Help
With Your Rule
Afraid of Formalizing a Schedule
Dear Holly,
I have six children at home. I also go to school part time and try to carry on an active apostolic life too. As I've grown as a woman, as a daughter of God, as a wife and a mother, I've gotten into many habits which seem like your "rule" - like the general progression of the day, times for prayer, work, cleaning, laundry, and tidying and meal prep. So my days look pretty similar when you look at the progression of things. But the timing changes from day to day and I usually leave things up to chance (or my whims, I guess) as to when I actually do them. Or else as the day starts it is just obvious what to do first, what second, etc.... usually orchestrated around a variety of breastfeedings, diaper-changings and toddler-handling!
What I'm wondering is, what is the advantage in taking what I am already doing and turning it into a formal "rule" --- will I feel stifled by the formality of it, or will I get discouraged if once I make it formal I don't achieve it? I am worried about this because so often when I make lists or schedules I don't end up sticking to them or "things" come up that get in the way. The idea of turning my whole life into a kind of schedule scares me because it would seem so discouraging if I get off the track.
Labels: About a Rule of Life
posted by Holly at 4:49 AM
1 Comments:
In your case, I think formalizing a schedule would be like someone who can read well returning to take phonics instruction. I see no need of you to adopt any more strict a schedule than you already have. Why do I say this?
A schedule, or the practical element of the rule, is a training tool - a tool which turns our activities, our minds and our hearts to the fulfillment of our vocation. In the beginning, for those who are disorganized or scattered, the formal adoption of a schedule trains them to live their daily life focused on their responsibilities. Similar to how phonics enables one to decode words so one can read.
But as the woman grows in her vocation, she finds that her 'schedule' becomes more a basic attentiveness to the needs of her family and home and relationship with God. Her heart and activity become focused on the vocation, not on errant desires to do other things. So, while still doing all the same things like meals and prayer and chores, she has moved into a more flexible lifestyle where she is able to be more attentive to the needs of the present moment, while still having the self-discipline to complete the other required tasks every day, if not now, then later.
I don't consider fulfulling one's duites daily, at varied times, living by whim. Whim-living means to follow the dictates of heart, uninformed by reason or responsibility, and often leads to the neglect of duty. You are not doing that.
If you truly are fulfilling all that you say you are, and your prayer life remains constant, I say Bravo! You are ready now to go to the heart of the rule, which is simply, beginning to work on your motivation and to induce a recollection within your activities.
Whenever you move into another activity, begin to offer it all up to God - do what you do because He asks you, out of love for Him, and watch what happens. Offer your suffering for the salvation of others. Offer it in union with Christ's passion. Walk your walk in fidelity to God's design for you.
You have reached a level of maturity by fulfilling your duties. To seek Christian perfection now, turn your heart and your intent totally to God and begin to supernaturalize all that you do by conscious design.
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