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| By Stayskal |
Caveat discipulus!
Before you complete this inventory, let me offer a few disclaimers. First, this is not a scientific survey. I constructed the survey based on various suggested norms for developing a plan of life.
Sacrificial Praise
The survey is not meant to suggest that someone is more or less holy than another. Neither is intended to mean that someone scoring high on the scale has a "ticket punched to heaven." This is not about marking off as many tasks on a To Do List. The reality is that someone could be doing all the things on the survey, including attendance at Daily Mass and still not be properly disposed. The author of Psalm 50 reveals God’s standard for appropriate public worship – a properly inclined interior disposition or what the Church father's have described as "sacrificial praise." St. Augustine beautifully summarizes this notion; “Anyone who wants to offer a whole burnt offering to God must be wholly on fire with divine love. These are the kinds of whole burnt offerings that are ‘before me always’” (St. Augustine, in Craig A. Blaising and Carmen S. Harding, Old Testament Vol. VII in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series, p. 387)
Before you complete this inventory, let me offer a few disclaimers. First, this is not a scientific survey. I constructed the survey based on various suggested norms for developing a plan of life.
Sacrificial Praise
The survey is not meant to suggest that someone is more or less holy than another. Neither is intended to mean that someone scoring high on the scale has a "ticket punched to heaven." This is not about marking off as many tasks on a To Do List. The reality is that someone could be doing all the things on the survey, including attendance at Daily Mass and still not be properly disposed. The author of Psalm 50 reveals God’s standard for appropriate public worship – a properly inclined interior disposition or what the Church father's have described as "sacrificial praise." St. Augustine beautifully summarizes this notion; “Anyone who wants to offer a whole burnt offering to God must be wholly on fire with divine love. These are the kinds of whole burnt offerings that are ‘before me always’” (St. Augustine, in Craig A. Blaising and Carmen S. Harding, Old Testament Vol. VII in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series, p. 387)
Instructions
Write the number that best describes the present state of your prayer life and then total them. There is a scale at the end of the survey to gauge your status. Be honest with yourself; you are only cheating yourself if you fudge the numbers upwards. Finally, don't be discouraged if you score low. I myself did not do very well. As I already knew, I had allowed my graduate studies to interfere with my own Plan of Life.
THE SURVEY
How often do you make a morning offering (prayer)?
Never – 0 points
Once a week – 1 point
More than once a week – 2 points
Every day – 3 points
How much time do you spend reading the Bible?
Never – 0 points
Once a week – 1 point
More than once a week – 2 points
Every day – 3 points
At least 5 minutes a day or daily readings – 5 points
How much time do you spend reading spiritual material (not including Bible and only Catholic material)?
Never – 0 points
Once a week – 1 point
More than once a week – 2 points
Every day – 3 points
At least 15 minutes a day – 5 points
How much time do you spend in mental prayer (talking to God)?
Never – 0 points
Once a week – 1 point
More than once a week – 2 points
Every day – 3 points
At least 15 minutes a day – 5 points
How often do you pray the Rosary?
Never – 0 points
Once a week – 1 point
More than once a week – 2 points
Every day – 3 points
How often do you attend Mass?
Never – Subtract 15 points
Only on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation – 2 point
More than once a week – 3 points
Every day – 5 points
How often do you receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Never – Subtract 15 points
Once a Year – 1 point
As needed – 2 points
Quarterly – 3 points
Monthly – 5 points
How often do you pray before the Blessed Sacrament?
Never – 0 points
At least once a month – 1 point
One hour a week – 3 points
At least 15 minutes a day – 5 points
Bonus Points:
Pray the Liturgy of the Hours – Add 3 points
Pray the Angelus daily – add 2 points
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet – add 2 points
Other daily devotional (not listed) – add 2 points
Add your points and compare your total to the scale below.
32-35: You have a sound Plan of Life. You should consider Spiritual Direction to aid in your continued spiritual development.
28-31: You are on your way to developing good habits. Reflect on those areas that need improvement.
25-27: You have started to exercise a daily prayer life, but you need to work on being consistent and developing a set plan of action.
0-24: You may be taking a minimalist approach to your prayer life. You either don’t have a plan for developing your prayer life or you are ignoring it. You may be in danger of becoming tepid and disconnected. Remember that prayer is essentially a conversation with our Lord. No relationship can be sustained without consistent communication.
Up Next
The next post in our series on developing a Plan of Life will be an overview of the recommended daily habits. If the post is not too long, we will also begin our deeper discussion of the details of the POL by looking at the Morning Offering.
Up Next
The next post in our series on developing a Plan of Life will be an overview of the recommended daily habits. If the post is not too long, we will also begin our deeper discussion of the details of the POL by looking at the Morning Offering.
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