I should probably address the elephant in the room: I’ve missed a couple of weeks of these reflections. Between family vacations and a busy stretch of work, August got away from me. I apologize — and I’m probably going to start building in an August break going forward.
But here we are. Turning over a new leaf.
One thing I’ve noticed about myself — and it applies directly to writing these reflections — is that I need mental and sometimes physical space to think clearly. That’s not a groundbreaking insight. But it does point to something worth considering in our prayer lives.
It’s hard to sit in quiet, still prayer when we’re surrounded by chaos. Which suggests a couple of things.
First, it might mean getting up early — before the house fills up, before breakfast and work and the demands of the day get underway. That early morning quiet is hard to replicate at any other point in the day.
Second, our actual prayer space matters. As clean and clutter-free as we can make it. Some people function fine in a cluttered environment, but I think most of us pray better when the space around us isn’t competing for our attention.
As I get back into writing these reflections, that’s what I’ll be working on. I’d encourage you to take the same look at your own prayer space.
Let us pray. Lord, help us to create the space — in our homes and in our hearts — to hear You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.
