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What is a Rule of Life?
Is it for everyone?
What if my day to day life looks different and is very active?
The first time we are introduced to the concept of a Rule of Life in the Catholic Church is through St. Benedict, who created one for his monastery and fellow monks. This Rule of Life was strict but suited the vocation to which they were called, holding them accountable for discipline in their way of life and obedience to their superiors.
Over time, many other religious orders began to adopt their own Rule of Life, maintaining similar parameters while ultimately developing practices that suited the spirituality and lifestyle to which they were called within their respective orders.
It was not until St. Francis de Sales wrote the Introduction to the Devout Life that the practice was encouraged for the laity. Throughout the book, St. Francis speaks to laypeople and explains various means of cultivating a rhythm of life within the parameters and circumstances of one’s own situation. Although the book was written over half a century ago, its daily examples remain relevant to the modern age, and I highly recommend reading it if you have the time.
As St. Francis de Sales states: “It is an error, or rather a heresy, to say devotion is incompatible with the life of a soldier, a tradesman, a prince, or a married woman … It has happened that many have lost perfection in the desert who had preserved it in the world.” This means that the call to a devout life is for everyone, not only the religious.
He further emphasizes the importance of prayer: “Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of Divine Light and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love—nothing can so effectually purify the mind from its many forms of ignorance or the will from its perverse affections. It is a healing water that causes the roots of our good desires to send forth fresh shoots, which washes away the soul’s imperfections, and allays the thirst of passion.”
This is a reality for many individuals. In such cases, it is helpful to select devotions and prayers that can be practiced while on the move. Additionally, it is essential to determine a reasonable amount of time that can be dedicated each day to prayer without distractions. This may be as little as five minutes. Regardless of the duration, the priority is to intentionally incorporate this time into your day, whether in the morning or evening, while sitting in your car between appointments, pausing in a park on the way to pick up children, or rocking a child to sleep at night. The key is to create and prioritize space and time for this time with Jesus.
It is advisable to begin with a small number of commitments and gradually expand them as you become more accustomed to the rhythm and discover a greater capacity to sustain it.
