1. Starting at the very beginning of my list is the devotion I always pray at the beginning of my day: The Morning Offering. How simply wonderful it is to promise God every moment of my day to use as He sees fit. All that I am and all that I have is a blessed gift from Him and so I give it all back to Him with joy in my heart. I ask that He use the thoughts and events of my day for the intentions of the Pope, for priests and vocations and for the spirituality of my family. "I belong completely to You, O God, take me, all of me, and use me for Your benefit. Amen."
2. I often attend Eucharistic Holy Hours as my way of offering adoration to the Lord and uniting my intentions with those of the others gathered at the Holy Hours. I enjoy these hours of adoration as a silent group with occasional vocal prayers and lots of incense more than adoration on my own. Maybe it's because I grew up with lots of siblings and I now have lots of children that I enjoy having a crowd around me when I pray, I'm not sure, but you say Holy Hour and I'm there! I could add that the same theory applies to the rosary...I prefer to pray it with fellow parishioners before daily Mass and with my sisters and nieces at our once-a-month rosary gatherings than to pray it by myself.
3. Now the Stations of the Cross is just the opposite. This devotion is one that I like to pray when I am alone, and the version by St. Alphonsus Liguori is my all-time favorite. Whenever I get a chance, I like to pray this version at an outdoor stations where it almost feels as if I am actually walking the way with the Lord.
"My Lord, Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. But now I love You with all my heart; and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey. You go to die for love of me; I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. My Jesus, I will love and die always united to You."
4. Is it considered a devotion to light candles? If so, count me in! That flickering light on the blessed candle that continues my prayer long after I have left the church until it burns out with a whiff of sweet scented wax brings me so much comfort and peace.
5. Consecrations are another devotion with the lingering effects that carry me in prayer for much longer than the actual moment of Consecration. Last fall I had the honor of Consecrating myself to Jesus through Mary via St. Louis de Montfort. The prayer from the Crown of Mary continues to resound in my heart as I prepare to receive the Lord in Holy Communion each day..."Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times!" It's almost time for me to begin my preparation to reconsecrate myself this year and I am greatly looking forward to it.My family and I recently consecrated ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as well, in a very informal way, but I can never look at the picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that hangs on my living room wall in the same way, for now, my heart explodes with love and gratitude at the sight of that divine image.
I will pass this MEME on to the following bloggers:
Jeff at Secret Harbor
Linda at Don't Poke the Baby
Autumn at Autumn's Leaves
Tiffany at Family at the Foot of the Cross
Elizabeth at 100th Lamb
