Reflection Tuesday

Don't some days feel like this? Ugh.

I have found that prayer when you are a mother is exceptionally hard to do. Are there times when I could pray and tend to do something less important instead? Of course, I'm human. I am learning how to make my life work now that my child is 3.5 months old. I'm currently a stay at home mom. Soon, I'll be a student again (all too soon). I'm also helping my husband with his business. So, I am busy. I promise. I have to keep reminding myself that things are about to get even more busy.

I have been trying to find a way to incorporate prayer more into my day. I know that God knows that my life is busy. I know that he knows that my mind has a hard time focusing right now. So, I know that God has to appreciate my little prayers. My little moments with him that may just be a few words or a quick "HELP!" (usually from dealing with a fussy baby).

Image from their website

When I was discerning entering into Immaculate Heart of Mary community in Wichita, Kansas I was able to spend the weekend a few times. On my first visit, in the middle of lent, I had the pleasure of spending an hour in adoration with our Lord. Their chapel is in an upper room of their convent. The sister that was in charge of me for my stay let me know that as she climbed the stairs she prayed a Hail Mary. It was the perfect amount of stairs, you ended the prayer as soon as you reached the top. At the time, I thought, well that is brilliant. Now I find myself constantly trying to find ways like that to incorporate into my everyday life.

Here is what I've come up with:

Making the bed - Thank God for my family and for our home.
Washing my hands - Pray for the souls in purgatory.
Washing the dishes - Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Loading the Washer - Our Father
Unloading the Washer - Glory Be
Between hanging laundry out and taking it off the line - I bet I could get a whole rosary in :)


Some of these are already in place and some of them I'm hoping to begin.

Doesn't this depiction of our Lady just grab you? She's holding our Lord's crown of thorns,  the nails in her hand and her heart is being pierced with 7 swords.

I have been hearing more and more about Our Lady of Sorrows. Here is a site that explains how to pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. It is a beautiful walk through Mary's suffering. She knew what fate was in store for her son and this knowledge caused her great suffering.

Can you imagine knowing your child would go through all of that. The little child who you cuddle with, laugh with, nurse, and love would some day be nailed to a cross and ridiculed.

Would that not make you suffer as well? The thought of my little boy going through that causes me to shudder. How do you prepare yourself for that?

Our Mother has gone before us in many of the trials we face. She was a daughter, a mother, a wife, a friend, a niece. She had a husband. So went through many of the trials of marriage that we all go through. She was a mother. She had to teach Jesus manners, potty train him, fix him meals, kiss his booboos. All the things us mothers do. She was very much like us. I have to keep that in mind. Sainthood seems so distant. So, out of reach. God gave us Mary, along with many other saints, to show to us that we too can become saints. He gave us our Mother to pray to intercede for us. Our Mother knows, just as any mother knows when her child truly needs something.

Mother Mary, help us to love like you.