Reflect
When my life is lacking simplicity or discipline, whenever it feels chaotic, I sometimes fantasize about living like a monk or a friar. In this, however, is also a tendency of mine to spiritualize some tasks or lifestyles and not others. What if I were to approach my everyday tasks as a parent through the spiritual lens of a monk? This prayer is not only for parents—it’s for all who find themselves worn down by tasks that sometimes feel purposeless or monotonous.
Pray
We’re mystics and monks, sentinels and saints.
There’s no glamour in our call, no glory to be gained
as days blur together, as nights become harbors
of interruptions but also invitations,
for our liturgy is love.
Our abbey bells are baby cries—we wake when we are called.
We rise, we tend, we wait for calm to come again,
for peace to enter in.
These monastery mysteries—no one knows its inner life,
yet day in, day out, year in, year out, we rise and let go
just to rise and let go again, trusting our efforts
will mostly go unnoticed yet will echo through eternity.
Act
When you find yourself worn down today with tasks that are perhaps monotonous or not very energizing, consider approaching that task as if it is its own prayer, its own invitation to pause, reflect, and practice discipline.
