Every day at 9:20 a.m. an alarm calls me to prayer. This daily pause is a birthday gift to my sister, who is a religious sister. (What do you give a woman who took a vow of poverty?) When my alarm rings, I stop what I’m doing and say a brief prayer for her and for Daughters of Charity everywhere. Sometimes I invite whoever I’m with to join me in this brief prayer.
At 10:20 a.m. I pray for all the people I accompany as a spiritual director. At noon I stop for a quick Our Father with the intention of the health of our nation. This reminder began during COVID, and my husband and I both prayed, even when we were not physically together.
At 2 p.m. I’m prompted to remember my siblings and extended family. At 4 p.m. I’m pinged to pray briefly for our children and grandchildren. Every Thursday a reminder gets me to pray for my sister in-law. On Saturdays, a reminder signals prayer for women’s ministry in our Church.
In monasteries around the world, the bells ring many times daily, and vowed religious drop their garden tools or dishrags and go straight to the chapel for their communal prayers. Benedictines pray seven times a day plus once at night.
Now I’m no monk, but my phone reminders are, for me, like a monastic summons to prayer. My life is busy with work, ministry, and family obligations galore. I live in the monastery of the world, as St. Ignatius would suggest. And honestly, I need to be reminded to pray for others who’ve asked me to do so.
When I was driving four children to sports, school, and myriad other locales, I considered my car a hermitage of prayer. I even asked a priest to bless a new car. Having learned to drive in chaotic California traffic, I need to pray for others when I’m behind the wheel.
People like St. Paul have written that we should pray at all times, but it isn’t easy. One of my directees says she often goes through a busy day forgetting to pray until bedtime. It happens in hectic lifestyles, especially among those of us who do too much. She tried adding a phone alarm, and it’s working for her.
Even a ten-second prayer in a frantic moment helps me reframe and remember God.
I admit it can get irritating when my phone’s chime interrupts yet again. Even I get annoyed when I’m in the middle of some concentrated activity and I’m called to prayer. Do monks ever want to ignore the bells and put in another furrow before heading to the chapel? I sometimes resist the bells of intercessory prayer or give them cursory attention. But even a ten-second prayer in a frantic moment helps me reframe and remember God.
I know people who use sticky notes on bathroom mirrors, calendar notices, weekly calls from prayer buddies, or group text messages to call them to prayer with a community that is large or small. Some tools work for some people and not others.
What “bells” call you to prayer during the day?
Photo by Miriam Alonso on Pexels.
Thanks Loretta. It’s good to pray at all times. Bells remind us of joy and freedom from sin and death.
Thank you! I’m holding you and all readers in prayer right now as the dinner bell rings. 🙂
Yes, I too have multiple prayer reminders on my phone. I’m grateful you mentioned that sometimes you are annoyed by the ring – me too, and times I’m on a call or in a meeting and ignore it. But when I do answer ‘the call’ I always feel a sense of peace and gratitude.
Reminds me of the Muslim call to prayer five times a day – we often need that outside prompt b/c we’re busy, as you point out.