What does a Believers day look like?

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Ag_not

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I’m sitting here in my kitchen - surrounded by new books that have arrived today via Amazon. Most of the books I ordered after getting links from you guys. Thanks. (I love the smell of new books 😛 )

This thought has just popped into my head - what does a believers day look like? Does it have a shape? Is it regular and consistent?

I know what my days looked like a few weeks ago:

Kick the guy I was in bed with out :eek: 😃

Shower

Go to work

Party

Hang out with my friends

Bed - mine and often someone elses.

If I didn’t have a regular sleeping partner (read one night stand often) then I have a vast amount of pornography to draw on.

I believed I was doing good for the girls and young women I worked with - and my life was completely unrestrained by any thought of a morality or guilt or anything else. I worked hard, but played hard, - I put the I in hedonism :eek:

NOW - some few weeks later, I’ve redecorated the house - I keep a good and tidy house.

I gave away a lot of my old clothes and bought a lot of new clothes - I now dress a little bit more modestly - I was what guys would call a provocative dresser but it wasnt for attention it was just my style.

I’ve dumped the pornography when I redecorated.

My friends dumped me - they think Ive gone mad.

Ive restyled my hair.

I’ve got a new job - no longer supporting girls and young women through abortions I now support people with disabilities and their carers.

I told the guys I was friends with I really liked them and wanted them as friends but the just jump into bed thing was gonna stop as I needed to get my life straight - try and guess what happened next :rolleyes: 😃

I feel a little bit lonely because I miss some of my friends a great deal, but Ive made some new friends, and my new job, and all the studying and reading Ive got to do fills any holes in my day. I’m also going back to university - so it’s not like Im bored !!!

But my day doesnt feel like it has a shape.

I pray the Magnificat every night.

The rest of the day, apart from whats taken up eating and working lacks a defined shape.

How does other believers day look like?
Do you go to mass every day at a set time? DO you pray at a set time? are in involved in a study group or charity work on an ongoing basis of committment? Do you have fixed times for doing things like reading the Bible every day or do you just go with the flow?

I dont even know now if this makes any sense. I’m rambling again aren’t I. I think my brain dropped a fuse 😊 😃
 
Be patient.

Read and seek the truth.

Everything is not going to fall into place immediately.

You’re on the right path.
 
Wow, I’m so inspired by your post. If it would be possible for you to go to an early mass every day, I would suggest that. I’ve been retired for a couple years and I’m asking some of the same questions you are. I know if I start going to daily mass as I used to the day goes much better. Also, if you can commit to a weekly Catholic bible study or prayer group and a weekly hour or two of volunteer work it balances out the week. As Catholics we need to pray, learn, and live out our love for our neighbors.
 
Hi there Sister Ag_not!

My days when I first returned to the Church were spent in a whirlwind of confusion and exploration. I read voraciously - anything I could get my hands on that would help me understand this “God” that had smacked me upside the head. I started praying again, the rosary mostly. I did not attend Church regularly for awhile because I was still working through my anger and resentment against the Church. But I did make the commitment to pray, no matter what. And I talked to God constantly, all day long, every day. All the questions that you have, I had as well. And I directed them all to the heavens, in much the same way that I would converse with a friend. In time, my answers did come.

While some of my friends thought I had lost my mind, they did not completely jettison me from their lives. I still kept in touch with them and shared, when appropriate, the journey I was on. It took some time for me to make new friends but that had more to do with my introverted personality than a lack of opportunity. There are many youth-related groups in both Catholic and Christian Churches. Most colleges have the Newmen Center on campus. I am certain you would find some companionship by reaching out to these groups.

My life now, five years after my re-conversion, still sometimes feels like it “has no shape”. When you get on board with God, you find yourself flying by the seat of your pants much of the time! I used to believe I was in control of things :rotfl:but now I realize how silly I was. All the schemes I had for my life couldn’t compare with the plan my Maker has for me so I just get up in the morning and put the day in His hands, hoping and praying that I can follow the signs He gives me!

