April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Jesus, help me focus on one thing, like homework or praying, by putting away everything that would distract me from it! Amen.
Jesus went into the desert for 40 days with no food. The devil came and said, "If you're God, turn the rocks into bread." Jesus said, "Bread isn't all that keeps you alive. God does, too." The devil took Jesus to the top of a building and said, "Jump. If you're God, angels will catch you." "Don't test God," Jesus answered. The devil showed Jesus the world and said, "I'll give you this if you worship me." "Worship only God," Jesus answered. "Go away!" So the devil left Jesus alone.
What helps you focus? To get homework done, lots of kids have to turn off music, put away their phones and sit in the quietest place they can find. Otherwise, there are too many distractions to concentrate.
The same goes for praying: It's hard to really talk to God about what's going on in your life if you're doing 10 other things at the same time! When you can concentrate on thanking God for good things, asking for help with problems and remembering people who need prayers, you're a lot more likely to feel better after you pray.
Jesus took that to an extreme. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 4:111), He needed to get ready to start traveling around to teach people about God. That was a big job, so He wanted to spend time praying before He jumped into it. He went into the desert, alone and bringing nothing, so He could focus only on God and what His Father wanted Him to do.
Putting aside distractions like your phone or music can help you feel calmer when doing homework. You're not stressed by having your brain try to process singing, texting and studying all at once!
Jesus got a lot done in the desert, too. In fact, He was so calm that, when the devil appeared and tried to distract Him, He could just say, "I'm focused on God right now. Go away." Jesus was a master at getting rid of distractions![[In-content Ad]]
MORE NEWS STORIES
SOCIAL MEDIA
OSV NEWS
- Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man
- Alligator Alcatraz, Carlo Acutis mosaic, scooter-riding catechist | Week in Review
- Washington Roundup: Epstein controversy boils; Trump signs order on homelessness; and more
- UPDATE: Detroit archbishop fires three theologians from Sacred Heart Seminary
- Report: FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
- Tension emerges between Trump immigration policies and agricultural industry
- Children of Catholic OB-GYN behind Creighton fertility care model follow in his footsteps
- LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
- Meet 88-year-old scooter-riding catechist from Singapore who has brought 2,000 people into church
- Migrants, refugees bravely embody the belief that joy is possible, pope says in message
Comments:
You must login to comment.