It’s my understanding that Matins and Lauds can be said in anticipation of the appointed time, anytime after 2:00pm the day before, so that should help with the sleep (unless working the dreaded night shift). Do your best, whenever you can do the full Office, do it, if you can only do the Little Office,do it, if you can only do the “Our Fathers”, do them, if you can only do one Our Father, do it. And if you can’t or if you forget, jump back in on the next one. I’m retired and I still usually either miss or forget at least one hour per day (generally either Sext or Nones), but I do my best and try to do better. I was also beating myself up over it, but I also know that I look forward to each hour and that I love to pray, and that it is never my intention to miss or forget. Hope that helps.

Thank you, I was not at all familiar with that book, I very much look forward to reading it! Br. Pio

My thought (and if anyone definitively knows better please jump in!) is that moderate consumption of reasonable beverages is fine. Meaning that having the occasional beer or glass of wine will not distract us from our heavenly goal. Perhaps the key here is to know the proper stopping point is not before drinking too much, but before being tempted to drink too much. Also my cardiologist recommends that I drink a glass of red wine, so occasionally I do, but rather than a trendy Pinot or Malbec, I drink Carlo Rossi Paisano at $13.00 a gallon. The point is not that I have ridiculously poor taste in wine (though that’s likely true) but rather that regularly indulging in very expensive wine, beer, or liquor would be as foreign to the Franciscan ethic as casually snacking on Foie Gras or Kobe beef. Finally, in the interest of full disclosure I recently attended a wine tasting and purchased a bottle of wine that in retrospect is in fact an indulgence, I hope to learn from the experience.

Thank you Sr. Gertrude Margaret Mary of the Sacred Heart, whenever possible I do indeed stop for a bit and focus on Him, very good advice no doubt. The issue for me is not so much thinking of Him throughout the day, as I most often do, often at seemingly inadvertent times, but rather being disciplined enough to focus on Him at the appointed time. I try to see my meditations through, but one would think sitting in Adoration or at home in front of some of my favorite religious items, would be an environment more conducive for reflection than the Winn Dixie check out line, but so far that’s just not always the case.

Your family is in my prayers Aaron.

You and Catherine are in my prayers Lindsey.

Thank you Edward, and I would not change or add a word to Joanna’s suggestion, beautifully said!

You, Rachel, and Baby Munro are on my list Calum!