Dealing with distractions

[rider]

The NO Mass I attend is in a small mission church that is inundated with vacationers from the big cities every summer. Typically, there is a lot of loud conversation before Mass starts and during the “sign of peace”. There is also a great deal of immodest, and downright sloppy, dress. And no kneeling during the Consecration or after the Agnus Dei. Often I am the only one who kneels. I find this all very distracting and I’m having a hard time dealing with this. I want so much to revere the Real Presence but sometimes it seems as if I can’t find Him through the clouds of irreverence around me. It is to the point where I don’t even want to be there. I can’t change the people around me, and not going to church is not an option; can anyone give me some pointers on dealing with distractions?

 

[Cat]

I’ve really been helped by reading Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.

He talks a lot about detaching yourself from the things of this world and developing an interior life that isn’t hindered by outward distractions.

I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.

 

[anniemart]

The NO Mass I attend is in a small mission church that is inundated with vacationers from the big cities every summer. Typically, there is a lot of loud conversation before Mass starts and during the “sign of peace”. There is also a great deal of immodest, and downright sloppy, dress. And no kneeling during the Consecration or after the Agnus Dei. Often I am the only one who kneels. I find this all very distracting and I’m having a hard time dealing with this. I want so much to revere the Real Presence but sometimes it seems as if I can’t find Him through the clouds of irreverence around me. It is to the point where I don’t even want to be there. I can’t change the people around me, and not going to church is not an option; can anyone give me some pointers on dealing with distractions?

what a blessing it is to read your post…don’t stop what you are doing…someday you will know that the reverance you display in a crowd full of non-reverance holders was for the intent of a non-believing observer. I guarantee you, there is someone who needs to see you doing what we all should all be doing…worshipping the King of Kings…

He sits there day after day on His throne and waits only to bestow upon us His blessings…His house is the only place you can come in with nothing but leave with everything you will ever need. God Bless You!

 

[rider]

Thanks for the replies; my sister told me to think of Jesus bearing his cross on the way to Calvary with the crowd jeering at him- I guess that puts it into perspective and makes my cross very very small!

 

[paramedicgirl]

Thanks for the replies; my sister told me to think of Jesus bearing his cross on the way to Calvary with the crowd jeering at him- I guess that puts it into perspective and makes my cross very very small!

I’m surprised there aren’t more replies in this thread. Don’t other people encounter distractions and have methods for dealing with them? Although I do like this suggestion the best.If we remember what Jesus endured for our sake, our cross is very small indeed.

 

[water]

I try to pray wherever I go or I am at. If I can pray any place, I won’t have much problem at the Church. If people do things they are not supposed to do, offer a quick prayer for them, and I get back to the Mass.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Sometimes I think people really don’t realize they’re distracting others when they carry on conversations in church. This morning I was trying to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in church right before Mass, and two women were holding a rather loud conversation behind me. Mightily distracted but not wanting to offend them by asking them to stop, I began praying in a barely audible voice so that they could just about hear me. It seemed to work; they stopped right away, or brought their conversation down to a very quiet whisper. I stopped vocalizing and continued to pray silently, and all was well.

 

[Joysong]

St. Therese spoke in her autobiography about a sister who had a most distracting habitual noise that grated on Therese’s nerves while they were in chapel at prayer. (Maybe like scratching nails on a blackboard?) It was so tempting to lash out at her and give looks of impatience, but instead she made a virtue of necessity and offered up the “music” to the Lord.

Most likely, her willingness to suffer won for her the heroic virtue of patience, and probably brought special graces for those she prayed for and united to herself in her daily offering.

That’s not much of an answer to your problem, but it does provide an opportunity to turn a troubling temptation into grace. There is an author who served in the mission territory of Israel and was able to sleep through the noise and fright of nightly bombings. It caused pure wonderment to those around her who could not believe their eyes. She exclaimed that she was so secure in the arms of God that not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowing it, so she slept in the midst of it all.

Why not ask the Lord to teach you how to handle this as He would do? Then watch and listen for what He inspires for this situation. It is very hard for us to advise you, for it may be something He asks specifically of you alone.
Let us know how it turns out, ok?

 

[Hellisreal]

I have never really been able to fight distractions well.

What helps me is this:

Luke 18: 15-17 and Mark 10: 14-16

Summary- kids can be distracting.
Jesus has wise words about it

I remind myself that what I NEED to hear Jesus will surely make clear if I have my mind on HIM.



I hope this is somewhat helpful.

Try to focus on Jesus holding his arms out for the children to come to Him…