Keep in mind you’ve got TEAMS of people on here praying for you! Even if you feel alone at times, you are not!
 
Everyones daily schedule (sometimes called in the religious life as an horarium) is different and unique. Some are able to have a nice fixed schedule, others are forced by current circumstances to have a dynamic schedule. But there are some things that I think should be given priority in the schedule:
  1. Mass. You should try to go to Mass as often as possible. Even though you cannot receive the Eucharist as of yet, you still will benefit from participation in the Liturgy.
  2. Prayer. It is vital that you make time and take time to pray. This could be done with daily Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, etc. Since you are brand new in the faith, and were brought to it by the Blessed Virgin Mary, I suggest this - acquire a Rosary and pray it everyday. If you need the prayers for it, just ask and we’ll give them to you. It takes 15-30 minutes to go through one set (5 decades) of mysteries and their are 4 sets of mysteries that comprise the Rosary. You can either say one set or all sets at a time (many do one set a day), depending on how much time you have available. Once you grow more in the faith, you can grow in pray too - but, you need to start somewhere.
  3. Read Scripture. This is especially important since you don’t yet have a good grasp of Scripture - this will come quicker than you know. The recent Popes have recommended 30 minutes devoted to the study of Scripture. I would start off with the Gospels, then move to the Epistles and Catholic Letters, and once you have completed the New Testament, you can either go back through it or start with the Old Testament as you see fit.
  4. Read Catholic Books. This could include the Catechism (I strongly recommend starting with that), books of theology, writings of the Saints, Papal documents, books on devotion or prayer, books on daily meditations, etc. I recommend giving over 30 minutes to 1 hour to this.
 
If it’s possible, read your Bible everyday, and ask God to show his will for the day I would suggest that. I know if I start my day this way the lord speaks to me through out the day. A Bible study, prayer group, or a mentor is always good. As Christians we need to learn to pray, and hear what God is giving us and live out our love for our neighbors. See if there is something you can do in the community or with in the church.
 
I cant remember the Holy person who said it (possible St. Benedict) but the first principle is “There is no work without prayer”–and you seem to be on track right there. Regular prayer, regular work, regular rest (definetly St Benedict) as fit for your station of life.

Dont be obsessive-compulsive about it, but a reasonable prayer schedule helps a lot. I take the bus to work, and it’s a marvelous oportunnity to get in a rosary and several other prayers. Any Catholic bookstore can sell you little prayer-devotion books that you can take anywhere.

Community is important, nope, essential. We are all “one body”–but some of us have rough edges. One refreshing thing about a Catholic Parish, you wont get “love bombing” ( e.g. LDS or Jehovah’s Witnesses)–but some Catholic parishonors can be a bit distant.

Us converts and reverts are the comming life blood of the Church–as I said before, you are in my prayers
 
Sample day:
up – pray – breakfast – grooming/dressing routine – exercise – read/post/go through list of to-do stuff – make any confirming calls – pack lunch – go to work.
Work. Read or chat on breaks.
Home. Snack. Relax. Read/post/chat/nap/exercise/whatever.
Clean a little. Eat something.
Meeting or class or just go visit friends. Pray in adoration chapel if in neighborhood or just stop in to read a little.
Home. Surf. Post. Read. Eat.
Exercise.
Any last-minute errands out. A little cleaning.
talk on phone with friends.
Pray. Do puzzles or something until sleep comes.
Dream.

