by Susan Hines-Brigger. Published by Franciscan Media
Let your whole life be spent in self-surrender, in prayer, in work, in humility, in giving thanks to our good God.”—letter to Annita Rodote, February 6, 1915
“I don’t have time,” is a familiar mantra for a lot of people. We bemoan the fact that we are too busy for any number of things—exercise, work, prayer. The reality is, though, that we do have the time, we just need to prioritize and schedule it. We tend to make the time for things that matter to us.
Padre Pio’s spiritual life was everything to him and everything he did contributed to it. He could have very easily taken some days off from waking early for prayer or cut his day in the confessional short, saying he was tired. But he never did. He made the time because it was important to him. In that spirit, spend time reflecting on the things that truly matter and ways that you can devote more time to them.
Praying with Padre Pio
St. Pio, help us to focus on those things that matter the most in our lives. Remind us to spend time on endeavors that will bring us closer to God.