by Leane VanderPutten

What do our daily duties consist of and how important are they in the success and happiness in our life here on this earth and in our after life?

When Our Lady appeared at Fatima, she stressed the importance of prayer and sacrifice. She also stressed the importance of the fulfillment of our daily duties as Catholics.

Our Lord said to Sister Lucia “The sacrifice required of every person is the fulfillment of his duties in life and the observance of My law. This is the penance that I now seek and require.”

What are those daily duties?

Well, each of us has our own particular daily duties according to our state in life. For each of us this will be different.

As a wife and mother, we have certain things we need to attend to. When we attend to them with diligence, we are rewarded in many ways. We achieve a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in a duty well done. Our homes run smoother because tasks are fulfilled. We gain success in many areas of our lives including the raising of children who will also be diligent to their duties, following our own good example.

And we are gaining merit for heaven.

Fr. Fulgence Meyer from Plain Talks on Marriage says:

“We all need to be periodically enlightened and animated regarding our particular life duties.

The Holy Father, the cardinals, bishops, priests, friars, brothers, and nuns make a retreat or a mission once a year. They are then told very plainly what their duties are within their state of life; they are warned against certain dangers; and their defects and shortcomings are pointed out to them, without gloss or varnish.

They appreciate this much, and are sincerely grateful for it, conscious as they are of the blinding influence of self-love, and of the advantage there is in seeing ourselves as others see us.

For the same reason married people need to be reminded of the importance of their daily duties and their adherence to them.

 Life is often compared to a stage, upon which we are all given a part to play.

God Himself has assigned our individual roles to us. In calling you to the married state, He has allotted to you a distinguished and arduous part on the stage of life.

And if you are a parent, your part is immensely more sublime and difficult. It is no small task to be a Catholic husband, wife, and parent. This requires virtue and ability of the highest order.”

So…what does that look like for a wife and mother?

Prayer

Well, our spiritual duties will be on top, with the Morning Offering being very important. This, in particular, will offer up all of our duties on that day as a sacrifice to Our Lord.

We must be faithful to our prayers or our days will not be what they could be. Not only that, the small decisions of saying our prayers each day will be the ladder that gets us to heaven! Now, that’s rather important!

We can pray throughout the day by offering little heartfelt prayers or just a turning of the heart to God. This will sanctify our daily duties.

Father Paul O’Sullivan from How to be Happy, How to be Holy reminds us:

“We have our duties, our work, our various occupations, but the first and greatest duty we have is to pray to God. How can we say that we love and serve Him if we do not pray?

There are 24 hours in the day—five minutes given in the morning, five in the evening, is very little to give to God. Give Him this at least.

But these minutes must not be given by rushing over our prayers, pouring out words as if we were so many gramophones. We must pray as intelligent beings.”

Prayer is most important, and then next in line is our actual duties of the day.

A few quotes on the importance of the particular duties of our state in life:

“… Prayer, in a wider sense, must consist of more than mere words beseeching God’s mercy; it embraces everything we do with a dedicated spirit of faith in the service of our Creator.” – St. Bede (from a homily)

Abbot Marmion wrote to a student:

“What you tell me of your progress in your studies much consoles me, for true piety, real love of Jesus urges us ever to do our best to fulfill our duties of state.”  (Union With God)

St. Therese:

“Our Lord has granted me the grace never to fear the conflict.  At all costs, I must do my duty.”  (Story of a Soul)

So…first duty is prayer.

Husband

Next is our husband. We must fulfill our duties towards him. Things like:

Does he need a lunch made to take to work…make it. What about dinners each night? And his laundry? These don’t have to be perfect but just the decision to get them done as best as we can each day is very important. Wives tend to know what makes their husbands happy and we need to make that a priority as best we can.

Children

The children are next…their prayers, their meals and their schooling…whatever that looks like in your house.

Home

And then…order in the house by keeping it clean and running smoothly.

There…that seems to be a good general list for daily duties.

We all know that there will be times when things are not as perfect as we would like. We have to give ourselves grace for that.

For the most part we need to make a firm decision to get these things done each day in order to fulfill the important duties of our state in life.

