Distractions /invasive thoughts

Do you ever struggle during prayer time or anytime of the day with Distractions/ invasive thoughts? Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with you. It happens sometimes. But the most important thing to do during a unwanted thought is not to dwell on or focus too much about that thought or the meaning of that thought unless you believe it was given to you by God. Discerning God’s will is another thing entirely. If it seems like something Good, that comes from God & aligns with His ways, then it could be from Him. In that case maybe pray about it a bit later. So you’re praying and suddenly start thinking about bills or what you need to do after mass today or that your husband just set a cup on the table without a coaster and now you’re gonna have to scrub it later… or what if….or hmm am I doing this enough….etc … the list is endless …usually for me it’s at night I start thinking about absolutely everything my entire life and wrong and right and what more I can do and if I’ve done atonement enough for the past things I’ve done wrong til I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and my guardian angel calming me down and saying it’s in God’s hands just go to bed. Haha or in a nicer way that they would say that. Reflecting on our lives past,present, and future is going. Where we have been, where we are going, and where we are now. But that’s a reflection for another time. So what do you do if suddenly you’re just trying to pray & focus on time with God when all of a sudden you wanna check something on social media or check your emails or whatever it may be that’s distracting you ?

First I’ll say don’t drown yourself in despair or worry or focus too much on that one thing the whole time. Instead try to focus on letting it go. It happened yes but instead of letting it consume you, offer it up.

Let’s start with today’s homily.

•Today during the homily the priest was talking about distractions from prayer time with Jesus.

I had this image in my head of a narrow rough pathway rocky and uphill and in the middle of the path at the end of the road was a the open gate to beautiful heaven at the end of this rough terrain path and on either side small stones and even large boulders were crashing down and I gathered that those are the distractions huraling at me that make me look away from Lord. The Lord was standing in the middle of the path directly in front of me radiant and shining with a smile on His face but with the wounds and crown of thorns from His Holy Passion. He had His arms stretched out to either side as He did on the cross but He was holding the boulders and stones back from falling on me so that I could walk more easily on my pathway to heaven.

(Now keep in mind that my mind was taken away from the homily for a few minutes as I was thinking of this image so …)

The message however is that yes we will get distracted at times and look at worldly things but Our Good Shepherd Lord is good to us and He is here to come get His sheep. He protects us. He is the Way the Truth & the Life. The Light that guides us to Heaven. He knows we if are trying or if we are not listening to His voice . He also knows that we get distracted at times. Next time you get distracted (I’m going to do this too because it’s a daily struggle for me to focus) offer it up. Immediately focus your attention back to Him when you catch your mind wandering. Then, Whatever that distraction is offer it up to our Lord and for atonement for our sins and those of the whole world and He will help you to concentrate.

Say this prayer often when that happens

“I offer this up to You Lord but please

Focus My Eyes & My Heart Lord Upon Your Cross. “