Why do we need religious devotion?
Many people seem to think that religious devotion is something out of date. They could not be more wrong. Some think that they need to “reinvent” devotion and ritual through nifty things like a “blessing and washing of hands.” It is sort of like those “innovators” who got rid of the foot washing on Holy Thursday, and replaced it with hand-washing, not realizing that Pontius Pilate washed his hands to symbolize he was not responsible for the death of Jesus, which is something we cannot claim as Catholics. It takes more than a washing of hands to cleanse us of his death; its takes Baptism. I guess the “Purel” people might be behind this and they may want to turn hand sanitizers into a “sacramental.”
It is clear from everything we believe that the Celebration of the Mass is the most important action for the Catholic. It is the “source and summit.” Mass, however, usually lasts between 45 minutes to an hour. How are we supposed to be mindful of God for the other 23 hours? The answer to this is religious devotion. To use an analogy of a sandwich, (I am writing this after lunch) devotion is like the bread while the Mass is the meat. Devotion serves a two-fold purpose: to prolong the sacramental mysteries that we have just celebrated, and to prepare us to celebrate them when we return to Church.
The practice of devotion to the Mother of God and the Saints, or to the Reserved Holy Eucharist, or to some aspect of Christ’s life serves to keep God present in our hearts and minds over the course of the day. Religious devotion has been an important part of the spiritual life since the beginning of the Church. It is how we are, as St. Paul says, to “pray always.”
Religious devotion also helps us to focus more clearly on the reception of the Holy Eucharist. Several parishes, to cut down on the chatter before Mass so that people can actually pray, have begun the recitation of the Rosary about 30 minutes or so before Mass. Many who come early have commented that the prayer before Mass has actually helped them to be more spiritually present to readings and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
One of the most difficult things busy people face daily is how do I stay focused on Christ? How can I attach my heart to Christ’s heart throughout the course of the day? The answer is religious devotion. It may be a simple prayer or a decade of the rosary or a quiet reflection on a short Gospel passage. In any case, we are making sure that we have sufficient spiritual life support to get through the challenges of the day.
I recommend that we take the example of our parents and grandparents. The majority of them had their prayer book, in which they kept their little prayer cards and petitions. I think it is safe to say that Many Catholics today do not so this. If we want to improve our prayer life and rally live a life of devotion, these books would definitely help.
If any of you have a specific prayer book you find helpful, please do not hesitate to add it to the comments.
