What are some things you do to bring you closer to Christ throughout the day?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jennifer132
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jennifer132

Guest
In our study group at our parish we have been talking about practical ways to draw yourself closer to Christ throughout the day. It was suggested that you could place a holy water font by your door and cross yourself when you leave the house. Or perhaps wear a certain necklace or something along those lines. Coming from a Protestant background, I’m not really used to physical reminders of Christ throughout my day. So would you all help me generate some ideas of what you intentionally do throughout the day that helps you center yourself on your relationship with Christ, be that through certain times of prayer, sacramentals or something else. Thanks!
 
Keep the hours (divineoffice.org)
daily mass
say the rosary
3pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
See God in all creation
Praise Him for the earth and sky
Praise for every breath you take
Praise Him for your neighbor
Ejaculatory prayer: My Jesus Mercy, or The Jesus Prayer
Live continuously in the Presence of God
Abandon yourself to Divine Providence
Examination of Conscience nightly
Be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit
Pray for the living and the dead
…

Peace
 
Jennifer132 said:
In our study group at our parish we have been talking about practical ways to draw yourself closer to Christ throughout the day. It was suggested that you could place a holy water font by your door and cross yourself when you leave the house. Or perhaps wear a certain necklace or something along those lines. Coming from a Protestant background, I’m not really used to physical reminders of Christ throughout my day. So would you all help me generate some ideas of what you intentionally do throughout the day that helps you center yourself on your relationship with Christ, be that through certain times of prayer, sacramentals or something else. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I second hazcompat in praying the Liturgy of the Hours, at least Morning, Evening and Night Prayer. It is the daily liturgical prayer of the Church which everyone is encouraged to pray. Learning how to pray it can take a bit of time and effort, but it’s well worth it. The LOTH, or “Divine Office” is an ancient form of prayer consisting of Psalms, antiphons, prayers, and hymns. It’s not a daunting as it may sound. Morning Prayer, the longest of the hours I mentioned, takes no more than fifteen minutes tops. Most lay people use a version meant for us. The most popular is: Shorter Christian Prayer. You can also buy an additional guide for under two dollars. You might want to have someone who prays the hours help you learn how to use it, until you become familiar with it. The LOTH takes us through the liturgical year, the feast days and holy days of obligations, so it keeps us connected to all the faithful all around the world.

The rosary is also good, although it, unlike the LOTH, is a private devotion. The LOTH may be prayed as a private devotion, on our own, but it is the public prayer of the Church.

Other ways to keep in touch with God is to offer up our daily work, joys, sufferings, in a word, everything to God as we go through our day. If you stub your toe, offer it to God, if you make someone happy, offer it to God. IOW, make God your constant companion in everything you do for he is always present with us, wanting to be in and over our lives. 🙂
 
The others have given wonderful suggestions, and I second them.

Short aspirations, prayers that can be said many times during the day such as:

Jesus, Mary, Joseph…I love you!

Sacred Heart of Jesus…I love You and I trust You!

Mary, Mother most pure…pray for us!

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…I adore You!
 
I’m a public school teacher, so I have to keep things simple and discreet. On my desk at school I’ve kept:

Prayer card of St Joseph and the Christ Child.
Favorite scripture written on a card in Latin.
Prayer of St Teresa of Avila on a card in Spanish.

I do wear a crucifix, but that seldom reminds me of Our Lord. I just play with it a lot. 😊

The biggest thing for me – because my work with students is completely consuming – was to ask God for the grace to remember His presence throughout the day. This had instant small results that have just grown and grown over the years – making little prayers for guidance, or prayers of thanksgiving, or honoring the guardian angels in the room.

At home, I have a crucifix in every room, a couple of large, artistically displayed scriptures on the wall, and so on.

God bless you!
 
Dorothy said:
The others have given wonderful suggestions, and I second them.

Short aspirations, prayers that can be said many times during the day such as:

Jesus, Mary, Joseph…I love you!

Sacred Heart of Jesus…I love You and I trust You!

Mary, Mother most pure…pray for us!

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…I adore You!
Click to expand...
This! Simple talk to Him.
 
Learning to quiet the mind and replacing all the worthless chatter with silent prayer. Centering Prayer leading to Contemplative Prayer has worked well for me, but I think I need more practice in order to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Just an aside, I seldom pray specifically to Christ, but the Holy Trinity.
 
Something I’ve been practicing lately is to reflect about the things that are most on my mind of late. Maybe I think of my children often throughout the day, or I think about something I really want to buy or someplace I’d like to visit.

Then, in the morning, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me remember to also think of God every time that I think of “that.” (My kids, etc.)

I’ve found that often I go on auto-pilot and don’t even realize how often I think about various things. This practice helps me realize what’s going on in my head, and is great at jogging my memory to take a little moment to look to our Lord and thank Him, think of Him, love Him.
 
Often during the day (and night) --one can pray little “short prayers” of love etc such is a very ancient practice --during our work, recreation, our daily life - to keep our heart turned towards the Lord (as one Carthusian put it).

Some might do one when ever it occurs to them…or when changing what they are doing (opening a door) etc. Such can be used during periods of prayer in silence as well.

Such a wonderfully ancient form of prayer! One can use words from Scripture (a line from the Psalms etc) or other short prayers. They are great to help one keep the presence of God …they can be said anywhere…and frequently. Even quite frequently…

Also good are short prayers without any words - a simple elevation of the heart to God - turning of ones will to God.
 
  1. The Sacrament of Reconciliation. After some time has gone by from my confession, I start to long for it and after I confess, I feel closer to Our Lord. Due to my own personal situation and lack of dedication, too much time goes by between confession for me. My longing for the sacrament becomes an ache until I just make the time and make it happen because it bothers me too much.
At the same time, I find it very annoying that some priests think it is okay to offer two hours confession per week for a whole parish - which means hundreds of parishiners! Amazingly, often times there are just enough people to be taken care of during the alloted time and other times, the priest leaves earlier because there is no one else. I would expect a line of hundreds of people - if we want to keep it real.

I don’t think that’s right - this two hours on Saturdays deal. How does that make sense? How is that logical? That’s ridiculous. Yes, you can always make an appointment, but, you need to explain why you cannot make it during the allotted time and somehow justify why you are making the priest make special time, and who wants to go thru that?

Personally, I think Confession should be made available all day Saturday and some hours during the week day to boot. 🙂
  1. The Eucharist.
  2. Adoration.
  3. Just being in His presence at the Cathedral. Sometimes, I just daydream I am there.
  4. Sacred Scripture.
  5. Mother Mary.
  6. Etc…
 
I’ve found the Liturgy of the Hours helpful. I think it’s important to set aside a time in the day to just be with God.
 
  1. Morning Offering and Morning Prayer (LOH is an option))
  2. Ask for help in overcoming your predominant fault.
  3. Pray the Angelus. (morning Noon and night)
  4. Pray a Rosary once a day.
  5. Around mid-day see how you have done re your predominant fault.
  6. Daily Mass (if possible)
  7. Visit Holy Eucharist for a while, daily,if possible.
  8. Night Prayer, with Examination of Conscious.
  9. Reconciliation at least twice a month.
  10. Monthly recollection to monitor your Spiritual growth.
  11. Try and become a Saint, because that is why you were created and anything less than that is going to be painful (purgatory).
  12. Be aware of the great treasures of Indulgences.
    Look into a “Third Order” or Secular Institute to solidify your Spiritual Journey.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top