When I wrote my last book, Everyday Divine: A Catholic Guide to Active Spirituality, my original plan was to develop some videos and other helpful tools to help readers and pray-ers put the written suggestions into prayer practice. This is a book about discovering the divine in the everyday, about praying not in the quiet of a chapel (although that’s necessary too), but in the chaos of household chores. It’s a book about finding God in the mundane moments of commuting to work, shopping for food, waiting in a doctor’s office, whatever often seems to pull us away from peace and serenity but actually has buried within it the kernel of contemplation.
But, as is often the case, life — and other work — got in the way, and I stopped practicing what I preach. Now, as I find myself in the renewed chaos of a summer with both work and kids at home, I’m realizing I need to get back down the simple-to-do but difficult-to-remember practice of praying through my days. I know from first-hand experience how this prayer routine can transform hearts and lives. I wrote Everyday Divine right on the heels of my other book that year, Cravings, and rather than being totally overwhelmed by what was a completely insane work schedule, I was fairly calm and centered. That’s because I was actually doing the stuff I was writing about in my books, and all of it kept me spiritually grounded and focused.
So this summer I’ll be renewing my efforts to spread the word about everyday prayer and finding your connection to the divine in the onion you’re chopping, the garden you’re weeding, the vacation laundry you’re folding. Keep an eye out for photo memes with little reminders to stop looking for extra time for prayer and start turning everyday activities into moving meditations.
Here’s a little encouragement from Chapter 1 of Everyday Divine to get you started:
“When you begin to see prayer not as something that happens outside your everyday actions but as the thread that weaves together the disparate parts of your life tapestry, you soon discover a connection to the divine that never dissipates, never wavers, even when the world outside is pounding on the door to your soul demanding to be let in. You can have it all despite the seemingly obvious contradictions — a still point while in constant motion, silence in the midst of never-ending noise, sacred vibrations running through the most mundane moments.”
Keep checking back here for everyday prayer practices, as well as on my Facebook author page, on my Twitter feed (MaryDTP), and even on Instagram (CurlytopDTP) and Pinterest (MaryDTP).
