I found a new way to make time to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every day!

[mommamaree]

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!

I felt inspired by an idea that came to me today, and once I did it, I loved it so much I wanted to share the idea here, in case other folks might like to do it, too.

I wanted to incorporate the daily praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy into my routines, but finding time to sit down to pray is so hard sometimes. It occurred to me today, that since the Chaplet could easily be prayed while physically active, I could pray it while I clean up the kitchen. The time of day might vary, but it happens at least once a day. So I found a picture of the Divine Mercy image that was able to be saved to my computer, and I created a page with the image on the left side and the prayers of the Chaplet on the right side. I used nice font and then I printed it out. I stuck it to the side of the cabinet that is at eye level when I am at the sink. Then, while I washed dishes, I was able to pray the whole Chaplet, hands free for my work. It made me very pleased to find a new way to incorporate favorite devotions into my active life. Maybe one day, I can order a framed print of the Divine Mercy image to put there, but for now, this is perfect!

What creative ways have you found to incorporate devotions and spiritual practices into your life?

 

[mommamaree]

Oh! And I forgot that I wanted to share that I have written a list of intentions for each decade, too, which helps me to pay better attention to the reasons why I pray and love this particular devotion.

 

[malou1]

My personal opinion is you are good that at least you were able to recite the Chaplet but I am so sorry to say that I am not in favor of you reciting while you are doing other things. I don’t think you say it heartily and sincerely while doing other things. You can’t serve two masters at the same time!!! The Chaplet must be recited uninterruptedly and solely to please the Lord. Me too I am doing it twice a day without any interruption but still there are moments that I get mentally swayed and how much more to you that you are occupying other things. So if you are really sincere in praying you can go anywhere in the house and pray attentively for this only takes 6-7minutes. God Bless!!!

 

[Jennifoo]

That’s great! It is kind of fun to discover new ways of getting one’s prayers in, and that can be especially challenging for wives and mothers- I’m not one, but I work at a day care center in the baby room, so I know how busy it can get.

I often imagine the Blessed Mother as praying while she worked, cleaned, cooked, worked the loom, etc.

 

[mommamaree]

My personal opinion is you are good that at least you were able to recite the Chaplet but I am so sorry to say that I am not in favor of you reciting while you are doing other things. I don’t think you say it heartily and sincerely while doing other things. You can’t serve two masters at the same time!!! The Chaplet must be recited uninterruptedly and solely to please the Lord. Me too I am doing it twice a day without any interruption but still there are moments that I get mentally swayed and how much more to you that you are occupying other things. So if you are really sincere in praying you can go anywhere in the house and pray attentively for this only takes 6-7minutes. God Bless!!!

Well, I do what I can. I know you mean well, but I must admit that your post made me feel bad. I am a very busy mother of four little children. Between feeding and bathing and clothing and nursing and homeschooling and cleaning and exercise and errands, I don’t have much uninterrupted time. I already get up hours early in order to find quiet time for morning devotions, and I already do my bedtime reading of spiritual classics. I don’t have anything more to give. If my offering of prayers while I work is not good enough, then the prayers simply would not be said. I think, somehow, that the Lord knows this is the best I can offer, and it is better for me to sing or say the Chaplet while I work than never doing it at all.

In addition, how would me offering up my work along with my prayers be serving two masters? That is illogical. I do the work that my vocation requires, for the glory of God and for the sake of the family He has blessed me with. What other master would I possibly be serving in this scenario?

 

[ACanthony]

I think it is wonderful you are able to incorporate the Chaplet into these activities! The Divine Mercy Chaplet is quite important and kudos to you for realizing that. Yes, some people do serve two masters and they do not pray with their whole hearts, but we really don’t know the status of anyone’s soul now do we? I knew someone who would sit in front of me in Church and he would always, always not pay attention and constantly look around, look at the people who just walked into church, etc. It seemed he was there but not paying any attention at all. Yet, I found out he has autism and his condition makes it hard for him to pay attention in Mass. You clearly have a vocation to your children and it is good you still strive for a healthy prayer life despite not having much time. I wish there were more mothers like you in this world. Keep up the good work and know that the Chaplet is a wonderful thing to say for your soul.

