guiding line which would help me to structure the day by well defined activities at a well defined time. Can anybody help me?

 

[Vico]

Can you give me advise how to spend the day living as a good catholic? My problem: I like to make big plans for prayer, bible reading etc. But after some days I give up. How do you spend the day? When do you pray (what prayer?), when do you read the bible, the lectio divina etc.? Etc. I don’t mean a big Programm like at Opus Dei where the members have even to pray even driving their car for getting done their daily compulsory program. But I mean rather a guiding line which would help me to structure the day by well defined activities at a well defined time. Can anybody help me?

Start with something small, like a few regular prayers, and establish a habit. Then it can be a foundation to build upon. Some people like to do part of the Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Praises.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

But I mean rather a guiding line which would help me to structure the day by well defined activities at a well defined time.

Living as a good catholic doesn’t require a structured schedule. That may be obvious to you, but from your post it seems like that’s how you may think it is to live as a good Catholic.

It’s very difficult for people to really know what a person who starts a thread is really trying to say or ask, so please don’t take offense at this. Do you need to stick to schedule? Or do you just think that Catholics pray all the time? I really can’t tell. I wouldn’t want to reinforce any notions about Catholicism that aren’t true as I see that you are not Catholic and may not be familiar with Catholicism.

 

[DebCWil]

Consider your spiritural or prayer life like you would an exercise program.
Start small and add small steps.
It takes 15 minutes minutes a day to read the Bible in a year. That’s cover to cover. You can schedule the time after work, or first thing in the morning. The first time I followed the 15 minute schedule, I made the time after work. Actually I started while on Active Duty for the Army.
You may like to subscribe to the The Word Among Us with the Mass Readings. The magazine provides daily commentary plus the Mass readings for the Day. That might be a better place to start. It also gives tips on how to add to your spiritual life, again little by little adding small spiritual steps as you would add exercises to a fitness program.
I like to pray a Scriptural Rosary. It takes 15 minutes a day to pray the rosary. Many parishes provide simple brochures with daily meditations for each decade. Again, it is not necessary to begin with a full Scriptural Rosary. Start slowly and you are more likely to stay with the discipline.
Don’t jump in right away deciding that you are going to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, read 15 minutes of the Bible everyday, and pray the rosary. Just choose one.
You can add other devotions later, as you become more consistent and comfortable with the first one you chose.