How much is 'enough'

[confusedlost]

A little background about myself before question:I live in an unincorparated part of the city on the ‘poor’ side of town which can be noisy all night long - loud music/etc. difficult to get restful sleep. Also I have disablity with chronic pain that makes it hard to get good restful sleep anyway.
I can’t afford a housekeeper, so much of my energy goes to trying to keep up my home; so going out is limited. When I tried going to Mass daily I just couldn’t manage my home nor basic errands as well.

I do have Mass that I can hear at home.
I have online Eucharist Adoration.
I even have a Divine Mercy and Benediction dvd.

Question:
Like all of us, I can certainly pray for my family with their many needs/etc.

But how much is good, too much, etc
One priest on EWTN once said – I think it was Father Wade – something like:
Too much work fatigues the body
Too much prayer fatigues the soul
Too much playing makes one a bamboo(monkey)

Mass is most important
Then Adoration and Bible reading
Then the Rosary

Being at home most days; can make me stir crazy. I was thinking if I varied the routine it would be good:
Like 2 Masses – every other day?
Some saints heard Mass 2 and 3 times daily (St. Louis of France for example and he was the king)
and St. Francis de Sales even crossed a dangerous frozen plank during one winter just to get to Mass daily.

How many Rosaries daily - 4 or 8, etc?

How much and how often – I feel lost on this – nothing seems ‘enough’ and yet it needs to be balanced for both good physical and spiritual well-being.

for example some days my mind just can’t focus - and I give up on praying - I feel I can’t be present to God in my prayers with such a dazed mind (lack of sleep, noise, pain)

 

[mommyof4]

You have some good questions, but I think you need a spiritual director and/or priest to help you sort this out. What may fit one person isn’t necessarily the right routine for another. I think you are wise in trying to find a “balance” for your spiritual life, though.

 

[confusedlost]

Hi mommyof4: thank you for your post and for your confirmation that I need balance.

I have tried to find a spiritual director, someone who could get to know me and my specific situation, but so far no luck and it has been quite a while of searching. I feel like I am in limbo trying to figure out, trying to go one way and then another, but just not sure and so frustrated with myself.

 

[St_Francis]

Back in he Middle Ages, a saint was just oit enjoying nature, and a hunter came and asked him why he was doing that, as a religious, shouldn’t he be praying? The saint replied by asking the hunter why his bow was unstrung, and the hunter said it would be bad for the bow to be taut all the time, it would wear out sooner, and the saint said that the same is true of people.

Naturally, we want to not let our hearts wander too far from God, but we can check in with Him frequently during the day instead of long periods of concentration. We all do what we can, but we can also enjoy what God has created as well and have balance and joy in that.

It is hard to find a SD, I’ve been looking for years. But I have read several saints mention the dangers of pushing ourselves too hard in the spiritual life. I think that one Mass every day or every other day would be good, along with some of the devotions you have been doing. Possibly you could figure out a way to get to a park from time to time,'or do an easy form of volunteer work, like a call-in service (calling elderly people to make sure they are ok), or helping people improve their reading, or reading to blind people (just a thought not knowing the extent of your handicap).

Even if he’s not your SD, perhaps your priest could help you determine a good prayer life if you need more specificity than you can get online.

 

[confusedlost]

Back in he Middle Ages, a saint was just oit enjoying nature, and a hunter came and asked him why he was doing that, as a religious, shouldn’t he be praying? The saint replied by asking the hunter why his bow was unstrung, and the hunter said it would be bad for the bow to be taut all the time, it would wear out sooner, and the saint said that the same is true of people.

Naturally, we want to not let our hearts wander too far from God, but we can check in with Him frequently during the day instead of long periods of concentration. We all do what we can, but we can also enjoy what God has created as well and have balance and joy in that.

It is hard to find a SD, I’ve been looking for years. But I have read several saints mention the dangers of pushing ourselves too hard in the spiritual life. I think that one Mass every day or every other day would be good, along with some of the devotions you have been doing. Possibly you could figure out a way to get to a park from time to time,.

Thank you; your advice is helpful and I loved the story. I do enjoy nature and that would be good to get out and relax in a natural setting at times.