This response comes from her many years of toil and labor at prayer. She said for years she was anxious when the hour of prayer arrived: "Very often, for some years, I was more anxious
that the hour I had determined to spend in prayer be over than I was to remain there, and more anxious to listen for the striking of the clock than to attend to other good things. And I don't know what heavy penance could have come to mind that frequently I would not have gladly undertaken rather than recollect myself in the practice of prayer."
She tells us not to pay attention to distractions, to, in effect, ignore them and go about our business praying. I believe this is good advice, because many, many people get anxious about this and spend more time worrying about their weakness during prayer than just letting go of the distraction and continuing in prayer. Some people give up praying entirely because of distractions, saying "what's the use?" In this response the devil has been victorious in preventing the soul from praying.
In St. Teresa's words:
When one of you finds herself in this sublime state of prayer, which, as I have already said is most markedly supernatural and the understanding (or, to put it more clearly, the thought) wanders off after the more ridiculous things in the world, she should laugh at it and treat it as the silly thing it is, and remain in her state of quiet. 
Many people also make the mistake of trying to "empty" their mind during prayer. This is an impossible task as St. Teresa tells us, too. We live in the body and will always have these struggles. Her example of faithfulness in prayer-in being present to the Lord, available to him, even when she didn't feel like it, is the model of a true Carmelite. The Lord rewarded her faithfulness with many mystical favors. Let us thank him for any grace-filled moments he sends us: prayer free from distractions!
Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
1 comment:
Hi Rosemarie,
Is it true that St. Therese used to pray for the person or thing that was causing the distraction in prayer? So for instance, she kept thinking about her sister or Superior, she would concentrate her prayer on them until the next distaction came to make prayers out of her distractions? Either way, I've tried this when or if I am distracted during the rosary, I will pray for the person or thing causing the distraction and then thank our dear Lord for that distraction because sometimes it turns out those things that distract us, need our attention in prayer! :) As always Great post!
Thanks for your e-mail! I can't wait to hear more!
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