What To Do About Distractions: Pray them holy
People say, “I become distracted whenever I try to pray.” My response to this is to suggest that people make the distractions the content of their prayer… most of the distractions we get are really not distractions.” J.J. O’Leary, SJ
What does it mean to pray well?
What does it mean to pray?
What is prayer?
Stilling body to be
available to Something More
Steadying mind to be
steeped in Ultimate Reality
Raising spirit to be
surprised by Divine Presence
Showing up as I am
itchy achy bleeding body
centered cluttered leaping mind
firey frosty willing spirit
Refusing to judge
disturbed body
distracted mind
disordered spirit
Offering all I am
unfeigned
upfront
upright
Leaving no thing out
barrel of troublesome pain
quiver of rowdy mind
edge of anxious spirit
Tenderly I bring
bleeding itch to Something More
leaping thought to Ultimate Reality
stubborn emotion to Divine Presence
and pray them holy
Poem by Debra Asis
J.J. O’Leary, SJ’s above quote is found in today’s selection in An Ignatian Book of Days by Jim Manney, a series of daily reflections from the Spiritual Wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Throughout the book we hear the voices of St. Ignatius as well as many great thinkers and writers, long gone and present day, each uniquely revealing the way of finding God in all things.And that is my intention; to find God/Divine Presence/Ultimate Reality in whatever presents itself to me each day in 2024.
Each day I read, reflect and write on the selection, hoping to articulate the ways in which I come to know God/Divine Presence/Ultimate Reality via personal experience, impelled by the leading of my inner life.
INVITATION
Would you like to join me? The book is accessible on Amazon. Let me know in the comments to this post and sign up to get an email whenever I post. I would love to read your reflections too, public or private messages welcome!
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Learn more about me at
https://www.debraasis.org
All words are generated by grace and the grit of a real human being,
Debra Asis