Or –
Up – pray – groom etc. Go to early daily Mass. See friends and have tea or coffee afterwards. Errands.
Confirm job. Change clothes. Work. Talk to employer on break.
Stretch on lunch break. Lunch out.
Home. Phone chatting. Flop about trying to choose whether to eat too much and do puzzles all evening or exercise and pray. Eventually realize you’ve been brooding the good part of the evening away and decide to just read a good book. End up rereading a book you’ve all but memorized. Call a friend and leave a message to get back to you and see if your friend wants to do something later in the week. Stretch. Surf/post/blog/chat do something with mind for a few hours. Realize you were going to do laundry. Get up and figure out how to get an outfit clean for next day.
Sleep. Wake up in a few hours, get ready for bed, pray, read about a saint, stretch. Brush teeth.
Dream.
Sunday:
Up. Pray. Wash up. Dress. Groom self. Go to Mass. Have brunch with friends afterwards. Read. Post. Exercise. Call family members. Call friends. Surf. Eat more. Hang out in park telling self you are there to exercise but actually mainly relax. Figure it’s OK because you exercise on the way there and anyway it’s a day to rest. Enjoy nature. Chat with neighbors.
Read. Post. Brush teeth and all that and go to bed. Pray. Sleep. dream.
Special occasions are different. These are just a few possible days. Some days have sports and parties and trips out of town. Some are sick days.
I really haven’t missed the wild times of the old days because I was already tired of that lifestyle way before I realized it was wrong anyhow. I don’t need an adrenaline high every three hours. That way of life was a desperate effort to avoid reality. But there is still some excitement, and it’s real, based on something. I get excited finding a great book for under a buck because I’m going to read it and possibly be changed by it. I’m excited to cross town because I’m going to see how a person I care about lives and learn more about the local area. I get a kick out of good music because I can actually hear it instead of screaming drunkenly, “What’s this song?” over and over.
 
Your day is going to be as unique as you are!!!

When my faith was burgeoning I got in this attitude of having to say a set amount of prayers at set times, etc. It became cumbersome because I was being “too structured”.

I realized that my day can be flexible with how I go about my prayer life! I still have certain prayers (Rosary, Divine Chaplet, Scripture reading, etc.) that I make sure I do everyday, but I have learned that I just need to do them and that I do not need to worry about when I do them. I prefer to do them in a most reverential atmosphere, but if my busy day does not allow for it, at least I know I am doing them and praying!

Start off slow! Do not think you have to take on the world with EVERY prayer! I recommend the Rosary as someone already has. If it is too much right off the bat, at least learn the prayers which are used for the Rosary. I have gotten into the habit of adopting novena prayers as they occur through the year.

FIND A PRAYER TYPE THAT WORKS FOR YOU! Many Saints offer so many prayer types. Search the Saint Francis Prayer types. They are less structured and are more compulsive! I like the Saint Thomas Aquinas prayer type of writing prayers! Maybe even create a short (or long) personal prayer and use it as a daily prayer, if an already established structured prayer does not work for you.

If you can make it to Daily Mass, by all means, GO! At the very least, go to Mass on the weekends at a Parish you feel at home in. (If your schedule is permitting, try both Saturday and Sunday Mass.) Though, do not spiritually overwhelm yourself! Do what makes you feel comfortable, but never be afraid to push the boundaries…JUST DO NOT BREAK THEM or you might hurt your new found faith!

Try to get in the habit of praying “unceasingly”! Pray for each person you meet, pray before you go somewhere, pray before you eat, pray after you eat, prayer before you take a drink, etc. This kind of prayer “habit” will take some getting used to, but eventually prayer will become as natural to you as breathing.

Learn prayers and Scripture! I have found that these have taken place of old memories that I have since found to be distractions and hindrances and “near occasions of sin”.

Be real with God!!! As one poster said, communicate with Him (pray) in a way you would with someone who is very close to you. Offer up to Him all of your thoughts, your confusions, your concerns, your doubts.

Most importantly, NEVER FORGET how God came into your life through the aid of Jesus Christ’s Blessed Virgin Mother!!!

Despite doubts that may come your way, always fall back on this memory of God’s reality and presence in your life!

In summation, you will find, as has been said, that you will fall into your spiritual life which is suited for your unique walk of life. You will learn that it does not fit a mold nor does it need to.

May God lead your life the way that works best for you and His Glory!
 
I wanted to add:

Pray about how you should pray!

Ask God how to pray!

