The Power of Positivity and Prayer to Start a Purposeful Day

When I was discerning the priesthood/religious life, I got to spend time with several religious orders and learned quite a few valuable lessons. That time afforded me the opportunity to not only explore my vocation but also pick up and develop important habits for daily living. One important habit that I now find very useful in my life as a family man—the habit of starting the day early with prayer.

Many of the seminarians and religious brothers that I stayed with would wake before the crack of dawn to get ready for their community morning prayers. Some individuals even woke up before the rest of the community got up just so that they could spend time praying quietly on their own. It was such an amazing and awe-inspiring experience to find myself in the midst of young seminarians praying quietly and fervently in the early hours of the morning, drawing strength from God to carry us through the day.

I also got the privilege to witness different individual seminarian’s daily routines. Some of them would work late into the night, studying and praying, and then still manage to wake up way before dawn. They just seemed so dedicated to expending all their energy and time to serving the Lord.

I was in the military for several years so getting up super early in the morning is familiar routine, and I know that being awake in the dreaded wee hours of the morning can make even the nicest people groggy, crabby, and grouchy. But when I lived with the different religious groups in their seminaries and novitiate houses, I was quite fascinated by what I observed. A busy daily routine, schoolwork, homework, plus service in the kitchen or whatever other duties can get anyone tired, sleep-deprived, and even crabby in the early mornings. But not these seminarians and religious brothers. During my stay with them, I felt nothing but true joy circulating in the atmosphere, and it was the kind of joy that was just all around, spreading like wildfire in the seminary, even in the wee hours of the morning. The “Good Morning!” greetings that came from the seminarians and the novices were delivered with genuineness and a smile. They radiated the joy of the Lord and it was contagious. As the day went, whether the brothers were serving in the soup kitchen, cleaning their homes, serving at Mass, or studying Scripture, they amazingly stayed full of energy. They were so joyful to do the work they were doing, no matter what that work was and no matter how early it was in the morning. They began each morning knowing that they have a purpose in life. They knew exactly why they get out of bed in the morning. They knew their calling, and they were driven to fulfill it.

One early morning, I asked one of the seminarians how he felt about waking up early on a daily basis (yes, including weekends!). He smiled and replied while we stared out the window, “Look outside. You see all those cars on the highway this early in the morning? Those are the people we have to serve and they are up already.” He paused for a few seconds and then quoted something in Latin: “Servite Domino in laetitia!”

My Latin was rusty so I asked, “What does it mean?”

He went on to explain, “It is a quote from Saint Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.”

But before he could continue on explaining, I interrupted, “Opus Dei?”

But he seemed eager and happy with the opportunity to talk as if we were already in class. So he went further to explain, “The phrase Opus Dei is Latin for ‘the work of God.’ The Latin phrase Servite Domino in laetitia translated to English is ‘I will serve God joyfully!’”

It usually would have been difficult for me to absorb the informal Latin lecture that early in the morning but his very sincere and enthusiastic delivery, even at that early hour, was enough to give me a jolt stronger than what any caffeinated drink would have provided. And his explanation really did capture the actions and the sentiments that I observed during my time with these seminarians. I got to witness first-hand the daily routines of some of the most devoted, dedicated, and purpose-driven group of individuals, and I think the Church is in good hands with these future Church leaders.