Dear
Theophilous,
Like
most people, I think the hardest moment of my day is the first. Monday to
Friday (along with the odd Saturday and Sunday) we all dread it… that moment
when the alarm starts blaring to start us in motion. There really must be a
more humane way to start the day.
Everyday
the temptation is overwhelming… the desire to hit the snooze button, or even
better – just turn the alarm off, roll over and forget for a few more precious
minutes that the world and its worries exists. Especially in the dark days of
winter when there are still hours to go before the sun shows its shining face.
I
could… very easily I could… but I don’t.
Recently
I heard this moment referred to as the Heroic Moment, called such as a
testament to the heroic effort that is needed to get out of bed each morning.
I have
found that the amount of heroism needed to get oneself going comes down to the
first thought that goes through my mind… Do I wake up saying:
Good morning God!
or
Good God, it’s
morning!
The
order and the tone make all the difference as to how the rest of the day is
going to pan out. I also find this helps give me the push to persevere in my
morning prayer life, my struggles with which I’ve written about here before.
From
this point, I dedicate my day to God through Christ.
Stumbling
to the kitchen, where I charge my phone overnight, I begin my morning routine
with a morning offering prayer. Although there are a few different versions of
the same prayer, I have gotten into the habit of using one from the Laudate
app:
Oh my Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart
of Mary,
I offer You my prayers,
works, joys, and sufferings of this day.
For all the intentions of
Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my
family, friends and relatives,
and in particular for the
intentions of the Holy Father.
Amen.
I find
this self-centering at the very beginning of my day sets me off on the right
foot, ready to meet the trials of the day with God’s grace.
Do I
meditate on my morning offering constantly through out the day? No. With the
challenges that the vocations of husband, father and educator bring, I’m often
pulled in many different directions, my mind occupied by daily trivialities.
What offering my day to God, in its prayers,
works, joys and sufferings, from
the moment I awake does is give me a focal point to return to. When my mind
gets sidetracked, when the daily grind starts to take its toll, when I enter
into the sufferings of human life, a quick reminder that even these I have
offered to God allows me to restart again, a reboot in God’s grace, so that I
may persevere.
How
hard life must be for those who do not have this faith foundation.
This is
why every morning when the alarm blares I’m able to joyfully proclaim: God
morning God!
