People are sometimes confused the first time they hear the term “religious priest.” Aren’t all priests religious? In this context, the word “religious” refers to someone who belongs to a religious order, such as the Benedictines or Dominicans. Such priests are called “religious” to distinguish them from those incardinated in a diocese, who are referred to as diocesan or secular priests.
Religious orders in the Catholic Church are many and varied. Monastic orders live together in stable communities. Apostolic orders send their members out into the world as preachers, missionaries, or agents of charitable work. Mendicant orders rely on begging for their livelihood, while others practice a craft or trade, such as beer or cheese making, to pay the bills. What they all have in common is their commitment to a certain way of life, called a Rule, often established by their founder. It is because they are bound to a Rule that they are called “religious” (from the Latin “religare,” or “to bind”).
The Rule provides structure, order and stability for the community. Such a religious life might appear strict or limiting to us, but when we think about it, there are many things we tend to do religiously that have nothing to do with the faith. We function best with some order in our lives, so most of us have certain things we do “as a rule.” That could be brushing our teeth after meals, practicing the piano daily, or ordering take-out from the same Chinese restaurant every Wednesday. If there is something we can’t miss in our routine, we can be said to do it religiously. The irony is that many of us fail to religiously practice our religion.
The model set by religious orders can inspire even us non-monastic types to adopt a more disciplined approach to our faith. The daily schedule of the monastery is intentionally designed to ensure time for what is important – prayer, worship, work, study, and also recreation. A typical monastic day begins before dawn with Matins (the Office of Readings), then breakfast before praying Lauds (Morning Prayer), a period of work or study before Mass, then Midday Prayer, lunch, a return to work or study before Vespers (Evening Prayer), then dinner, and concludes with time for socializing or relaxation before praying Compline (Night Prayer) and going to sleep.
Our family and work obligations may not allow us to follow the same rigorous prayer schedule, but we can follow the monks’ example by dedicating time in our day for what’s important. Every Christian knows that prayer is important, but do we set aside specific time during the day for it? The reason many of us complain that it’s difficult to find time to pray is because we fail to be specific about when, where and how we do it. Why not fix that by making your own personal religious “rule,” customized to your state in life. Praying once or twice, in the morning and the evening, is certainly an attainable goal.
It is easier to make a commitment to prayer time by attaching it to something that is already part of your daily routine. That could mean setting aside 15 minutes for Morning Prayer between your shower and breakfast. It could mean praying a family rosary before putting the kids to bed at night. Whatever you decide, be specific and follow through.
The idea of a personal rule extends to more than prayer. Monastic schedules also make time for work, study and leisure, which are all important aspects of a well-rounded human life. There is no reason we can’t be intentional about including these things in our schedule, as well. For many of us, work tends to dominate our day, but that’s no excuse for neglecting time with God. A regular prayer routine can help us approach our work as something we do for the Lord. Even our leisure time can be an occasion of holiness if we enter into it with an eye toward pleasing God. What most of us struggle with is finding time to study our faith. This doesn’t have to mean enrolling for an online degree. Dedicating just a few minutes each day to reading the Catechism or the writings of a saint can be life changing, but you have to be intentional about it.
When it comes to following a personal rule, it’s also important to be flexible. We don’t live in monasteries, and the demands of family and professional life can vary from day to day.
You might commit to a regular schedule of prayer and study but find you are only able to follow it half the time because of unexpected events that arise at home, school or work.
That’s no reason to give up or feel guilty. Just start again the next day.
Finally, as the circumstances of your life change, whatever personal rule you establish should be reexamined from time to time. An annual retreat or meeting with a spiritual director can be opportune times for this.
The bottom line: Discipleship takes discipline. We can’t all be monks, but we can be intentional about our practice of the faith. Adopting a personal rule suitable to our state in life can help us all practice our religion a little more religiously.
Deacon Matthew Newsome, Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate, is the author of “The Devout Life: A Modern Guide to Practical Holiness with St. Francis de Sales,” available from Sophia Institute Press.