Morning Prayer : Lauds On Ordinary Days....

Benedictine spirituality recognizes that prayer is not something reserved for extraordinary moments. It belongs to the ordinary rhythm of daily life. Through the Divine Office, Benedict invites us to begin each day by turning our hearts toward God, bringing with us all that we are—our hopes, our shortcomings, our anxieties, and our gratitude.

In his careful arrangement of the morning psalms, Benedict reminds us of two unfailing realities.

First, life is not perfect. We will struggle. We will stumble. We will disappoint ourselves and sometimes those we love. Our spiritual lives will be no less imperfect than the rest of our lives. Benedict asks us to acknowledge these realities honestly, recognizing our constant need for God's mercy and forgiveness.

Second, we need not face these struggles alone. However imperfect our lives may be, God's love remains steadfast. We are invited, day after day, to seek refuge beneath the shelter of God's wings. That shelter is not a promise that difficulties will disappear. Rather, it is the assurance that, whatever comes, we are never beyond the reach of God's loving presence.

There is something particularly beautiful in Benedict's insistence that morning prayer conclude with the Lord's Prayer. Having acknowledged our own need for forgiveness, we are reminded that we must extend that same forgiveness to others. Prayer is meant not simply to comfort us but to transform the way we live together.

Perhaps this is the quiet wisdom of ordinary Morning Lauds: We do not have to become perfect before we can draw near to God. We need only turn toward God, again and again, trusting that grace will accompany us through another ordinary day.

And tomorrow morning—we begin again. Our relationship with God cannot be separated from our relationships with one another. We seek God's mercy not simply to receive it, but to become more merciful ourselves and to others.