When Prayer Seems Lethargic: Weekly Message for 07-19-2022

Dear Friends,

In many parts of the country, summer’s hottest days are upon us. As the heat rises, our energy and motivation to be active slows. My elderly father lamented after a week of upper 90s, “I am too lethargic to do anything.”

Sometimes our prayer life feels lethargic. Our attempts to connect with God seem more tedious. We might drift in thought or even fall asleep. What we were reflecting on no longer holds our attention.

This is a great time to breathe new life into our prayer life by trying something new.

Several summers ago I read With God in Russia by Walter Ciszek, which tells of Fr. Walter’s imprisonment in Russia for being a Catholic priest.  Both thought-provoking and inspiring, his story is a tremendous tale of the human person’s capacity to persevere and the necessity of hope in something—or more importantly, Someone—greater than ourselves.

If you haven’t met Fr. Walter, his story is worth reading, and if your prayer life is suffering a little lethargy, grab a good book about a great saint and immerse yourself in their adventure. Explore the lives of St. Francis Xavier, St. Thomas More or, a favorite this month, St. Mary Magdalene. Experience God through their eyes and hearts. 

Yours in the Heart of Jesus,

Donna