I’m a person of routine. 

By this, I mean less that I create and stick with regular patterns of behavior on a daily, weekly and monthly basis (although this is also true) and more that I am someone who loves order and regularity. Annual eye exam: I’ll be there! Second Sunday of the month volunteering at the church nursery: sign me up! Friday morning commute phone chat with my sister-in-law: I plan on it! 

Not only does routine offer much needed structure to my busy life as a parent of three young children who also works outside the home; it brings me joy. When I go to bed at night, I happily anticipate the next morning when I’ll hold my one-year-old on my hip and kiss his chubby cheeks as I stand in front of the brewing coffee maker. This is so much our routine that when I scoop him from his crib at 6 a.m., he greets me not with “Mama” or “hi,” but “Coffee!!!” Rest assured, he does not drink the coffee; he just relishes in the ritual of making it with me. On Sundays, as I prepare for my week ahead, I appreciate that I can look forward to a lunchtime visit with my parents on Wednesdays, a Friday date night with my husband, and a group fitness class at the gym on Saturday mornings. And to say that I bask in the tradition of Sunday afternoon naps for the whole family — mine on the front porch swing, if weather permits — would be an understatement.

Yes, indeed, I love routines, rituals and habits. 

As a Catholic, I think of Ordinary Time — the longest liturgical season, split into two parts (the weeks between the end of Christmastide and Ash Wednesday, and then the weeks between Pentecost and the first Sunday of Advent) — as an ideal period in which to work on cultivating routine habits that aim to deepen one’s faith. Ordinary time is characterized by its focus on the ongoing ministry and teachings of Jesus and how they guide us to live as Christians in everyday life. What better time to develop and finesse practices and behaviors that reflect the Gospel?

The nature writer Annie Dillard writes in her memoir Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.” By paying some attention to the routines of our everyday, and by ensuring that they include spiritual practices, we are building lives intentionally oriented around faith. This, I believe, is time well spent. 

If you agree, but aren’t sure where to start, here are some ideas of Catholic habits that you can adopt this season of Ordinary Time.

Read Scripture Everyday 

When we read the Bible every day, we provide ourselves with a steady dose of wisdom and guidance on living a good life. I really believe that nothing negative can come from taking a few minutes each day to immerse oneself in Scripture. With technology as we have it today, there are many ways that you can make this practice happen. You can use an app like Verse-A-Day to receive a short piece of scripture delivered to your phone daily, or Dwell to listen to Scripture. You can make daily reading a family practice  (maybe before or after mealtime) or invite a friend or family member to work through a book of the Bible with you.

Alternatively, you might read an excerpt of a different spiritual book daily. There are so many to choose from!

Start One of your Work Days with Weekday Mass

I worked at a Catholic Church for half my twenties, and hands down, one of my favorite aspects of the job was that it was as easy as anything to pop across the street from the parish office building to the church for daily mass each morning. I may have been the youngest person in the sanctuary by several decades, but I did not care one bit. I love the simplicity and beauty of the twenty minute, music-less Mass. (Don’t get me wrong; I also love Sunday Mass with music and all the other smells and bells). While it is no longer quite so convenient to make it to weekday Mass with my current job, it is by no means an impossibility… and I bet the same is true for you. Check out your regular parish's mass times (or a church near your place of work) and maybe there is a morning or noon service that could fit in well with your schedule. 

Listen to a Catholic Podcast on Your Commute

There is so much great Catholic content out there. You could pair this habit with the Scripture one and listen to Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “The Bible in a Year” podcast, or if you like Fr. Mike but are more interested in a variety of topics, you could listen to his “The Fr. Mike Schmitz Podcast” for faith, pop culture, and headline reflections. In “The Word on Fire Show,” Bishop Robert Barron offers weekly episodes discussing various faith and culture topics, and “The Jeff Cavins Show” provides a weekly Bible study. These suggestions barely begin to scratch the surface. I recommend googling “Catholic podcasts,” finding a few that strike your fancy, and listening to several of their episodes. If one stands out to you, make it a regular part of your Ordinary Time by listening to it on your commute. 

Take a Morning or Evening Prayer Walk 

Anytime I take a daily walk, I feel better for it. Often, I’ll listen to music or a podcast, or I’ll call my sister or a friend while I walk. Recently I got the idea to make this time outside a time for prayer. This could look like saying the Rosary while on the go, calling to mind and lifting up your loved ones as you move, or simply emptying your mind of its usual chatter and making space in the quiet for God to speak. 

What do you think? Any of these Catholic habits strike your interest?