It happens quite frequently that during the question and answer session of talks I give someone or another raises the difficulty of finding time for prayer.
I understand how busy everyone is. Many run around trying to cram 26 (or 28 or 29) hours of activity into a 24 hour day. Many multitask their way through their days.
In the flurry of activity, many things are lost. Time with friends. Time with God. Peter Kreeft observed, “If I gave my children as much time as I give God, I could be prosecuted for child neglect and abuse. If I spent as little time with my wife as I spend with God, she’d have grounds for divorce for desertion.”
The truth is that we need time with God. We need time for prayer. And you really don’t have to think about it too long to realize how impossibly inadequate “I’m too busy” is as an excuse for not finding that time. The first line of St. Ignatius’ Principle and Foundation reminds us that “The goal of our live is to live with God forever.” Isn’t it a little strange to say, “I don’t have time for that which is the entire goal and meaning of my existence”?
The Silent Insight Daily Meditation that arrived in my inbox this morning had this message:
Praying 30 min = 1/48 of your day.
Praying 15 min = 1/96 of your day
Lent starts on Wednesday. If you don’t already have a regular daily prayer practice, why not resolve to give over for Lent at least 1/96 of the day, if not 1/48!
Note: The Kreeft piece on time for prayer, from which I quoted above, is well worth reading in its entirety. You can find it here
Creo en Dios! 