Quiet prayer or meditation is not always easy. Distractions, temptations, day-dreams and all kinds of goofy ideas can intrude into the prayer life of even the most earnest Catholic. I meet these good people when they pour out their hearts about their prayer lives in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
“I feel I am being attacked by the devil, Father. I see too much evil in people and I despair because of my fears. I never feel that God is near to me. Worse, I think that God is going to let me fall because my sins deserve eternal punishment. This is what I get, Father, for having tolerated evil in my life and even, at times, having embraced sin.
“I feel I am being attacked by the devil, Father. I see too much evil in people and I despair because of my fears. I never feel that God is near to me. Worse, I think that God is going to let me fall because my sins deserve eternal punishment. This is what I get, Father, for having tolerated evil in my life and even, at times, having embraced sin.That’s not all. I feel trapped by the effects of my sins. I’m not able to get up from my sins and am constantly bothered by temptations.”
No one has confessed to me in those exact words but over the years I have heard this lament about interior prayer many times. The sinner is tortured by a kind of anxiety and depression which makes it hard for him (It could be a her) to experience God’s love and His grace.
The penitent has come to the sacrament of Reconciliation out of desperation and like an intensive care patient in severe pain, the penitent wants relief, otherwise he wouldn’t be in the confessional.
I think of this encounter with a sick soul (as the philosopher William James would have called him) as an opportunity to give him an injection of spiritual medicine and an I.V. hydration for his soul.
I take control of the situation with strong medicine because it is my job to do that. I remind the penitent that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a powerful moment of grace, an opportunity for healing. I encourage the penitent to listen to the absolution and open his heart to the healing movement of the Holy Spirit.
It’s not me but Our Lord who cures in the wonderful sacrament of healing. While I am praying the words of absolution, I am also praying to get out of God’s way and let His healing waters bring cleansing and refreshment to this soul.
Again, a second type of made-up penitent: This time, the penitent says something like this: “I pray, Father, but can’t seem to get anywhere in my prayer life. Strong temptations upset my efforts at prayer. I fight them but they just won’t leave me.”
This penitent is like a guy standing on a ladder, painting the ceiling of a kitchen. He gets frightened by a tiny spider, loses his concentration and falls. He survives with a scratch on his leg, but is otherwise O.K. He is still afraid of spiders so he’s going to inspect the ceiling carefully before he goes up the ladder again. He’s determined not to lose focus and fall a second time.
Most distractions in prayer, whether temptations or not, cause us to lose focus in our prayers. We are supposed to be praying, gently moving our hearts and minds to the Lord.
St. Albert the Great counsels us to just brush away these kinds of distractions as if they are house-flies dancing before our eyes. We don’t have to get out the artillery when all we need is a fly-swatter. Don’t fight with yourself to get back to the presence of God. Acknowledge the nature of the distraction and gently bring your heart back to prayer.”
St. Albert the Great counsels us to just brush away these kinds of distractions as if they are house-flies dancing before our eyes. We don’t have to get out the artillery when all we need is a fly-swatter. Don’t fight with yourself to get back to the presence of God. Acknowledge the nature of the distraction and gently bring your heart back to prayer.”
Most people are relieved to learn that even the saints were often distracted in their prayer lives. The saints remind us that Our Lord simply wants us to be faithful and take time to pray — often. If horrifying temptations attack, meet them with courage and the grace of the sacraments.
When common distractions come, gently move your heart and mind back to God.
When common distractions come, gently move your heart and mind back to God.