What Should I Do – Pray or Read Fiction?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Augustine3
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Augustine3

Guest
I’m a father of 3 children so you can imagine how busy life is. The only time I have to myself without interruption is travelling on the train to and from work which is approx. 30mins each way. On the way to work I pray the rosary. I’ve debating with myself with what to do with my time on my way back home on the train. Shall I pray (i.e. read some scripture, meditate, examine my conscience, pray the chaplet of divine mercy) or read some clean fiction?

Here is my dilemma:
I enjoy reading fiction and at the same time I find it educational in the sense of learning new words and new ideas. If I don’t read I feel like I won’t grow intellectually (as vain and silly as that sounds!)
However when I do pray on the way back home using the above structure I sense that I am growing spiritually and feel a little closer to our Lord. Prayer seems like the thing I should do but I feel sad and silly if I have to let the fiction go…

Please help me decide, I have been debating with myself for weeks and it’s driving me crazy. All comments are welcome
 
Augustine3 said:
I’m a father of 3 children so you can imagine how busy life is. The only time I have to myself without interruption is travelling on the train to and from work which is approx. 30mins each way. On the way to work I pray the rosary. I’ve debating with myself with what to do with my time on my way back home on the train. Shall I pray (i.e. read some scripture, meditate, examine my conscience, pray the chaplet of divine mercy) or read some clean fiction?

Here is my dilemma:
I enjoy reading fiction and at the same time I find it educational in the sense of learning new words and new ideas. If I don’t read I feel like I won’t grow intellectually (as vain and silly as that sounds!)
However when I do pray on the way back home using the above structure I sense that I am growing spiritually and feel a little closer to our Lord. Prayer seems like the thing I should do but I feel sad and silly if I have to let the fiction go…

Please help me decide, I have been debating with myself for weeks and it’s driving me crazy. All comments are welcome
Click to expand...
If this is your only “you time”, why not do both??

ICXC NIKA
 
Why not spend a few minutes in reflection (spiritual reading perhaps) and then relax with some personal reading time (fiction)?
 
Thanks guys - I thought about splitting it between both. Then I figured it will take me ages to finish the book that way and on the other hand I will feel tempted to rush my prayer so I can start reading
 
Augustine3 said:
Thanks guys - I thought about splitting it between both. Then I figured it will take me ages to finish the book that way and on the other hand I will feel tempted to rush my prayer so I can start reading
Click to expand...
Who cares if it takes ages? Better than not reading at all.

ICXC NIKA
 
Abandonment to Divine Providence
BOOK I
ON THE VIRTUE OF ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE;
ITS NATURE AND EXCELLENCE.
CHAPTER I.

SECTION X.—God Makes Known His Will Through Creatures.

In the present moment are made manifest the name of God, and the coming of His Kingdom. The present moment is the ambassador of God to declare His mandates. The heart listens and pronounces its “fiat.” Thus the soul advances by all these things and flows out from its center to its goal. It never stops but sails with every wind. Any and every direction leads equally to the shore of infinity. Everything is a help to it, and is, without exception, an instrument of sanctity.

The one thing necessary can always be found for it in the present moment. It is no longer a choice between prayer and silence, seclusion and society, reading and writing, meditation and cessation of thought, flight from and seeking after spiritual consolations, abundance and dearth, feebleness and health, life and death, but it is all that each moment presents by the will of God. In this is despoilment, abnegation, renunciation of all things created, either in reality or affectively, in order to retain nothing of self, or for self, to be in all things submissive to the will of God and to please Him; making it our sole satisfaction to sustain the present moment as though there were nothing else to hope for in the world.

Peace
 
I read a lot of fiction. Here in the long nights when things get bad and pain gets too much. I sit abed and read and knit after asking God for help… The knitting is to sell to care for those who may not even have a bed to sleep in so that too becomes prayer.

Please, never feel guilty about caring for your needs. That is a vital part of our Christian lives…like not fasting excessively.
 
Augustine3 said:
I’m a father of 3 children so you can imagine how busy life is. The only time I have to myself without interruption is travelling on the train to and from work which is approx. 30mins each way. On the way to work I pray the rosary. I’ve debating with myself with what to do with my time on my way back home on the train. Shall I pray (i.e. read some scripture, meditate, examine my conscience, pray the chaplet of divine mercy) or read some clean fiction?

Here is my dilemma:
I enjoy reading fiction and at the same time I find it educational in the sense of learning new words and new ideas. If I don’t read I feel like I won’t grow intellectually (as vain and silly as that sounds!)
However when I do pray on the way back home using the above structure I sense that I am growing spiritually and feel a little closer to our Lord. Prayer seems like the thing I should do but I feel sad and silly if I have to let the fiction go…

Please help me decide, I have been debating with myself for weeks and it’s driving me crazy. All comments are welcome
Click to expand...
Read some fiction. Then again I have never felt the need to pray to get closer to God.
 
