Discipline of Prayer

One other note I picked up from this John Allen book, “Opus Dei – AN Objective Look”.
I mentioned before that I struggle to say the Liturgy of the hours with any regularity.  Since I have been contemplating the Permanent Diaconate, I thought I should get some practice at this.  I am always on the lookout for new tools to help me say this, when really all I need is greater discipline at prayer.
Once upon a time, I thought that saying the Rosary was an onerous chore — who would want to do that?  This of course was back when I would zip through a Hail Mary lickety split without any thought — if even I went that far.  Once I was comfortable with saying one or more (!) rosaries a day, the Liturgy of the hours didn’t seem like such a big hill to climb.  But I still tend to rush through it at times, and mostly just forget about compline or vespers.  Attending Daily Mass — right now that is a Mountain for me to climb.
I mention all this because in the John Allen book, he recounts the daily requirements of prayer for members of Opus Dei — and I nearly fell over.

1. Awaken saying ‘Serviam’ (I will serve)
2. Daily Mass
3. Rosary
4. 1/2 hour mental prayer in the AM and the PM
5. Noontime Angelus or Regina Coeli depending on the season
6. 10 minute meditiation on a spiritual reading
7. 5 minutes reading the New Testament
8. Short prayers throughout the day called ‘aspirations’ such as ‘Everything with Peter to Jesus through Mary’
9. A daily set of prayers in Latin called the Preces, which include invocations to the Holy Spirit, Jeses Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Guardian Angels, then prayers for the Holy Father, the Bishop, unity among those working to spread the gospel, and invocations to Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Peter, Paul, and John (patrons of Opus Dei)
10. A Daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament (often immediately ater supper) and includes 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Mary’s, 3 Glory Be’s, and making a “Spiritual Communion” meaning an act of union with Christ that doesn’t involve physically receiving communion during Mass.
11. A daily examination of conscience
12. Saying three Hail Mary’s as an intention for holy purity and blessing onesself with Holy Water before going to bed.

That program is certainly not for the faint of heart.  It probably amounts to 3 or 4 hours of prayer daily.  And to think I can’t make it through 40 minutes of the Liturgy of the hours.
It’s all about discipline I suppose.  And Love.