When anger is overcome, we are able to see the proper order of things.
When we see the proper order of things, we are able to recognize the proper attitude to have when encountering the living God.
When we have that attitude, we develop the talent of devotion to God. I have encountered so many people with a devotion to God, or what is known as "piety." There is the devotion to those in authority, devotion to God, and then there is a popular devotion where a culture and a people worship God and develop a particular "flavor" of a piety.
Piety itself is only one of the gifts given to those who are a saint. Our piety, our devotion, helps us to keep things in perspective, yet by itself becomes a lonely gift. While sometimes people assume that they can live their life in a constant state of prayer, meaning the external form of being at Church, on their knees, and neglecting the rest of their lives, becomes a misuse of the term piety.
There are vocations that spend every moment in prayer. These cloistered religious are a great value to the Church but right now in your own life, I would venture to guess that 99 percent of the people reading this are not called to that vocation.
Instead, how can piety play a part in your own life, in the way that you live every day?
I love lists, and today is no different, so I present the list on how piety can help us every day!
- Piety keeps the first thing first. When the first thing is first (God) then everything else can fall into place.
- Piety helps to build ritual into our lives. When we develop piety, or a way of praying that is a devotion to God, it incorporates a type of routine into our lives. Routine helps us to be more productive by lower the need to be unpredictable and come up with new routines.
- Piety can fulfill any type of style of prayer that you have. There are so many different forms of popular piety in the world today that it is very difficult to look very far without finding a type of piety that we can use effectively. The Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Rosary (more on that later), etc.
- Piety helps us to prioritize things in our lives. Often when new things come into our lives we don't know how to treat them because we don't know what the priority is. When we put the first things first and put our priority on God, then we allow other things and people to enter in with the dignity that they deserve.
- Piety becomes superglue in our relationship with God. In the same way that you cling to those relationships that you are invested in, devotion helps us to invest in our relationship with God so that we can become closer to Him. The more we are invested, the better off we are.
- What are some ways that you practice the gift of piety in your life already?
- What are some forms of "popular piety" that you know about? Are there any that attract you that you can incorporate into your own life?
- When you think of piety, do you think of God or are you able to think of the devotion that is also due to those in authority over you? What type of devotion is due to different types of authority? What form does that devotion take?
- If someone were to video your life right now, what would they say you are devoted to? Why? Is that a good thing?
- When you think of the word piety, what comes to mind? Do you feel that piety is a good thing in our society? Do we need more of it? What do you think our society is devoted to? Why? What are we missing?
- For today, develop a devotion for yourself or adopt one that is already in existence. Write down what you do and how it goes throughout the day.
- Make a list of the things that you are devoted to and put them in order according to the amount of time you spend doing each one. Re-prioritize.
- Make a very real effort to approach everything in the order of devotion. Don't get stressed out by small things but allow that devotion to work through problems.
- Teach someone else a devotion and encourage them to set up a schedule of prayer.
- Offer up a devotion for someone else. Ask them for an intention and make it your intention for the week.
Our Father: (To be prayed in the morning)
Our Father, who art in heave, hallow'd be your name. They kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.
The Angelus: (To be prayed at noon)
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, etc.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to your word.
Hail Mary, etc.
And the Word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
Pray for us O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray - Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, your son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may, by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen
Act of Entrustment to Mary #5 (Pray in the Evenings)
O Mother, you know the sufferings
and hopes of the Church and the world:
come to the aid of your children in the daily trials
which life brings to each one,
and grant that, thanks to the efforts of all,
the darkness will not prevail over the light.
To you, Dawn of Salvation, we commit
our journey through the new Millennium,
so that with you as guide
all people may know Christ,
the light of the world and its only Saviour,
who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Garden (before doing something new)
"Let this cup pass from me, but not my will be done, but yours be done."
Hail Mary (say at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm)
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blest is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
