Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Lord, help me in my weakness

That which is sacred and deserves all our attention


I love going to church and being in the presence of Our Eucharistic Lord.  But I am a weak human being, and sometimes, human thoughts supersede my focus on the Holy Sacrifice that takes place at the altar.  Somewhere between the time Father was placing the consecrated Host on the corporal and when he lifted the chalice, I lost my concentration.  I thought I'd go to Mass a little hungry yesterday and add an element of sacrifice, and the result was that I caught myself thinking of what I would have for lunch when I got home.

What a loser.

I wonder sometimes why God does what He does for us. It's bad enough that I lack the discipline to pay Him homage as I should, but then I go a step further in the wrong direction and try to assign human flaws and failings to Him.

I have no trouble believing in the Real Presence, so why can't I accord Jesus in the Eucharist the attention He deserves?  If there is any time to pay rapt attention and adore the Lord, it is during the Canon of the Mass.

So I once again ask for your help.  I'd like to think I love the Lord so much that I don't need help in this regard, but I do.  How do you clear such distracting thoughts from your mind?

I know that St. Teresa of Avila once said we should treat distractions like bees that we wave away.  Bees while you're praying are one thing.  Bees during the most critical part of the Mass are another.

6 comments:

  1. This is just a thought. But could you going to mass every day make it so repetitious that you lose focus? I know I personally don't handle repetition well.

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  2. It's not for us to judge how our offering to God in worship, is being received. The aim is to try, put the footwork in (my favourite expression at the moment).
    Your instinctive thought about food is a gift of your nature, given by God. If you didn't have it, your feelings of hunger might not prompt you to eat. Then you would die.
    Your will, decided to withold food from your body, as an act of sacrifice (love for God), Jesus would have received this act of surrender as a gift offering.

    What happened in your mind and body afterwards, was something that as a human, you are subject to. Hunger, survival instincts. Gifts! You didn't run out of Mass and grab a burger at that minute, did you?

    Be gentle with the old flesh sometimes, it takes a bit of time for it to catch up with the will, especially if the will belongs to a conscientious person, such as yourself.
    If it happens again, I would just quietly say to your body, through your mind, "We will eat later body, for now it is our soul we are tending and God to whom, we are attending it." If it keeps on nagging, tell it to be quiet! You can take authority over it, after all, God given authority. You're it's steward! Treat it as you would a small child. You wouldn't despair and reject the child, you would cope! Don't forget to love yourself, in a childlike way too!

    God bless!

    Sorry, I've gone on a bit.

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  3. No Manny, the more one goes to Mass, the more one wants to go to Mass. Besides, I only get to Mass in the EF once a week so there really is no daily "repetition". This was just a case of human weakness.

    Ros, leave it to you to make me feel better. Thanks :)

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  4. Oh I wasn't saying not to go to mass. I was suggesting that your problem of focus is a result of too much familiarity, repetition. No go to mass, but if your mind drifts on the repetitive parts, that's to be expected. I guess that would be human weakness. I'm just explaining from where the weakness comes from.

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  5. Little Way: of course, you're a loser, we all are! If we weren't, there would be no need for Jesus. Don't despise your "human weakness". Jesus didn't and He still doesn't.

    If I may, can I suggest that you read a bit of St. Francis de Sales? "Thy Will Be Done: Letters to Persons in the World" is a well of spiritual comfort and refreshement.

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  6. Anonymous, thank you. In a short while I hope to have some time off where I will be staying off the computer and doing more spiritual reading than I have been I will definitely add your suggestion to the list. Thanks and God Bless!

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