Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
There are so many moments in our lives where we struggle to pray. It could be because we are going through difficult moments and struggling to find a reason to pray or maybe we are battling an illness and cannot find the energy to sit and pray. For many of us it could be because we are “too busy” with different expectations we have as parents, employees, students etc. I have recently experienced this struggle after entering motherhood. In July, my family grew, and we welcomed our first baby into the world! It has been such a blessing to become a mother, but it has also been a rollercoaster of emotions and events. Life has become significantly busier – with changing diapers, figuring out meals, nap times, and bedtime routines. I found myself struggling to find enough time to pray. I wondered whether I was a “bad Catholic” for not praying as much as I should.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is traveling through Galilee healing and driving out demons. As He is performing all these miracles, He also finds time to set aside for prayer. This is a perfect example of what we should be doing, but when Jesus is doing His public ministry, do you think He only prayed when He set time aside? Definitely not! He was always in a state of prayer. When He met the blind man, drove out demons, preached the Good News…He was always in a state of prayer and contemplation with the Father. We are encouraged to do the same!
We are invited to set aside time for prayer, and to invite Jesus into our daily tasks. I realized that although I may not be able to spend as much time in prayer as I used to, I could invite Jesus into all tasks of my day. When I am changing my daughter’s diapers, feeding her, or rocking her to sleep, I invite Jesus to join me. Just as Jesus was in a state of prayer as He did in His ministry, I could do the same!
A quote that gave me peace in my struggle is one I would like to share with you. St. Peter Eymard says, “On a bed of sickness, or on a journey, or at a task that detains you, be more recollected, and you will derive the same fruit as if you had been able to kneel at the feet of the good Master. That hour will be written down to your credit and perhaps even counted for two.”
So while that’s not an excuse to forget all about setting aside time for reflective prayer, reading the Bible, journaling, or praying for people in your life, it’s a good reminder that Jesus wants to enter into every part of our day, and wants us to be aware of his presence all the time.
Too often we feel that Jesus is present only during Mass or during quiet prayer, but this isn’t true! His presence can be seen and felt in our ordinary tasks that we are all called to do! Invite Him into your work, into your families, into your chores, and into your daily routine! And you’ll see that no matter what it looks like, there is always time to pray.
