January 31, 2019 — This application is part of my everyday life now. In order to describe how I’m using it, I decided to reflect on some questions.
How often do I use it? What time in the day do I use it?
How often do I use it? What time in the day do I use it?Almost every morning. Mostly during weekdays, on the bus, on my way to work. On weekends, I try to make it a point that it’s the first app I open when I hold my phone – sometimes I am successful, sometimes not. This is mainly because of the notifications that piles on when I am asleep.
What are the features you like most? Why?
I like Daily Reflections because it keeps me in line and focuses on my day ahead. I also like the Reminders, which allows me to make time for reflection and prayer.
How does it work for you?
For a person who has limited cellphone data, I stick to the passage of the day (text on image) and daily inspirations, which includes Scripture, Ignatian Reflection, and prayer.
SCRIPTURE – Assigned reading of the day from the Bible. Most of the time it is from the New Testament, sometimes from the Old Testament.
IGNATIAN REFLECTION – Reflection based on the scripture given. The reflection is usually written by a Jesuit. There are times that a lay collaborator writes it, which I love because it gives me a different perspective in life (e.g. reflection of a mom, of a teacher in a developing country, professor in a private school, a social worker in a run-down neighborhood )
PRAYER – It can be a personal prayer, sometimes it a famous prayer of saints (I.e. Prayer of Generosity).
Why do I use it?
It gives me peace for the day.
- To me it is like the first conversation I have with God. He tells me a story, I reflect on it, try to figure out what His message is and try to apply it to my day.
- It prepares me emotionally and mentally to tackle the tasks I have to do for the day.
- Keeps me focus on the day ahead, and know that whatever happens, good or bad, there is always a blessing or a lesson behind it.
- When there are decisions to make, it helps me to discern which decision to take, or even come up with alternative decisions along the way.
Is the app sufficient to keep your peace for the whole day?
No. It is mainly a supplement to my prayer routine, which is praying the rosary and reciting prayers I have in my Pinterest account. Personally, I think the Jesuit Prayer app serves as a glue to my prayer routine. It is the main source of reflection: It helps me reflect on the mysteries of the rosary and at the same time, assists me in choosing which prayers to recite from my Pinterest account. The reflection part helps a lot in controlling my actions and emotions during the day.
Do you have any suggestions for future improvements?
I hope that in the future, we can customize the reminders per day. As I have a different schedule during weekdays versus the weekends.
