Five More Minutes
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One of my favorite parts about being in NYC is that I get to spend time with the Sisters of Life, aka some of the coolest, holiest and most beautiful women I know. I love spending time with them because I always come away with a profound sense of peace, great joy, a new perspective, and words of wisdom that I reflect upon for days, weeks, and (in this case) months afterward.
I remember having a chat with one of the sisters back in December, and she said something that I have thought about every single day since. She said “Whenever I have the urge to end prayer early, to put my bible down and pick up another project, I make myself stay there for one minute longer than I initially had committed to. The Lord meets me there every time.”
The temptation to end my prayer early hits me pretty much every day. I am eager to get to the next thing, to pick up my phone, text someone back, eat a snack, or head out the door. But truly every single day I come back to Sister’s words, and I stay firmly on my couch or in that church for a few more minutes. Over the past few months, I’ve settled on five minutes because something always comes up and I like staying for a few minutes to pray on it and listen to the Lord.
I love this also because it forces silence in prayer when I’ve run out of things to say. It’s so hard for me to stop and listen, and these extra five minutes give God a buffer to speak into the silence that I have finally allowed to occur.
As we get closer to Easter, day by day, I invite all of us to give Jesus five more minutes in our prayer times, especially when we’re feeling rushed and hurried. We don’t have to say anything; honestly, it’s better that way.
St. Francis de Sales famously said, “Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy – then we need an hour.” I know these words to be so true! The more we carry, the more we have to do, the more important it is to create space for the Lord to guide us. I also know that it’s hard… but we’re in it together! And the Lord blesses every minute we offer to Him.
Praying for you as you walk into this week!
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving right now:
Hymn of Heaven by Phil Wickham
Holy moley I discovered this last week and absolutely adore this song. The lyric about being in heaven with the “heroes of the faith” makes me choke up every time… I don’t know if I’ve every truly reflected on the beauty of that moment, walking into heaven and greeting St. Joseph, St. Joan of Arc, St. Therese, St. Jude… to be able to thank them and meet them. Wow. Check the song out here.
Why do I do what I don’t want to do? by JP Pokluda
I’m a huge fan of JP’s podcast (it’s called “Becoming Something”) and his brand new book has been such a great read already. He breaks down ten major vices and offers ten virtues in response for us to grow in so we can better fight the good fight against those pesky vices that get us down. The first chapter is on pride, and I absolutely loved this quote:
“Pride leads to anxiety because we start thinking that everything depends on us. We think we are either Superman or Wonder Woman, and if we don’t live up to our end of the bargain (you know, saving the world) then we are going to let ourselves, God, and the whole world down. But God never intended it to be that way. He says “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).” You can get the book here!
Join in the “Impossible Novena”
Some awesome women are organizing a novena that will walk with Mary through her pregnancy from the Annunciation on March 25 (this Saturday!!) until Christmas on December 25. The idea is to bring three “impossible causes” to Mary, and pray for each one during each trimester of her pregnancy. You can find more information and sign up for the emails here!
Prayer Requests
- For those awaiting college decisions this week
- For all those walking through grief
- For those who are traveling
If you or a loved one need prayers, just reply to this email or reach out and I’ll include them in next week’s newsletter!
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Jane was born in Australia, raised in California, and is overjoyed to now call NYC home. She graduated from UCSB with degrees in Political Science and Communication and spent the past two years working in criminal justice reform. She is currently an MBA student at NYU Stern, focusing on entrepreneurship and strategy.