Image created in Canva using free elements. Copyright 2019 Michele Faehnle. All rights reserved.[/caption]
As I pulled on my favorite exercise shirt, I glanced in the mirror to read its message. "Powered by Prayer" with a Chi-rho, one of the earliest forms of a Christogram, in place of the "by" caught my eye. I stared for a minute at my reflection and closed my eyes. I was feeling pretty exhausted, more like I was running on fumes, and I realized my tank was empty.
I was keen to the fact that my prayer life seemed to wax and wane with my schedule, and my busy routine of working full time as a school nurse, running our Catholic Women's Conference, writing, and speaking had taken its toll. It was so easy to get off track, but I convinced myself that I was doing the Lord's work, and that I was doing all I could at the time.
That evening, as I dragged my exhausted body to bed, I started reading a new book called Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith and Get to Heaven by Patti Maguire Armstrong.
The book is filled with nearly five hundred simple and creative ways to grow in holiness. I was struck by this profound story Armstrong shared about the primacy of prayer and how it could not be replaced with good deeds:
Copyright 2019 Michele Faehnle Excerpt reprinted with permission, Ave Maria Press, 2019.
Msgr. John Esseff, a priest in the diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, for sixty-five years and an exorcist for more than forty years, shared with me about a time in his early priesthood when he spent an inordinate amount of time on social justice concerns at the expense of his prayer life."In my experiences with ministry as a young priest, I was very much driven and worked long hours. One night, I came home late from a meeting to my second-floor apartment. As I opened the door to go into the apartment, I sensed someone was standing in the doorway. I felt a presence there. I put on the light but could not see anyone. I walked down the hall to my room. As I stood there, I lit a cigarette (I still smoked back then) and thought I better talk to whoever it was. 'If you are the devil, I’m not afraid,' I said, but really, I was terrified. 'If you are an angel, leave me in peace. And if you are a soul in purgatory, I’ll pray for you.' I knelt down at my bed and began praying the Rosary. Peace came over me. This scenario played itself repeatedly over the next three months. I thought I was going crazy and eventually talked with another priest, Fr. Clement Markowski, about it. He believed that it was the presence of Mary I had been experiencing. The fear always disappeared when I knelt and began the Rosary. Fr. Markowski told me that Mary was drawing me to prayer at a time I was vulnerable. At that time, although I had busied myself doing what I believed was God’s work, I was not praying. The sixties had become an era of good works—with too much emphasis on ministry at the expense of prayer. Like many others, I thought as long as I was busy doing God’s work, prayer could often be pushed aside. This made me very vulnerable. Among priests today, the percent that lose commitment to their vocation and drop out is very high in the first five years. I could have easily become spiritually crippled because of my lack of prayer. The presence of Mary was a warning, and it drew me into prayer."
I knew God was sending me a message, and urging me to increase my prayer life so I could truly be powered by prayer to do His will!
In honor of Holy Hacks' release, I am sharing 3 simple hacks that have helped me grow in personal holiness and build my prayer life.
1) Each morning, meditate on Scripture. I receive an email from Fr. Burke Masters called Thoughts for the Day. It includes one of the readings from daily Mass and a beautiful reflection. It sets the tone for my day and allows me to soak in God's word in the early quiet mornings while the rest of my house sleeps.
2) Use car time to talk to God. With the way our schedule runs, I find myself often alone in the car after I drop kids off at places. While its easy to check out and put on some tunes, I turn off the radio and pray the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy or just have a chat with God.
3) Pray the examen at the end of the day. St. Ignatius said that the most important prayer that we do each day is the Examen, a mediation that allows you to enter into God's presence, give Him gratitude for all He has done in your life, ask God for the grace to see how he is working in your life, review your day to see when you were drawing nearer to him or further, ask for forgiveness for your sins and make a resolution for the next day. I love the Examen Prayer App to help me do this and after even a few weeks of entering into this type of prayer, I could see its fruits in my life.
What are your Holy Hacks? If you don't have any, I highly recommend checking out Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith and Get to Heaven by Patti Maguire Armstrong!
Copyright 2019 Michele Faehnle Excerpt reprinted with permission, Ave Maria Press, 2019.
About the Author
Michele Faehnle
Michele Faehnle is a wife, mother of 4 and a school nurse. In her free time she enjoys volunteering for the church and is the co-chair of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference. She is also the co-author of The Friendship Project, Divine Mercy For Moms, Our Friend Faustina and Pray Fully; Simple Steps to Becoming a Woman of Prayer. Read more of her work at InspireTheFaith.com.
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