There is a story of St. Benedict the Abbot that’s touched me. It is said that one day St. Benedict was riding his horse back to the monastery when he encountered a poor man on the road. The man looked at St. Benedict and said, “well, I’d pray more if I had a horse to ride and didn’t have to spend so much time getting places.” St. Benedict looked at him and replied, “I will give you my horse if you say the Our Father without being distracted.” The man grinned and said, “Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come. Does that come with the saddle?”
It can be very difficult to pray without the distractions of the world intruding. How often do we attend the greatest event to occur on earth, the Holy Mass, without thinking about work or family of other struggles? I often find myself day dreaming when trying to spend time in the Bible.
These distracted times can wear at our hearts and tempt us to shorten our prayer or cut it out to avoid feeling depressed that we couldn’t focus for just a short bit.
We are even tempted to read Jesus’ words to the disciples in the garden as condemnation. “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Matthew 26:41
He isn’t condemning them or us, Jesus is placing a clear warning for us but also giving us strength. Remember, the disciples didn’t have the Holy Spirit when they were being asked to keep watch. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” Romans 8:26
Our bodies and minds are weak and easily distracted. But, in these times when distraction or stresses overwhelm our prayer, we need to turn to the Holy Spirit in trust and for teaching. It may take a lifetime, but, if we patiently sit at Bis lessons, we will gradually grow in strength. We will find ourselves persevering longer without distraction and, when distracted, returning more quickly and stronger in prayer.
We see how Peter learned a lesson in focusing on Jesus in one of my favorite stories related in the Bible. In Matthew 14:22-33, we read how Peter walked on water. “So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind,[b] he became frightened, and beginning to sink” (v29-30). As long as he kept his focus on Jesus, he walked on the water. He became distracted and immediately sank. But, he immediately called on the Jesus and was pulled out of the water.
Distraction in prayer is simply an opportunity to learn that focus and strength to keep a more concerted watch with the Lord. When distractions start coming at you as those waves, call out to Jesus, call out to the Spirit before you start to sink.