My Harvest of Presence: Finding Time for Prayer and Work
Fall is here – the crisp, cool chill of the air in the morning is such a welcome respite from the hot and humid air of summer. I enjoy feeling the breeze enter my kitchen as I prepare a cup of coffee. I bring my cup to the living room, and enjoy some time in prayer before work. I pray a short prayer to St. Joseph asking for a fruitful work day, and marvel at how nice it is to find time to pray.
In the past, I did not create the time to sit and enjoy my coffee, much less time for prayer. After confession one day, the priest advised me to, “be gentle with yourself.” The Gospel at church that evening spoke of the wonder of forgiveness, forgiving one who has wronged us not seven, but seventy seven times. I realized that the one who was hurting my time with the Lord was myself. My schedule was packed with so many things to do that it no longer allowed me to just “be.” So, to be gentle to myself, to allow myself the activities and prayer I so desperately craved, I had to allow myself to follow a routine that allowed me to work and rest … and pray.
Mary Beth Keenan, @mbkeenan_captures.
It was a bumpy road of self-guilt, but I had to prune away the branches that were not allowing my soul to produce the fruit of prayer and presence I wanted. After each reflection and hypothetical pruning, my routine turned into one founded in joy – both in my prayer and work. My day became a routine of “ora et labora,” meaning, “prayer and work,” and I felt so appreciative for this harvest. What a joy I found in the fruit of this effort! I realized that there is time to work, and there is time to play. There is time to pray, and there is time to rest. In all these moments of decisive pruning, the harvest of presence was deliciously sweet.
Lord, thank you for the presence I find in You when I pray. I pray that this upcoming season allows me to recognize Your presence in the people I meet, in the situations I find myself in, and in the quiet stillness of the morning that You allow me to enjoy. Thank You Lord, for allowing me to be present with You.
Meet Rebecca Go-Oco
Rebecca grew up in sunny California and completed college in the always-tropical Philippines before moving to the ever changing seasons of Chicago, where she experienced snow for the first time. She recently has fallen in love with St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy, as well as plants and liturgical living. In her free time, you can find her in the kitchen trying out a new recipe, or talking a walk around the neighborhood. You can find Rebecca on Instagram @rebecca.mg13.