Concentation during prayer

Padraig,

You have mentioned before something about lack of concentration and the night of the senses. How exactly do you know or not whether this is the case? I could just be having a bad 2 weeks, but I really have a tough time concentrating. More likely, I cannot control my thoughts, or that is how it feels. I am not supposing that I am experiencing this, but for sake of curiosity, how would someone react if they were going through this? Do they just give in to the wondering thoughts during prayer, and for that matter, during times throughout the day?

thanks!!!
jay

 

A good example of this is one I hear priests often using and also I noticed Father Benedict Groeshell using at EWTN is this: an old Catholic lady comes to confession and is mortified because she can no longer say the rosary. She tries to say the Hail Mary and her heart takes off like a NASA rocket. She thinks this is due to laziness but, not at all she is going into changeover and into contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer can seem like doing nothing or a darkness. To carry on meditative prayer when the SPirit is calling one to simple silence is a bit like feeding a teenager baby food. Folks prayer often changes during life and we should cater for this since its no good eating pap when you should be chompinga siloin steak and potatos. :wink:

Signs might be this, you are already spending quite a bit of time already on meditaive prayer, you are having a good go at keeping the ten commandments, or at least are keeping clear of mortal sin, you feel a real hunger for the Lord, for the Eucharist and the Word of God, your usual prayer feels dry and stale.

The Night of the Senses is not at all the same as the Darkk Night of the Soul which can, God help us last up to fifty years or more in some cases. The Night of the Senses is just a glitch {if its handled right}

Anyhow its just a matter of trying to shut up during prayer and letting the Holy SPirit do the runnung for you. The prayer of Quiet or recollection should come through as a sweet restful peace.

Some folks get uncomfortable doing this, we are so busy, busy, bust we want to keep driving the car and aren't happy letting the Spirit take the wheel.

 

Padraig,

This topic now has become perfectly clear. It makes sense that you become bored by meditative prayer if contemplative prayer is where the Holy Spirit is leading you. To be honest, I was always curious why you stopped praying the rosary daily after it has taken you so far. Now I understand that it is a form of meditative prayer, and the Holy Spirit led you to contemplative prayer. I guess you could consider this as Mary delivering us to the Lord's feet? figuratively speaking?

thanks again,
jay

 

I still say the rosary now Jay. But I used to say it very many times a day. But there comes a time when God tells you to keep quiet and listen up a little, I guess like a child who chatters too much to his Mother.

I noticed there a nice quote from Saint Francis, 'When you pray ask for nothing, nothing, nothing'. Francis here is talking about the simplification of prayer into simply being there. If we are talking to God all the time asking for favours the poor Lord does not get a chance to talk back. Sometimes simply being with someone, holding their hands is enough.

However I think there should be freedom, I still like the rosary, reading holy stuff, lighting candles and what not when praying, but basically for me it is just being there. I think that that is the key with prayer, freedom.

 

So, if you have a balance with asking and listening, then the concentration issues will not exist? I can't help it, but always need to try and put everything in a container. Would it be fair to say:

Vocal and meditative prayer: asking
Contemplative prayer/prayer of quiet: listening

I guess the third category is just being aware of his presence while you are about on your daily tasks, which is a form of prayer I imagine, I guess more like just being with him, as you mentioned in your post.

I am just trying to understand what experiences I am having, and it seems that I am stumbling around quite a bit. I am sure my guardian angel has put his hand to his forehead many times....

 

I think Vocal and meditative prayer can be about asking sometimes but you can see it better as the hallway into contemplative prayer. you may recall my quote from Saint Francis of Assissi who said, 'When I pray to God I ask Him nothing, nothing, nothing.'

I am never done asking God for things. But the main part of prayer is simply to be like a baby in his mothers arms. Just being there as Francis says.

Eventually prayer is not about praying but becomming prayer. You may see this a little if you go to mass a little early. Now notice how folks change as they enter and stay in the Church. the ones who have been there a while have a stillness and prayerfulness about them , as though they had a little quiet pond or lake within.

Whereas the ones who have just hit the pews are like little birds or starlings with their feathers still rustling and still chirping about. Now if you were praying loads you would be carry that lake about with you all the time, always that inner peace. Sometimes when you meet someone you see this unmistakable something that tells you, wow this is a person who prays.

As far as work goes or any other human activity, no matter what that should be all falling into prayer as it goes on. Christ doesn't want 10 per cent He is greedy and wants it all!! :wink: :wink: :wink:

But in order to make work more and more itself prayer we need to be spending some of the other time in prayer in order to transform this activity. Nazarerth is a good example of this, looking at the Holy Family working.

 

Padraig,

You have a wonderful gift of making a simple observation at Holy Mass and drawing out beautiful, spritual insights.

Personally, I am far from becoming prayer. One change I do see in my prayer life the last few years is a habit of turning to prayer when the job at hand does not require focused attention. It may occur while washing dishes, driving down the highway, working in the garden, or other occasions when involved in a repetitive task. It may be the asking of a petition, a thank you, or a glance of love. Increasingly, this slipping into prayer is not a response to fulfill a prayer commitment, but rather the conscious desire to be with God. I do have my scheduled time of meditation in the early AM, but sometimes these spontaneous moments seem more fruitful than the scheduled half-hour which oft appears dry and full of distraction.

Is this indicative of growth in prayer?

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

Y es Terry, it is a sign of deep growth. I had a picture there of an old leather armchair, loved and familiar which we sink into with the ease of great familiarity. To be able to do this in prayer is the sign of a deep familiar friendship.

I think also being aware of the signs of the times is another sitgn in itself, not everyone is doing this. As Jesus said, 'Blessed are you Father of heaven and Earth for having revealed these things to children rather than the wise and learned....'.