In the Salesian tradition there is the daily practice of preparing for the day. This is another element that grew from the “Rule of Life” St. Francis de Sales established for himself as a student in Padua. He began the day with this practice which he performed each morning, where ‘by using his imagination, St. Francis tried to foresee the places he was to go, the situations in which he might find himself, the people with whom he would come in contact, and the things he would do during the course of the day.‘Having noted the foreseeable difficulties, he would plan a way to minimize or avoid these, concluding by offering himself to do God’s will during the day.
An underlying assumption of this exercise is that by drawing oneself into God’s presence in the midst of ordinary activities, an ordinary task becomes a sacred act. This unobtrusive practice can be done while we are getting washed, showered and dressed in the morning. It invites us to foresee the events of the day and consider how to approach them in a way that encourages a recollection of God in all things.
The ‘Direction of Intention’ is a short prayer said before each action of the day. This prayerasks God’s help, offers the action to God, and accepts willingly whatever difficulty might be experienced.
