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Organizing Your Spiritual Life: Part 1
by Brian
I used to think that applying organizational skills to daily life was a bad thing. I saw it as something that killed spontaneity and creativity. Everyone else carried around daily planners and pocket computers, but not me.
This attitude of mine also carried over into my spiritual life. I prayed daily, but the time I spent in prayer was never consistent. Of course I attributed this to the promptings of the Holy Spirit without realizing that my inconsistency was due to an unorganized spiritual life.
This changed after I read a book on the life of St. Alphonsus Ligouri. St. Alphonsus taught me that having an organized spiritual life was a good thing and by no means killed the movement and action of the Holy Spirit. I gathered from his life that he had a set time for prayer - he prayed his morning prayers faithfully, practiced mental prayer, prayed his rosary and fulfilled other spiritual commitments all because his spiritual life was organized.
I know it sounds so "business-like" having an organizational plan for your spiritual life, but from the example of St. Alphonsus and other saints it works. So how does one go about organizing their spiritual life? I believe it is no different than organizing one's day. Just plug in time for Jesus here and there and honor that time. You may want to include in your plan: the holy rosary, meditation on the Scriptures, your morning offering and the examination of conscience before retiring.
The whole idea behind organizing your spiritual life is to be consistent because consistency will lead you closer to Jesus. Before putting together your spiritual plan I would suggest praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance and help. And remember to be realistic, don't bite off more than you can chew.
God Bless!
Also read PART II: Tips on Organizing Your Spiritual Life by Bobbi