Sticking to set hour prayers while otherwise engaged

[yesukristus]

I have this attitude of praying the Sext at 12 pm (to join with the Angelus), Office of Readings at 3 pm (to join with Hour of Mercy prayer), and Vespers at 6 pm (also to join with the Angelus). Now the problem is sometimes during those times I’m in the middle of a seminar or talk or whatnot and I would be praying away (looking at my mobile phone where I have the Divine Office app) while the speaker is speaking. I do this cos I worry if not I would forget to pray or easily lose the motivation to pray. Do you think this is OCD or bipolar or something? Does this behaviour defeat the purpose of the prayer (cos I have to admit praying at such times feels pretty dry).

I also have been praying the rosary for years. But I feel pretty dry praying this. I look at the usual advice but I’m not good with imaginative stuff - I tend to fall asleep or have my imagination run elsewhere when I try too hard. So I end up praying the rosary during Mass (I want to pray in the church but sometimes unavoidably can’t get to Mass early enough and the sacristans close the church after Mass.)

So what do you all think?

 

[Sirach2]

What would Mary think about you praying her rosary while her Son’s holy sacrifice is being celebrated?
Is this participating in the liturgy? Have you really attended Mass, therefore?
As for praying during a seminar, if I were the speaker, I would think this was extremely rude, no matter how good your intentions. How pleased is God with your decision?
Obedience to the present moment is always serving God best. He has said “obedience is better than sacrifice.” Your sacrifice to pray while the moment requires your focused attention, is not a desirable offering to God.

 

[Rob2]

I end up praying the rosary during Mass (I want to pray in the church but sometimes unavoidably can’t get to Mass early enough and the sacristans close the church after Mass.)

So what do you all think?

" It is a mistake to recite the Rosary during the celebration of the liturgy, though unfortunately this practice still persists here and there. " (Pope St Paul VI , Marialis Cultus) .

 

[UpUpAndAway]

I have no competence to diagnose OCD, bipolar or other medical conditions, but it sounds as if your principal issue is an off-kilter sense of priority. While your LOTH prayer approach is commendable for those whose schedules allow it, responsibilities in other areas should not be disregarded. I would think that if you are, for example, attending a seminar there is a reason why you’re there and you should devote your attention to it.

God expects certain things from each of us, according to our individual state in life. I have preferred times for praying the LOTH too, but it wouldn’t make sense for me to insist upon them if I had an appointment, a meeting, or some other obligation that could not, for whatever reason, be scheduled around my prayer routine. I would simply pray a little earlier or later. Fortunately, the LOTH allows for a certain amount of flexibility in this.

A friend of mine is a Benedictine monk. His abbey has set times for each office of the LOTH and he is expected to participate in them. However, he is also responsible for caring for some of their livestock, and it would be a bad choice for him to rush off to pray if he’s assisting with the difficult birth of a calf when time for Vespers rolls around.

If forgetting to pray is something you struggle with, setting alarms on a mobile device (I assume you have one) and/or implementing a reward schematic (“I can’t do X until I have prayed Y”) could be a solution.

 

[TK421]

It seems unlikely you have a mental condition.

Aversion towards prayers like the Rosary or the Office is completely normal. There’s a reason millions of people think about making it a daily habit and few actually do. The goal here is to dedicate yourself to mental contemplation for 15-20 minutes, when the brain naturally leans towards making noise and having a thousand different thoughts, especially as of 2018. Our brains are neurologically different than people 30 years ago because of our frequent exposure to consuming information in electronic format. Weaker attention span, more reliance on visual stimuli, etc.

Use memory devices to reinforce routine. A pen & paper journal, a reminder, setting intentions at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, etc. This is something you’ll be doing for years and it will gradually improve. Building attention and consistency isn’t much different from getting physically fit, learning a language, juggling, etc. It takes consistent practice.

Also, private devotions shouldn’t be said during the Holy Mass. The Holy Mass is the highest prayer of the Church and a public form of worship.

Peace.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I pray the Angelus wherever I am at, except if I’m doing something where I can’t pray, such as giving a work presentation or in the middle of Mass or asleep, I pray it as soon as I can when able.

I understand about the closed-church thing being annoying, but you should develop a habit of saying a rosary outside Mass, not during it. Occasionally one needs to finish a rosary or even pray one during Mass (I know other Catholics on CAF object to this, whatever) but the key word is “occasionally”. It should not be a regular occurrence. Try using a video at home or making a prayer corner.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Perhaps you can allow yourself a little more flexibility in your routine. For example, instead of paying exactly at noon maybe you could make it a point to pray just before eating lunch. Vespers might be prayed as soon as you arrive home from work even if it’s a little earlier or later than 6pm.

 

[PJH_74]

These things came at a time where life moved more slowly and society was much more religious (or at least the dominant norm). If this is important to you, pray them when you can and my be say a little thanks to God at the exact moments. I doubt anyone will notice or this being a big issue.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

A friend of mine is a Benedictine monk. His abbey has set times for each office of the LOTH and he is expected to participate in them. However, he is also responsible for caring for some of their livestock, and it would be a bad choice for him to rush off to pray if he’s assisting with the difficult birth of a calf when time for Vespers rolls around.

Perhaps he could join his brothers in spirit while he is doing some pertinent work at the moment, granted that may be easier said than done. Also if I may guess, is this the Abbey of Saint Wandrille/Fontenelle Abbey?

 

[otjm]

It may be important to you to keep the parts of the LOTH at what might be considered the designated hour. However, unless you are a professed religious with the obligation to say it in community, there is no need whatsoever to say it at exactly (or necessarily even close to) the appointed hour.

If you are a lay person (as it appears) it is certainly praiseworthy to say all the hours, but as there is no obligation to say any of them, or even particular parts (Lauds, Vespers, Compline). If you are obsessing over the matter (and it sounds a bit like you may be doing so) then yes, I would suggest speaking with the appropriate counselor/psychologist, etc. It is certainly worth at least a visit.