It sounds enigmatic, I know!
 
tGette - and all you guys - awesome.

Thank you so much.

I’ve just become aware of the need to get a structure of some sort to my new days and routine. I’m anxious as I dont want to be left feeling lost for my old life and routines.

Awesome advice.

Thank you all.
 
Ag_not,

I think my favorite prayer of the Mass comes right after the Our Father. It is especially helpful for me because sometimes I can get very twisted up with anxiety.

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant us peace in our day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin
and protect us from all anxiety
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
Ag_not, I’ve been following your story with awe at the grace and mercy of God in action! Wow!

I haven’t read through all the posts, but you asked about structure for your day, and you’ve been given some good ideas. Catholicism has many spiritualities one can follow. Pray and ask God what spirituality will best help you grow in faith and virtue, and he will direct you to it. You may want to look into Lay Orders, such as Franciscan or Carmelite or Benedictine. Each of these orders of the Church have a structured spirituality for lay people.

Also, praying morning and evening prayer is a good way to structure your prayer life. There are version of this prayer of the Church for lay people, such as Magnificat Magazine (not really a magazine–it’s a monthly booklet of prayers, meditations, Mass readings, etc.), Christian Prayer or Shorter Christian Prayer.

Something that might help you see your day in a different light is offering everything you do, think and say to God. Our work can be offered to God as prayer, as can our words and thoughts. This makes the whole of our life a prayer. Also, as you go through your day offer “aspirations” to God, such as: “Thank you Father for giving us your Son”, “My Jesus I love you”, “Glory be to you, O Lord” and others you might feel moved to compose of your own.

May God continue to guide you and show you how he wishes you to fulfill his will for you in all things.
 
What does a Believers day look like?
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Good day:

Up early. Pray the rosary. Go to morning Mass. Sit in adoration for “a while” because it’s a good day with nothing much on the agenda. Meet a fellow believer and have breakfast. Go visit his mom who is in hospice. Talk to several people there and make them smile. Pray for the souls who touched your life while on the way to the grocery store. Get groceries for dinner. Have lunch. Read some devotional material and some Scripture. Walk the dog. Feed the fish. Call your mom because when you were praying this morning it came to you to do so and you don’t want to forget. Make dinner. Meet with some other Christians after dinner to toss around your plans for Lent. Thank God for another glorious day. Go to sleep.

Bad day:

Up late because you forgot to set the alarm. Rush to get to work. Blow your horn and your top on the freeway because people drive like … well, the way they drive. Be late for work. When your boss asks why you’re late you say, “Because of traffic” and not, “Because I forgot to set my alarm.” Forget a meeting you had because you were running late. Get grumpy after you remember the missed meeting and take it out on your receptionist, security guard, or other co-workers. Forget to pray before lunch. When half of your tuna salad spill on your pants you jump up and curse because of it. Then the other half falls out onto the hard copy of the color presentation you have to make in 10 minutes. Wipe the tuna off the best you can while muttering under your breath just loud enough to let everyone around you know you’re really mad. Go to the presentation only to realize you have entered the wrong conference room on the wrong day, but it is at least at the right time. You wad up the tuna be-speckled presentation and violently stuff it into the trash can. And you stomp it down to the bottom with your foot. Finally you get to leave the dreaded place. Oh look, a traffic jam of apocalyptical proportions. Doesn’t matter why, it doesn’t matter who might be hurt in a car accident, so there is no prayer asking God or any Saint to look after those that may be hurt. It’s about me and my day; my very bad day. As you sit in 3 hours of grid lock traffic and all the radio can do is play loud commercials and / or Kenny Chesney’s Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven for the 8th time you disgustedly crank the knob to OFF. Well at least it’s finally quiet. Then it hits you. You’ve been a wretch all day. You’ve done nothing but offend those around you and Jesus all day. You start to doubt yourself. What am I really doing? How can a person that says he’s a Christian behave like this and for so long? it’s been 12 hours already. Then you finally pray. You ask for forgiveness. You ask for insight so you can go to those you offended the next day and seek reconciliation with them. Then you repent. Then you go to the Cross of Christ and rededicate yourself to Him and ask him to help you make it through another day. You make the appointment to go to Confession and you keep it. Then you start again right then and there, another day even if this day isn’t over. Because God’s grace is fresh every morning. Morning is just when you decide to wake up.
 
