Five Tips to Bring Ritual into your Ordinary Life
Five simple but POWERFUL things you can do to level-up your Catholic life
I just did a TikTok LIVE session (a “Firebrand Forum”) talking about the importance of ritual in daily life as a way of staying connected to God, and ordering the soul to greater receptivity of the graces and experience of the Mass—where our rituals find culmination.
Below is a writeup based on the notes that I brought to that episode. The episode is available here on Substack
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When we talk about ritual, we’re really talking about rhythm. It’s the sacred pattern that gives shape to our days. Ritual helps us live our faith not just in church, but in the ordinary flow of life — it trains the heart to remember God in the middle of everything. We’re creatures of habit, and the Church gives us holy habits that form the soul over time. As St. Francis de Sales teaches, a steadfast perseverance in small things is a greater discipline than rare and great deeds. (Continues below)
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Intro: 40 seconds
1. Sanctify the start and end of your day
When you wake up, before you even grab your phone, make the Sign of the Cross. Offer your day to God. You can say something simple like, “Lord, I offer You this day, everything in it—my prayers, my work, my struggles, and my joys.” It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just make contact.
And at night, before bed, do a quick Examination of Conscience—just replay the day in your mind and ask where you loved well, and where you fell short. Consider whether your life in that day demonstrated your faith in Jesus Christ, and the s[ecfoc things that failed to demonstrate that faith. Then make a short Act of Contrition.
Clip: Examination of Conscience (1.2 minutes)
That little ritual at the bookends of your day keeps you anchored in grace.
2. Create a domestic prayer corner
If you don’t have one, find a small spot in your home—a corner of your room, a windowsill, anywhere—and make it your prayer corner.
Add a crucifix, maybe a candle, a rosary, a small statue of Mary or your patron saint.
Light the candle when you pray—or even while you’re cooking or doing chores—as a quiet reminder that Christ is present in your home.
It’s a simple ritual that helps you live with a sense of sacred space.
3. Link prayer to your daily rhythms
Try tying prayer to things you already do.
Say grace before every meal, even if you’re eating alone.
Pause at noon for the Angelus—or if that’s new to you, start with just one Hail Mary.
Make the Sign of the Cross when you leave the house or begin a drive.
You could even pray while folding laundry or washing dishes.
The idea isn’t to “add more prayer time”—it’s to let prayer flow through the time you already have.
Connecting Prayer to Life, and “Making Moments” (1.15 min)
Oh, BY THE WAY….
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