We all experience the difficulty of staying focused on our main goal in life—that is, drawing ever closer to God so that we can spend eternity with Him. But we also know it’s hard to keep our eye on the prize with all the demands and distractions of our hurried, materialistic world.
We want and need to stay focused—and a Christian “rule of life” is an excellent way to do this.
In the context of a religious community, a “rule” is something that is drawn up to provide a clear structure for the apostolate, charism, and daily life of its communities. Their “rule” is the blueprint of their life and discipline, ordered towards growth in Christian perfection and the community’s particular work in the Church.
More recently, laymen have begun to adopt a rule for their own lives. Like a religious rule, a layman’s rule of life gives focus and structure to his days, helping him adopt disciplines and practices aimed at spiritual growth.
Each layman’s rule of life, however, is personal. It takes into account the responsibilities and duties of his particular vocation and creates a flexible schedule suited to the fulfillment of those duties.
For example, a married person’s “rule of life” might list simple daily tasks such as getting the children ready for the day, heading to the office, even a coffee break (or two); additionally, it would include prayer time and various challenges aimed at growing spiritually as a spouse and parent.
A “rule of life” may take effort and contemplation to build, but St. Alphonsus Liguori is here to help. His beloved work A Christian’s Rule of Life starts you on your journey with concrete spiritual practices and guiding principles important for the daily life of every Christian. Get your copy today at The Catholic Company!