 

[petra22]

Well, I do what I can. I know you mean well, but I must admit that your post made me feel bad. I am a very busy mother of four little children. Between feeding and bathing and clothing and nursing and homeschooling and cleaning and exercise and errands, I don’t have much uninterrupted time. I already get up hours early in order to find quiet time for morning devotions, and I already do my bedtime reading of spiritual classics. I don’t have anything more to give. If my offering of prayers while I work is not good enough, then the prayers simply would not be said. I think, somehow, that the Lord knows this is the best I can offer, and it is better for me to sing or say the Chaplet while I work than never doing it at all.

In addition, how would me offering up my work along with my prayers be serving two masters? That is illogical. I do the work that my vocation requires, for the glory of God and for the sake of the family He has blessed me with. What other master would I possibly be serving in this scenario?

I think you are doing fine. I often say prayers while I’m doing other things. It’s the only time I have and that is besides offering all my works, joys and sufferings to the Lord Jesus first thing in the morning, so that my whole day of work is a prayer. Concentrating on the sorrowful mysteries while praying the divine Mercy Chaplet is an excellent way of contemplation. Sometimes I say it in the car instead of listening to the radio… And you are right, Jesus knows you are doing the best you can do. I’m jealous (not in a sinful way) of folks who have time to sit and pray quietly. It “ain’t happening” here!

 

[Dorothy]

Well, I do what I can. I know you mean well, but I must admit that your post made me feel bad. I am a very busy mother of four little children. Between feeding and bathing and clothing and nursing and homeschooling and cleaning and exercise and errands, I don’t have much uninterrupted time. I already get up hours early in order to find quiet time for morning devotions, and I already do my bedtime reading of spiritual classics. I don’t have anything more to give. If my offering of prayers while I work is not good enough, then the prayers simply would not be said. I think, somehow, that the Lord knows this is the best I can offer, and it is better for me to sing or say the Chaplet while I work than never doing it at all.

In addition, how would me offering up my work along with my prayers be serving two masters? That is illogical. I do the work that my vocation requires, for the glory of God and for the sake of the family He has blessed me with. What other master would I possibly be serving in this scenario?

You are doing something wonderful in your very busy life taking care of the children!

We are told to “pray always”, and you have found a creative way to help with praying.

!

 

[bcuster]

Well, I do what I can. I know you mean well, but I must admit that your post made me feel bad. I am a very busy mother of four little children. Between feeding and bathing and clothing and nursing and homeschooling and cleaning and exercise and errands, I don’t have much uninterrupted time. I already get up hours early in order to find quiet time for morning devotions, and I already do my bedtime reading of spiritual classics. I don’t have anything more to give. If my offering of prayers while I work is not good enough, then the prayers simply would not be said. I think, somehow, that the Lord knows this is the best I can offer, and it is better for me to sing or say the Chaplet while I work than never doing it at all.

In addition, how would me offering up my work along with my prayers be serving two masters? That is illogical. I do the work that my vocation requires, for the glory of God and for the sake of the family He has blessed me with. What other master would I possibly be serving in this scenario?

Marie,
What you describe is part of spiritual motherhood! Jesus desires our presence with him. Offering prayers while we serve our families is part of our vocation!

 

[hodgewyfe]

Actually, I find that I am often better able to pay attention to something mental while my hands are busy than when they are not. So I don’t think there is anything wrong with praying while doing repetitive tasks such as washing dishes. I think that your ability to pray while working is a good thing.

Mary H.

 

[judynurse]

When I am driving to the store (one that is farther away from home – about a 30 minute drive), I have the Divine Mercy Chaplet in song on a CD and play it and pray along with it in the car. I also often say my Rosary while following along with the Sisters on EWTN. These are aids to me in concentration. I also sometimes say the Rosary while crocheting, since I often use a pattern which has 10 identical stitches, which works out perfectly. I often make lap robes which I give to those who need them, and this way my Rosary becomes part of the warm lap robe I make! Keeping my hands busy frees my mind to concentrate on my prayers. Hadn’t thought of doing this while doing dishes, but it’s a great idea, and I may adopt that too! God bless you for using your hands to work for your family while your mind and soul praise and pray!

 

[oldgraymare2]

Hi mommamaree,

I think that what you are doing is a great idea. Please don’t feel bad about it.

I pray throughout the day, too.

You are doing your best, and that is all that any of us can do.

If I am not mistaken, I believe that some of our dear saints prayed while doing their chores, too, like St. Therese of the Little Flower. I think that St. Faustina might have been another one.

