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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Praying too much?	Stephen	Friday, March 6, 2015
Question: I have a problem you probably don't hear too often. I think I am praying and doing other spiritual practices too much. Is it possible to be addicted? I can't attend daily mass but use the lectionary readings at Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. I also pray the Office of Readings, and usually do other scriptural/spiritual reading and a rosary. I'm recently retired so these practices are not to the detriment of other responsibilities, but I have two concerns. First I have a nagging guilt when I miss one of my "sessions" and feel I am letting God down. Second, at the end of the day, I am hard pressed to remember what I read, much less what it meant or how to apply it. Do you have any suggestions for "retooling" my spirituality?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Stephen: One of our founding members had this problem. He neglected his family because he was praying so much. Indeed, laity cannot expect to pray as much as a monk. Laity have various responsibilities to attend and also they need to be in the social world. To pray so much as to neglect those responsibilities, or to neglect normal social interaction, is not healthy. Concerning your specific questions: 1) These prayer and spiritual practices are not mandatory. Thus, you are not letting God down if you miss a session. There is no reason for any guilt. 2) As for not remembering at the end of the day, that may be a symptom of age. I barely remember things five minutes after I have read it. One thing that may help is to journal your thoughts. This way you can go back and read what your thoughts and inspirations were on a particular day or during a particular Hour of the Divine Office. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Praying too much?

Stephen

Friday, March 6, 2015

Question:

I have a problem you probably don't hear too often. I think I am praying and doing other spiritual practices too much. Is it possible to be addicted?

I can't attend daily mass but use the lectionary readings at Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. I also pray the Office of Readings, and usually do other scriptural/spiritual reading and a rosary.

I'm recently retired so these practices are not to the detriment of other responsibilities, but I have two concerns.

First I have a nagging guilt when I miss one of my "sessions" and feel I am letting God down.

Second, at the end of the day, I am hard pressed to remember what I read, much less what it meant or how to apply it.

Do you have any suggestions for "retooling" my spirituality?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Stephen:

One of our founding members had this problem. He neglected his family because he was praying so much.

Indeed, laity cannot expect to pray as much as a monk. Laity have various responsibilities to attend and also they need to be in the social world. To pray so much as to neglect those responsibilities, or to neglect normal social interaction, is not healthy.

Concerning your specific questions:

1) These prayer and spiritual practices are not mandatory. Thus, you are not letting God down if you miss a session. There is no reason for any guilt.

2) As for not remembering at the end of the day, that may be a symptom of age. I barely remember things five minutes after I have read it.

One thing that may help is to journal your thoughts. This way you can go back and read what your thoughts and inspirations were on a particular day or during a particular Hour of the Divine Office.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum