I was having lunch with a couple of friends the other day. One of them was telling me about a book that he picked up in the library of the prison where he volunteers. I don’t remember the exact title, but it was some sort of self-help book that claims substantial benefit from doing five minutes of exercise right when you wake up in the morning, before you do anything else. My friend has been trying this the past month or so and has said that he can definitely feel the difference. Mind you, my friend is already a fitness nut and distance runner. Yet he has found value in starting off his day with just five minutes of physical activity – whether it is walking on the treadmill, stretching, some pushups and sit-ups, really anything to get the heart moving in the morning. So a guy, who already works out frequently and regularly does ten mile runs, says he had noticed a positive difference in those five minutes of activity right when he gets up in the morning. It’s probably a good thing for any of us to do.
I guess you know where I am heading. If getting our physical heart beating fast first in the morning is good for our bodies, even if one is already physically fit, think about the comparable value of getting our spiritual hearts – our souls - also beating fast first thing in the morning. What is the first thing you do when the alarm goes off? How about making the Sign of the Cross and thanking God for another day? Then, after turning off the alarm, before you do your five minutes of exercise, how about working out your soul for five minutes? Taking five minutes to connect with God first thing in the morning, no matter how spiritually “fit” we may already be, will give us a great spiritual jump start for the day. There are a host of morning prayers around (two examples are below) that one can pray as a way of starting your day off with the Lord. By consciously taking those five minutes or so in the morning to acknowledge God and opening our hearts to Him, we will not only receive His grace as we awake, but we will also orient our whole day to the Lord and provide ourselves with essential spiritual protection from evil first thing in the morning. Beginning your day with God can’t be anything but great for us.
So if you are not in the practice of starting your day off with those five minutes, give it a shot. If you need, write yourself a note to remind you. Put it near your alarm clock or on the floor next to your bed. Better yet, make it ten minutes – five for God and five for your body. I can guarantee that small investment of time in the morning will pay huge benefits throughout the day, spiritually and physically.
God bless you,
Father Joseph Byerley
Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day
for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,
for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians,
and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.
Amen.
Morning Offering to the Holy Trinity
Most Holy and Adorable Trinity, One God in Three Persons, I praise You and give You thanks for all the favors You has bestowed upon me. Your goodness has preserved me until now, I offer You my whole being and in particular, all my thoughts, words, and deeds, together with all the trials I may undergo this day. Give them Your blessing. May Your Divine Love animate them and may they serve Your greater glory. I make this morning
offering in union with the Divine intentions of Jesus Christ Who offers himself daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and in union with Mary, His Virgin Mother and our Mother, who was always the faithful handmaid
of the Lord.
Amen.
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