Review of Objective
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus reminds us that we are to 'Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.' Implementing the First “P” is all
about showing God our love, by making Him our first priority and selecting and
implementing spiritual practices that reflect this. And to model this for your children. You will now schedule your highest priority,
your prayer elements, to your rule.
“Prayer
is an inspiration of the heart. It is a glance directed to heaven. It is a cry
of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy.” - St. Therese of Lisieux
“God
calls us to get our personal life in order by establishing, as top priority,
the care of our soul and body.” –
Holly Pierlot
Start Here
If you haven't already, watch General Rule of Life Talk (55 min) from Fr. Rippinger. He focuses primarily on how to ensure you get your "God Time" scheduled as a first priority.
Book Reference
If you haven't already, watch General Rule of Life Talk (55 min) from Fr. Rippinger. He focuses primarily on how to ensure you get your "God Time" scheduled as a first priority.
Book Reference
Read A Mother’s Rule of Life, Chapter 3, “The First P: Prayer”
Instructions
1. Pray:
Come, Holy Spirit. Come by the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your well-beloved spouse. I pray that this time and my steps are ordered toward You, Lord, as I discern Your Will for our family and create my rule. I commit and entrust myself wholly to Your guidance, expecting You to cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will, so my planning will be blessed and these efforts will bear fruit. I ask this through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.
2. Assess Your Prayer Needs.
Consider the following questions and review the following prayer options (not limited to!) and complete your Prayer Plan, by using the Prayer Plan Worksheet (or see below).
- Schedule Weekend Mass & Confession. Confession once per month is a good suggestion.
- What types of daily prayer practices do I think are reasonable for our family right now?
Ages of children? Be realistic - you can always add more later. - Morning People? Do my children interrupt what prayer I do now? How can I prevent this (husband help? older child help?) Are there natural lulls in the day, when children are occupied so I can pray?
- Decide on some upon some basic time slots, not matter how short, to set aside for prayer. If you are new to formal prayer time, just start small.
- Where can you pray without distraction? Do you need to create a Prayer Spot with easy access to your Bible, Catechism, Rosary and other prayer aids like statues, candles or images that raise your mind and heart to God?
- Decide on which prayer practices to schedule for determined time slots. See Suggestions. below.
Prayer Options Under 10 min
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Other Prayer/ Spiritual Options
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®
Say “Good Morning” to Jesus
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Just Speak to God
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Pray a Consecration Prayer to Mary
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Read the Saint of the Day online or book
®
Make a Spiritual Communion, 1x, 2x, or more a
day. Set a timer on your phone.
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®
Pray Divine Office
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Pray the Rosary
Follow along on Youtube or Fr. Groechel’s
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Spiritual Reading – Life of a Saint
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Spiritual Reading – Catholic Classics
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Bible Study
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Monthly Spiritual Direction
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Adoration, Holy Hour or Holy Half Hour,
Weekly? Monthly?
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Visit Jesus in the tabernacle, even for 5
minutes when on errands
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Sacraments for Each Family Member
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Children / Family Ideas
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Weekly Mass
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Add a Daily Mass
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Monthly Confession for You (with or without
children?)
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Monthly Confession for Children
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Family Prayer Times
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Pray Litany of Saints with Family Patron
Saints
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Children Bible Stories
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Saint Stories
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Glory Story Audio CDs
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Cat.Chat Audio CDs
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Bible Movies
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Saint Movies
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Saint Coloring Pages
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Youth Bible Studies
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Other Ideas I have
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First P - Prayer Plan
Worksheet
Time
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Prayer Plan and Who
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What
will the children be doing?
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Upon
Rising
Start Time ________
Duration ______ min
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||||
Mealtime-Breakfast
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||||
Morning
Family Prayer
Start Time ________
Duration ______ min
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||||
Mid-Morning
Start Time ________
Duration ______ min
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||||
Mealtime-Lunch
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||||
Afternoon
Start Time ________
Duration ______ min
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||||
Mealtime-Dinner
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||||
Evening
Family Prayer
Start Time ________
Duration ______ min
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||||
Before
Bed
Start Time ________
Duration ______ min
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||||
Sacramental / Church Life
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Who (Mom +/or Children)
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When/How Often
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Mass-Required Weekend
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||||
Mass-daily?
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Reconciliation
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Adoration
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Spiritual Direction
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||||
Fellowship (RE Classes, Youth
Group, Moms Group, Prayer Group, Bible Study)
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Reading to enhance vocation / Marriage
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Reading to enhance vocation / Mother
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Other Spiritual Reading or Faith-Study
Topics
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3.
Now Schedule it. A blank schedule is provided for you to fill in, and a Sample for you to get the idea.
Please remember that God is calling you to do what is right for your
family. Samples are just one person’s family. Customize these forms if desired.
Support /
Accountability
What supporting helps do
you want or need to create to help ensure your success and/or remind you and
keep you accountable?
- Confirm these plans with your spouse?
- Have a family meeting to review this plan with your whole family?
- Hang the schedule on the refrigerator or easily accessible placed?
- Set reminders on your phone or computer?
- Make an appointment on your desktop calendar?
- Setup your Prayer Spot?
- Place Bibles or Books in ready places? Print out Coloring Pages?
- Fill out the Examen Template (in the appendix) for you to evaluate daily during a scheduled prayer time, to check if you are following through on your 1st P commitments.
- Ask your husband, close friends and/or family to pray for you as you implement your new rule?
Do these.
4.
Start.
Begin immediately. The next
timeslot that arrives, stop everything and just do it.
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"...Remembering
here that we're trying to live a Rule and not just a schedule, it's
important to try to call to mind at the beginning of each new time frame
that you're doing all of this as a response to the call of God."
- Holly Pierlot
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Taking it Further
List of additional resources applicable to the section, if desired
List of additional resources applicable to the section, if desired
®
Additional prayer & spiritual growth ideas –
www. The bigchristianfamily.com
o
Holiness for Housewives
® Too many to list!
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