My wife and I are blessed to have two Collies as pets. The dogs are very loving, and they bring us much happiness.

Except…

The dogs have an internal alarm clock that goes off between 4:30am and 5:30 am. They begin to whine to let us know it is time for them to get up and do what dogs do when they go outside. If we do not pay attention to them, we know that there will be surprises on our floor that we will need to take care of when we wake up later.

Many of us have internal alarm clocks. We become used to waking up at a certain time for work (whether at home or outside of the home,) or to get children up and ready for school, or to do whatever is needed on any day.

As I woke up one Saturday to let the dogs out, I reflected on the fact that it is wise to also think about and pay attention to one’s spiritual alarm clock.

We can do this by waking up and immediately thanking God for the upcoming day. We can do this by seeking God’s help with what needs to be done, and by always remembering that, if we are inattentive to that internal clock, we may face messes in our lives that will need to be cleaned up later in the confessional.

Setting our spiritual time clock should be as routine as letting a dog out first thing each morning. We should be thanking God for His gifts, asking His forgiveness for our sins, and seeking His help. This is the best way to start each day.

May God gives us the grace to understand this reality and act accordingly. 

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek