Group prayer

[CSN]

I feel kind of bad right now, because I just came back from a Holy Hour, and there was one new person there who was praying loud, and would go at a different pace than everyone else. Most of the time the group is in fairly good harmony, and having this new person come in and kind of wreck the timing is frustrating for me → I found it very distracting. I spent the whole time alternatively trying to reinforce the old rhythm or keeping quiet and going with the flow. What should I do?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I feel kind of bad right now, because I just came back from a Holy Hour, and there was one new person there who was praying loud, and would go at a different pace than everyone else. Most of the time the group is in fairly good harmony, and having this new person come in and kind of wreck the timing is frustrating for me → I found it very distracting. I spent the whole time alternatively trying to reinforce the old rhythm or keeping quiet and going with the flow. What should I do?

This happens all the time. A couple who lead the Rosary at my parish, rush through it so fast, it’s completed in less that ten minutes. Why bother going?

My wife and myself, both prefer praying the Liturgy of the Hours together or alone, then meditating and reading scripture, alone.

The only group prayer we’re involved with now is the Mass.

Jim

 

[mommyof4]

I feel kind of bad right now, because I just came back from a Holy Hour, and there was one new person there who was praying loud, and would go at a different pace than everyone else. Most of the time the group is in fairly good harmony, and having this new person come in and kind of wreck the timing is frustrating for me → I found it very distracting. I spent the whole time alternatively trying to reinforce the old rhythm or keeping quiet and going with the flow. What should I do?

I understand how annoying that can be, but try to offer it up. Easier said than done, I know.

 

[gardenswithkids]

I feel kind of bad right now, because I just came back from a Holy Hour, and there was one new person there who was praying loud, and would go at a different pace than everyone else. Most of the time the group is in fairly good harmony, and having this new person come in and kind of wreck the timing is frustrating for me → I found it very distracting. I spent the whole time alternatively trying to reinforce the old rhythm or keeping quiet and going with the flow. What should I do?

Recognize that distractions in prayer happen. (If it hadn’t been this person, it could have been your stomach growling or the room temperature or something else.) What you should **not **do is give up on your holy hour, nor should you say anything that might discourage this new person from praying a holy hour. Group prayer and prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament is powerful. Whether it’s our fallen human natures or other spiritual forces, distractions happen. Acknowlege to God that you are distracted, then try set the distraction aside and refocus on your prayers.

 

[puzzleannie]

I feel kind of bad right now, because I just came back from a Holy Hour, and there was one new person there who was praying loud, and would go at a different pace than everyone else. Most of the time the group is in fairly good harmony, and having this new person come in and kind of wreck the timing is frustrating for me → I found it very distracting. I spent the whole time alternatively trying to reinforce the old rhythm or keeping quiet and going with the flow. What should I do?

work on being welcoming the next time, try to put yourself in their shoes, being new, not knowing the rhythm or procedure, perhaps being hard of hearing or speaking another language. Talk with the “regulars” in the group about ways you can invite more people to participate, and help them join the prayers etc (and gently inform them on rules about silence, reverence etc if necessary). Resist the feeling that you have created a private comfort zone for yourselves, and that others are intruders, that is a dangerous mood that can end up robbing the Holy Hour of its value for you.

 

[mommyof4]

I remember once I accidently showed up at a chapel at the time that a group of people were doing devotions (Shephers of the Lamb, if I’m not mistaken). They were very welcoming to me and made me feel at home immediatly. They invited me to join them on Monday nights to pray with them, but I haven’t been able to join them again, due to family responsibilites at home. Maybe during the summer I can have a bit more flexible time and join them once in a while.

So yes, puzzleannie, it is great when we can welcome a stranger into our prayer time, even if their timing is a bit off!

 

[4loveofJesus]

May God’s peace, love and mercy be with you all!

What great blessing and grace that you are all doing Adoration!

Let us not allow ourselves to be distracted or annoyed during prayer. If we do get distracted then let us immediately turn to Jesus and Our Blessed Mother to help us.

We also have to remember at what pace are we saying the prayers. I remembered praying the rosary with others during or after holy mass at certain occasions, the prayers were said in harmony so fast it was more of an amazing race than amazing grace so I turned to Our Blessed Mother to teach us how to pray. So, I prayed at the pace that comes from the heart and eventually everybody slowed down to the point that saying the prayers became moving that it touches the heart rather than being said hurriedly that we are not able to meditate on the words of the prayer.

As we continue to adore Our Good Lord Jesus, let us always be thankful and appreciative to all who take their time out to visit and keep Our Good Lord Jesus company during adoration however God moves them to spend that time with Him. God bless!

Blessed be Jesus and Mary!

 

[Margaret33]

Recognize that distractions in prayer happen. (If it hadn’t been this person, it could have been your stomach growling or the room temperature or something else.) What you should **not **do is give up on your holy hour, nor should you say anything that might discourage this new person from praying a holy hour. Group prayer and prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament is powerful. Whether it’s our fallen human natures or other spiritual forces, distractions happen. Acknowlege to God that you are distracted, then try set the distraction aside and refocus on your prayers.

There are many posts in the forums about distraction in prayer, especially, it seems, during Lent. Some say that these distractions are the work of Satan to keep us from our prayers - reminding myself of this has helped me not to let distraction win

Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about distraction during prayer:

*Facing difficulties in prayer

2729 The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. It can affect words and their meaning in vocal prayer; it can concern, more profoundly, him to whom we are praying, in vocal prayer (liturgical or personal), meditation, and contemplative prayer. To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve.*

Bless you,
Margaret

 

[chevalier]

Maybe try to ignore it or offer it up as has been said. If the people are not doing it on purpose, they will learn to catch up. If they are doing it on purpose, they will lose interest when they see it causes no reaction: neither conflict nor submission. For our sakes as much as their own, let’s assume they aren’t doing it on purpose.

 

[CSN]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Actually, it’s quite an exaggeration to say that the timing is all off.

In the end, it comes down to whether there is a little pause after “pray for us sinners”. Sometimes there would be, and sometimes there wouldn’t.

But the thing is, concentrating on keeping in unison keeps me from concentrating more on the prayer. Is that just me?

We are not a tight-knit group by any means. Many of us just show up, pray and then leave. But we did have harmony

Ahh, maybe I was just tired and crabby that day…

 

[CSN]

I understand how annoying that can be, but try to offer it up. Easier said than done, I know.

I tried that. I’ll try again. I think I’m being taught a little lesson here. That things can’t always go my way. Our church (note: this Holy Hour is a different church - I live in a foreign country and this is the only place I know that does it in English) organizes ‘events’ from time to time, like feeding the poor or our own group prayers, and I admit I have been quite annoyed when things don’t go according to my well-crafted plans (as I say that, I’m tapping my fingers together and stroking my fu manchu…).

So then it becomes more of a thing of pride…

 

[CSN]

Recognize that distractions in prayer happen. (If it hadn’t been this person, it could have been your stomach growling or the room temperature or something else.) What you should **not **do is give up on your holy hour, nor should you say anything that might discourage this new person from praying a holy hour. Group prayer and prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament is powerful. Whether it’s our fallen human natures or other spiritual forces, distractions happen. Acknowlege to God that you are distracted, then try set the distraction aside and refocus on your prayers.

Yes, I won’t give up. But honestly, there are voices that project across rooms, like they really can pierce through the air, and then there are voices that are really low and muffled. Most of us are mufflers, but the off-timer is an air-piercer.

And yes, I was debating whether to say something, but decided I could not. I mean who am I ? Maybe no one else cares…

But if it was my friend, I’d say “DUDE, GET WITH THE PROGRAM.”

Ugh, ok, I’ll stop ranting.

 

[maggieodae]

I feel kind of bad right now, because I just came back from a Holy Hour, and there was one new person there who was praying loud, and would go at a different pace than everyone else. Most of the time the group is in fairly good harmony, and having this new person come in and kind of wreck the timing is frustrating for me → I found it very distracting. I spent the whole time alternatively trying to reinforce the old rhythm or keeping quiet and going with the flow. What should I do?

LOL! Reminds me of the little old lady at our Parish when I was growing up. She used to say the rosary with a unique bent. The usual beginning, first mystery, Our Father, One hail Mary, and then she would say…“The same, the same , the same for the next 9 Hail Marys.”

Let me tell you…that will ruin your concentration for sure.

 

[CSN]

work on being welcoming the next time, try to put yourself in their shoes, being new, not knowing the rhythm or procedure, perhaps being hard of hearing or speaking another language. Talk with the “regulars” in the group about ways you can invite more people to participate, and help them join the prayers etc (and gently inform them on rules about silence, reverence etc if necessary). Resist the feeling that you have created a private comfort zone for yourselves, and that others are intruders, that is a dangerous mood that can end up robbing the Holy Hour of its value for you.

Ahh, as I said, we are not a tight-knit group. It seems that we are a group of lone wolves with dark secrets and troubled lives. I myself am one of them.

I thought about the hard of hearing or limited language part. I thought of many many things, many of which I should not type here.

Well, it will sort itself out. There is a reason this person is here, and it’s probably to teach me that substance, not form, matters.

 

[CSN]

May God’s peace, love and mercy be with you all!

What great blessing and grace that you are all doing Adoration!

Let us not allow ourselves to be distracted or annoyed during prayer. If we do get distracted then let us immediately turn to Jesus and Our Blessed Mother to help us.

…]

As we continue to adore Our Good Lord Jesus, let us always be thankful and appreciative to all who take their time out to visit and keep Our Good Lord Jesus company during adoration however God moves them to spend that time with Him. God bless!

Blessed be Jesus and Mary!

This is true. I read this from a website:

“The Pope beatified Sister Faustina, who wrote in her diary that each Holy Hour of prayer so pleases the Heart of Jesus, that every man, woman and child on earth receives a new effect from God’s goodness and love, all because of the value of a single Holy Hour made in His Presence.”

google.co.kr/search?hl=ko&q=adoration+so+pleases&lr=

So yeah, let’s all continue the Holy Hour, for ourselves and for each other.

 

[CSN]

There are many posts in the forums about distraction in prayer, especially, it seems, during Lent. Some say that these distractions are the work of Satan to keep us from our prayers - reminding myself of this has helped me not to let distraction win

Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about distraction during prayer:

Bless you,
Margaret

Yes, Satan, the craftiest judo master who always tries to throw all of us off balance.

 

[puzzleannie]

LOL! Reminds me of the little old lady at our Parish when I was growing up. She used to say the rosary with a unique bent. The usual beginning, first mystery, Our Father, One hail Mary, and then she would say…“The same, the same , the same for the next 9 Hail Marys.”

Let me tell you…that will ruin your concentration for sure.

or “Big ONe, litle one, little one, little one . . . .”
the children at Fatima were chided by our Lady for shortchanging their rosary prayers by saying only the first words of each prayer.

 

[AngelRose81]

I personally like praying alone, too. I get too distracted in group prayer, but I know it can have its benefits too.