A Hierarchy in the Spiritual Life
While we are always called to reflect on how to grow in virtue, resist sin, and conquer vice, one of the chief times of the year for doing so is Lent. Lent is the tithe of our time in the year by which we make reparation to God for our sins and those of others and avert the wrath of God.[1] But it is also a time for us to instill holy disciplines into our lives which will carry over into the future after Easter.
While many people make excuses as to why they cannot fast due to their poor diet (which is often fixable through proper eating), the same excuses often manifest themselves when it comes to spiritual priorities as well. Work commitments, sports and extracurricular activities, and the daily obligations of life all too often rob God of the time He is due and consequently also rob our own souls of the ability to pursue the only thing that really matters and will last into eternity – our salvation. Do we really believe Our Lord’s words, “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33)?
The Commandments of God and of the Church
It is essential that the highest priorities in home life are anchored in the observation of the Commandments of God and the Church’s Precepts. These are at the highest level of priority. No extracurricular activities or errands should interfere with the observance of the Lord’s Day, which necessitates a rest from servile work and attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (the First Precept of the Church). No dinner parties, luncheons, or happy hours should prevent us from observing the Church’s laws on fasting or abstinence (the Second Precept of the Church). All of these are paramount.
Someone might ask, “Why?” Simple answer, because Our Lord said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Sadly, too many Catholics do not understand that God’s law is a perfect expression of His love. If only all Catholics would memorize and burn this into their minds and hearts: “His Law is His Love!”
Love is not just about feelings or platitudes. Love is about truth and real action. We know who we love and what we care about, by how we set our priorities. If we truly believe God is our Creator, the Lord and Giver of Life, our Savior, and our Ultimate Destiny, then we should make Him first in our concrete acts. If we believe He has the highest dignity of all beings, then we are obligated to respond accordingly and pay Him fitting homage and respect. But above all, if we believe He suffered and died for love of us, then the only proper response is to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (cf. Mk 12:30). If we love Him as we ought, then no entertainment, errand, or worldly matter will prevent us from keeping the Church’s precepts.
The Pursuit of Holiness Everyday through Prayer
In the second place, routine and sincere prayer must be the next layer in family priorities. While personal prayer, mental prayer, and spiritual reading (e.g., reading the lives of the Saints, reciting the Divine Office, or practicing Lectio Divina with the Scriptures) can take place at any time of day and can work around other life commitments, there is no legitimate excuse for neglecting daily prayer.
Morning prayer and evening prayer, including the daily Rosary, must be practiced in every Catholic home. It is especially important as a ‘formation issue” in homes with young children, who need to be brought up in a spirit of piety and taught the truths of the Catholic Faith not only intellectually but also through action. For those who have reached the age of reason, prayer is necessary for salvation.
The family Rosary is perhaps even more necessary as children get older. As the adage goes, “Little people, little problems; big people, big problems.” Every parent knows the difficulties encountered by children who are past adolescence are more serious. Yet we should take encouragement from Sister Lucia’s words that there is no problem so great which the Rosary can’t solve. As Fr. Patrick Peyton would famously say: “The family that prays together stays together.” Let us therefore commend our children, family, and friends to Our Lady’s maternal intercession through the Rosary.
The Daily Obligations of Life
Whether it be work or school, the next priority is based on our state of life. Fathers who have jobs must provide for their families. Mothers must care for the home. The children must be raised properly with love and affection and taken care of physically, mentally, and spiritually. Children must complete their studies and do them to the best of their ability. Parents may also have to care for grandparents. Grandparents and godparents can lend support and help in taking care of children. Older siblings will take on more responsibility and can help mentor and care for younger siblings and infirm or elderly family members.
These responsibilities based on our state of life are important. But unlike the secular world which sees work and school as the responsibilities of the highest order, they are subordinate to the previous two categories – observation of the Commandments of God and the Church’s Precepts, and daily prayer.
Even amid the responsibilities of daily family life, living our Catholic heritage remains highly important. A Catholic’s life is more than just going to Mass – much more. Catholic culture is built on fasting periods, assisting at processions, and having various items blessed at different times in the year (e.g., food for Easter day on Holy Saturday, herbs on August 15, grapes on September 8, wine on December 27). It features days of festivity like during Martinmas and promotes family time and charitable works like visits to grandparents on Easter Monday. It is replete with food customs to celebrate the end of fasting periods and filled with special devotions during periods of penance. It is our heritage. And must be part of all of our lives to the extent possible.
There is time for sports, extracurricular activities, hobbies, leisure trips, rest time, daily errands, work meetings, parties, and everything else that is not contrary to Divine Law. But these must always yield to higher priorities.
Focus Each Day on Aligning Your Priorities
Morning prayer and Christian meditation can help us recalibrate our focus each day to better ensure we have our priorities in the proper order. “A Rule of Life For Those Who, Living in the World, Aspire after Perfection” by Father Michael Muller is an excellent guide in helping us align our priorities and ensuring spiritual priorities remain first in our daily lives.
Additionally, for those who do not daily pray the canonical hour of Prime in the Breviary, adding the following prayer from Prime to our morning routine would nevertheless be a worthwhile means to help us focus our attention properly:
“O Lord God Almighty, Who has brought to us to the beginning of this day, defend us in the same by Thy power; that we may not this day fall into any sin, but that all our thoughts, words, and works may be directed to the fulfillment of Thy will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.”
ENDNOTE:
[1] “The observance of Lent is the very badge of the Christian warfare. By it we prove ourselves not to be enemies of the cross of Christ. By it we avert the scourges of divine justice. By it we gain strength against the princes of darkness, for it shields us with heavenly help. Should mankind grow remiss in their observance of Lent, it would be a detriment to God’s glory, a disgrace to the Catholic religion, and a danger to Christian souls. Neither can it be doubted that such negligence would become the source of misery to the world, of public calamity, and of private woe.” – Pope Benedict XIV, 1741