Does it get old and do we not feel like it….day in and day out, week after week? I understand. I don’t feel like it either at times.

Fr. Edward Garesche from the Catholic Book of Character and Success says:

“Rely on your will, not on your feelings  You should draw a very clear distinction between the feelings and the will in your own mind and observe it in your conduct.

For want of this distinction, many persons grieve unreasonably and suffer foolish regrets.

Because they make too much of their feelings, they allow themselves to be carried away by them, when a strong will would keep them steadfast to duty.”

Doing our daily duties consists of making small decisions, regularly throughout the day. And if the decisions are in accordance to what we should be doing …in other words, our daily duties according to God’s will for us, we will be accomplishing much!

This also includes the  decisions to take some time to read a book, take a walk or whatever else we need to rejuvenate us.

From Divine Intimacy:

“‘Sanctity properly consists only in conformity to God’s will, expressed in a constant and exact fulfillment of the duties of our state in life.’” (Benedict XV).

 This statement confirms my knowledge that sanctity does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but is essentially reduced to the fulfillment of duty; therefore, it is possible for me.

For this reason I must be punctual and persevering in the fulfillment of my duties: punctual, that is, diligent, being careful to please God in all my actions, in order to do His holy, sanctifying will.

Hence, I must accustom myself to see the expression of God’s will in every one of my duties, for then everything I do will be an opportunity to submerge myself in God’s love and to unite myself to Him; persevering, that is fulfilling my duties faithfully,  not only when I feel great fervor, but also when I am sad, tired or in aridity; constancy calls for generosity.

This untiring, generous fidelity will not always be easy; however, I must not become discouraged by my failures, but begin again every day, fully confident that someday, God will make my poor efforts fruitful.”

Father O’Sullivan from How to Be Happy, How to be Holy, also says about daily duties:

“We expect the soldier to do his duty. If not, he is looked upon as a coward. We insist on our hired servants doing their duties. If they fail, we dismiss them.

The doctor who does his duty, whose whole heart is in his work, rapidly becomes an eminent practitioner. If he is remiss, he may cause the death of his patients.

The student who studies with great earnestness makes far more progress than his fellows, and he carves out an honorable and lucrative career. In contrast, the idler will likely, sooner or later, have to face poverty and disgrace.

The mother who instills into the minds of her children this golden rule gives to the world splendid men and women. If she neglects her duty, she is the cause of their unhappiness in life and very possibly of their eternal ruin.

It is the same in every branch of life. The person who invariably does his duty is happy, is successful and wins the esteem and confidence of everyone.

This is the first thought that must occupy our minds …to ask our Blessed Mother to give us a clear idea of the far-reaching importance of this great rule of life: ‘Do your duty, do it always.’

There are occasions when it may be hard to do it, but if we are accustomed to do our duty in the small things of everyday life, then God will give us strength to do it under more difficult circumstances.

We must pray fervently for this essential virtue, the love of duty, the grace to do our duty on all occasions, fearlessly and unswervingly.

The Venerable Simeon and the Prophetess Anna watched daily for the coming of the Redeemer, and they received as a reward of their diligence the joy, the grace of being among the first of the children of Israel to see and adore the Messias. Whoever, like them, does his duty, is no less certain of a great reward.”

Fr. Fulgence Meyer, Plain Talks on Marriage says:

“But every profession in life imposes certain hardships and severe trials that try our mettle and test our love for God, and our worthiness to be received in His kingdom.

Married life hardly has more taxing duties, not excepting the one we are discussing, than other states of life have, all things considered. We are here on earth on probation. Not by shirking difficult obligations, but by meeting them resolutely and generously, shall we gain a claim to God’s recognition and reward.”

In doing our daily duties, St. Francis de Sales reminds us…

“Accept the duties which come upon you quietly, and try to fulfill them methodically, one after another. If you attempt to do everything at once, or with confusion, you will only cumber yourself with your own exertions, and by dint of perplexing your mind you will probably be overwhelmed and accomplish nothing.”