 

[flower_lady]

I think it’s fine with God. He hears our prayers wherever we are. I pray when I’m in the tub, working, cooking or whatever. I talk to God and have conversations with Him all day. I heard a woman that had writen a book on EWTN, Ramond Arroyo News, say that she pray’s the Hail Mary’s while changing her babies diapers. She too I believe had three or four little one’s to care for and very little time. God hears your prayers and appreciates your love for Him. He is your friend. He understands.At the same time I do understand Malou’s position. It would be better to say it quietly and only takes a short time, and I don’t think she intended any harm. I would say that some other things we could cut short, such as your exercise. Cut that 10 minutes and say it.

 

[grasscutter]

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!

I felt inspired by an idea that came to me today, and once I did it, I loved it so much I wanted to share the idea here, in case other folks might like to do it, too.

I wanted to incorporate the daily praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy into my routines, but finding time to sit down to pray is so hard sometimes. It occurred to me today, that since the Chaplet could easily be prayed while physically active, I could pray it while I clean up the kitchen. The time of day might vary, but it happens at least once a day. So I found a picture of the Divine Mercy image that was able to be saved to my computer, and I created a page with the image on the left side and the prayers of the Chaplet on the right side. I used nice font and then I printed it out. I stuck it to the side of the cabinet that is at eye level when I am at the sink. Then, while I washed dishes, I was able to pray the whole Chaplet, hands free for my work. It made me very pleased to find a new way to incorporate favorite devotions into my active life. Maybe one day, I can order a framed print of the Divine Mercy image to put there, but for now, this is perfect!

What creative ways have you found to incorporate devotions and spiritual practices into your life?

Great idea!!! Thank you for sharing a method that embodies the idea of praying constantly!

 

[Mary777_S777]

You are doing great mommmarie and I admire you for all the work you. No one has the right to make you feel bad about it.

 

[mommamaree]

Thank you so much to everyone who chimed in with some encouragement. While I was doing the evening washing up of the dinner dishes, I thought to myself, I wonder if I could pray another Chaplet, especially since I love to sing it. But then, the post earlier telling me I was doing it wrong made me worry about displeasing Jesus, and so I didn’t pray it again. But I kept thinking to myself that I couldn’t see how it would be displeasing if I was doing my best. And besides, virtue builds upon virtue, and my husband and I were happy to lead the often unruly children in a family rosary after dinner tonight, which is quite challenging. And I think the more often we add in prayers and devotions into our days, the easier it becomes to do those prayers. And our children will see how vital a rich prayer life is!
God knows how much I have desired to enrich my prayer life, and for how long I have struggled. I feel like He answered my prayer today, the prayer where I asked Him to help me find the time to pray the Chaplet, by bringing to my mind the empty space on the cabinet that was just perfect to hold a homemade poster for the prayers and image. He also, in my opinion, inspired my husband to purchase for me a chiming clock that bongs the hours, to help me with both homeschooling and remembering to pray the Angelus at noon.
We also ordered a pack of scapulars for the whole family, since I have been desiring to be invested for several years. And that is not all, I am awaiting delivery of a new Douay-Rheims bible, a crucifix pendant and a new Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel, since my little daughter accidentally broke my old one. I feel like it’s Christmas! Oh wait, it is!!!
So, when I started this thread, I just felt so exuberant. God has answered my prayers in so many ways this Christmastime. After going through some really hard trials, I feel like my heart is opening up and I know that He increased the capacity of my heart through those trials and now I am ready to love more and serve with gladness and be faithful with hope. And I am resolved that even if someone tells me I am “doing it wrong” (which people often do), I am going to remind myself that I am not to be about seeking human respect, but about pleasing the Lord and encouraging others.
So let me encourage all of you kind souls, be creative! Find little ways to fit prayer into your life so that God can bless you with His presence at all times. For me, if I have dishes to wash or toilets to scrub, I will keep offering up my favorite Chaplets as well. At the very least, it will keep me from feeling so lonely as I work!