Among_Strangers said:
Good day: Morning is just when you decide to wake up.
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👍 I like that thought. I think that’s very profound. 👍

Thank you all so much for the (name removed by moderator)ut. I’ve got a bit of a structure now. I make myself make time for morning and evening prayer. I’ve found a church that if i can negotiate a little on my starting time at work I can just about make Mass at every morning - I havent been there yet though - Im just working things out.
I also love the idea of offering EVERYTHING up in my day as a prayer. more than once in the last few days it’s stopped me from cussing at someone :o

I dont want to sound obsessed with the structure thing - I know we all have good and bad days and unless you live in a monastery or something where I guess everything is incredibly regimented then real life will get in the way of the best plans, but Im really scared of drifting back into my old ways - you cant believe how easy that would be for me to do - so the more of a structure I can impose on myself from the get go the better.
 
Ag_not said:
👍 I like that thought. I think that’s very profound. 👍

Thank you all so much for the (name removed by moderator)ut. I’ve got a bit of a structure now. I make myself make time for morning and evening prayer. I’ve found a church that if i can negotiate a little on my starting time at work I can just about make Mass at every morning - i ahvent been there yet though - Im just working things out.
I also love the idea of offering EVERYTHING up in my day as a prayer. more than once in the last few days it’s stopped me from cussing at someone :o

I dont want to sound obsessed with the structure thing - I know we all have good and bad days and unless you live in a monastery or something where I guess everything is incredibly regimented then real life will get in the way of the best plans, but Im really scared of drifting back into my old ways - you cant believe how easy that would be for me to do - so the more of a structure I can impose non myself from the get go the better.
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ag,

I"m curious about your story. Did you post it somewhere else?
 
one thing to help you from “falling back” is to throw away all of the things that can be thrown away of the lifestyle that you have left behind. thoughts and desires are something else, but to not look at the temptation is a great help.

and speaking of looking at things, have you gotten a crucifix for your house? or any religious pictures or statues? they are great reminders to keep your thoughts pure and on Jesus and Mary. i have a crucifix in every room.
 
nebula said:
ag,

I"m curious about your story. Did you post it somewhere else?
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Go to the backfence forum here and search ‘‘weirdsville’’. There’s 3 episodes 😃

See, my journey into faith is even mirrored on this website, first I nearly get banned, then I make it to the back fennce, now Im allowed into the non-catholics forum - soon I’ll be allowed into the really meaty places like liturgy and sacraments and theology and philosophy and stuff 😛 😛 😛
 
chewchoo said:
one thing to help you from “falling back” is to throw away all of the things that can be thrown away of the lifestyle that you have left behind. thoughts and desires are something else, but to not look at the temptation is a great help.

and speaking of looking at things, have you gotten a crucifix for your house? or any religious pictures or statues? they are great reminders to keep your thoughts pure and on Jesus and Mary. i have a crucifix in every room.
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I’m on it 👍

Ive spent a fortune on new clothes that are a bit more modest than was the old me, Ive redecorated the house (but that was scheduled anyhow before all this) but doing the redecoration allowed me to change some rooms so that they dont look like the ‘old’ rooms that stuff happened in - if you can understand what Im getting at - Ive dumped all my old undersireable erm, reading materials (:rolleyes: ) and I wear the cross I found in that old tin around my neck - it’s not been off my neck since I put it on. AND I have that beautiful picture of the Virgin Mary that adstrinity posted printed out in glorious color beside my bed now. That’s about as far as Ive gotten.
I have more to do, lots more, I can see that.
 
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