Ivan

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. (Mt 6:6-7) NAB, Revised Edition

Many articles I have read about regular prayer and meditation strongly suggest that a person find a quiet place and do their prayers in the early morning.  I am not a morning person.  It usually takes two, possibly three cups of coffee to get me moving much to my husband’s consternation.  When our daughter was still in school I would have to get up to get her ready.  Sometimes I would go to Mass after I dropped her off.  In the years that I worked in Catholic parishes I could avail myself of frequent daily Mass either before work or better yet for me at lunch time.  

Now that I am retired I find it difficult to get to morning Mass and even more difficult to find time for my daily prayers.  Recently I remembered an article I read years ago by a priest who confessed he did his daily meditating laying down in bed.  Several weeks ago I adopted a similar technique.  Feeling very frustrated  about not having a quiet place all my own I marched into the bedroom and slammed the door, making it clear to husband, daughter and grandson that I did not wish to be disturbed.  I took with me my cell phone and the devotional book I attempt to use for prayer.  

After setting the timer on the cell phone for 35 minutes, I climbed into bed and began reading.  It did not take long for our big old yellow tom cat, Ivan to crawl into bed beside me.  Between Ivan  curled up beside me and my prayers I felt my frustration melt away. It is now my regular practice to go into my room about mid-morning for that half hour of prayer and Ivan is always beside me.  Husband and daughter have learned not to disturb me when that door is closed, it may take a little longer for the grandson who is just six to figure it out.