The Blessings of Back to School and Familiar Routines

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of summer vacation and that school will begin (or has begun) for our children in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It is my most sincere hope that all of you were able to take some time to slow down, enjoy times with family and friends and reflect on the blessings in your lives.

While soon, some of us may look ahead to next summer (though not the heat of summer), for many, I expect the return to the familiar routine of the school year will hopefully, be a blessing. Parents will no longer be dropping off children at varying locations and friend groups will be reunited as the doors of our schools reopen to welcome them in for a new year of forming young hearts and minds for discipleship. 

It is a blessing to get back into a routine with things that are familiar. May I challenge you as we begin a new school year with football season, other sports and the various activities that come with Fall coming soon, to set a routine for your prayer life. As you drive to work, or drop children off at school, how can you engage with God in prayer and encourage those riding along with you to do so as well?

For those of you that exercise or have a workout routine, perhaps you can ask yourself how you can incorporate prayer into those daily activities.

For those that are homebound, I humbly ask that you consider offering up your prayers and your suffering for our local church, for family unity and for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, religious and consecrated life in your daily prayers. 

And while we might all consider a daily prayer routine, let us remember that there are many ways to pray and many resources from which we can draw inspiration to grow deeper in relationship with Christ Jesus. 

Let us also remember to be like Bartimaeus the blind man in the Gospel of Mark, to be bold in prayer. 

For we know, “God is faithful.”