Small Steps: My New Favorite Devotional

Editor’s note: Today, we continue our weeklong celebration of the publication of Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray and Act, the newest installment in the CatholicMom.com Books partnership with Ave Maria Press. Today, Barb Szyszkiewicz shares with us that it doesn’t take a lot of time to make a true difference in your prayer life. LMH

I've had my eye on Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss for quite some time now. I was really looking forward to adding it to my collection. You see, I've mentioned before how much I love daily devotional books. So, you might call me biased on this one, but hear me out.

Since receiving my copy of this book, it has quickly become my favorite devotional. I carry it in my purse so I can read and reread each day's reflection. It's that kind of good. But, why do I love it so much?

afterlight

Quick

These devotions take me no more than five minutes to read. I pair them with a good old fashioned Hail Mary, and I have a spiritually healthy start to my day. If you add the action item (see below) to the routine, it will take you a bit longer, but there are 24 hours in the day; save it for later if you need to.

Easy

When I can barely get myself out of bed before the kids wake up, I need a devotional that isn't going to require deep scholarly study. I need something that reaches moms where they're at: in the trenches amongst the noise and dirt. And, don't get me wrong: just because it is an easy read does not mean that it lacks substance. Quite the opposite. I find this book helps me ask questions of myself that I wouldn't normally think of. The other day I found myself wondering, "What is my greatest fault? What graces should I ask for to overcome this?"

Action Based

Find a constructive activity to replace a time waster. Write a letter to your priest thanking him for his service. Listen to your child today; be patient with her stories.

Simple right? Can you imagine doing something intentional like that each day? How wonderful would you feel?

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