Q&A: A friend of mine has returned to the Church after having been away for about 20 years. Now she never stops making novenas, and saying the rosary. If she finds a new prayer, she adds it to the long list she already has. Then all of a sudden she gives up everything because she has too much to do caring for her family. But then she’s back to praying her seven novenas a day and prayer after prayer. Is she crazy or am I crazy?
Father J. Patrick Gaffney, SMM
Spiritual Prayer Life
There’s another option: it could be that neither she nor you are crazy, which is most probably the case.
Perhaps these words of Saint Louis de Montfort will help your friend; “It is better not to burden ourselves with a multitude of prayers and pious practices but rather adopt only a few and perform them with love and perseverance in spite of opposition from the devil and the world and the flesh”. (TD #101).
The Fervor With Which It Is Said
And if that’s not enough, in his Secret of the Most Holy Rosary, Saint Louis-Marie writes; “It is not so much the length of a prayer as the fervor with which it is said which pleases God and touches His Heart. A single Hail Mary said properly is worth more than a hundred and fifty said badly”. (SR #116).
Father de Montfort is really doing no more than repeating the words of Jesus; “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Mt 6:7).
Some people who are super-devout for a week and then give up everything for the next week. The problem is they may have undertook too much to begin with. Someone who constantly adds novena on novena. prayer to this saint upon prayer to another saint, or who overextends herself in too many good works, will one day fall apart and may end up by throwing everything overboard. No one can drive 125 miles an hour for any length of time without emptying the tank or far worse, perhaps getting killed in a crash. When through pride we become inordinate in our desire to be a great saint, exhaustion sets in and we become easy prey for the devil.
Overextending oneself, lacking balance in the spiritual life is often found in beginners or in those who have just gone through a new conversion experience.
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