You know the experience. We’ve all had it.
You’re sitting in prayer, and it ends up sounding something like this:
“Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you… I’ve gotta remember to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer when I’m finished… Blessed are you among women… Man, I hate doing laundry. I wish the laundry would just do itself. I know! I should make the kids do their own laundry. Is 6 old enough… And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus… Jesus. I wonder if Mary ever made Jesus do His own laundry. I’ll bet she hated it too. Nah. Mary was perfect. She was probably totally tranquil in the face of her mountain of laundry… Holy Mary, Mother of God… Perfect. I’ll never be perfect. Not with my personality, at least. Does that mean I have to completely change who I am in order to become perfect… Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death… I wonder when the hour of my death will be. With the piles of laundry I constantly face, that hour will probably come sooner than later. This mountain will collapse on me and no one will find me for days… Amen.
Yeah. Don’t deny it. It’s totally happened to you.
And yes, it’s frustrating. You might even feel pretty guilty from distractions like this. But take heart. Even the saints got distracted during prayer, and they talked very openly about it.
So, what can you do to gently get control of that brain of yours and refocus your attention on prayer?
Here are a few helpful suggestions I’ve come across in the writings of the saints, and have used myself on occasion.
Simply bring your mind back
Most of us reach that moment of awareness when we realize our mind isn’t focused on the prayers our lips are saying. Some folks start the prayer over again completely. But many saints suggest simply refocusing your attention once more on the prayer. Just call to mind once more Whose presence you’re in and what you’re doing, and refocus your attention on the words you’re saying. Repeat this whenever you become aware of distraction.
Add a phrase to the Hail Mary
If you’re praying the Rosary, a very old practice is to add an illustrative phrase to the Hail Mary. For example, if you’re meditating on the Nativity, you can add the phrase “Who was born in Bethlehem” after “blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.” Changing up the prayer like this can be a helpful way to break up the monotony of rote repetition.
Just go with it
Sometimes the best way to counteract distraction in prayer is to simply go with it. Don’t feel guilty because you got distracted... again… Instead, use your distraction as an opportunity to talk to God about whatever is weighing on your heart. In the above example, you could simply talk to God about how much you hate doing laundry, examine together with the Lord why you hate it so much, and ask for the grace to bear the mountainous burden for the salvation of souls and the conversion of sinners.
Stop… Take a moment… Come back
The Rosary can feel like a long prayer, especially if you’re just getting started. If you become aware that you’re getting distracted, sometimes all you need is a breather. So stop praying for a moment. Take a few deep breaths. Refocus your mind, then dive back into it.
Pull out your Bible
If your prayer time permits and you feel the need to change things up a bit, perhaps you could try praying a Scriptural Rosary. This practice can mean reflecting on a verse or passage from Scripture at the beginning of each decade, or even between each Hail Mary. For a good starting point, check out our article “What is a Scriptural Rosary?”
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