Do you ever feel like that?
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Last Wednesday at adoration I felt completely unable to pray, to think, to meditate, to settle down - that sort of thing. After my usual examen, prayers of adoration, and litany of intentions, I just looked at the Lord silently for a really long time. Some Wednesdays, after an hour or so of looking, I have been beginning to feel restless - and it is then I usually pray the psalms or read the scriptures. However, at that point this past Wednesday, I recalled how our Lord instructed St. Faustina to pray the chaplet unceasingly. So after finishing my rosary, I began to pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy, and I prayed it over and over until the end of adoration.
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"In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings." - Romans 8:26
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Photo credit.
Looks like a job for John of the Cross.
ReplyDeleteYes, I often feel like that. Sometimes I wish the chapel offered an hour of private adoration because I would just like to lay prostrate on the floor before the Blessed Sacrament. To do so with others around would be jarring to them and perhaps viewed as attention-seeking.
ReplyDeleteI think you were on to something with the Divine Mercy chaplet. Saint Faustina prayed the chaplet all the time, and it was undoubtedly a prayer very pleasing to Our Lord since He dictated it to her. I think in those times of aridity and anxiety and inability to settle down, you can't go wrong by picking the devotions most pleasing to Our Lord and Our Mother and doing the best you can.
I used to think it was enough for me to just be there, as opposed to doing something else. But that doesn't work because truth be told, there is no place I'd rather be than before the Blessed Sacrament. It is more of a sacrifice for me to go to the movies or accept an invitation to a party. In fact, I think you just inspired something for me to write about. Thanks :-)
Speak with words from your heart to our Divine Master in the Blessed Sacrament.
ReplyDeleteDon’t wait until a calamity for the Lord to recognize you and come to your rescue.
Speak to him like little Marcellino del pane y el vino…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPs-pAvwEPk&feature=related
Christ’s love for you is unfathomable.
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Terry: Do I ever know about this. I end up apoloizing to Jesus...Take your mind off this.America Magazine's Blog, In All Things has a review up, along w/ the NYTimes' review, of "Of Gods and Men. I remembered your interest. It looks superb...
ReplyDeleteI get stuck like that too,,although I have learned that it is God's way of making me shut up...that it His turn to talk....
ReplyDeleteSo I say the prayer of Samuel, "Here I am Lord." And shut up.
I think so often we babble away to God, Jesus,Holy Spirit,Blessed Mother,various saints and angels, and we don't let them get a word in edgewise :) I had one very wise Trappist monk tell me "Spend one minute praying and 59 minutes listening."
Sara
Terry, I just finished praying the rosary and at the beginning of the mystery, (the finding in the temple) the thought that sprang to mind to meditate whilst praying was: "You naughty boy Jesus!"
ReplyDeleteI quickly said sorry and tried to reflect some other thought but I ended up laughing and I am sure the Lord had a chuckle too, I mean, you can't help what springs into your mind and it is after all, perhaps similar to what Our Lady said to Him, on finding Him.
Hope this isn't sacriligious to anyone. I mean, I know it's not of much use, but I just wanted to let you know how prayer goes on in my head sometimes.
I do have intense moments as well, also dry ones, even times when prayer seems totally boring to my senses. I thought everyone was the same?
I just try and keep going regardless, who else can I turn to? I went to Eucharistic Adoration after Mass, with a friend a few weeks ago, who had never been to adoration before. They were so encouraged, they decidied to go on their own the next week, for an hour! I had thought the time I spent there was distracted and not meaningful and wanted to try and explain this to my companion, yet God was attracting their spirit regardless of my experience. We never know what God is upto, with others, using us and our seemingly barren worship as fruitful witness.
Anyway, it's good to know others are struggling too. Am I allowed to think that? It just helps me feel I am not alone and to keep trying....
Shadowlands..hehehe about the "naughty" boy Jesus :)
ReplyDeleteWe had a chat about this on our Carmelite group....one thing that was brought up is that Jesus was fully Man in all things but sin...so yes he probably did do "boy things" that exasperated his parents...did he have temper tantrums like ALL two year olds?? Probably... One grandma in my groups reflected on "losing" Jesus said she wouild be in an absolute paninc "We've LOST the Son of God!!"
Then the flip side..I was going to confession one day and there was a 10 year old boy ahead of me..I remarked that it was good to see him in confession, that it makes Jesus happy, and he smiled at me and said,"Jesus was a boy once like me, he knows what it's like." Apparently he had "boy stuff" to confess :) Although I really don't think that Child Jesus would have pulled his sister's hair :)
Sara
"In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings." - Romans 8:26
ReplyDeleteTerry, I often take comfort from this verse, too.
Maria, I really want to see "Of Gods and Men".