I suggest that you pray for
those travelling w/ you on the same train/bus
and look for opportunities to witness to others,
also pray for loved ones and even acquaint-
ances and enemies, and thank God for blessings
as you look at the scenery too!!
I sing praise and worship songs, I am not ashamed
b/c people talk on their Bluetooth phones all the time!!
 
Augustine3 said:
I’m a father of 3 children so you can imagine how busy life is. The only time I have to myself without interruption is travelling on the train to and from work which is approx. 30mins each way. On the way to work I pray the rosary. I’ve debating with myself with what to do with my time on my way back home on the train. Shall I pray (i.e. read some scripture, meditate, examine my conscience, pray the chaplet of divine mercy) or read some clean fiction?

Here is my dilemma:
I enjoy reading fiction and at the same time I find it educational in the sense of learning new words and new ideas. If I don’t read I feel like I won’t grow intellectually (as vain and silly as that sounds!)
However when I do pray on the way back home using the above structure I sense that I am growing spiritually and feel a little closer to our Lord. Prayer seems like the thing I should do but I feel sad and silly if I have to let the fiction go…

Please help me decide, I have been debating with myself for weeks and it’s driving me crazy. All comments are welcome
Click to expand...
Alternate days pray one then read one. My opinion is its about balance.
 
I would choose whatever time you feel more connected to God in prayer, coming or going, and use that time in prayer. Perhaps for you that is in the morning as you travel to work, in preparation for the day ahead. Or maybe you would rather do it on your way home, whatever is best for you.

However, there is nothing wrong with offering a shorter prayer in both directions or one direction and using the time to read. Even with 3 children, I am sure you can find time before bed to spend a few moments to pray before drifting off to sleep. Prayer can and should, some would say, be interspersed throughout the day. So there is nothing wrong with breaking your prayers up throughout the day.
 
Irishmom2 said:
I would choose whatever time you feel more connected to God in prayer, coming or going, and use that time in prayer. Perhaps for you that is in the morning as you travel to work, in preparation for the day ahead. Or maybe you would rather do it on your way home, whatever is best for you.

However, there is nothing wrong with offering a shorter prayer in both directions or one direction and using the time to read. Even with 3 children, I am sure you can find time before bed to spend a few moments to pray before drifting off to sleep. Prayer can and should, some would say, be interspersed throughout the day. So there is nothing wrong with breaking your prayers up throughout the day.
Click to expand...
Right. If you burden yourself with “I have to do this or that at this specific time” you’ll soon be discouraged and abandon it altogether. You know, if you’re so booked up…you may find there are days that you just want to snooze. God doesn’t fault us for being tired.
There’s nothing wrong with fiction, although I prefer non-fiction. Try a bit of everything, but as IM2 says…prayer should be throughout the day. Little conversations with GOd when you are inspired and formal prayer in the morning and evening.
God bless, don’t stress.
 
I would propose too that while this may be the only quiet time you have to pray uninterrupted, you can find other moments throughout your day to pray a little bit. We are told to pray without ceasing; this means making our whole life a prayer. The structured moments of prayer help us to build the awareness of God in the more obvious places, but then we are called to hear his voice and respond all throughout the day. So if you do not have much time for personal structured prayer, make the best use of it you can, but seek to make your whole day a prayer, uniting all your works and activities with God as you go.

Personally I would do what others propose and divide the time; spend half of it praying the rosary and half of it reading a little bit. Reading fiction stimulates the imagination. It can be beneficial to the spiritual life.

-Fr ACEGC
 
TBH, I think this is something to decide with a good priest in real life. There are so many things to take into consideration–i.e., it’s not a general question!–that asking a priest or someone advanced in prayer would be better able to advise you. It may be that you are considering it because you are growing in holiness and have an internal push to grow further, or it could be that you are feeling guilty or something like that and it would actually be too much for you right now.

Perhaps a solution might be to institute a family Rosary; then you could do spiritual reading in the morning and reading in the afternoon? When we started a family Rosary, we let the little children leave when they needed to, kissing us quietly and going to bed, but we encouraged the idea that staying longer was more a big-kid thing to do 😉 Even if your children are very small, it’s good to start so they grow up with the Rosary. And when the children are older is also a good time to start, when they can understand better.
 
You’re already devoting your time to God on the way to work. I don’t see anything wrong with reading fiction on the way home. On the way home, you should do what you feel like doing at the time. It’s just adding more stress if you always do what you feel you “have” to do. It’s better to be relaxed and in a good mood when you get home – better for you and for your family. IMHO 🙂
 
You might like to start praying the Divine Office. It only takes about 10 minutes at most. This would give you the rest of your commute to read fiction.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top