My regular prayer life includes the morning and night prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours and I've added daily mass. All through Advent, these prayer activities kept me tied to the liturgical season. They helped me stay expectantly hopeful to God.
I took time off between Christmas and New Year's. My schedule changed, and so did my prayer routine. We slept until our boys got us up; we went on family outings; and our normal routine was very different. It was wonderful! However, I wasn't praying.
Part way through last week, I had a down day. We had an issue at work, and I spent a few hours working from home helping to resolve the issue. I got a little depressed thinking about how my vacation was ending. This depression was a result of being away from God for too long.
I need my regular prayer to stay close to God. It keeps me connected to the liturgical seasons and to the Holy Spirit's influence in my life. Because of the hiatus from prayer, I missed out on the joyfulness conveyed by the church. I missed the celebration!
Fortunately, I realized that my spiritual tank was empty when I went to mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. It reminded me that I needed my regular prayer life and I needed to stay close to God. I was able to capture some of the joy the church conveys, and I'm hoping to carry it forward into the new year!
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