 

[mommamaree]

I think it’s fine with God. He hears our prayers wherever we are. I pray when I’m in the tub, working, cooking or whatever. I talk to God and have conversations with Him all day. I heard a woman that had writen a book on EWTN, Ramond Arroyo News, say that she pray’s the Hail Mary’s while changing her babies diapers. She too I believe had three or four little one’s to care for and very little time. God hears your prayers and appreciates your love for Him. He is your friend. He understands.At the same time I do understand Malou’s position. It would be better to say it quietly and only takes a short time, and I don’t think she intended any harm. I would say that some other things we could cut short, such as your exercise. Cut that 10 minutes and say it.

I understand how important focused attention is; however, I cannot cut down on exercise. I should be doing more, frankly. I only do about 15 minutes strength training and 15 minutes cardio. I am doing the exercise to take care of the body God gave me so I can be healthy for my family, and to help me in my striving to conquer the vices of sloth and gluttony. So I really can’t replace exercise with the Chaplet. If it must be said without interruption, then I will not be able to say it. That is a fact of my life right now. I am in a stage of motherhood where I am blessed indeed if I get to remain in the Church for the entire Mass and am able to receive Holy Communion. It is incredibly challenging for me to worship and pray. I am almost never without distraction or interruption. But in exchange for all my sacrifices, I get to be mommy for four beautiful children…four wonderful human beings that God trusts me to love and cherish and raise up for Him. Perhaps one day, I will receive my heart’s desire, to have plenty of quiet time for prayer and daily Mass, even. But I know that when that day comes, my nest will be empty and loneliness will fill a good portion of my days. So I will cherish my little “interruptions” and be thankful for my frequent “distractions”, yes even I will pray to God that He sends me more of them before my child-bearing time comes to an end. Hopefully, by the time He allows for me to have plenty of uninterrupted time for prayer and worship, praying will be like breathing to me and worship will be second nature. Then, maybe I will be able to face the last leg of my journey with courage and hope.

 

[mlz]

This may sound silly but I say a Hail Mary each time I wash my hands. ( The idea came when my daughter had my grandson’s say the alphabet each time they washed their hands)
Pray unceasingly as the scriptures admonish us to do!

Blessings,
mlz

 

[mommamaree]

My personal opinion is you are good that at least you were able to recite the Chaplet but I am so sorry to say that I am not in favor of you reciting while you are doing other things. I don’t think you say it heartily and sincerely while doing other things. You can’t serve two masters at the same time!!! The Chaplet must be recited uninterruptedly and solely to please the Lord. Me too I am doing it twice a day without any interruption but still there are moments that I get mentally swayed and how much more to you that you are occupying other things. So if you are really sincere in praying you can go anywhere in the house and pray attentively for this only takes 6-7minutes. God Bless!!!

Since I had been so discouraged by this post, I asked my confessor (who is also my pastor) if what you said was true. He said it is not true. Then he recounted a story told to him by someone he knew who had the honor of visiting the Missionaries of Charity in India (the religious order founded by Blessed Mother Teresa) and went into the kitchen area where they were preparing dinner. They were all chanting the Rosary together! Apparently, they have always done this. So he said if it is good enough for a soon-to-be saint, it should definitely be okay for me. St. Paul says to pray without ceasing. We are encouraged to make our lives into a prayer. The family and our home is the domestic church. We sanctify our work by offering it up and by our prayers that we recite along with the performance of our tasks. Once my pastor finished telling me all this, I was so thankful and encouraged that I felt like skipping out of the confessional!
This all reminds me, too, that I love to sing the Ave Maria while I vacuum! And I have to really belt it out to hear myself over the sound of the vacuum.

 

[Jennifoo]

Since I had been so discouraged by this post, I asked my confessor (who is also my pastor) if what you said was true. He said it is not true. Then he recounted a story told to him by someone he knew who had the honor of visiting the Missionaries of Charity in India (the religious order founded by Blessed Mother Teresa) and went into the kitchen area where they were preparing dinner. They were all chanting the Rosary together! Apparently, they have always done this. So he said if it is good enough for a soon-to-be saint, it should definitely be okay for me. St. Paul says to pray without ceasing. We are encouraged to make our lives into a prayer. The family and our home is the domestic church. We sanctify our work by offering it up and by our prayers that we recite along with the performance of our tasks. Once my pastor finished telling me all this, I was so thankful and encouraged that I felt like skipping out of the confessional!
This all reminds me, too, that I love to sing the Ave Maria while I vacuum! And I have to really belt it out to hear myself over the sound of the vacuum.

AMEN!!!