Dear Maria:

The saints experienced many distractions too. This is a common experience. How to deal with it depends on the nature of the distraction. St. Teresa of Avila experienced a distraction of a noise. She used the noise as a kind of rhthym to help her in her prayers.

Looking at the pictures of the mysteries while saying the Rosary can help alot with concentration. But again, it is a common thing to experience a dryness with the Rosary or any prayer forum. We must persevere through those times of dryness or boredom. God will reward us for our perseverance.

You might trying rotating different prayers. One week pray the Rosary, the next week pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the next week, the Chaplet of St. Michael, and then return to the Rosary, etc.

This experience with the Rosary and with the Mass is most common when a person expects to "feel" something. Worship of God is not about "feeling" and "emotions". If one wells up in emotion when receiving the Eucharist that is great, but it means nothing if one does not well up in emotion.

We cannot rely upon emotions for our faith and relationship with God. Emotions are biologically based and can come and go with our moods, stress, and even bio-chemical changes in the brain. Our faith is based on Reason and not emotions. Any emotions are frosting on the cake, but it ain't the cake :)

Do you love God? True Love is a decision of will, not an emotion. Bring yourself before God and tell Him you love Him. He is not concerned if you have an emotional rush, He wants your True Love which is based upon your decision to love Him and act out that love in worship, prayer, and good works.

You KNOW the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ regardless of whether you "feel" it or not.

Sometimes we have to recognize that there is a difference between "knowing" and "feeling". To remind ourselves that we KNOW the truth about something and repeat to ourselves over and over that truth which we know, eventually the emotions may catch up with what you know. But remember, emotions can never be used as the measuring stick of your love and devotion to God.

In terms of drifting off during the Homily, try taking notes for further study. Note taking should help you focus on what the priest is saying.

Perseverance is the key to the Christian life. Hang-in there, use ideas like mentioned above to aid your focus, pray to God to grant you greater focus, assess your faith according to what you KNOW to be true, and not what you "feel" and maybe you will get the icing on the cake too.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary