Do you ever feel distracted at Mass?
We attended the 10am Mass at our parish this past Sunday. After arriving a few minutes early (not always a given when you have kids), I should have been later focused on the Lord and the privilege of worshiping Him.
Instead, I felt distracted. I was distracted.
A grandmother sat behind her family and proceeded to talk to them in an excited fashion. Some friends from school sat down across the Church. A young child cried while another young child watched the crying. Their parents did the best they could to pacify the cryer. A single man plunked down in the pew and read the bulletin with curious focus.
And on and on it went.
In addition to these external events taking place, my brain did its best to keep things even more active.
We attended the 10am Mass at our parish this past Sunday. After arriving a few minutes early (not always a given when you have kids), I should have been later focused on the Lord and the privilege of worshiping Him.
Instead, I felt distracted. I was distracted.
A grandmother sat behind her family and proceeded to talk to them in an excited fashion. Some friends from school sat down across the Church. A young child cried while another young child watched the crying. Their parents did the best they could to pacify the cryer. A single man plunked down in the pew and read the bulletin with curious focus.
And on and on it went.
In addition to these external events taking place, my brain did its best to keep things even more active.
- I thought of the two soccer games coming up later in the day.
- Thoughts of an upcoming retreat.
- A staff meeting on Tuesday would need some attention.
- A haircut was needed.
By the time the homily occurred, I was well past the point of calm, focused worship. I had covered the events of the world while being both internally and externally distracted by the good folks around me.
I suppose the question is this: when you feel distracted in prayer, what can you do?
One strategy that I can offer, which is effective some of the time is what I call “follow the words”. Pay attention to each word offered by the lector during the Liturgy of the Word. Try to “follow” each one, as if a dot was bouncing from one word to the next. During the prayers offered by the Deacon or Priest, follow the words. Let yourself be carried by them when you are distracted by others or by the busy thoughts in your own head.
Follow the words.
-Mike