In all your affairs lean solely on God’s Providence, by means of which alone your plans can succeed. Meanwhile, on your part work on in quiet co-operation with Him, and then rest satisfied that if you have trusted entirely to Him you will always obtain such a measure of success as is most profitable for you, whether it seems so or not to your own individual judgment.”

And remember let us never get discouraged because as is said in the book Divine Intimacy:

“Let not your imperfections discourage you; your God does not despise you because you are imperfect and infirm; on the contrary, He loves you because you desire to cure your ills. He will come to your assistance and make you more perfect than you would have dared to hope, and adorned by His own hand, your beauty will be unequaled, like His own goodness.”

And so, let us wake up each morning and, saying our Morning Offering in order to gain the merits and the indulgences that we can throughout the day, let us roll up our sleeves and dig in.

Let us look squarely at the day, and putting one foot in front of the others let us tackle our daily duties with diligence, at the same time being open to the interruptions that God sends us, as we move from one duty to the next, raising our hearts to God throughout the day.

“… Prayer, in a wider sense, must consist of more than mere words beseeching God’s mercy; it embraces everything we do with a dedicated spirit of faith in the service of our Creator.” – St. Bede (from a homily)

Abbot Marmion wrote to a student:

“What you tell me of your progress in your studies much consoles me, for true piety, real love of Jesus urges us ever to do our best to fulfill our duties of state.”  (Union With God)

St. Therese of Lisieux:

“Our Lord has granted me the grace never to fear the conflict.  At all costs, I must do my duty.”  (Story of a Soul)

Her way, that is, at every moment of her every day, in all her duties, in all her works, joys and sufferings, was confidence and love.  St. Thérèse, sometimes called the “saint of the itsy-bitsy,” found treasures in the smallest happenings, the smallest tasks – all met, all accomplished, with a simple and pure love for God and neighbor.  She also found sanctity. ~Sisters of Carmel

St. Teresa of Avila:

“We shouldn’t build castles in the air.  The Lord doesn’t look so much at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done.  And if we do what we can, His Majesty will enable us each day to do more and more, provided that we do not quickly tire. 

But during the little while this life lasts – and perhaps it will last a shorter time than each one thinks- let us offer the Lord interiorly and exteriorly the sacrifice we can.  His Majesty will join it with that which He offered on the cross to the Father for us.  Thus even though our works are small they will have the value our love for Him would have merited had they been great.”

Here is a simple outline to ensure we are carrying out our daily duties as best we can on this road we travel as Catholic women. This is my own list of what I deem the basics of a successful day. It is an ideal I strive for. You may have your own plan, and I hope you do. If this can help in any way, then I have accomplished my goal with this video…

🌺🌺Surrender Novena Prayer Card and Wire Wrapped Chaplet🌺🌺

Available here.

This chaplet is designed to be prayed with the Surrender Novena, which was given to Servant of God, Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo.
Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality.

SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD ~ “Jesus, You take over!”

Prayer by Father Dolindo Ruotolo 1882-1970 – Servant of God, Man Who Padre Pio Called a Saint!

Great prayer against worry, fear, anxiety, depression and stress!

Many miracles have been obtained through this novena.

Revised under Pope Pius XII, this official collection (raccolta) of the Church’s prayers and devotions was published in English in 1957. It includes a timely supplement of additional prayers for many urgent needs all of which were composed under the same pontiff. Many of the more commonly used prayers and devotions are followed by the Latin text, thus providing the perfect aid for teachers and parents anxious to keep the Church’s language both alive and spiritually efficacious. These eight hundred prayers touch practically every spiritual and physical need, and every personal and societal hope. They are the confidently suppliant voice of the Catholic Church in her maternal zeal, joy and agony, nobility and militancy.

* Prayers and Devotions 1958 Edition Reprint

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This unique book of powerful prayers and devotions, compiled by Joan Carroll Cruz, includes wonderful promises made by Our Lord or Our Lady, most of which were revealed to famous Saints, including: St. Faustina, St. Gertrude, and St. Catherine Laboure. Author Joan Carroll Cruz has carefully selected and compiled devotions to Our Lady, the Infant Jesus, Precious Blood, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St. Michael, and more in one place so that your daily prayer can be more powerful and more fruitful than ever before.

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