Sanctifying the Hours of our Daily Life

I recently read or heard somewhere (can't remember where) about a priest who talked about attending Catholic school as a youth. He told the story of the religious sister who taught the children the practice of "sanctifying the hour." He said that the nun had a special bell in the classroom that each child would take turns ringing at the beginning of each hour. I believed they prayed a Hail Mary to begin the new hour.

"So You could not stay awake with me for even an hour?"Matthew 26:40
This devotion may seem simple and unsophisticated to some people, but I believe there is great wisdom behind this simple practice. Anyone on the spiritual path knows that at the beginning of the prayer life it is hard to pray constantly and to remember God throughout the day. For Secular Carmelites the simple but great "little way" of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection comes in to mind when reflecting on this holy practice.

The Hour of Mercy: O, Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood of your dearly beloved Son in atonement for my sins, and the sins of the whole world.

Brother Lawrence wrote the book, The Practice of the Presence of God. This book is a great help to those seeking union with God.
Excerpts from The Third and Fourth Conversations from the book:
Br. Lawrence told me--

...When a considerable period went by without his thinking about Him, he did not disquiet himself, but acknowledged his wretchedness and returned to God with the more confidence for having experienced such sadness when he forgot Him.

From the Fourth Conversation:

He told me that it (his way of going to God) consisted in one good act of renunciation of all those things which we recognized did not lead to God, so that we might accustom ourselves to a continual communion with Him...We need only to realize that God is close to us and to turn to Him at every moment, to ask for His help to learn His will in doubtful things, and to do gladly those which we clearly perceive He requires of us, offering them up to Him before we begin, and giving Him thanks when they have been finished for His honor.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives the official definition of prayer:


"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."
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We can see that raising our hearts and mind to God is prayer itself. No words are necessary. Let us learn from Brother Lawrence and the age-old practice of sanctifying the hour to remember God each day. We know, too, that the religious throughout the world, and we as Secular Carmelites are called to sanctify the hours by praying the Liturgy of the Hours each day. If we are faithful to prayer and the remembrance of God in the hours of our earthly life, we need not be afraid of the Hour of our death, for we will have already offered and sanctified the hour to Our Father.

May Our Lady, pray for us now and at the Hour of our death. Amen.

We can sanctify the week as well:

Sunday-Devoted to the Holy Trinity

Monday-to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Tuesday-to the Holy Angels

Wednesday-to St. Joseph

Thursday-to the Blessed Sacrament

Friday-to the Passion of our Lord and to His Sacred Heart

Saturday-to the Blessed Virgin Mary


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
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