Losing Focus during Mass

[Kilo1Mike21]

Hi All,

Straight to the point: I’m a disabled veteran and because of my physical condition I take numerous meds daily to include two narcotics. I hvae two situations that I hvae trouble with.

During Mass, I find my mind wandering during the readings either because it reminds me of something related or I “picture” the event in my mind and thus lose track of what was said. Other times Father will say something in his homily that again reminds me of something and the next thing I know, he’s on his way back to his chair and I’ve missed most of it.

Because of my disability I sit in the handicap row in front. During Communion, I try my best to stay standing during the whole sacrament but more often than not I hvae to sit down. When I do, if I look up, I’m staring straight at someones backside due to the line waiting for the precious blood or if their short enough, a womans chest area. I force myself to “stare” down at the weekly guide but I have to adjust my neck often which requires me to look up. If I catch myself, I will close my eyes when I do but sometimes I slip. When I do slip I’ll “see” what’s right in front of me and my first response is “DANG IT!” and look away.

I use a Sunday missle to help with the readings but I still “wander” off mentally and I feel really bad about this. As for looking at body parts…it depends on what I see. During the summer needless to say, the way women dress sometimes leaves little to the imagination and I then confess “impure thoughts” the next Saturday even though the thought most of the time it wasn’t impure, it was “how can you wear your swimsuit under a t-shirt and cut off jeans to Mass?” kind of thought (just covering all the bases just in case…)

I would really appreciate help from someone who also experiences either or both of these situations. Thanks and God bless!

 

[EasterJoy]

I’ve had the same problem with homilies. The best help I’ve had is to pretend I am going to have to relate the whole thing to a third person in the presence of the homilist. What you wind up doing is letting your mind race back and forth between what he’s saying and your mental check-list of what he’s built already. This keeps your “collie brain” occupied with plenty of idea-herding to do. Then–this last thing is a great tip from Matthew Kelly–you go home and write down what the homilist said and what your response was in a notebook. This is when your thoughts get their chance. Every homily you hear, you write down what was said and how it applies to you, what difference it could make in how you live your life as a Catholic, what you think the Lord was saying to you. Then every once in awhile, you read back through. It really does work.

As to the second problem, you can imagine that the woman is a relative, and pray for her. Not that guys never have impure thoughts about relatives, but they are also more naturally protective of the purity of sisters and cousins. Well, this is obviously a sister in Christ. Imagine, too, that she and you will both be purified and like the angels, when you finally get to spend eternity together, that the Eucharist will help to bring this about for you. Rejoice that the Lord can do that for you both, make it part of your Eucharistic thanksgiving. By the way: noticing that a woman needs more clothing on is not, in and of itself, an impure thought. You may as well call it gluttony when the sight of food makes you hungry.

Otherwise, I wonder if you could wheel yourself to the back of church and come around to the end of the line that leads back to your place in the front when communion is over. People would probably just think you do it to make more room for people to get by.

 

[Kilo1Mike21]

I’ve had the same problem with homilies. The best help I’ve had is to pretend I am going to have to relate the whole thing to a third person in the presence of the homilist. What you wind up doing is letting your mind race back and forth between what he’s saying and your mental check-list of what he’s built already. This keeps your “collie brain” occupied with plenty of idea-herding to do. Then–this last thing is a great tip from Matthew Kelly–you go home and write down what the homilist said and what your response was in a notebook. This is when your thoughts get their chance. Every homily you hear, you write down what was said and how it applies to you, what difference it could make in how you live your life as a Catholic, what you think the Lord was saying to you. Then every once in awhile, you read back through. It really does work.

As to the second problem, you can imagine that the woman is a relative, and pray for her. Not that guys never have impure thoughts about relatives, but they are also more naturally protective of the purity of sisters and cousins. Well, this is obviously a sister in Christ. Imagine, too, that she and you will both be purified and like the angels, when you finally get to spend eternity together, that the Eucharist will help to bring this about for you. Rejoice that the Lord can do that for you both, make it part of your Eucharistic thanksgiving. By the way: noticing that a woman needs more clothing on is not, in and of itself, an impure thought. You may as well call it gluttony when the sight of food makes you hungry.

Otherwise, I wonder if you could wheel yourself to the back of church and come around to the end of the line that leads back to your place in the front when communion is over. People would probably just think you do it to make more room for people to get by.

Thanks for the advise!
For the homily problem, I will try that (if I can recall what he said)
For the second part, I’m not in a wheelchair but I also cannot walk all the way to the back and then slowly walk forward to recieve or receive and then walk to the back of the line (I attend the Cathedral so it is crowded and communion takes about 10 minutes/20 minutes on holy days of obligation). Maybe I’ll just hold the weekly guide in front of my face when I look up.

 

[EasterJoy]

For the second part, I’m not in a wheelchair but I also cannot walk all the way to the back and then slowly walk forward to recieve or receive and then walk to the back of the line (I attend the Cathedral so it is crowded and communion takes about 10 minutes/20 minutes on holy days of obligation). Maybe I’ll just hold the weekly guide in front of my face when I look up.

Oh, I get it. Yes, it is different if you aren’t in a wheelchair.

Well, maybe you can keep your eyes to your right or to your left, on Father’s face while he is distributing Holy Communion under the species of bread, and remember that through this Sacrament we come closer to the hope of spending eternity singing the praises of God with every single person who comes through that line. God intends to make every single person you see receiving Our Lord into a saint! Wow! That is an edifying thought for me, too, and maybe pointing the eyes even higher and farther forward would keep your eyes off of the other line (even if it is a EMHC and not Father). Or you can pray for priests, especially if someone comes by that might tempt him, too. Priests need other people to pray that they pursue holiness and purity, too. It isn’t easy for them, either, so you can unite your trials with theirs.

 

[choy]

i have the same problem, i really have a short attention span

fortunately, when i moved and switched parishes, the priest in our current praish is really great. he stuided scripture a lot and explains a lot of the little historical details during his homilies, which really interest me. i find myself being more focused than usual. maybe that is an option for you? find a priest who can really reel your attention in

 

[Kilo1Mike21]

Thanks for the responses!

I will “focus” on the E minister as well as pray for the priests during communion.
As for finding a Father that will keep my attention. I came into the catholic faith at Cathedral (RCIA/Tiber Swim) and am attached to that parish. I will pray for more attentive brain cells during Mass.

 

[EasterJoy]

Thanks for the responses!

I will “focus” on the E minister as well as pray for the priests during communion.
As for finding a Father that will keep my attention. I came into the catholic faith at Cathedral (RCIA/Tiber Swim) and am attached to that parish. I will pray for more attentive brain cells during Mass.

It sounds as if you do not lack focus, but perhaps have a bit too much of it. Your thoughts are going all sorts of places, given just a few snatches of thought to chew on, not just spacing out in boredom. In that case, finding edifying ways to engage your focus without wandering beyond the sanctuary might do the trick, and then some. That works for me, but you’ll just have try things to see what works for you.

The catechism points out that we are present already for the heavenly liturgy itself whenever we are at Mass, so there is plenty to focus on, if we know to look!